User Guide

6. Press OK to begin cleaning the print cartridge.
7. When the printer finishes cleaning the cartridge and prints a test page, check the
test page and select from the following options:
– If the test page has white streaks or missing colors, the print cartridge needs to
be cleaned again. Select Yes, and then press OK.
– If the print quality of the test page looks good, select No, and then press OK.
You can clean the cartridge up to three times. Each successive cleaning is more
thorough and uses more ink.
If you complete all three levels of cleaning using this procedure and you still notice white
streaks or missing colors on the test page, you may need to clean the print cartridge
copper-colored contacts. For more information, see the following section.
Note If the cartridge or printer has been recently dropped, you may also see
white streaks or missing colors in your prints. This problem is temporary and
clears up within 24 hours.
Manually clean the print cartridge contacts
If you use the printer in a dusty environment, debris may accumulate on the copper-
colored contacts and cause printing problems.
To clean the print cartridge contacts
1. Gather the following items to clean the contacts:
– Distilled water (tap water may contain contaminants that can damage the print
cartridge)
– Cotton swabs or other soft, lint-free material that will not stick to the print
cartridge
2. Open the print cartridge door.
3. Remove the print cartridge and place it on a piece of paper with the ink nozzle plate
facing up. Be careful not to touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzle plate
with your fingers.
Caution Do not leave the print cartridge outside the printer for more than
30 minutes. Ink nozzles exposed to the air longer than this may dry out and
cause printing problems.
4. Lightly moisten a cotton swab with distilled water and squeeze any excess water
from the swab.
5. Gently wipe the copper-colored contacts with the cotton swab.
Caution Do not touch the ink nozzle plate. Touching the ink nozzle plate
will result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until no ink residue or dust appears on a clean swab.
7. Insert the print cartridge in the printer, and then close the print cartridge door.
Print a test page
Print a test page before contacting HP support. The test page contains diagnostic
information you can use when working with HP support to solve printing problems. Look
at the ink nozzle pattern on the test page to check the ink level and condition of the print
Chapter 7
32 HP Photosmart A510 series