What this means
Your printer refuses to recognize the new supply you just installed. You might assume the cartridge is broken or incompatible, but the cartridge is almost always fine.
A physical barrier is usually blocking the ink flow and the electrical contact. You likely left a piece of protective tape on the unit during installation, preventing the printer from reading the chip.
Placement causes the rest of these errors. If a color cartridge sits in the wrong slot, the printer throws a mismatch error. If the cartridge did not click audibly into place, it fails to make the proper electrical contact required to start printing.
Common causes
- Protective plastic tape left on the cartridge nozzles or chip
- Cartridge not clicked fully into its slot
- Dirty electrical contacts on the cartridge or inside the carriage
- Printer memory needs a reset to recognize the new supply level
- Using a third-party or refilled cartridge that lacks a properly communicating chip
- Incorrect slot placement for color cartridges
What to check first
- 1Check if the printer screen shows a specific error message about the cartridge
- 2Verify you removed all orange or clear plastic pull tabs
Step-by-step fix
- 1
Remove protective tape
Open the printer cover and take out the new cartridge. Check for any clear or orange plastic tape covering the nozzles or copper chip. Peel it off completely and reinstall the cartridge.
Do not touch the copper electrical contacts or ink nozzles with your fingers.
- 2
Reseat the cartridge
Press down firmly on the cartridge until you hear a distinct click. Ensure it sits level with the other cartridges and is not skewed in the bay.
- 3
Clean the electrical contacts
Remove the cartridge and gently wipe the gold or copper contact chip with a dry lint free cloth or cotton swab. Reinsert the cartridge firmly.
- 4
Power cycle the printer
Turn off the printer using the power button. Unplug the power cord from the back for sixty seconds. Plug it back in and turn it on to reset the internal sensors.
- 5
Perform a hard reset
With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear. Unplug the cord from the wall outlet. Wait two full minutes, plug the power cord directly into a wall outlet, and turn the printer back on.
Do not use a surge protector for this reset step.
- 6
Check cartridge color slots
Verify that the color cartridges match the color labels inside the carriage. Move any misplaced cartridge to its correct slot.
When to contact a professional
If multiple new original cartridges fail, your main logic board is dead or the printhead carriage is permanently damaged. Call a professional or the manufacturer. Do not touch electrical contacts with bare hands while checking these parts. Check your warranty before attempting further repairs.