Most Common Kodak Printer and Kodak Ink Cartridge Problems and Troubleshooting
(10 votes, average: 1.80 out of 5)
Loading ...Kodak printers are a good option if you are going to buy a printer. It could be one of the options you should definitely consider. However, like all other printer models even Kodak printers are prone to some common printer, as well as, cartridge problems. Troubleshooting these problems is fairly easy.
Here is a list of problems that you might face and we have also offered their solutions.
The Power LED shows no Illumination; the Printer does not power On
This is a common enough problem. The possible cause of this occurrence could be that the cables and cords are not connected as securely as they must be. You must make sure that the cords are connected in accordance with the instructions. Another reason for this could be the fact that the printer power is not ‘on’. You might just have turned the switch in the ‘I’ position.
The Printing Process is Slow
Another common problem and the culprit in this case might be the size of the image file. This could take up a lot of time for the printer to process the PostScript file. Thus, the only solution in this case is to show some patience. At times, the slow printing process is a result of the printer getting warm. The best thing to do in such a case would be to turn off the printer and allow it to cool down. Also, you could think about changing the printer location and shifting it to a cooler location.
No Action Taken When Job is Sent
The possible solution to this problem could be to check and recheck whether the job is actually being processed or not. Moreover, you must check whether you have set the printer in the correct mode for printing. You must use the Raster Mode while using the export module and all other types of printing can be done by choosing the PostScript mode.
The Processing is Complete, No Print
This is another common problem that affects the Kodak Printer. This is Kodak ink cartridge related problem and not a general printer problem. All you need to do is clean the head of the ink cartridges. Accumulated dust or dried color might prevent the printing process from taking place; hence you must clean the head of the cartridges. All Kodak printers come with a set of tools that not only clean the printer ink cartridge heads but align them as well.
Printer’s Not Working after Cartridge Change
Once the ink in the cartridge is finished, you either need to change the cartridges or get them refilled with ink. Whatever, the case maybe, you will have to take the cartridges out of the printer and put them back in place. Some times, you will find that the printer does not print, even though the cartridge ink is full. The problem could be sorted out by checking if the cartridges are securely in place. Secure it, and the printer is sure to start working.
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June 2nd, 2010 at 8:28 am
Why does the color ink cartridge use the same as the black when I set it for black only? This is a really expensive problem I hope you can solve for me.
June 2nd, 2010 at 6:50 pm
I just put some black ink in my printer. I know I put it in correctly and the computer says there’s black ink in there, but when I print something the ink is very very light instead of black and sometimes it even don’t show up at all. Do you know what could be wrong? Thank you!
June 7th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
My black cartrige doesn’t work and the yellow in the color doesn’t work. Cleaning makes it work for half a page or less. In that half page, the yellow has brown in it.
June 21st, 2010 at 6:08 pm
I have the same problem as Christina, #2 on this list, it either coomes out real light almost not readable or not at all when it’s black ink only like a letter, the letter head will come out or the color part but the actual letter or black ink area won’t or very very faint. please help i’m ready to throw it out the window
July 18th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
Kodak ESP 7 Aio prints very light. Have run corrective remedies. Replaced cart.
August 10th, 2010 at 8:39 am
I just put new ink cartridges into my Kodak ESP5 printer, but it continues to display that I need to replace the color cartridge, however, both are brand new. I’ve tried taking it out and puttin it back several times as well as turnin the printer off and back on. Nothing I do is helping… what can i do that will help?
August 12th, 2010 at 7:19 pm
I have the same problem as Crystal; does anyone have an answer?
September 17th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Click on the picture of your printer (little icon on the bottom right of your screen that pulls up your kodak printer info, down by the rest of your icons by the time on your main computer screen….) look in the upper right, there are three buttons, one that looks like a snowflake, one is an “i” and a the other a “?” click on the “snowflake” looking one and hit printhead cleaning. that should do the trick with the ink being light, if not look at the buttons ontop of the actual printer and make sure that “BLACK” NOT “COLOR” is selected. hope it helps. amber
October 21st, 2010 at 7:20 pm
I suggest printing a test page I have a Mac and it’s under the Printer Menu. I printed the test page and all the beautiful colors showed up but no Black. I realized I had the setting on color. So just like any problem solving tools do the dumb stuff first. =0). I do love my Kodak!
January 31st, 2011 at 7:54 pm
Is everyone as frustrated and unhappy with thier Kodak Printer as I am????? It prints very ligh or not at all, every time I hae to run clean print head to get it to print, then the first page is good and the next page I have to go through the same darn process!!! I am beginning to hat KODAK.
February 10th, 2011 at 6:51 am
i just replaced the black ink cartridge but it asked for the colour to be replaced….does it not function with just a black cartridge? Also the printer would not switch off.
March 12th, 2011 at 5:38 am
These kodak printers are a joke. I have had problems with these ink cartridges since day one. I call kodak and they denied any problem that said it was my fault that I only got 10to 15 prints per ink cart.
They also said the combo packs were just demo carts and kodak would no longer make them.Told me I should buy only individual carts.
kodak is a rip off and I will never buy another kodak product.
I told them wal mart was still selling combo packs and they told me that was some left over stock and when those were sold out no more would be available! wal mart is also to blame because they know of the problem and continue to sell the combo packs that kodak says are just for demos and will only deliver short print runs. beware kodak is a liar and is screwing the consumer. dont buy anymore kodak printers and cart. If anyone wants a free all in one printer let me know. I will give it to you for the shipping cost. It is in the original box. tks chuck
March 15th, 2011 at 9:25 pm
I Have 2 ESP3 I purchased a year ago that are both junk. These are the worst printers I have ever owned. I have all the problems as everyone else and these things use ink like a fire hose! I use 16-18 cartridges to 1 hp cartridge When printing more than one page of photos or documents i get horizontal blue lines exactly like on school paper. This waste ink and photo paper. I went back to my 10 year old hp 722C printer that is very slow printing but does a great job and has never broke down. I have printed thousands of picture for my work with no problems. The ink does cost $49 for color but prints hundreds of pictures.
As Chuck Pruitt offered a free printer I will make the same deal! You can have this piece of junk if you want to pay shipping!
March 31st, 2011 at 6:22 am
I agree with all above, my kodak printer does the same as the others light print or no print with new carts, I guess I will junk it and go back to my Lexmark.
April 1st, 2011 at 5:42 pm
When I got my printer I decided that I wanted to save money on ink so I set everything to black and white when I didn’t need color. However, the color ink still ran out at the same rate as the black. I replaced the black and everything was fine for awhile. Then a few prints after replacing the cartridge, the black ink started to go, even though it was still full. I switched back to colored printing and noticed that color prints fine, but black is printing poorly even though the colored cartridge is the old cartridge.
April 21st, 2011 at 11:29 am
I am seriously disappointed and frustrated with my Kodak All in One.
Cheaper Ink? Maybe, but you’ll use triple the cartridges than other printers. My HP needed ink once a year. My Kodak needs it every month, and I’ve not changed my printing habits. I’m not even printing photos on this thing, just typical text documents.
So now I have a really expensive scanner…..and no printer because I can’t see buying new ink every month when I’ve only printed 10 pages of black and white. It’s utter b$#sh@#t. Save you money? No.Give you a headache? yes.
I’ll take my antique 90′s HP over this money pit anyday
April 29th, 2011 at 9:11 am
I too am pretty disappointed with my ESP9. I was hoping it would be better on ink than my old HP Photosmart 1000. It does more stuff but uses at least twice as much ink. I recently had the dreaded “Lost FAX Job” printout problem (it will print a lost fax job page once every few days). Kodak support could not fix the problem but since I was a couple of months out of warranty, they would not repair it. They offered a big discount on a new Kodak printer but I’ve had enough of their crap.
The ink cartridges must timeout based on the number of hours you have the printer turned on. I’ve done very little color printing but the color cartridge is empty almost as fast as the black. Since the color cartridge has Yellow, Red, Blue, Black and some gloss enhancer, I thought the black would last twice as long as the colors….NOT!
If anyone knows how to reset the color chip, I’d be interested in knowing the secret. My color cartridge weighs almost the same empty as it does full. That tells me there is still lots of ink left.
May 9th, 2011 at 8:26 am
I changed the black ink cartridge in my 5-1 kodak printer now when i try to print over half the page is black?
May 12th, 2011 at 7:33 pm
Kodak SUCKS!!!! I am trying to get my daughters graduation invitations done and cannot. I have the same problems as everyone else. It is Disgusting!!!
May 13th, 2011 at 11:08 am
Wow. Just went to the Kodak website to find out why my printer runs low on Colored ink when I never print in color. Apparently the printers use the color cartridge whether you want it to or not.
Now given that the tiny black cartridges only print out about 40 pages and you have to change the color cartridge every other time, the ink is costing me around 40 dollars a month. And this is very moderate, light use.
Just wow.
May 28th, 2011 at 5:16 am
I am using Kodak easy share 5500, but from day one the scaner quality was poor and s%$ks ink.
June 1st, 2011 at 9:27 am
I changed both black and color cartridges on my Esp-3 all-in-one. After very veru few pages printed, the printer say color is empty. But is new! Even of I set to print color as black and white on the printer properties, it always give such error message. This is the worse printer I ever saw. A real scam.
June 9th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
I have had the similar problem. My black ink cartridge does not work properly, have cleaned it and again works for while then back to doing test pages and running the cleaning features on the printer. I bought this from staples and spent alot of money on the wireless one. It is a very bad product and I don’t know how kodak can get away with providing such a sub standard product. It has been a very time consuming waste more than anything else and has wasted alot of my spare time. I will not buy from Kodak again. Not after reading that this is happening to so many people. kodak have not done a free repair or simple fix on there website from what i know. Very Very disapointed. you are supposed to represent the bmw of print and this is the bog standard problem car of the printer world. Kodak get your thumbs out and get it sorted.
August 3rd, 2011 at 7:35 am
Have the same problem. I don’t think I’ve actually used the colour but it’s run out at the same time as the black and Kodak have confirmed that ‘black’ is mixed from the colour cartridge. I’ve had the cartridges out and there’s loads of black ink coming out but the printer still says it’s empty.
I’m about to try compatible ink before putting the machine in the trash and buying a laser printer.
August 7th, 2011 at 10:58 pm
Yep, agreed with above! This is the most useless printer I have ever owned- and I’ve had a few over the years!! Waste of money, waste of time and a waste of litres and litres of ink!! Nothing but minor problems with this junk… No more Kodak for me!
August 11th, 2011 at 7:16 am
Ditto for “ALL” of the above comments. This printer is a piece of crap! Sure the cartridges are cheap…but they have to be replaced after only a few prints! Not so cheap in the log run. Have spent much time on the phone with Kodak to no avail. They have replace the printer once……still the same functioning problems. Arrrgh. I see a new printer on the horizon………but will never buy another Kodak prodct. I didnt have any luck with my Kodak camera either…. it went kaput at just over a year and they wouldnt do anything. KODAK products are crap!!
August 19th, 2011 at 6:10 am
Yes I agree at the time it seemed a good idea to get a KODAK, they claim to be able to do loads more prints, but I have not found this. 400 pages this does not appear to be the case. The quality is also very poor. Kodak get an awful lot off returns (not just with there printers)…If your printing just black it is fairly cheap for a good HP or Samsung laser the toners last ages and you get get well priced compatible toners online. Photos I have gone back to HP Photosmarts ink is overpriced but at least you get a decent print.
August 20th, 2011 at 12:39 pm
was told by the sales person in curries it was a good all rounder,worked ok for a while,wont print clear photos anymore i tried all the recomended steps. next step is the bin..
August 29th, 2011 at 5:50 pm
We now have our second Kodak 5250 printer, the first we paid for and the second was kindly sent from Kodak. Unfortunatetly we continue to have the same problem, “black printer ink requires replacing” and the cartridge is BRAND new. It is very frustrating to come home with new ink only to be go back to the store for a return. I have started buying multiple cartridges at a time. Maybe Staples is carrying old ink? Once working I am satisfied with the number of prints we can get but the number of cartridges and returns I would like to forget.
September 7th, 2011 at 10:16 am
ESP 5250 – load of sh*t, guzzles ink like its going out of fashion and then wont print any yellow when it’s a near on new cartridge etc, etc, etc, etc………too many problems – get back to the drawing board Kodak. Someone tell me of a bullet proof printer – PLEASE !
September 13th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
I’ll never buy another Kodak printer all-in-one. Ink isn’t gone by far but won’t print til I get new cartridge.
September 17th, 2011 at 12:59 am
I agree with all the comments re. cartridge use. This thing burns through the ink and i hardly ever use it. waste of money!
September 17th, 2011 at 3:26 pm
The printer keeps turning off and on. What is wrong?
September 20th, 2011 at 11:39 am
I have the ESP 7250 and the ESP 5. Both are printing light if at all. They used to work fine. I performed the correction and cleaning. Is something wrong with the ink cartridges?
September 28th, 2011 at 1:19 am
WOW,GUESS KODAK IS JUST SALE SALE SALE,THE HELL WITH THE buyer,MY ESP C310 KODAK HADs FROM DAY ONE NOT ALLOW ME TO PRINT IN BLACK AND WHITE NOT ONCE!P.S I WOULD GO ON BUT ALL OF THE ABOVE 100% RIGHT.
November 21st, 2011 at 10:25 am
Have an ESP 5250 as well and ha been noticing the cartridges needing to be replaced quickly. When printing in color, certain colors get depleted quickly leaving a half-full color cartridge that is then useless. Kodak support says it is my fault and due to my printing habits…….I have printed 3 pages of pictures and maybe 10 b/w pages of text since my last cartridge change and I had to do this again. It has been over $100 in ink in less than a year…..going back to the Epson I guess as at least those cartridges would last me a full year.
November 23rd, 2011 at 4:49 am
I want to throw my printer out the window. I don’t live anywhere near someplace to get replacement cart. I need to print a black and white doc…I replaced the black cart. and still cannot print the document. The ink runs out incredibly fast and I am furious…Will never buy a printer from Kodak again.
November 29th, 2011 at 9:06 am
Kodak WAS a great company. I’m a Professional Photographer,and have MANY associates who bought Kodak printers because of our YEARS of being customers of KODAK’S photography products,which have also become JUNK !!! That’s over!! We STOPPED BUYING ANY Kodak product and many have even sold stock in Kodak. Kodak has become a company that does not care about customers, even Professional Customers. WHY Kodak won’t support their customers is obviously GREED and GREED ALONE. Myself,and ALL of my associates will not purchase ANY PRODUCT WITH THE NAME KODAK associated with the product. BOYCOTT KODAK PRODUCTS AND SAVE MONEY AND FRUSTRATIONS, they are no longer a reputable company,and DO NOT CARE ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMERS OR THEIR PRODUCTS.
December 1st, 2011 at 10:02 am
I have the same problem regarding the ink cartridges need replacing… it must be a common fault but how do i fix it? i want to find the fault myself but does anyone know the exact fault as i have changed the print head and the cartages so it must be another fault… please help?
December 8th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
Junk,
The Kodak printer is JUNK I agree with all the above.
I replaced my ink cartridges once a year with HP an now I have bought 3 in less then 3 months and it still out of INK.
I am buying another HP and will never buy Kodak again !
December 10th, 2011 at 12:38 pm
I have had a ESP7250 about a year the printer is noisy,slow to start up.Slow printing.Poor quality print.Uses INK like it going out of stlye.I will be going back to my OLD HP 940C.You have to have a color cartridge to print black.good for ink makers.If I loose my memory I might by another Kodak product.
December 12th, 2011 at 3:36 pm
Kodak are a bunch of rip off merchants. I bought the ESP 3250 as it promised lower printing costs etc. I cannot even print off a black and white letter as it insists that the colour cartridge (which I nver use) has to be replaced. Eploitationary!
December 15th, 2011 at 1:05 pm
I owned the ESP 9 then returned it and got the ESP 7250 in exchange (got the extended warranty to pay for it…) I was given two print heads by the sales clerk as Kodak had shipped a whack of them out to vendors kinda like the car manufacturers’ hidden warranties. So I used one on the ESP 9 before returning it and since the second fit the 7250, put it in there about 6 months ago. Seems fine, but I get about I do wonder how much colour is left in the colour cartridge and have been reading up on the amount of waste left over, but the articles are several years old and aren’t kodak specific. I get about 4 months out of an 10XL black and depending on what I do – about 3 months out of a colour.
December 21st, 2011 at 1:56 pm
The software keeps getting messed up with my 6.1. I contacted Kodak and they fixed the problem remotely for me, but it keeps coming and going.
December 27th, 2011 at 4:53 pm
ESP3250 reads “cartridge head jam” …nothing in the way…no way to release it. 10 months old…I am sending to the CEO of Kodak and buying another brand. I live in Rochester and try to support local company but it’s all made overseas anyway. More Chinese “quality”…when will we ever learn.
December 27th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Hay! Save money. NOPE! These Kodak printers go through ink much faster than any printer I have owned. HP. Lexmark, and Cannon. Big rip off I think. They dump ink on standard paper and print like crap! but give a good image on there own Koday paper. After emailing them several times about running out of yellow. (I don’t print anything in yellow) No response! It’s On eBay for $50 if you want it. What a piece of wireless crap! *&^% Kodak! Down the tubes you must go with your faults advertising.
December 30th, 2011 at 7:16 am
wow….i was just searching to find out why my kodak printer keeps printer in the wrong color…I thought it was something I was doing wrong…guess not…I too have had lots of problems with my printer and thought it was just my dumb luck as I tend to not have very good luck with electronics as a general rule…But just like Dave above, I have been running out of yellow ink like crazy…so silly me keeps buying replacement carts. thinking I musta bought bad ones….live and learn I guess….
January 1st, 2012 at 10:39 pm
Agree with all the above about ink. Kodak printers are so expensive to run. I have to change cartridges every month where as on old HP printer only had to change once a year. I will never buy a Kodak product again.
January 3rd, 2012 at 7:09 pm
I agree. I have a wireless machine. Runs out of yellow every time before the color cartridge if empty, but I don’t print anything in yellow? I have had HP and Lexmark in the past. I get maybe 50 – 90 prints with new cartridges on those machines in high quality mode. Kodak, maybe 20 if your very lucky in normal mode. Less in high quality mode. Cheaper? NOPE – SERIOUS RIP OFF. also, don’t take out a slightly used cartridge. They chip em so now it empty (Prevents refilling), even if it new MAJOR RIP OFF. Crap machine, and crap company. Never again, back to HP I go. Maybe Cannon. Down with Kodak forever!!!
January 4th, 2012 at 1:23 pm
Bought a 3250. It worked fine until the warranty ran out. Eats ink like there is no tomorrow and the paper stopped feeding. Total piece of junk and the biggest waste of money I ever purchased in my life. Never will buy another Kodak product again, ever.
January 5th, 2012 at 12:33 pm
I am amazed at how many bad comments I am finding about Kodak all in one printers – they are all true though!
These are utter shite – drinks ink – very expensive to run!
How are Kodak getting away with this????
The tv adverts are a total lie!!!!
January 5th, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Heard today Kodak is filing for bankruptcy and I can see why. Crappy printers and rotten support. Called a few times for support and never could answer my question or fix the problems, only tell me its designed that way. Low ink on one cart will not allow you to print with other cart, wasted much time driving 10 miles to town to get a color cart I did not need to print a black page. When this cart is empty this 3250 printer is going into the trash can. I will do much better research next time I buy a printer and Kodak is off my list, good riddance.
January 6th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
black ink does not work if I clean the printer it will only work for half a page, I have only had it a year waste of money :[
January 18th, 2012 at 2:10 pm
Kodax are not the cheapest for inks as they suggest their machines use a lot more and need replacing quickly. they do not offer good value for money have a ESP7 and rarely use it, but so far in the last few months have had to replace the cartridges more often than my brother printer, so shall never buy another kodax
January 20th, 2012 at 7:28 pm
Color cartridge replacement at prompt , nogo
1 800 rag head “Peggy” definatly has a beard.
Junior might have missed the juke box , but not the printer.
January 24th, 2012 at 5:04 am
This is ridiculous. Kodak 2170 is full of ink and still printing light or not at all. Uses ink too fast. I want my money back.
January 26th, 2012 at 9:32 am
Ok so of course I have the same problem, twice now…the only two times I’ve tried. I have noticed if I make a copy/in black and white, then it all of a sudden realizes it CAN print properly. After wasting 1/2 my cartridge trying to get it to work! Printing a test page it printed fine, but still wouldn’t print my document correctly, cleaning the head didn’t work either, only making a copy of something worked for me. Why? I have no idea. We all got suckered!
January 27th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
Kodak esp3 is total junk, threw 2 out the window after replacing color cartridge twice even though I never printed a single color paper, wouldn’t work after it said I was out of color ink, Kodak tech jerk said to buy more color ink, total stupdity, I applaud their bankruptcy, wonder why they went broke?
January 27th, 2012 at 8:27 pm
Light black indicates a bad print head, try cleaning the print headas or if that doesnt work call support. The new hero Kodak printers no longer have built in print heads so they are easily replacable.
January 28th, 2012 at 12:59 am
Wow….couldn’t believe so many of you had the same problem as me. I too changed from an HP to Kodak for cheaper ink!!! Bad move……
To cap it all, while writing this the Kodak ad came on the tv….how ironic. How can they get away ith an advert stating that you save money on ink……..
January 28th, 2012 at 6:10 am
My kodak esp serie 3200 is working well except when type anything in red the print-out is printed out in yellow. This has happened with the last two coloured ink cartiridges that I put in the Printer, why?
January 28th, 2012 at 8:22 am
I am of an age that was brought up on the Kodak brand being a leader in its field, well after buying a new ESP3250 I suggest they find a new field of business, because if they continue to promote their All in One Printers with lies of “420 pages” and “Cheap Printing” the only field they will end up in is “A Field of Dreams”.
I just replaced my colour cartridge and it needed to calabrate print head, I now have 20% less ink, KODAK WORK THAT ONE OUT?????????
January 30th, 2012 at 7:41 am
I have changed my ink twice, cleaned heads, callibrated, and reinstalled printer twice and still can’t get the printer to print. if anyone has any help with this it would be great thanks