Both ink cartridges have leaked into the bottom of my hp 7310

The OfficeJet 7310 can use different ink cartridges:
Black: HP 96 or HP 94 (high capacity - lasts for ~860 pages, if it doesn't dry out.)
Color: HP 95 or HP 97 (large capacity)
Photo: HP 99 (replaces black when you print on Photo papers)
Photo Grey: HP 100

See http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00227021&tmp_task=prodinfoCategory&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=391182 for the parts list of this printer.

If you were using the wrong ink cartridges, you would not be able to print at all. HP printers give errors when it doesn't recognize the cartridge as the appropriate one.

First check if you are printing in a low quality mode. This is under Printer Properties or Printer Preferences when you click Print or right click on the Printer in the Devices Control Panel. Go to the Printing Shortcuts tab. In the Advanced Options (click the button), you can change the ink volume and slide the tab to the right to add ink.

You should print a Diagnostic test page to see the color levels/reproduction relative to the HP settings and consider cleaning the print head. The diagnostic page is reached by pressing * and # on the printer. Then press 1, 2, and then 3. In this Service Menu, press the right arrow key twice and press OK to open the Special Reports menu. Press the right arrow key once and then press OK. See http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00242761&tmp_task=solveCategory&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&product=391182 to evaluate the printout's ink cartridge quality information.

I've seen dull colors on photo paper when you print on the wrong side. This is obvious since the ink will bleed.

The other common issue is differences between the color appearance on the monitor and the printer reproduction of that color.

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

You could clean the black ink cartridge. For this you need to remove the black ink cartridge which is present in the printer. In order to clean the laser or scanner block you could use a cotton swab as it would fully clean the dirt. You need to clean the grime and the dried ink present in the printer. This would remove all the hindrances which prevent the ink from flowing. Cleaning the printer heads would also help to solve the problem.
http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Other-printing-questions/HP-K5300-not-printing-black/m-p/376191#M26084

Have you checked your black cartridge to see if it has ink in it? If not replace your cartridge.

Replace the colour cartridge with a brand-new genuine-HP ink-cartridge.

Hi,

Please use HP 94 or HP 96 black ink cartridge.

Regards,
Rizwan.

Try removing the black and see if the error is still there. If it goes away the black is bad, if it stays you got a defective new color cartridge.

I have one of these printers (7210-7310) with this same problem and this is what is wrong with it. There is a small wire spring that holds the ink cartridge in place in each cartridge holder. Remove the color cartridge and inspect the ribbon cable (it gray) inside the ink cartridge holder. There is a big problem with these HP printers where the spring pokes a hole the ribbon cable breaking one of the wires and rendering the printer useless. Poor design by HP, sorry.

There is a small spring that holds the ink cartridge in the ink holder. You will see it stick out from the right hand side of the ink holder where the ink cartridge slides in. If that spring isn't being held to the ink holder by two plastic tabs, (I.E. the plastic tabs are broken) the printer will never recognize the cartridge. If the printer is still under warranty I would contact HP or an authorized repair center for HP. Both the black and color ink holder has this spring. I know of no way to repair this kind of breakage.

There is a ink resovier where the cartridges are cleaned of excess ink after a job. That gets filled over time and gives you the leakage described. Very messes job to clean it.

If the color cartridge doesn't print the color bars on the alignment page (either, redish pink, yellow or blue) then the alignment process will not finish. Same for the black. If the black cartridge is printing ok, then replace the color cartridge and try this again...