Question HP ENVY 4500 Prints Purply-Mauve Toned Test Patterns with No Text

[michaelm101]

I'm here because the HP Smart App has really been a Dumb App.

Printer color and black ink levels are fine. Communication with PC is fine.
HOWEVER, it does not print properly.
Test print sheet reveals only purply/mauve colors in the rectangular shapes. Text "imprint" is faintly seen, but no actual ink on paper. Alignment sheet also in purply ink. Solid shapes appear "striped."
Tried to update the firmware, but the app won't allow; printer listed, but I can not click the box, and the "update" button is greyed/inactive.

Thanks as always, for your help!

 

[Ralston18]

Are you using original HP cartridges?

 

[michaelm101]

The black is HP, the color appears to be another brand.
I just pulled out the color and have tried to print with black only inserted, but I get a message saying no ink...

 

[Paperdoc]

What you describe says BOTH ink cartridges have clogged ink jets. In that system the tiny ink jets that spray ink onto the paper are built into the ink cartridge. (Other printer designs have the ink jets as a permanent part of the printers, and the ink cartridges carry only the ink.) So when you replace the cartridges, you also get NEW clean ink jets that work! So your simplest solution is to replace both cartridges.

IF you want to try to "fix" the old ones, you can try this. Remove both cartridges. Place each on a very wet Kleenex with the ink jets on the wet tissue. Leave for several hours so the water can soak into the ink jets and soften the clogs. Lift each off its wet tissue and wipe the ink jet face gently until it seems clean. If this works, as you wipe you should be getting a streak of ink on the clean tissue (three coloured streaks from the colour cart). Dry off each cartridge, making sure the contact strips on the top are clean. Re-install in your printer and try them out.