If after installing a new print cartridge, you may receive a message appearing on the front panel that the print cartridge is "low on ink".  This may be due to the installation of the cartridge with the printer power turned off. Ink cartridges should always be installed with the power turned on.

Note: HP all-in-one printers and multi-functions track ink usage by counting the drops of ink sprayed. According to Hewlett Packard this is the best method for determining how much ink remains in the cartridge.

Review the information below for your model.

IMPORTANT: According to Hewlett Packard they will not provide assistance for refilled or remanufactured ink cartridges because HP cannot control the quantity or quality of the ink used*

*Thus, if you need support for your printer you should never mention that the cartridges are refilled or remanufactured.

Instructions: HP Officejet 500, 600, 700, HP Fax 910, 920

These models count the ink drops used by the cartridge. You must manually reset the counter when a new cartridge is inserted. To reset the counter, follow the steps below:

1) Turn on the unit
2) Open the top cover to access the print cartridges.
3) Remove the new cartridge that is causing the message.
4) Reinsert the cartridge and close the cover. The following message will appear on the front panel: Press 1 for new cartridge or press 2 for a used cartridge.
5) Press the number 1 on the numeric keypad of the HP product.

If the message, "Press 1 for new cartridge or press 2 for a used cartridge" does not appear after removing and reinstalling the new cartridge, and the low ink warning message still displays, follow the steps below:

1) Turn on the unit.
2) Open the top cover to access the print cartridges.
3) After the cartridges stop moving, unplug the power cord.
4) Remove both cartridges and close the top cover.
5) Plug the power back in. The unit will reinitialize and a message will appear to insert the cartridges.
6) Open the top cover and reinsert the print cartridges. Close the top cover. The message, Press 1 for new cartridge or press 2 for a used cartridge, should appear. If it still does not appear, the unit may require service.

All other HP all-in-one products

The low ink warnings will not prevent printing on most products. Press Enter to clear the error message and continue printing. When colours are incorrect or the print becomes faded, replace the cartridge. The warning occurs so you can get a new cartridge before the current cartridge is completely empty. It also prevents lost faxes because of low ink on fax capable products.

The cartridges used in these products have unique hardware identification numbers assigned to them. The all-in-one records the ID of the print cartridge when it is installed. When the number changes, the unit knows that a new cartridge has been installed and resets the ink counters. Because of this, a low-ink message should not appear with a new cartridge.

If the HP products is indicating that the ink is low after installing a new print cartridge, it does not recognize that the new print cartridge was installed. Perform the steps below to try to correct the problem.

1) Turn on the HP product.
2) Open the print cartridge access door.
3) Remove both cartridges.
4) Wipe the electrical contact points of the print cartridge with a cloth. Print cartridges ship from the factory with a thin coating of protective grease on them to prevent oxidation. This coating may be preventing good electrical contact.
5) Unplug the power cord, wait five seconds, and then plug it back in.
6) Reinstall the print cartridges. Perform a print cartridge alignment if prompted.

Except for the models listed above, the all-in-one printers may display low ink warnings when using refilled or remanufactured (generic) print cartridges. Review the information below...

Remanufactured or generic print cartridges

According to Hewlett Packard: "The ink level tracking may not work correctly if you are using remanufactured or generic print cartridges. Because HP does not control the remanufacturing process, HP can not guarantee that our products will work correctly."

This statement is actually more amusing then accurate on most all-in-one products when you consider the Hewlett Packard 15, 17, 21, 22, 27, 28, 45, 56, 57, 58, 78, 334,338,339,350,351., 110 cartridges. This statement is also a contradiction to above statements by HP because of the fact that the cartridges do not hold the level of ink in the cartridge. The printer holds the level of ink that is supposedly in the cartridge. If you are installing a remanufactured cartridge then the printer has never seen that ID number on the cartridge. The printer should automatically recognize that the cartridge is new, not low on ink. This would denote that the problem is not the cartridge but an error with the printer