My Cartridge Is Missing! And Other Common Printer Cartridge Issues

Luckily, fixing some of the common issues with print cartridges isn’t the taxing process it can seem to be. If your printer is claiming there’s no cartridge installed when you’ve just installed a new one, or your prints are coming out streaky, here’s a few easy solutions to some common printer problems.

The Print Cartridge Is Missing

A common source of frustration, there’s nothing worse than splashing out on new ink cartridges, only for your printer to decide it doesn’t recognise them.

There are a couple of quick solutions to this issue. The first is to check that you’ve actually purchased the right model of cartridge for your printer - a simple, but common, mistake. Failing that, you’ll also need to make sure you’ve installed your cartridge properly, including removing any protective tape that may be on the cartridge.

Another reason your printer might not recognise a new cartridge is excess ink on the contacts that detect a cartridge. The contacts are located on the carriage of your printer and, on most models, will be located where you’d place an ink cartridge. Cleaning them is simple; take a light cloth and wipe any excess ink off the contacts. Reinstall your cartridge and it should work again.
My Prints Are Streaky

Streaky prints are a classic sign of clogged print heads, so run a manual cleaning cycle on your printer to try and clean them out. If your cartridge doesn’t print well after a couple of cycles, don’t be tempted to run a few more straight away, as this can damage the nozzles on your printer. Instead, leave the printer off overnight and try again the next day - the dried ink may be softer and will make cleaning a lot easier.

The most common cause of clogged print heads is not printing regularly enough. To avoid the issue, try and print a test page at least once a week. This should keep ink from drying up.

My Printer Says My Ink Cartridge Is Empty, But I’ve Barely Used It

Another common bugbear, the answer to this particular problem is actually pretty similar to the two above. First, check that your cartridge is properly installed and check the contacts are clean - it could be that your printer just isn’t detecting the cartridge properly.

It could also be that you’re actually printing more than you realise; make sure to shop around for a page yield that accurately suits your needs. There are also theories abound as to cartridge manufacturers designing printers to declare cartridges empty while there’s still ink in the cartridge. Check your manufacturer’s own support forums for more details.

If you haven’t actually had a message from your printer, but your cartridge still isn’t printing then our good old friend ‘clogged print heads’ may be to blame. Follow the steps above to solve this issue.

Of course, you could have also been unfortunate enough to pick up a faulty cartridge. Most cartridges will come with a warranty so take it back to the store you purchased it from and get it exchanged!

While there are quite a few generic solutions to ink cartridge and printer issues, it’s also worth checking out your printer’s manual and manufacturer support forums for more specific solutions to your issues. However, don’t be drawn into the idea that cheap ink cartridges are responsible for all of your problems - the problems outlined can occur with just about any cartridge on the market!