My printer error message indicates- Alignment problem.(1) Remove tape from cartridges.(2) Check Paper.(3) Press Ok to retry. I do not see it being easy to remove tape from cartridge,but my allignment paper prints out and immediatly the error message appears again. please help.

well remove the cartridges and ensure that there is no sticky tape across the printer faces
follow the instructions again

1. remove cartridge and reinstall.
2. now do the allignment function exactly as directed.

hit the cancel button

'Printer alignment failed' Error Message Displays on the Product

Try aligning the printer again and put the alignment page on the top of the scanner bed printer will align itself make sure the printouts are facing down

'Printer alignment failed' Error Message Displays on the Product

A "Printer alignment failed " error message displays on the product
Follow these steps in the order presented until you resolve the issue. When one of the steps resolves the issue, there is no need to continue troubleshooting.
Step one: Load the correct type of paper
Colored, photo, or used paper can cause the alignment to fail.

1.
Remove all the paper from the tray.
2.
Load unused, plain white, letter, or A4-sized paper with a brightness level of at least 85 into the tray.

NOTE: Look for the brightness level on the paper packaging.

Step two: Align the All-in-One

1.
Press the Setup button ( ).
2.
Press the Down Arrow ( ) to select Tools , and then press OK .
3.
Press the Down Arrow to select Align Print Cartridges and then press OK . The product calibrates, aligns the printhead, and then prints an alignment page.
4.
Click OK to continue.
5.
Recycle or discard the alignment page.

*
If these steps resolved the issue , there is no need to continue troubleshooting.
*
If the issue persists , see the next step.

Step three: Check the ink levels
Empty or nearly empty cartridges might cause alignment failures. Follow these steps in the order presented to check the ink levels in the cartridges.

1.
Open HP Solution Center.
*
Windows XP: Click Start , click All Programs , click HP , and then click HP Solution Center .
*
Windows Vista: Click the Windows icon ( ), click All Programs , click HP , and then click HP Solution Center .
HP Solution Center opens in a new window.
2.
Click Settings ( ).
3.
In the Print Settings area, click Printer Toolbox . The printer Toolbox opens.
4.
Click the Estimated Ink Level tab. The estimated ink levels display in a new window.
Figure 1: Estimated Ink Level window
Illustration of Estimated Ink Level graphic
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If either of the cartridges is empty or low on ink, continue to the next step.
*
If the ink levels in the cartridges are sufficient, skip to Step five: Clean the cartridges .

Step four: Replace the cartridges
Follow these steps to replace any cartridges that are empty or low on ink.

1.
Press the Power button ( ) to turn on the product.

CAUTION: If the product is off when you open the cartridge door to access the cartridges, the product does not release the cartridges for changing. You might damage the product if the cartridges are not in the dock when you try to remove them.
2.
Open the cartridge door.
Figure 2: Open the cartridge door
Illustration of opening the cartridge door
3.
Wait until the print carriage is idle and silent, and then lightly press down on a cartridge to release it.

NOTE: To replace the tri-color print cartridge, remove the print cartridge from the slot on the left. If you are replacing the black or photo print cartridge, remove the print cartridge from the slot on the right.
Figure 3: Press down on the cartridge to release it
Illustration of pressing down on cartridge to release it.
4.
Pull the print cartridge toward you out of its slot.

NOTE: The HP Inkjet Supplies Recycling Program is available in many countries/regions, and lets you recycle used cartridges free of charge. For more information, go to the HP Eco Solutions Web page .
5.
Remove the new cartridge from its packaging.
Figure 4: Remove the cartridge from packaging
Illustration of removing new cartridge from
6.
Use the pull tab to gently remove the protective plastic tape from the cartridge.

CAUTION: Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.
Figure 5: Remove the protective tape
Illustration of removing the protective plastic tape from the cartridge
7.
Slide the new cartridge forward into the empty slot, and then gently push on the upper part of the print cartridge forward until it clicks into the socket.
Figure 6: Install the new cartridge
Illustration of sliding new cartridge into the slot
8.
Close the cartridge door.
Figure 7: Close the cartridge door
Illustration of closing the cartridge door
9.
Try the alignment again.

Step five: Clean the cartridges
Method one: Clean the cartridges from HP Solution Center

1.
Open HP Solution Center.
*
Windows XP: Click Start , click All Programs , click HP , and then click HP Solution Center .
*
Windows Vista: Click the Windows icon ( ), click All Programs , click HP , and then click HP Solution Center .
HP Solution Center opens in a new window.
2.
Click Settings ( ).
3.
Click Print Settings , and then click Printer Toolbox . The printer Toolbox opens.
4.
Click the Devices Services tab, and then click Clean the Print Cartridges .
5.
Follow the on-screen instructions to choose the appropriate cleaning level.
6.
Recycle or discard the page that prints.

Method two: Clean the cartridges from the Start menu

1.
Click Start , and then click Printers and Faxes .
2.
Right-click your printer icon, and then choose Properties .
3.
Click Printing Preferences , and then click the Services tab.
4.
Click Service This Device . The Printer Toolbox opens.
5.
Click the Device Services tab, and then click the Clean the Print Cartridges tab.
6.
Follow the on-screen instructions to choose the appropriate cleaning level.
7.
Replace empty or almost empty cartridges.

*
If these steps resolved the issue , there is no need to continue troubleshooting.
*
If the issue persists , see the next step.

Step six: Reset and relocate the product
A power reset drains power from the product and returns the product to the same settings after restarting. Plugging the product directly into a wall outlet can eliminate any potential power deficiencies that could cause an alignment failure.

1.
Make sure that you have the product turned on. If necessary, press the Power button ( ) to turn on the product.
2.
With the product turned on, disconnect the power cord from the back of the product.
3.
Unplug the power cord from any power strips or surge suppressors, and then plug it directly into a wall outlet, preferably in another room.
4.
Reconnect the power cord to the back of the product.
5.
Press the Power button ( ) to turn on the product.
6.
Load plain white paper into the tray.
7.
Try the alignment again.

#
If these steps resolved the issue , there is no need to continue troubleshooting.
call hp to take advantage of your printers warranty or they can provide you alternative options specially their loyalty program for Out of Warranty printers

hope i help you a bit

Follow the instructions below to install the print cartridges for the first time. Installing print cartridges Step one: Install the print cartridges Follow these steps to install the cartridges.

1. Open the cartridge door. The carriage moves to the far right side of the product. Figure 1: Open the cartridge door
2. Remove the new cartridge from its packaging and, being careful to touch onlythe black plastic, gently remove the plastic tape by using the pink pull tab. Figure 2: Remove tape from cartridge 1 - Copper-colored contacts 2 - Plastic tape with pink pull tab (must be removed before installing) 3 - Ink nozzles under tape CAUTION: Do not touch the cartridge ink nozzles or copper contacts. Touching these parts will result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.Do not remove the copper strips. They are required electrical contacts. Figure 3: Do not touch the ink nozzles or copper contacts.
3. Slide each new cartridge forward into the empty slot. Then gently push theupper part of the cartridge forward until it clicks into place.
   • Insert the tri-color cartridge into the left slot.
   • Insert the black cartridge into the right slot.
   Figure 4: Insert the cartridge
4. Close the cartridge door.

Step two: : Align the print cartridge The product prompts you to align cartridges every time you install a cartridge. You can also align the cartridges at any time from the control panel, or byusing the software you install with the product. Aligning the cartridgesensures high quality output.

1. Make sure you have letter or A4 unused plain white paper loaded in the input tray.
2. Press OK. The product prints an alignment page.
3. Place the alignment page print-side down on the scanner glass.
4. Press OK to scan the alignment page. When the scan finishes, the alignment is complete.

NOTE: If you have colored paper loaded in the input tray when you align the cartridges, the alignment will fail. Load unused plain white paper into the inputtray, and then try the alignment again.

You may have some very small debris in the printer.
Using a flashlight, look carefully for any debris, however small, and remove it.

Get some "canned air" at any computer or office supply store and blow out the inside of the printer. That tends to dislodge small particles you can't see.

Error messages displayed on the LCD and how to handle them
When an error has occurred in the printer, the error / check message is displayed on the LCD.
Take the appropriate action to return to the normal condition.
Error / Check message How to correct CHECK INK
U041 An ink cartridge is empty.
To cancel printing, press the Stop/Reset button.
To continue printing, press the OK button.
After the printing finishes, replace the empty ink cartridge.
Printing with an empty ink cartridge may cause printer malfunction. U051 / U052
U053 / U059 The ink cartridge may not be set properly, or an ink cartridge not supported by the printer is installed.
Install the proper ink cartridge.

Make sure to install both the ink cartridges even when you set the printer to use only one ink cartridge (Color or Photo) in printing.
If one of the ink cartridges is missing, this error will occur. U075 / U076 The ink cartridges are not installed in the proper position.
Install each ink cartridge in the proper position. U140 An ink cartridge not supported by the printer is installed.
Install the proper ink cartridge. U161 / U162 A used ink cartridge may be installed, or the ink cartridge may be empty.
Replace the ink cartridge.

By pressing the OK button, printing can be done without replacing the ink cartridge. However, the remaining ink amount cannot be detected properly, so the function to detect the remaining ink amount does not operate. READ/WRITE MODE Since the memory card is currently write-enabled, printing is not possible.
Set READ-ONLY MODE ON. NO PHOTOS ON CARD Some images in the memory card may not be in a supported format. images listed below cannot be printed directly from a memory card. Print them from a computer.

- images edited on the computer
- images in a format other than JPEG or TIFF
- images with double-byte characters used in the file name
- images saved in a folder nested 4 or more layers deep INCOMPATIBLE CAMERA The printer cannot communicate with the connected camera.
Disconnect the cable between the printer and the camera to clear the error.
Confirm the following items and print again.

1. Confirm that the camera you are using supports PictBridge or Canon Bubble Jet Direct.
If the camera does not support either one, the printer cannot print directly from the camera.
2. Set the camera in PictBridge print mode before it is connected to the machine. This is required before printing for some cameras that support PictBridge.
Please refer to the camera instructions for more information about procedures required before and after connection to the printer.
3. There may have been no response from the camera for the prescribed time.
Re-connect the cable between the camera and the printer. WASTE INK NEAR FULL The waste ink absorber is getting full.
Press the OK button to clear the error.
Printing can be done until the waste ink absorber becomes full. If the waste ink absorber becomes full, please contact your local Service Center for replacement of the absorber and printer maintenance.

The waste ink absorber is a part inside the printer, which absorbs ink used in the cleaning operations, etc. CHECK PRINTER Turn the printer off, and remove the power plug from the outlet.
About ten minutes later, plug it in again, and turn the printer on.
If the problem is not resolved, the printer may require servicing. Please contact your local Service Center. HEAD ALIGNMENT ERROR Automatic print head alignment failed.
Press the OK button to release the error.
Check the followings and do automatic print head alignment again.

- Check if A4/Letter-sized paper is loaded in the auto sheet feeder.
- Check if the paper output slot is not exposed to a strong light source
- Print the nozzle check pattern to check the status of the print head.

If the problem continues, do manual print head alignment. LOAD PAPER If paper is not set, set paper and press the OK button. When paper is set, check each item and do printing again.

1. Confirm that unusable paper is not set.
2. Confirm that paper is set properly.
3. Confirm that recommended paper is used, and the number of sheets set in the auto sheet feeder is within the limit.
4. Cleaning the paper feed roller may resolve the error.

If the problem persists, the printer may require servicing. Please contact your local Service Center. PAPER JAMMED Remove the jammed paper.
If paper jam frequently occurs, check the following:

1. Confirm that no foreign material is inside the printer.
2. Confirm that unusable paper is not set.
3. Confirm that paper is set properly.
4. Confirm that recommended paper is used, and the number of sheets set in the auto sheet feeder is within the limit.

If the problem persists, the printer may require servicing. Please contact your local Service Center.

1. Remove the cartridges from the printer.
2. Turn the printer off. Disconnect the printer from your system.
3. Disconnect the printer from the power source.
4. Examine the cartridges for any remaining tape or tape adhesive.
5. Use a can of Compressed Air to blow out of the printer, any loose bits of paper or other foreign matter.
6. When you have done all the above, reconnect the power source and reconnect the printer to your
system.
7.Reinstall the Cartridges.
8. Retry the alignment routines.
9. should the same result you first experienced reoccur, repeat steps 1,2,& 3 and repackage printer for
shipment to your vendor, service vendor, or Dell.

I have the same problem as posted by tahoeowner. The printer indicates that I have an alignment issue and tells me to remove any tape from the cartridge. There is no tape on either cartridge, nor will the printer work with any other cartridges. I'm getting tired of wasting paper and ink with all the printer's "retry" messages.

Problem The following error message appears on the LCD panel on top of the printer after you insert a cartridge: Press enter to align cartridges . You press Enter , but the error message does not go away. The printer will not print. Solution To bypass the cartridge alignment, do the following:

1. Press and hold the Setup button.
2. Press the Options button. The printer should be ready to print.

If the print quality is unacceptable after bypassing alignment, follow the steps below until the error is corrected. Step 1 - Check the paper Make sure the printer is loaded with clean, unused, white paper. If the paper is not feeding properly, check the paper path. For information about how to do that, see the instructions under "If the paper does not feed correctly" at the end of this document. Step 2 - Remove and inspect the cartridges
NOTE: The "problem" cartridge is the cartridge indicated by the error message.

1. Turn on the unit, then open the print carriage access door. The print carriage moves to the center of the unit.
2. Press down lightly on the top of the ink cartridge latch and pull the lower section of the latch out to release the cartridge. Figure 1: Removing the cartridge