Before you start
- Unused plain white A4 or Letter paper and correctly installed cartridges.
Check the paper, print settings and supplies first
A missing color or faded page does not identify one fault by itself. Check that the print job is not set to black-and-white when you expect color, that its paper size and type match the loaded media, and that the cartridges are correctly installed.
Open Supplies → Ink Cartridges to view estimates and read any cartridge error separately. Estimates are not exact measurements, and a low estimate alone does not prove that a cartridge needs immediate replacement.
Step 1:Inspect a print-quality diagnostic page
Load unused plain white A4 or Letter paper. Open Menu → Tools → Reports → Status Reports and select Print Quality Diagnostic Report. Examine the printed pattern and follow the directions printed on that report for its specific defects.
HP recommends printhead cleaning for streaked output or incorrect or missing colors. Misaligned patterns can require alignment instead. Do not assume that every streak needs every maintenance operation.
Step 2:Run the first cleaning level
In the source layout, choose Menu → Tools → Troubleshooting → Printhead Cleaning and start Level 1. HP’s manual also describes Menu → Supplies → Troubleshooting → Print Quality for maintenance on another layout; select the named cleaning function.
Leave the printer to complete the cleaning and its printed result. The source shows the first-cleaning-completed message and a diagnostic page. It is a demonstration of the tool, not proof that every missing-ink fault has been repaired.
Step 3:Inspect before starting another level
Check the new printed pattern. If the relevant defect is gone, stop cleaning. If the output remains poor, run the next offered level and inspect again. Use Level 3 only after the earlier levels still leave a defect.
Cleaning consumes ink, with later stages using more. HP cautions against unnecessary cleaning and alignment because they waste ink and shorten cartridge life. Do not repeat all three levels indefinitely.
Step 4:Use alignment or support when the result calls for it
If the pattern indicates alignment is needed, run Printhead Alignment, place its printed sheet face down at the scanner-glass guide and follow the scan prompt. The separate alignment guide shows that complete process.
If poor output persists after the applicable cleaning and alignment, contact HP with the exact symptoms and diagnostic page. Do not buy a printhead solely because it is old or because one status screen says OK.
Questions & troubleshooting
Should I run all three levels each time?
No. Inspect the printed result after each level and stop when the relevant defect is resolved. Later stages consume more ink.
Can I diagnose a dried cartridge with tissue or soak it?
The supporting videos mention these techniques, but the applicable HP maintenance procedure does not establish them. This guide uses the printer’s documented diagnostics and cleaning functions instead.
