Before you start
- The printer switched on so it can bring the cartridges into reach.
- Damp kitchen paper, dry kitchen paper and a protected work surface.
- An optional cotton bud for the black-cartridge method, and a small container for a shallow soak.
- Paper and a document with the black text or colours you want to check.
Step 1:Remove the cartridge for the missing ink
Open the front panel and then the inner cartridge-access panel while the printer is on. Wait for the carriage to present the cartridges and stop. Put your fingers on top of the affected cartridge and pull it towards you and slightly down to release it.
The main video works on black ink. The supporting colour video follows the same removal and cleaning approach for the tri-colour cartridge. You only need to remove the cartridge you are working on.
Step 2:Dab the ink outlet on damp kitchen paper
Locate the printhead: the small area at the bottom of the cartridge where ink comes out. Hold the cartridge by its body rather than putting your fingers on that area. Dab the printhead onto damp kitchen paper and check the ink it leaves behind.
For a colour cartridge, keep checking for distinct colour marks. The presenter also demonstrates a very careful wipe with the damp paper. In the black-ink video, he offers a cotton bud as another way to clean the same area. Use kitchen paper as shown, rather than toilet tissue.
Step 3:Try a shallow soak if dabbing is not enough
If the cartridge still does not leave useful ink marks, the videos suggest putting its printhead base in a little water in a small plastic container. Use only enough water to reach that bottom area; do not submerge the whole cartridge.
The black-ink video suggests about 5 minutes. The colour video says a few minutes. Treat this as an optional next attempt after dabbing, rather than a required step for every cartridge.
Step 4:Dry the cartridge and reinstall it
Dab or wipe the cleaned area with dry kitchen paper. Once dry, return the cartridge to the same slot, with its sticker facing up. Put it loosely into position, brace a finger on top and push with your thumb until it clicks. Close the cartridge-access panel.
Step 5:Print again and check the missing ink
Print a page that uses the black ink or colours you were missing. Check whether those areas now appear and whether they are reasonably consistent. The source demonstrates the handling technique rather than documenting a before-and-after repair of a clogged cartridge.
Both recordings mention an additional cleaning tool in the HP app. The black-ink recording finds Print Quality Tools greyed out, so it does not complete that app procedure. If you want to use the automated method when it is available, the related app-cleaning guide covers it separately.
If colour is still missing, the colour video notes that the cartridge may be empty and may need replacement. Check the ink number for your exact printer before buying; these recordings do not establish that every remaining print fault has the same cause.
Questions & troubleshooting
Can I use this for the tri-colour cartridge too?
The supporting video demonstrates removing, dabbing, drying and reinstalling the tri-colour cartridge on the same source printer. Use that video for the colour example.
Why can I not run Print Quality Tools?
That control is also greyed out in the black-ink recording. The source does not resolve why. You can still complete the manual steps and test a print; do not treat the unavailable app control as evidence that the manual cleaning failed.
Do ink marks on the paper prove the problem is fixed?
They show ink reaching the paper used for cleaning. Reinstall the dry cartridge and print your document to see whether the missing black or colours have returned.
