Hi. After using budget ink cartridges, the print quality has been very poor and not printing the correct colours it suppose to. I've performed many print cleaning options but it is still not rectifying the problem. I know I shouldn't be using budget ink cartridges bu is there anyway I can self-service the printer?

Regarding your recent inquiry about the HP 96 or HP 96 ink cartridge poor print quality problems with your HP printer (i.e. severe print fade, streaking, degraded or missing colors), we suggest you perform the following corrective steps to help resolve the issue:

Cartridge & Printer maintenance should be evaluated - ensure both ink cartridges and flex cable contact surfaces (where the cartridge interfaces to the carriage inside the printer) are thoroughly clean: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1519

1) Gently blot the cartridge Nozzle Plate with a damp lint-free towel/wipe - a small amount of ink should be dispensed, and be visible, on the towel (all 3 colors should be present for a Tri-color cartridge).

2) If no ink is dispersed from nozzle plate (i.e. visible on towel) or ink cartridge completely fails to print on paper after installed in printer, then more drastic cartridge and printer cleaning steps will likely need to be performed to recover ink cartridge (NOTE: foam inside cartridge can dry out and become very hard - the foam must be moist with ink to function correctly (i.e. ink flows and wets the nozzle plate). Refer to 'clogged ink cartridge recovery' video here: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=2818

Providing the ink cartridges are clean, the problem may be caused by a dirty wiper blade or poor seal in the service station (capping station where the ink cartridges park when not in use) and this is causing the poor jetting / print performance issue you are observing. Remove the ink cartridges and thoroughly clean the wipers and seals: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1519

If the issue continues then please refer to 'Troubleshooting' section on our website - the printer manufacturer websites are also provided here: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=106

Run a quick printer 'self test' (see link below for instructions) or print one of the Inkjet411 test prints to evaluate cartridge performance (i.e. 4-color test print): http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=146

Advanced HP Printer Diagnostics (i.e. printer self tests, etc.): http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1813

You can also check our 'Print Quality' page of the 'General Information' section of the Inkjet 411 website and follow additional suggestions provided, particularly if the cartridge is not causing the poor image quality problem (i.e. printer driver settings issue): http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1432

If the poor print quality problem persists please return the cartridge to Costco and request the operator to 'stamp test' the ink cartridge.

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NOTE: If your printer works routinely after inserting a brand new HP integrated ink cartridge in it, this will confirm that the ink cartridge's internal foam was too dry to recover or the internal micro-electronics were electrically damaged.
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Please note that we provide professional ink cartridge refilling services in multiple countries and at multiple retail outlets:

INK REFILL SERVICES:
Costco USA (462 stores): http://www.costcoinkjetrefill.com
Costco Canada (57 stores, more coming soon): http://www.ca.costcoinkjetrefill.com
Costco Mexico (35 stores): http://es.costcoinkjetrefill.com/
Fry's Electronics (34 stores): http://www.frys.com/ads/page51
Best Buy Canada (13 stores): www.geeksquad.ca/inkrefill/
Micro Center (8 stores): http://www.microcenter.com/site/content/refill-service.aspx
9 Major Universities in USA & Canada
Ink Cartridge Refill Store Map Locator: http://www.go2ris.com/

Our network of retailers stand behind the product and performance - guaranteed. Customers who have questions regarding the use of refilled ink cartridges can visit http://www.inkjet411.com or contact us directly at [email protected]

NOTE: If you need to purchase a new ink cartridge(s) in the interest of saving on original manufacturer ink costs, we suggest you try a remanufactured ink cartridge from http://www.inkplicity.com/ as their ink cartridges typically have the lowest cost in the USA, have a high reliability rating, provide a 1-year warranty and free shipping over $20.

For any additional questions please contact us directly: [email protected]

-Thank you

Regarding your recent inquiry about the HP 74 or HP 75 poor print quality problem your HP OJ5780 printer is currently experiencing, we suggest you perform the following corrective steps to help resolve the issue:

Cartridge & printer maintenance should be evaluated - ensure both ink cartridges and flex cable contact surfaces (where the cartridge interfaces to the carriage inside the printer) are thoroughly clean: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1519

1) Gently blot the cartridge Nozzle Plate with a damp lint-free towel/wipe - a small amount of ink should be dispensed, and be visible, on the towel (all 3 colors should be present for a Tri-color cartridge).

2) If no ink is dispersed from nozzle plate (i.e. visible on towel) or ink cartridge completely fails to print on paper after installed in printer, then more drastic cartridge and printer cleaning steps will likely need to be performed to recover ink cartridge (NOTE: foam inside cartridge can dry out and become very hard - the foam must be moist with ink to function correctly (i.e. ink flows and wets the nozzle plate). Refer to 'clogged ink cartridge recovery' video here: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=2818

Providing the ink cartridges are clean, the problem may be caused by a dirty wiper blade or poor seal in the service station (capping station where the ink cartridges park when not in use) and this is causing the poor jetting / print performance issue you are observing. Remove the ink cartridges and thoroughly clean the wipers and seals: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1519

If the issue continues then please refer to 'Troubleshooting' section on our website - the printer manufacturer websites are also provided here: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=106

Run a quick printer 'self test' (see link below for instructions) or print one of the Inkjet411 test prints to evaluate cartridge performance (i.e. 4-color test print): http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=146

Advanced HP Printer Diagnostics (i.e. printer self tests, etc.): http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1813

You can also check our 'Print Quality' page of the 'General Information' section of the Inkjet 411 website and follow additional suggestions provided, particularly if the cartridge is not causing the poor image quality problem (i.e. printer driver settings issue): http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1432

-Thank you
Inkjet411 Team Member ([email protected])

Regarding the Lex1 cartridge's no printing/severe fade (or similar) during printing, my answers are provided below:

For the poor print quality problem (degraded image quality) you are observing, we suggest you first visit the "Print Quality" page of the "General Information" section of the Inkjet 411 website and follow the suggestions provided: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1432

A. 1. Cartridge & Printer maintenance should also be evaluated - ensure both ink cartridges and flexible driver contact cables (where the cartridge interfaces to the carriage inside the printer) are thoroughly clean: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1519

A.2. Perform a hot-water flush on the suspect ink cartridge, refer to video procedure here: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1519

A.3. Run a quick test print to evaluate cartridge performance (i.e. 4-color test print):
http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=146

For information on North American ink refill services (for Lexmark 1, 2 and 3 ink cartridges) at a major retailer near you (should you wish to save ~50% on ink costs), general printing problem resolutions or advanced Lexmark printer diagnosis procedures (advanced cartridge diagnostic tests/cartridge error bypass & printer reset methods, etc.), please visit Inkjet411: http://www.inkjet411.com

For poor printing problems I suggest you run the Tap 10 diagnostic print test (see link to video below).
If the new (or refilled/reman/compatible) HP 56, 57 or 58 ink cartridge refuses to print black/color and/or function at all (i.e. blinking ink light on Deskjet 5000 series printer) or fails to complete the printer alignment following cartridge installation, then the ink cartridge either has a connectivity issue with the flexible printed circuit cable (inside unit where cartridge mates with cable), the rear cartridge contacts or cable contacts are dirty with ink residue, or the cartridge is suffering from marginal internal electrical performance. It is suggested you perform the TAP 43 (and TAP 10) DIAGNOSTIC PRINTER TEST to evaluate the ink cartridges electrical performance. Visit Inkjet411 support site to see instructional video: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=2358
NOTE: For the HP Deskjet 5000 series printer models, when you get an HP 56, 57 or 58 integrated ink cartridge refilled (i.e. currently offered at Costco or Frys today) or if you buy a remanufactured/compatible HP ink cartridge, the ink levels are not initially reset. However, continuing to use an ink cartridge which displays LOW INK alerts is permitted by the printer, simply select OK, CONTINUE or DISMISS when these alerts are observed. Now, it is possible to reset the ink levels by performing the procedure outlined on Inkjet411's site: http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1915
To clean the HP 56, 57 or 58 ink cartridges please visit the Inkjet411 site which provides recommendations on how to clean the electrical contacts, flex driver cables and how to perform a hot water flush of the nozzle plate (refer to video): http://inkjet411.com/?page_id=1519

I know it sounds stupid but do you have the old black cartridge, if you do put it back and see if it is printing even if the quality is poor and faded. If it is then possibly there is a contact bad, try swittching the black cartridge for one of the other colour ones, but put a colour in to the black space but don't put the black into one of the colour spaces. If the colour one is working in the black space then it's basically a dud cartridge and bring it back to where ever you got it from. Hope it works for you - Pat

1. Print a Print Quality Check Sheet.
   
   
   
   1. Press the Ink or Ink Management button.
      
      
   2. Press the up or down arrow key to choose Test Print. Press OK.
      
      
   3. Press the up or down arrow key to choose Print Quality. Press OK.
      
      
   4. Press Color(Colour) Start.
      
      
      
2. Closely examine the Print Quality Check Sheet. Each of the four colors is represented by a slanted square pattern made up of individual blocks. The colors should appear in the following order from left to right: Black - Yellow - Cyan - Magenta.

1. The LCD asks you if the print quality is OK for black and the three colors. Choose No.
   
   
2. The LCD asks you if you want to start cleaning. Choose Yes. The machine starts cleaning the print head.
   
   
3. When the machine completes cleaning the print head, press Color(Colour) Start. Another Print Quality Check Sheet will print.
   
   
   
4. Repeat the cleaning and the quality check process following the Step 7-9.
   
   
5. Compare the second or third Print Quality Check Sheet with the first one you printed in Step 1:

• 1. Press Stop/Exit.
     
     

Note We do not recommend frequent unplugging and re-plugging of the machine and/or leaving the machine unplugged for extended periods of time.

• To maintain premium print quality, our product is designed to automatically clean the print head periodically. When the machine is unplugged, it will not complete the periodic cleanings needed to ensure ink does not dry in the print head and may cause poor print quality.
  
  
• Machines with a Message Center or Fax Preview have a 24 hour memory backup. All other machines have a 1 hour memory backup. If a machine is unplugged beyond the memory capability, the clock data is lost and causes the machine to reset. When the machine is plugged back into the outlet, the internal clock resets and the machine will automatically start a cleaning process causing the consumption of ink.

We recommend using the On/Off or Power Save button to power down the machine. Using the On/Off or Power Save button allows minimal power to the machine ensuring periodic cleanings of the print head occur only when necessary and needed information remains in memory.


Caution

• Cleaning the print head consumes ink. Cleaning too often uses ink unnecessarily.
  
  
• DO NOT touch the print head. Touching the print head may cause permanent damage and may void the print head's warranty.
  
  
• Brother strongly recommends that you do not refill the ink cartridges provided with your machine. We also strongly recommend that you continue to use only Genuine Brother Brand replacement ink cartridges. Use or attempted use of potentially incompatible ink and/or cartridges in the Brother machine may cause damage to the machine and/or may result in unsatisfactory print quality. Our warranty coverage does not apply to any problem that is caused by the use of unauthorized third party ink and/or cartridges. To protect your investment and obtain premium performance from the Brother machine, we strongly recommend the use of Genuine Brother Supplies.
  > Brother Genuine Supplies information

hi, i have one of these to, mine is still running on the "test" inks as well but i have all colours in mine, anyway i digress, you can try, going to print something , when the chose printer box apears, choose cpl300 then choose properties ( to the right ) then choose graphics thumbnail, on quality choose best, then at the bottom you will see advanced options, then just click print all txt black, and click darken txt, and that should give you nice black txt....hope this helps

ANSER #1

Assuming that you are using original Canon cartridges or a brand of Compatibles that you have used before.

If print results are blurred, colors are faded or not printed correctly, the pint head nozzles are probably clogged.

Follow the procedure below to print the nozzle check pattern, check the print head nozzle condition, then clean the Print Head. You may have to do this 2 or 3 times.

If printed ruled lines are misaligned or print results are otherwise unsatisfactory, aligning the Print Head may improve print quality.

Caution Do not rinse or wipe the Print Head and ink tanks. This can cause trouble with the Print Head and ink
tanks.

Note Before performing maintenance
Open the Top Cover and make sure that all lamps on the ink tanks are lit red.
If not, see Checking the Ink Status and take an appropriate action.
Increasing the print quality in the printer driver settings may improve the print result.

the messages you get for cartridges other than the original are not trustful. You will get the right reading for original(from Brother) cartridges. Some ink is poor for printing photo quality.

not any refillable ink is right for printing photos, sometimes too dark, sometimes you don't get the right mix of colors.

Re-installed printer software - completey cured