Before you start
- Unused plain white A4 or Letter paper and installed cartridges.
- For the photo-setting example, the HP app on an iPhone already connected to this printer.
Check the paper, image and ink first
Confirm the paper type and size in the HP app match what is actually loaded. For the recorded iPhone photo workflow, open Print Photos, select the image and review the preview. Choose Color if needed and select the quality setting appropriate to the image. Best is a setting, not a guarantee that a low-resolution original gains detail.
Check Supplies for estimated ink levels. A low estimate alone does not prove the reason for a blank page. If a cartridge was just installed, confirm its protective tape is removed and it is seated correctly.
Step 1:Print and inspect the quality diagnostic report
Load unused plain white A4 or Letter paper. On the touchscreen open Menu → Tools → Reports → Status Reports and choose Print Quality Diagnostic Report, then Print. HP’s manual places Tools under Utilities; wording can vary with firmware.
Use the report to choose the next action. Thin white lines or missing color areas call for cartridge cleaning; broken or misaligned lines may need alignment. Ink smears on the reverse of a print call for smear cleaning. If the report is sound but one file prints badly, revisit that file’s image and print settings.
Step 2:Run only the cleaning level that is needed
Open Menu → Tools → Troubleshooting. Choose Cartridge Cleaning; if your screen first shows Print Quality, open it to find the maintenance options. Start the first level and let it finish.
Inspect the printed result before choosing another level. Run the next offered level only if quality remains poor, then inspect again. The recordings show two levels, while HP’s shared manual describes additional stages; follow the options actually offered on your printer instead of assuming a fixed count.
Step 3:Use alignment and smear cleaning for their own symptoms
For an alignment problem, use the linked cartridge-alignment guide: print the alignment sheet, place it on the glass as directed and finish the Scan step. An ordinary photocopy does not complete alignment.
For ink smears on the backs of pages, choose Clean Smear in the same troubleshooting area with plain paper loaded. Let the process finish and compare a fresh print. Ink on the cleaning sheet alone does not prove that the original problem has been fixed.
Step 4:Print the original document again
Compare the new diagnostic page and the original problem document with the earlier result. Check the missing colors, lines or smears that prompted maintenance. The source’s good-looking sample is not a guarantee for another printer.
If the relevant maintenance options do not resolve the defect, use HP support for the exact model and message. Do not conclude that cartridges are certainly faulty from a blank sheet alone, and do not repeat cleaning indefinitely. Turn the printer off with Power during ordinary shutdown so the cartridges can park.
