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HP ENVY Inspire 7200e, 7900e Printers - Color or black ink not printing, other print quality issues

The quality of a printed document from your printer is not as expected, color or black ink does not print, or printouts are smeared, fuzzy, dark, or faded.

Perform the following tasks in the order given. Use the printer after each task to see if the issue is resolved.

Clean the printhead

The printhead could be clogged, and you might need to clean the printhead several times to restore print quality. Use an automated tool from the printer control panel to clean the printhead.

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.

On the printer control panel, touch the tab at the top.

The Dashboard opens.
Touch Setup.
Touch Printer Maintenance > Clean Cartridges, and then follow the on-screen instructions.

After cleaning completes, a Print Quality Diagnostic Report prints.
Examine the Print Quality Diagnostic Report.
- If the print quality is unacceptable, touch Clean Again to continue the next level of cleaning. If necessary, repeat these steps for the third cleaning cycle.
  
  Note:
  If the printhead is badly clogged, it might require another cleaning cycle. If so, wait 30 minutes before you perform all three levels of cleaning again.
- If the print quality is acceptable, touch Done.

Check for ink smears on the back of printouts

If there are smears of ink on the back of your printouts, use an automated tool to resolve the issue.

On the printer control panel, touch the tab at the top.

The Dashboard opens.
Touch Setup.
Touch Printer Maintenance > Clean Smear.

After cleaning completes, the printer ejects a blank sheet of paper.

Make sure you are using the correct paper for your print job

Make sure the paper you are using matches the print job. If it is not, reload the printer with the correct paper type.

Load the paper print side down in the input tray. Many papers have printing and non-printing sides, such as photo paper and envelopes. Usually, the smoother side is the "print side," and sometimes, the non-print side has a logo of the paper manufacturer on it.
Do not use wrinkled or curled paper. Use only clean, wrinkle-free paper.
Use the correct paper type for your project.
- For everyday text documents, plain paper with ColorLok technology works well. Paper with ColorLok technology is industry-standard paper that works well with HP ink.
- For documents with dense printing, such as high contrast graphics or photos, use HP Advanced Photo Paper for best results.
- Some paper might not absorb ink as well as others. If your prints smear easily, make sure you are using a recommended paper.
Store photo paper in its original packaging inside a resealable plastic bag. Store the paper on a flat surface in a cool, dry place. Load 10-20 sheets of photo paper only when you are ready to print, and then put the unused paper back in the packaging.
Try using a different paper. This determines if the problem is related to the paper.

Check print settings

Print settings can affect print quality. Make sure the print settings are appropriate for your print job.

Check print settings using HP Smart

Adjust print settings to improve quality by printing a document or photo from the HP Smart app.

Open the HP Smart app, and then click Print Documents or Print Photos.
Browse to the document or photo, and then click Print.

The Print window opens.
Depending on your print job, modify the following settings to improve print quality:
- Media Type: Select the appropriate type of paper, such as photo paper, plain paper, or labels.
- Quality: Increase the print quality mode from Normal or Draft to Best.
- Paper Size: Select the correct paper size for your print job.
Click Print.

Check print settings in Windows

Check the print settings for your print job in Windows.

In the software application you are trying to print, click File > Print.

The Print window opens.
Open the Properties dialog box.

Depending on the software application, the button might be Properties, Options, Printer Setup, Printer, or Preferences.
Depending on your print job, modify the following settings to improve print quality:
- Paper Type: If you are printing on photo paper, select the type of photo paper you are attempting to print on.
- Quality: If you are dissatisfied with the quality of your printouts, increase the print quality. To print more quickly, decrease the print quality. These options typically include Best, Normal, and Draft modes.
- Paper Size: If you are printing on a different size of paper than you normally print on, select the correct paper size.
- Black and White: If you want to print in black and white only, select the grayscale option.
After selecting the print settings, click OK > Print.

Check print settings in macOS

Check the print settings for your print job in macOS.

Open a document or photo, and then click File > Print.

The Print window opens.
At the lower-left side, click Show Details.
Click the Preview drop-down list, and then select Media & Quality.
Depending on your print job, modify the following settings to improve print quality:
- Paper type: If one of the options matches your paper type exactly, select that option.
- Quality: If you are dissatisfied with the quality of your printouts, increase the print quality. To print more quickly, decrease the print quality.
To save your settings for future print jobs, select Save Current Settings as Preset in the Presets menu, and then name the new preset.

Check the estimated ink levels

Check estimated ink levels to see if any ink cartridges are critically low or empty.

On the printer control panel, touch the tab at the top.

The Dashboard opens.
Touch the Ink icon .

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.

Print a Print Quality Diagnostic Report

Print a Print Quality Diagnostic Page to check if cleaning or aligning of cartridges is required.

On the printer control panel home screen, touch the tab at the top.

The Dashboard opens.
Touch Setup.
Touch Reports > Print Quality Report.

A Print Quality Diagnostic Report prints.
Examine bullets 4, 5, 6, and 7 in the report, and then follow the instructions given in the report to align or clean the cartridges.

Service the printer

Service or replace your HP printer if the issue persists after completing all the preceding steps.

Go to Contact HP Customer Support to schedule a product repair or replacement. If you are in Asia Pacific, you will be directed to a local service center in your area.

To confirm your warranty status, go to HP Product Warranty Check. Repair fees might apply for out-of-warranty products.

Note:

Keep a print sample that shows the problem. If the printer, ink or toner cartridges, or the imaging drum are replaced under warranty, the support agent might request the print sample.

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