I just put 2 new ink cartridges in and when I try to print something there is no ink on the page. I opened the machine top up and looked when the ink goes whening trying to print and there is ink everywhere inside, dryed from the person who owned it before me. What could it be??

I just had this exact problem on my HP 5514. Black won't print after running out of black ink. New cartridge no good.
I tried everything-no good. I suspected the pinholes in the printhead were clogged with dried ink because I didn't change cartridge in time.
The fix that worked perfectly was when I hacksaw top off old black cartridge & removed all foam wicks so now I had a funnel(can see clear thru). I installed the cartridge & filled it with alcohol, printed page & did head clean; then printed few more pages. Problem cleared almost immediately. I then soaked up extra alcohol inside cartridge with paper towel. Removed modified cartridge & installed good one. I guess this could be done for colors as well. I don't know if this is a proper procedure, but it sure worked well for me.

Replace the print cartridge
When you notice that the print becomes light or ink low or when install new ink
cartridge appears in the display, replace the print cartridge. The part number for
replacement cartridges is HP 701.
1. Take out a cartridge from its packaging and carefully remove the tape covering the
printhead.
Hold the cartridge by the colored top or black areas only. Do not touch the copper
area.
2. Press the Access Cartridge button on the control panel.
The cartridge carrier moves to the install position.
1 Access Cartridge
1
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Care and maintenance 45
Replace the print cartridge
3. Open the control panel and cartridge compartment cover (it will click and remain
open).
4. Push the cartridge down and remove it.
5. To load the cartridge insert the cartridge as shown below. When the cartridge is
pushed to the back of the cartridge carrier, push the top of the cartridge until it clicks
into place.
If the cartridge moves loosely in the carrier, it has not clicked into place. Repeat this
step.
1 Control panel
2 Cartridge compartment
cover
1
2
46 Care and maintenance
Clear jammed documents and paper
6. Close the cartridge compartment cover and control panel.
7. Press Start/Enter.
8. Press 1 for new cartridge, or 2 for the old one.
• When you put in a new cartridge, you must choose 1:New
• When you put in a used cartridge, choose 2:Used. This helps you to check the
correct amount of ink you have left.
TIP: If you mix up several used cartridges, it is not possible to check the correct amount
of remaining ink. Once you have put in a new cartridge, use it until it is completely
exhausted.

Replace the print cartridge
When you notice that the print becomes light or ink low or when install new ink cartridge appears in the display, replace the print cartridge. The part number for replacement cartridges is HP 20.
1. Take out a cartridge from its packaging and carefully remove the tape covering the printhead.
Hold the cartridge by the colored top or black areas only. Do not touch the copper area.
2. Press the Access Cartridge button on the control panel.
The cartridge carrier moves to the install position.
3. Open the control panel and cartridge compartment cover (it will click and remain open).
4. Pull the cartridge toward you and remove it.
3 To load the cartridge insert the cartridge as shown below. When the cartridge is pushed to the back of the cartridge carrier, push the top of the cartridge until it clicks into place.
If the cartridge moves loosely in the carrier, it has not clicked into place. Repeat this step.
5. Close the cartridge compartment cover and control panel.
6. Press Start/Enter.
7. Press 1 for new cartridge, or 2 for the old one.
• When you put in a new cartridge, you must choose 1:New
• When you put in a used cartridge, choose 2:Used. This helps you to check the correct amount of ink you have left.
TIP: If you mix up several used cartridges, it is not possible to check the correct amount of remaining ink. Once you have put in a new cartridge, use it until it is completely exhausted.

1 Turn on the printer and check the LCD screen for an indication of which ink cartridges are low. Note that recycled ink cartridges sometimes read "Ink low" even when they still have ink, so print a test page if you're not sure.

2 Expose the ink tray by lifting the entire LCD control panel, which is attached to the underside of the copier tray.

3 Pull out the used ink cartridge by pulling straight up from the print head,

4, insert the new cartridge into the print head and push down until you feel a click. Close the printer lid and let the printer reset the ink tray.

5 Print a test page to make sure the new ink works. If it doesn't, you may have forgotten to remove the protective tab under the cartridge.

Hi,

Follow below steps to complete alignment.

• With the Cartridge compartment cover open, insert the print cartridge into the print cartridge cradle with the contacts facing into the unit. When the cartridge is seated in the print cartridge cradle, push the top of the cartridge towards the back of the unit until the print cartridge clicks into place.
• Close the cartridge compartment cover and control panel.
• Press the Start/Enter button.
• On the keypad, press 1 if the replacement print cartridge is new or 2 if the replacement print cartridge is old

NOTE: When you put in a new cartridge, you must choose 1: New .When you put in a used cartridge, choose 2: Used . This helps you to check the correct amount of ink you have left.

• An alignment page will print and 06 [01-11] will show on the display
• Look at the alignment page and select the number under the straightest line, and then press that number on the keypad and then press Start/Enter .

Removing an empty print cartridges Follow the steps below to remove an empty print cartridge:

1. Press the Access Cartridge button on the control panel. The cartridge carrier moves to the remove/install position. Figure 1: HP Fax 1040/1050 control panel 1 - Access Cartridge button
2. Open the control panel and cartridge compartment cover (it will click and remain open). Figure 2: Opening the control panel and the compartment cover 1 - Control panel 2 - Cartridge compartment cover
3. Pull the cartridge toward you until it releases from the print cartridge cradle and then remove it. Figure 3: Removing an empty print cartridge 1 - Pull cartridge towards you 2 - Remove cartridge from print cartridge cradle

Installing a new print cartridge Follow the steps below to install a print cartridge.

1. Remove the new print cartridge from its packaging and, being careful to touch only the black plastic, gently remove the plastic tape using the pull tab. CAUTION: Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections. Figure 4: HP 20 print cartridge
2. With the cartridge compartment cover open, insert the print cartridge into the print cartridge cradle with the contacts facing into the unit. When the cartridge is seated in the print cartridge cradle, push the top of the cartridge towards the back of the unit until the print cartridge clicks into place. Figure 5: Inserting a new print cartridge 1 - Insert the print cartridge into the print cartridge cradle 2 - Push the top of the cartridge until it clicks into place NOTE: If the cartridge moves loosely in the carrier, it has not clicked into place. Repeat this step.
3. Close the cartridge compartment cover and control panel.
4. Press the Start/Enter button.
5. On the keypad, press 1 if the replacement print cartridge is new or 2 if the replacement print cartridge is old. NOTE: When you put in a new cartridge, you must choose 1: New .When you put in a used cartridge, choose 2: Used . This helps you to check the correct amount of ink you have left.

for more information follow the link:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c00253364&tmp_task=useCategory&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=ca&lang=en&product=425911

Print cartridge

When the print cartridge contacts are dirty and the printer cannot detect/communicate with print cartridge.

Clean the contact points on the cartridges with a dry, lint-free cloth.

1. Open the top cover of the printer.

2. Remove the print cartridges.

3. Clean the copper-colored contact points on the cartridges with a damp, lint-free cloth.
Use a dry, lint-free cloth to remove moisture from the contacts.

5. Insert the cartridges back into the printer.

6. Close the top cover.

7. Try printing again.

If you still cant communicate try with new cartridge .

Hope this help. Please Rate My Response! Thanks!

Print cartridge
When the print cartridge contacts are dirty and the printer cannot detect/communicate with print cartridge.
Clean the contact points on the cartridges with a dry, lint-free cloth.
1. Open the top cover of the printer.
2. Remove the print cartridges.
3. Clean the copper-colored contact points on the cartridges with a damp, lint-free cloth. Use a dry, lint-free cloth to remove moisture from the contacts.
5. Insert the cartridges back into the printer.
6. Close the top cover.
7. Try printing again.
If you still cant communicate try with new cartridge .

A technique to improve print quality is to try and clean the cartridge nozzles. You may clean the cartridge by following the steps given below: 
1. Go to the "Lexmark solution center." This can be done by clicking on "Start," go to "Programs" and Lexmark printer group. Click on the "Lexmark Solution center." Next click on the "Maintenance" Tab.  2. Select "Clean and Fix Horizontal streaks."  Click on "Print". This will produce a printed page. 
The colors that you should see here are black, yellow, magenta (a reddish purple) and cyan (a dark sky blue). You should notice the diagonal lines above and below the solid horizontal lines. These diagonal lines should be solid from left to right with no gaps. 
If there are gaps in the lines or the print diminishes across the page, you should run the "Clean Print Nozzle" page a couple more times to try and clear it up. If you still have gaps at the top and bottom, you should "wick" the cartridges by following the steps given below: 
1. Please open the "Solution center" again and go to the "Maintenance" Tab.  2. Select "Install color/black cartridge" and remove the cartridge or cartridges from the printer.  3. Get a damp paper towel.  4. Set the ink cartridge right side up on the damp paper towel so that the ink nozzles are against the towel and hold the cartridge in this position for about 15 seconds.  5. Now wipe the print head (on the bottom where the ink comes out) across in one direction only (left to right) until it looks clean.  6. Next dab the cartridge on the towel to make sure that the ink is flowing.  7. Snap the cartridges back into the printer.  8. On your computer, select "Old Cartridge install."  9. Repeat the "Clean Nozzle Page" one more time. If this fails to address the problem the entire procedure may need repeating.

Seemes very daft, and sounds like a twit, but not really.

When I recieved the new cartridge I placed it in the correct cartridge retainer in the printer matching up the dark green colour of the cartridge and the top clip, and it printed nothing even after a tryed re-seating it.
So I placed it in the other thinking maybe I somehow might have placed it in the wrong slot, so I placed it in the other (Colour), and set that up as I did the other, and it printed a blurred page but then stopped printing.
After that I then placed it back in the other cartridge retainer, set it up as the previous times when it did not work, and then it worked.

Seems strange and simple, but it did not work the first time at all, and after faffing with it finally did.

This might help someone, and then again might not.