INK TANK – THESE DO NOT HAVE THE PRINT HEADS INTEGRATED.  DO NOT DO THE PAPER TOWEL METHOD WITH THESE CARTRIDGES.

There are two different versions of this cartridge; the HP 920 and the HP 920XL.  The HP 920 is the standard capacity cartridge whereas the HP 920XL is the higher capacity cartridge.  The HP 920XL should be recommended to the customer to purchase on a current or future order as it is the better value.

The 920XL black is physically larger than the 920 black.  Both the standard yield and high yield black cartridges are physically larger than the color cartridges.  The 920 and 920XL color cartridges are physically the same size however the 920XL contain more ink inside.  The cartridges will print as normal however the ink level will be inaccurate.

 

Not Recognizing

 

Verify they have the correct cartridges for their specific model of printer.

 

There’s a smart chip located on the bottom inside of the cartridge.  Check the chip for damage or debris.  A Q-tip can be used to reach and wipe the gold contacts.

 

These cartridges will NOT display the correct ink levels. A dialog box may show on their computer or printer stating the cartridges are low or previously used, they will need to press OK for each cartridge installed to allow the printer to use them.

Make sure the cartridge is firmly pressed into place.  If the cartridge is not pushed down far enough the chip will not make proper contact.  Also try removing then reinstalling the cartridge.  Verify the correct color is being installed into the correct color slot.

 

To remove and install the cartridges in an Officejet 6000 Series printer do the following;

NOTE:  The procedure is going to similar on all the HP printers that use the 920 cartridges.  For specific instructions on a particular HP printer please refer to the User’s Guide for that particular printer.  The User’s Guides are available for viewing on HP’s Support Site.

 

–          Open the ink cartridge access door.  The print carriage moves to the center of the printer.

 

–          Press the tab on the front of the ink cartridge to release it, and then remove it from the slot.

 

–          Install the new cartridge into the slot that is the same color as the cartridge being installed.  Press down on the cartridge until it clicks into place.

 

–          Close the ink cartridge access door.

 

–          The printer may prompt that previously used ink has been installed.  If it does press OK for each cartridge that was replaced.

 

Print Quality Issues

 

There is a piece of tape on the top of the cartridges which must be removed.  This opens a vent hole that allows the ink to drain properly from the cartridge.  On the HP 920XL black there is an orange protective clip which must be removed.  On the other cartridges there is a rubber protective clip held on by tape covering the nozzle on the bottom which must be removed.

 

To help determine print quality issues there’s a print quality report that can be printed on the printer.  The print this report do the following;

–          Press and hold the POWER, press the CANCEL button 7 times, press the RESUME button 2 times, and release the POWER button.

–          A print quality diagnostic report will print similar to the one below.  Look at the report to see if the problem is occurring within a particular color or what the problem looks to be.  Try to isolate the problem.

 

For issues with a color not coming out, lines, streaking, unclear print, or light print a print head cleaning should be performed.  To perform a print head cleaning do the following;

–          Make sure plain white paper is loaded into the paper tray

–          Press and hold the POWER button, press the CANCEL button 2 times, press the RESUME button 1 time, and release the POWER button.

 

A second cleaning may be required to fully resolve the issue.  If a second cleaning doesn’t resolve the issue run a third cleaning but allow the printer to sit for 10-15 minutes before attempting to print.  This allows the ink to soak on the print head to help loosen any dried ink which may be clogging.

 

If the print quality issue appears to be just the color not being in the right spot but the color output is strong across all colors then the print head may just need to be aligned.  Aligning will NOT fix light print, streaking, smearing, or a certain color not coming out.  To align the print head do the following;

 

–          Make sure plain white paper is loaded into the paper tray

–          Press and hold the POWER button, press the RESUME button 3 times, and release the POWER button

 

Not Fitting

 

Verify they have the correct cartridges for their specific printer model.  Check to make sure the correct color is being installed into the correct color slot.  Verify that all the clips and seals have been removed from the cartridge.

 

If the cartridge is not clicking down or clicks down then pops back up the tab on the cartridge may need to be bent away from the cartridge at a wider angle.  Click on the YouTube video below to view a video on bending the tab to allow a better fit in the printer.

 

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIAdC5X7e-w[/youtube]

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