HP C3100 Black Ink Problems.

[Mechanicus]

Hello.

Recently, my HP Photosmart C3100 has been having problems.
Whenever I try and print something, it comes out slightly blurry in places, and sometimes it misses to top or bottom half of a sentence (so it only prints the bottom or top half of letters, the rest of it is blank).

I opened it up to have a look and there is black ink sprayed around on the cowling, and there was a large blob of dried black ink on the sponges below the cartridge.

I picked off this blob of ink (it's still all over my hands!), and it seems to have improved it a little - on the last bit of printing, it was still smudging but there were no lost sentences or gaps in printing.

I have tried all the on-board methods - aligning the cartidges etc. - but to no avail.
The black cartridge is showing as over half full, so I don't really want to chuck it away, unless I know for certain that it is the problem.
I have also tried printing in grayscale, so I know it's not the colour cartridge doing anything.

What else can I do to stop it from happening?

[redcow]

Those sponges are used to wipe the print heads clean.
If they are as loaded with ink as you say, they did their job. Now they can't, anymore. If you can find somebody to fix your printer, I believe it will cost you as much to replace the foam pads as it will to buy a new printer.
Even our pets sometimes have to be put down when they are in extreme pain.
Take a deep breath, you'll get over it.
Save the cartridges, they are probably good. If you really like the printer "google" for a reconditioned one.

[hyperdash]

Those sponges are used to wipe the print heads clean.
If they are as loaded with ink as you say, they did their job. Now they can't, anymore. If you can find somebody to fix your printer, I believe it will cost you as much to replace the foam pads as it will to buy a new printer.
Even our pets sometimes have to be put down when they are in extreme pain.
Take a deep breath, you'll get over it. black ink cartridge
Save the cartridges, they are probably good. If you really like the printer "google" for a reconditioned one.

just could not get over your analogy with the "pet part" to balck ink cartridges and printers.. got your point though.. so happened that I am a pet lover..

[jocvtrhythgd]

Take a deep breath, you'll get over it.
Save the cartridges, they are probably good. If you really like the printer "google" for a reconditioned one.
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