HP Deskjet, Photosmart 6520 Printers - Black Ink Not Printing, Other Print Quality Issues

1. Load plain white paper in the tray.
2. On the printer, touch Settings, touch Tools, and then touch Print Quality Report.
   
3. Review the following table for examples of defects on the report that reflect the most common print quality issues.

• If there are still defects in the color bars, continue to the next step.
• If there are still alignment pattern defects, skip to the step at the end of this document to service the printer.
• If there are no defects on the report, try to print. If the issue persists, skip to the step to check ink levels.

note:

Avoid leaving unprotected ink cartridges out of the printer for an extended period of time.

1. Open the ink cartridge access door.
   
2. Press the tab on the front of the ink cartridge to release it, and then pull it out of the slot.
   
3. Examine the vent area on the top of the ink cartridge.
   
4. If the vent is clogged, use a pin to gently remove excess adhesive from the vent.
   
   1. Clogged vent
   2. Gently remove excess adhesive from the vent
   3. Unclogged vent
5. Make sure the orange pull tab is completely removed.
   
6. Insert the ink cartridge into its slot. Press down until it snaps into place.
7. Repeat these steps for any other ink cartridges with defects on the report.
8. After reinserting all the ink cartridges, run your finger along the top of the ink cartridges. If any are protruding, press down firmly until each ink cartridge snaps into place.
9. Print another Print Quality Diagnostic report.
   • If there are still defects for a specific color bar, replace that ink cartridge. If you have a defective ink cartridge, it might be under warranty. Go to HP Printers - Ink Cartridge and Printhead Limited Warranty for more information.
   • If there are no defects on the report, try to print. If the issue persists, continue to the next step.

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.

• If any ink cartridges are critically low or empty, replace them with new genuine HP ink cartridges. Go to HP Deskjet, Photosmart 6520 Printers - Replacing Ink Cartridges for steps and more information.
• If all ink cartridges have sufficient ink but the issue persists, continue to the next step.

• Load the paper print side down in the input tray. Many papers have printing and nonprinting 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.

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.