Black ink smears on printing

I have an HP Officejet J6450 that uses 74 & 75 ink cartridges. I purchased it in March of 2009.
I began to get black ink smears on anything I printed so, I followed all of the suggestions regarding cleaning....
I put in a new black cartridge but the problem continued to the point that I was ready to throw the printer away. Eventually, as I was trying to load paper last night, it kept rejecting the paper, indicating that it was the wrong size or type. Finally a piece of paper jammed in the printer. As I was removing the paper jam, I saw a small caterpillar size brush in the paper jam. When I removed the paper, the brush came with it. The small brush had a sticky side to it and it was covered with black ink. I have to presume that this is the brush that cleans the ink cartridge head. It was smearing all of my printing until it dislodged. I have no idea where it goes nor do I want to put it back in place only for it to dislodge again.
Now, the printer works fine but I don't have a brush in place to clean the ink cartridges. A disappointed user. My next printer will probably be another brand and another set of ink cartridges......

Ironically the small brush is one that is designed to wipe fibers (paper fibers, pet hair, etc.) from the carriage to prevent ink smearing. Removing the brush will not have any adverse effects for normal printing. It at some point in the future the ink smearing returns you can manually clean the bottom of the carriage and print cartridges as shown here.
Bob Headrick, HP Expert
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Hi,
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Hi mariajw,
Thank you for your reply!
What I would recommend to do at this time is to please call our technical support at 800-474-6836. If you live outside the US/Canada Region, please click the link below to get the support number for your region. Country-language selector.
Best regards!
RnRMusicMan
I work on behalf of HP
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Hi @privat_
I'd like to help you be able to print again. I understand your colored cartridges are working, but the black ink is not. Please begin with the steps in the following document; Printer Prints a Blank Page or Does Not Print Black or Color Ink for the HP Officejet 6500 All-in-On...
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flushing it worked, Yeah!!!!!!! thanks for your help.
Although the printer might be out of warranty, if the issue persists, HP may be able to offer you something. Maybe they can offer you a discount on a newer model, or discuss the option of replacing the printhead! If after all of our efforts the issue remains, I suggest calling HP. If you are in Canada or US call 800 474 6836, or you can Contact HP Worldwide.
Thanks for reaching out to the HP Forums. I hope one of my recommendations resolves the issue.
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Hi Folks,
@Perth-Aussi-
Welcome to the HP Support Forums! I see you are running into some print quality issues on your HP Photosmart 6520, you are unable to print in black ink after replacing the cartridge.
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HevnLgh
I work on behalf of HP
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atrabellows wrote:
Hi, Coats! Tried again this morning and am still getting blank pages. I am so bummed! Any either ideas? Thanks!
Hi atrabellows, I'm going to private msg you on this. Thanks, Ciara
Although I am an HP employee, I am speaking for myself and not for HP.
Twitter: @Ciara_B_HP

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Although I am an HP employee, I am speaking for myself and not for HP.
Twitter: @Ciara_B_HP

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Good day to you @holb , welcome to the forums
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Which Windows Operating System am I running?
Mac OS X: How Do I Find Which Mac OS X Version Is on My Computer?
How Do I Find My Model Number?
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R a i n b o w 7000I work on behalf of HP
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R a i n b o w 7000I work on behalf of HP
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Click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution!

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Although I am an HP employee, I am speaking for myself and not for HP.
Twitter: @Ciara_B_HP

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Hello NHarchivist,
I see that this is your first visit with us on the HP Forums. Please let me take a moment to say "Welcome".
I hope you enjoy your experience!
To help you get the most out of the HP Forums I would like to direct your attention to the HP Forums Guide First Time Here? Learn How to Post and More.
I see that you are having some issues with Smears and/or streaks on your print-out's.
Please click on the following link that troubleshoots Ink Smears or Streaks.
Please feel free to write me back if you have any other questions or concerns.
If I don't hear back from you today, I hope you have a Fantastic weekend.
Cheers,
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W a t e r b o y 71
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Product Name and Number: HP Photosmart 5514 e-All-in-One Printer - B111h
Operating System Installed: Windows 7 64-bit
Error Message: None
Any Changes Made To Your System Before The Issue Occurred: None
I went to copy data on my printer and noticed that the blank ink was fainting. Changed black cartridge
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Hello Alex,
You could try the following troubleshooting link:
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Black ink smears on printing

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