HP LaserJet Pro M281fdw Ink Cartridge is a component that contains one or more ink reservoirs that deposits ink onto paper during printing. Replace or refill the ink cartridges when they are low on the level of ink. Follow the steps given below to fix the printer problems.
Replacing ink cartridges
- Turn on the HP LaserJet Pro M281fdw printer by pressing the power button.
- Open the ink cartridge access door and wait until the carriage becomes idle.
- Push down and slowly slide out the cartridges.
- Unwrap the new cartridges and hold them in such a way that the electrical contacts are on the bottom.
- Slowly insert the cartridges into your 123.hp.com/ljprom281fdw printer.
- Place the tri-color cartridge in the left slot and the black cartridge in the right slot.
- Close the cartridge access door and align the new cartridges.
- Open HP Solution Center on your computer and select the settings option.
- Choose the option Align the Print Cartridges, found under the Printer Toolbox tab.
- Click Align and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the alignment process.
Refill the cartridge
- Open the cartridge access door and remove the cartridge from the cartridge holder.
- Place the cartridge on a paper towel and fill the syringe from the refill kit with ink.
- Rub your finger across the label of the cartridge to locate the refill holes.
- Insert the syringe into the refill hole and release the ink.
- Make sure that the cartridge is not overfilled and cover the refill hole with clear scotch tape.
- The cartridge should not be placed outside the printer for more than 30 minutes.
- Repeat the above steps to refill the other cartridges.
- Replace the cartridges into the printer and lock the cartridge access door.
Troubleshooting for Ink Cartridge Problem
Genuine HP ink cartridges should be used
- Make sure that the installed cartridges are genuine HP cartridges as HP does not guarantee the quality when non-HP cartridges are used.
- Check and confirm that the cartridges used are compatible with your printer, replace the cartridges if they are not compatible.
The cartridges should be inserted correctly
- Open the HP LaserJet Pro M281fdw Ink Cartridge access door and check the position of cartridges.
- Make sure that the black cartridge is placed in the right slot and the tri-color cartridge is placed in the left slot.
- Check if the cartridges are perfectly implanted in their respective slots.
- Raise the printhead as much as you can, and then lower the latch to make sure that it is all the way down.
Clean the electrical contacts
- Remove the ink cartridges from the cartridge holder.
- Spray distilled water on a lint-free cloth and wipe the copper contacts on the cartridge.
- Use the damp lint-free cloth to wipe the electrical contacts found in the cartridge holder.
- Make sure no debris remains on cartridges and replace them into its respective slot.
Check the estimated ink level
- Open the settings window in your printer’s control panel.
- Click the option Estimated Ink level and view the ink level for all the cartridges.
- Locate the cartridge that is low on the ink level and replace the same.
- If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.
Replace the printhead
- Check the warranty status of the printhead as HP replaces your printhead assembly under warranty.
- Replace the printhead and cartridges and then try to print.
Service the printer
- If you completed all the above steps and your printer still has HP LaserJet Pro M281fdw Ink Cartridge issue, then service the product.
- Reach out to our technical support team to get the issue sorted.
Reset the printer
- Turn on your printer and wait until the carriage stops moving.
- Disconnect the power cord from the rear of your printer.
- Unplug the other end of the power cord from the wall outlet.
- Close all running applications and restart your computer.
- Wait for a minute and then reconnect the power cord to your 123.hp.com/ljprom281fdw printer.
- Check if the printer is turning on automatically, if not press the power button and turn it on.