This document is for HP Officejet 6500 and Officejet 6500 Wireless All-in-One printers.
note:Inappropriate paper usually causes vertical streaks in printouts (or if the problem occurs on a copy, dirty scanner glass usually causes the issue). Do not replace cartridges to fix vertical streaks.
Examples of horizontal streaks and vertical streaks in printout
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Figure : Horizontal streaks in printout
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Figure : Vertical streaks in printout
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Continue with the following troubleshooting steps if your printout contains horizontal streaks, or print quality issues other than vertical streaks.
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Do not replace cartridges for vertical streaks in a printout. Instead, check the paper as described earlier in this document, or search for a document that covers this issue. Streaks in copies can often be fixed by cleaning the scanner glass.
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note:Ink level warnings and indicators provide estimates for planning purposes only. When an indicator shows low ink levels, consider having a replacement ink cartridge available to avoid possible printing delays. You do not need to replace ink cartridges until print quality becomes unacceptable.
caution:Do not lift the gray latch next to the carriage to install the ink cartridges. Doing so can result in incorrectly seated ink cartridges and printing problems. The latch must remain down to correctly install the ink cartridges.
Examples of defects on the print quality diagnostic report
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Defect
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Example
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Large font text is ragged on one end (possible cartridge or printhead problem)
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Irregularly streaked or faded color bars (possible cartridge or printhead problem)
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Ragged color bars (possible cartridge or printhead problem)
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The color bars are streaked with another color (possible cartridge or printhead problem)
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The color blocks have regular white streaks (possible cartridge or printhead problem)
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Completely missing (black) color (possible cartridge or printhead problem)
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Page is blank or nearly blank (possible cartridge or printhead problem)
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Jagged alignment patterns (possible alignment problem)
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Windows only: If you are experiencing garbled, jumbled or illogical text, incomplete printouts, or missing text or graphics, go to Continuous Pages of Strange or Garbled Characters Print in Windows.
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caution:Do not lift the gray latch next to the carriage to remove the ink cartridge. Doing so can result in incorrectly seated ink cartridges and printing problems.
note:If the printhead is badly clogged, you might need to clean the printhead several times to restore normal print quality.
note:Mechanical noises during the cleaning process are normal.
caution:Never turn off the printer when ink cartridges are not installed. To avoid issues that require cleaning the printhead or that can damage the ink system, always replace ink cartridges as soon as possible, and always turn off the printer using the Power button.
note:Mechanical noises during alignment are normal.
caution:Manually cleaning the printhead should only be performed if the printhead is no longer under warranty.
caution:Do not use alcohol or other solvents. This might damage the printhead, causing the printhead layers to separate, requiring replacement of the printhead.
note:Do not leave the ink cartridge outside the printer for longer than 30 minutes. The printhead and ink cartridges can be damaged by being exposed to air outside of the printer.
caution:Do not force water into the printhead, this can cause printhead delamination.
caution:Do not use a hair dryer to dry off the printhead. This could cause the nozzles to dry out and clog.
caution:Do not use compressed air to blow out the printhead. This can cause delamination of the printhead.
note:Make sure the colored shapes on the sides of the printhead line up with the colored shapes on the carriage.
note:If you encounter the 'Printhead Problem' error message, turn the printer off and on.
caution:Wait until you have a new printhead assembly available before removing the ink cartridges. HP recommends that you do not leave the ink cartridges outside the printer longer than 30 minutes. This could damage both the printer and the ink cartridges.
note:Keep a print sample that shows the problem. If the ink cartridges, printhead, or printer is replaced under warranty, the support agent will request the print sample. If the printer is returned to HP, the print sample must be returned with the printer. Place the sample in the output tray when you package your printer for shipping.