What does it mean when my HP printer says there is a problem with the printhead?
If your PC or the LCD screen on your printer is telling you that your ink cartridges are full but no ink is passing through to the paper, then it's most likely that you are dealing with a clogged printhead. Blurry documents and images that appear faded are also signs that it's time to remove the excess ink.
- Remove the new cartridges and turn off the printer.
- After letting the printer sit for several minutes, turn the printer back on.
- Turn off the printer, let it sit, and turn it back on at least four times. ...
- Re-insert new cartridges and run a printer test page.
- Make sure your printer is connected to the same wireless network as your mobile device.
- Open the HP Smart app, and then select your printer.
- Tap your printer, and then tap Print Quality Tools.
- Next to Clean Printhead, tap Clean. ...
- Examine the page.
With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the printer. Lift the carriage latch, slightly lift the printhead, lower the printhead back into the carriage, wiggle the printhead left and right, and then lower the carriage latch until it stops.
- Reset the printer.
- Unseat the printhead.
- Remove the ink cartridges, and then check the error message.
- Clean the ink cartridges, and then check the error message.
- Update the printer firmware.
To override HP ink cartridge error, remove and reinstall the indicated cartridge 2-3 times until it firmly seats in the slot. Then turn off the printer and remove all cartridges. Gently, with a dry lint-free cloth, wipe the contacts on the cartridge and carriage to remove any dirt or residue.
- Remove all of the cartridges from the printer.
- Place the incompatible ink cartridge back in the printer.
- Power off the printer and unplug its power cord from the wall-- wait 10-15 minutes.
- Plug the power cord back in and power on the printer.
Use The Printer With One Empty Cartridge
Changing your printer's settings to override HP's empty cartridge “blocking mechanism” is the only way to override this obstacle. Access the printer control panel by pressing the “Menu” button. Using the Left and Right arrow buttons, find the “Service” setting and press “Enter.”
The manual should also offer some additional troubleshooting tips, and can help you find the printer head itself if you need to clean it manually. In general, use isopropyl alcohol and a lint free cloth or swab -- the alcohol evaporates quickly without leaving residue.
You can clean the printhead either manually or from your printer or computer. Before you start, you'll want to perform a nozzle check to ensure your printhead needs cleaning, as this will save ink.
How do I get my printer heads to clean automatically?
Access the printer software. Click the Maintenance tab, then click the Auto Nozzle Check and Cleaning button. Follow the on-screen instructions. The power light flashes while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.
Here's a quick rundown of how you can clean your printer head from the HP experts: Run the “Clean Printhead” function from your computer. If the above step doesn't work, open the cover of your printer and then unplug it from the electrical outlet. Remove each ink cartridge and clean the contacts with a cloth.

Take a warm damp paper towel or coffee filter and blot the cartridge with the printhead facing down onto the paper towel. This will remove any dried ink on the printhead. Then, hold the cartridge with the printhead facing down against a dry paper towel for 2-3 minutes. A dry paper towel will wick the ink out.
Insufficient or lack of airflow can cause problems with your printhead from clogs to dried ink and more. The air nozzles can become blocked in the same way your printhead itself can, from dust, lint, or ink.
Just above the circuit board on most printer cartridges, you'll find a small button. You've seen these tiny buttons before on cell phones, phone chargers, etc. This is your reset button, and the only way to get in there is either with a paper clip or the tip of a pen (which will leave a tiny ink smudge on the button).
If everything is working fine and you are happy it is worth the cost. If you really want a better printer or a printer with different abilities and your present printer is a few years old, and you find a new printer that is a great buy with new features YOU WILL USE then save the printhead money go new!
Dried Ink Buildup on the Printhead
If the print cleaning cycle doesn't work, dried ink may be the culprit. Take the printhead out and wipe the nozzles clean to remove any buildup. Depending on the model of your printer, this may be difficult—some printheads are harder to remove than others.
Disable the Cartridge Policy feature
In the Device Management pane, select the printers (or printer group) to configure. In the bottom navigation pane, select Config, and then select Supplies. In the Cartridge Policy section, select Off. Click Apply.
- Remove the new ink cartridge from the printer.
- Turn off your HP printer and detach its power cord for 10 minutes.
- Reconnect the power cord but don't turn on the power button just yet.
- Reload the new ink cartridge back into the printer.
Hp Incompatible Print Cartridge Error message may signal that the cartridge you placed is in the wrong slot. When you get such errors, check that the cartridge model numbers match your printer model and your country's region. After that, check if the cartridges are installed in their corresponding slots.
Can HP printer work with only one cartridge?
You can continue to print with one or more empty cartridges, but HP recommends replacing them as soon as possible to avoid printhead damage.
To print in single-cartridge mode, remove one of the ink cartridges, and then continue to print as usual. The printer control panel or computer screen might display a message to install the missing cartridge. To clear the message and continue with the print job, click or press OK.
When the low ink warning appears, press and hold the STOP/RESET or RESUME button on the printer for 10 seconds. This button will flash with an orange light when the warning pops up, so it will be relatively easy to find. If you get a warning on your computer or LCD screen, just press or click OK to carry on printing.
This is typically caused by an incorrect selection made during the LCD prompting after a cartridge is replaced or the lock release lever did not snap securely over the ink cartridge when installing.
Go to your computer and click “Print” from the file that you wanted to print. Click on “Properties” and then the “Color” tab next. Select the “Print in grayscale” option by clicking on its checkbox. You can now start printing in black and white.
Avoid using any of the following chemicals or products containing these chemicals: Any chlorine-based cleaner, such as bleach. Peroxides (including hydrogen peroxide)
Fill a bowl with warm water (or a mixture of water and vinegar to clean the printhead) and place the printhead directly in it. Let it sit for five minutes or so. Pull the printhead out of the water and use a lint-free cloth or paper towel to remove the dried ink.
In general, it is best to use the purest isopropyl alcohol (99%) available to you. Alcohol that is 90% pure also works well. You can use 70% pure isopropyl alcohol, but if you do, you must wait much longer after cleaning to ensure that it is completely dry.
If your printer or plotter head is built into the printer cartridges, you change your printhead every time you change the ink. If the printheads are built into the printer or plotter, they're likely to require replacement after long-term use.
You may need to clean the print head up to 4 times. You can also turn off your Epson printer and wait at least 6 hours. Then try printing again.
How do I run a printhead cleaning cycle?
A standard Print Head Cleaning cycle is done by clicking 'Cleaning' on the Maintenance tab, then waiting a little bit until a message comes up; confirm it and click 'Print Check Pattern. ' From this you can then tell what sort of Deep Clean you need to do by which lines (black or colour) are faded.
If your PC or the LCD screen on your printer is telling you that your ink cartridges are full but no ink is passing through to the paper, then it's most likely that you are dealing with a clogged printhead. Blurry documents and images that appear faded are also signs that it's time to remove the excess ink.
This error indicates a hardware failure, and the printer requires service or replacement. Your printer model might be replaced under the following conditions: The printer is one of the models listed below. The printer exhibits the error message: There is a problem with the printhead.
NOTE 1: While warm tap water is most readily available in the home, use of distilled water is suggested as it is technically safer for the printhead as it does not contain calcium or contaminants which could clog ink nozzles and/or impact the printhead's long term performance.
Your printer has an automatic cleaning cycle that can be activated from your computer. Open the HP printer application and choose the “Clean Printhead” function. You may also be able to choose this option on your printer's touch screen. This should set the automatic cleaning process in motion.
Regular Cleaning
Use your printer's cleaning cycle at least once a month or so to flush out any remnant ink leftover in the heads. Tiny bits of paper can get caught inside the machine and printheads too, so use some canned air to blow out any dust or paper whenever you run your monthly printhead cleaning.
On average, printheads should last through 2-3 ink cartridges.
Make sure you use distilled water for cleaning the printhead's dies, otherwise they could get damaged. Wipe the printhead against the lint-free microfiber cloth three times, on a flat surface, in the direction shown.
First, clean the nozzle using a damp cloth or an alcohol wipe while the nozzle is hot. This may cause some steam but will indeed remove any material clinging to the nozzle. If this doesn't work, you can also use a wire brush, small blade, or needle to remove any remaining debris from the nozzle.
You can clean the printhead either manually or from your printer or computer. Before you start, you'll want to perform a nozzle check to ensure your printhead needs cleaning, as this will save ink.
What causes printhead failure?
Insufficient or lack of airflow can cause problems with your printhead from clogs to dried ink and more. The air nozzles can become blocked in the same way your printhead itself can, from dust, lint, or ink.
On average, printheads should last through 2-3 ink cartridges.
Faint, streaky or spotty prints are all common signs of a clog but a simple cleaning can usually get your HP ink cartridges working again. Printheads clog due to infrequent cartridge use. If you regularly go a few weeks without printing, your cartridges will eventually dry out and need to be replaced.
You could call a printer repair service to come out and inspect your printer. They will likely perform the same cleaning procedures you can do yourself and check the printhead to see if it is damaged in some way. There isn't much that can be done in the way of repairing a printhead, only replacing parts.
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The printhead is the component on your printer that's responsible for transferring ink onto paper. This mechanism does this by coursing droplets of ink through numerous nuzzles to create the print. When these nozzles get clogged, this causes an uneven ink distribution resulting in faded or streaky prints.
Print heads can last up to 2000 print hours if they are well cared for. Regular maintenance includes: 1. Purging the print head every 10-15 print hours or at the end of a print longer than that time if you are using PLA or ABS.
Note: Print head cleaning consumes some ink. To avoid wasting ink, clean the print head only if print quality declines; for example, if the printout is blurry or the color is incorrect or missing.
One of the most thorough involves soaking the printheads in a solution of water and ammonia for several hours, and then flushing the heads clean by running them under warm tap water. We've seen others have success with this method, and it's cheaper than replacing the printhead assembly.