Hewlett-Packard or HP printers are quite high-performing devices that people worldwide love to use. They print and scan efficiently and are also defined by their user-friendly nature. But sometimes, people find that the device doesn’t print black ink. Many people complain of HP Printer not printing black and desire to find effective resolutions. Many factors can lead to this issue. So, it’s essential for you to understand them and then begin to troubleshoot the problem. It’s possible that your device has low ink. But sometimes, even with adequate ink, the printer doesn’t print black. In this article, you’ll find the reasons and resolutions for this common HP printer problem.
Reasons for HP Printer Not Printing Black
Various small and big issues can prevent your printer from printing black ink. You must know about the common causes so that you can take corrective actions. Here are the probable reasons for this printer error.
- An issue with the printhead.
- Incorrect cartridges.
- A problem with the driver.
- An issue with the paper settings.
- Low ink levels.
Resolve HP Printer Not Printing Black Problem
There are various ways you can try to fix the issue. When you find that your HP printer won’t print black, consider the measures listed below.
Clean the printhead.
HP printing devices with clogged printhead nozzles will not print black. So, cleaning it can prove to be an effective fix. However, remember that you require to carry out the cleaning process a few times to restore the print quality. Different HP printer models have slightly different ways of cleaning the printhead.
You mainly have two options, ‘Clean Printhead’ or ‘Deep Cleaning’, present on the ‘Maintenance’ menu of the printer’s control panel. Before choosing an option, ensure that there is some paper already loaded in the printer.
Launch the printer troubleshooter.
Using the printer troubleshooter is also an effective measure for this problem. To open and use it, follow these steps.
- Launch the Troubleshooter by tapping the Cortana’ Type here to search button present on the taskbar.
- In the search box, input printer and choose ‘Printers & Scanners.’
- Choose ‘Troubleshoot your printer.’ Then, tap ‘Run the troubleshooter.’
- In the Troubleshooter’s window, select your HP printer model. Then, hit ‘Next’ to allow the Troubleshooter to fix the printing problem.
Inspect HP printer cartridges
The ink cartridge problem is a prominent reason for the HP Printer not printing black. So, you must inspect cartridges and see their placement. If you haven’t placed them properly, you’ll definitely face this issue. After you install the cartridge properly, see that it is correctly placed.
Apart from that, you should also check whether this issue is due to low ink levels. If the levels are low, change the cartridge immediately.
Employ the HP Print and Scan Doctor.
HP Print and Scan Doctor is a helpful utility to use when your HP printer won’t print black. To fix this issue using this tool, follow these points.
- Firstly, download the tool from the official website of HP.
- Now to install it, tap the ‘HPPS.dr.exe’ file on your computer.
- After that, choose ‘Start’ to select your HP printer. Then click the ‘Next’ button.
- Now choose the option ‘Fix Printing.’
- You will notice your software displaying wrench icons. They show that it is correcting some issues. After some time, you can try to print again.
- If you see an ‘X’ icon, continue working with the Troubleshooter and adhere to the points it gives to fix the problem.
Add authentic HP cartridge.
Usually, third-party cartridges don’t function well on HP printers. So, replacing them with genuine HP cartridges can do the trick. On the official HP website, there’s a search box where you can input your printer model. It’ll give you a list of compatible ink cartridges.
Also, remember that there are many fake HP cartridges out there. So, it’ll be a good idea to see whether your cartridge is genuine or not. You can check whether your cartridge is fake or not by using a QR scanner to scan the QR codes on the cartridge.
Align the printhead.
HP printer won’t print black if it isn’t calibrated. So, you should calibrate your printer by aligning its printhead. Many HP printer models have an ‘Align Printhead’ option on either their Control Panel or ‘Printer Maintenance’ menu. Choosing this option will calibrate the printer. It will print an alignment page. You can get more information about how to calibrate your printer in the HP printer manual.
Final Words
Now, whenever you notice an HP printer not printing black, you won’t feel annoyed. Let this post guide you in fixing this problem quickly. However, for more troubleshooting assistance, contact printer technical support services. The experts of the service will easily diagnose and resolve any HP printer problem that arises unexpectedly.
