Opening a new cartridge is supposed to solve the streaking problem, not create it. But it happens more than people expect — and the temptation is to immediately return the cartridge or run head cleaning cycles until the ink runs dry. Usually, neither of those is the right move.
There are four specific causes of streaking in a brand-new cartridge, and once you know which one you're dealing with, the fix takes about two minutes.
The Tape Seal Isn't Fully Removed
Most inkjet cartridges have a protective tape covering the nozzle plate. It has to be peeled off completely before installing the cartridge. This sounds obvious — but the tape is often translucent and easy to miss, especially under poor lighting. On some cartridges, there are two strips of tape: one over the nozzles and one over the electrical contacts. The one over the contacts should stay on. The one over the nozzles must come off.
Partially removed tape is particularly tricky. If even a small corner remains over the nozzle plate, it can block one or two nozzle channels — causing streaks that look like a clogged head, leading you to run unnecessary cleaning cycles.
Dried Residue on the Nozzle Plate
Even OEM cartridges (genuine HP, Canon, Epson) occasionally arrive with a small amount of dried ink or manufacturing residue on the nozzle plate. This is more common with cartridges that have been stored for a while. The nozzle plate is the small section on the underside of the cartridge where the ink actually exits.
The fix is simple: lightly dampen a lint-free cloth or a folded piece of kitchen roll with distilled water (not tap water, which contains minerals that can block nozzles). Gently dab — don't rub — the nozzle plate two or three times. Don't touch the copper electrical contacts. Reinstall and test.
The Cartridge Needs a Priming Cycle
Some printers don't automatically prime new cartridges. Priming draws ink from the reservoir down into the nozzle channels, which may be partially air-filled when a cartridge is first installed. If your streaks are consistent and appear across the full width of the page in a regular pattern, this is likely the cause.
- Remove the cartridge and hold it nozzle-side down over a piece of paper for about 30 seconds. Gravity helps draw ink into the nozzle channels.
- Reinstall the cartridge and run one print head cleaning cycle from your printer's maintenance menu — not multiple cycles. Running too many cleaning cycles wastes a significant amount of ink.
- Print a nozzle check pattern to see if the channels are clear. If they're 90% or more complete, printing will self-correct after one or two normal print jobs.
The Cartridge Is the Wrong Variant
Printer manufacturers regularly release updated cartridge variants (e.g., HP 305 vs 305XL, or a revised chip version) that look identical but aren't fully compatible with older printers. If none of the above resolves the issue and you're using a third-party or refilled cartridge, this is the most likely cause. OEM cartridges very rarely have this problem, but it does happen with multi-region stock.
If you have an old, partially used cartridge of the same type, reinstall it and test. If it prints cleanly, the issue is specific to the new cartridge — either a manufacturing fault or a compatibility issue. Most retailers will exchange or refund without question.
When to Run a Cleaning Cycle (and When Not To)
Print head cleaning cycles are frequently overused. Each cycle flushes a measurable amount of ink through the heads to clear blockages — on some smaller cartridges, an aggressive cycle can consume 5–10% of the cartridge's total capacity. Run one cleaning cycle, then a nozzle check. If the check pattern is mostly complete, let it resolve through normal printing rather than repeating the cycle. If the pattern is severely incomplete, run a second cycle, then wait 30 minutes before running a third.
If streaking persists after three cleaning cycles on a brand-new cartridge, the cartridge is almost certainly faulty. Contact the retailer rather than continuing to waste ink.