HP DeskJet 3630, 4720 Printers - Printer Prints a Blank Page or Does Not Print Black or Color Ink

This document is for HP DeskJet 3630, 3631, 3632, 3633, 3634, 3635, 3636, 3637, 3638, DeskJet Ink Advantage 3635, 3636, 3638, and DeskJet Ink Advantage Ultra 4729 All-in-One printers.

The printer is working, but the printed output is missing black or color ink, or the printed page is blank or has very little ink.

HP recommends that you use genuine HP ink or toner supplies. HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP or refilled cartridges. If you do not use genuine HP cartridges, the steps in this document might not resolve the issue. To check the authenticity of your cartridges, go to the HP anti-counterfeit webpage (in English).

Purchase replacement cartridges and other supplies from the HP Store or local retailers.

Low ink levels can impact print quality.

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.

Replace any critically low or empty ink cartridges, and then try to print again. Skip this step if all ink cartridges show healthy ink levels.

1. Press the Power button to turn on the printer, if it is not already on.
2. Load plain white paper into the input tray.
3. Open the exterior door.
   Figure : Open the exterior door

   
4. Open the ink cartridge access door.
   The carriage moves to the center of the printer.
   Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before you continue.
   Figure : Open the ink cartridge access door

   
5. Lightly press down on the ink cartridge to release it, and then pull the ink cartridge out of its slot.
   Figure : Remove the ink cartridge

   
6. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging, and then remove the plastic tape.

     caution:

   Do not try to remove the copper electrical strip.

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles.Do not replace the protective tape on the contacts. Handling these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electricalconnections.

   Figure : Remove the plastic tape

   
7. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides with the nozzles toward the printer, and then insert the ink cartridge into its slot. Make sure that the ink cartridge is inserted in the correct slot.
   • The tri-color ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the left.
   • The black ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the right.
8. Push the ink cartridge forward into its slot until it snaps into place.
   Figure : Snap the ink cartridge into place

   
9. Repeat these steps to replace the other ink cartridge, if necessary.
10. Close the ink cartridge access door.
    Figure : Close the ink cartridge access door

    
11. Close the exterior door.
    Figure : Close the exterior door

    
12. Follow any prompts on the computer screen.
13. Wait about 30 seconds for the alignment page to automatically print.

    note:

    The printer prints an alignment page automatically only when a new ink cartridge has been installed.

Continue to next step to align the ink cartridges.

Align the ink cartridges for the best print quality.

1. Lift the scanner lid.
2. Place the alignment page with the print side down on the right-front corner of the scanner glass. See the engraved guide next to the scanner glass for help loading the alignment page.
   
3. Close the scanner lid.
4. Press the Start Copy Black button or the Start Copy Color button on the printer control panel.
   The printer aligns the ink cartridges.

   note:

   If the alignment page fails to automatically print, you can manually print an alignment page using the HP Printer Assistant software (Windows) or the Printer Utility (macOS or OS X).

If print quality issues persist after replacing any empty ink cartridges, continue to the next step.

Clean the ink cartridges using the HP software, and then evaluate the results.

If cleaning the ink cartridges did not resolve the issue, go to the next step.

Identify which ink cartridge is causing the print quality issue.

1. Review the Print Quality Diagnostic page you printed in the previous solution.
2. Check the text and color blocks on the page.

Replace the problem ink cartridge with a new, genuine HP ink cartridge.

If you have a defective cartridge or printhead, it might be under warranty. To check the warranty on your ink or toner supplies, go to Printer and Page Yield Overview, and then review the limited warranty information for your supplies.

1. Press the Power button to turn on the printer, if it is not already on.
2. Load plain white paper into the input tray.
3. Open the exterior door.
   Figure : Open the exterior door

   
4. Open the ink cartridge access door.
   The carriage moves to the center of the printer.
   Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before you continue.
   Figure : Open the ink cartridge access door

   
5. Lightly press down on the ink cartridge to release it, and then pull the ink cartridge out of its slot.
   Figure : Remove the ink cartridge

   
6. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging, and then remove the plastic tape.

     caution:

   Do not try to remove the copper electrical strip.

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles.Do not replace the protective tape on the contacts. Handling these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electricalconnections.

   Figure : Remove the plastic tape

   
7. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides with the nozzles toward the printer, and then insert the ink cartridge into its slot. Make sure that the ink cartridge is inserted in the correct slot.
   • The tri-color ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the left.
   • The black ink cartridge () goes in the slot on the right.
8. Push the ink cartridge forward into its slot until it snaps into place.
   Figure : Snap the ink cartridge into place

   
9. Repeat these steps to replace the other ink cartridge, if necessary.
10. Close the ink cartridge access door.
    Figure : Close the ink cartridge access door

    
11. Close the exterior door.
    Figure : Close the exterior door

    
12. Follow any prompts on the computer screen.
13. Wait about 30 seconds for the alignment page to automatically print.

    note:

    The printer prints an alignment page automatically only when a new ink cartridge has been installed.

Continue to the next step to align the ink cartridges.

Align the ink cartridges for the best print quality.

1. Lift the scanner lid.
2. Place the alignment page with the print side down on the right-front corner of the scanner glass. See the engraved guide next to the scanner glass for help loading the alignment page.
   
3. Close the scanner lid.
4. Press the Start Copy Black button or the Start Copy Color button on the printer control panel.
   The printer aligns the ink cartridges.

   note:

   If the alignment page fails to automatically print, you can manually print an alignment page using the HP Printer Assistant software (Windows) or the Printer Utility (macOS or OS X).

If print quality issues persist after replacing the problem cartridge, continue to the next step.

If the previous steps did not resolve the issue, service the printer.

Service or replace your HP product 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 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.