HP Error E8: Fatal printer error
🧑🔧 Needs servicing
On HP Smart Tank printers E8 means a fatal error has occurred.
What to try
- Turn the printer off, and then turn it on again.
- Try to print.
- If the error returns, contact HP Customer Support.
When it needs a technician
If E8 persists after turning the printer off and on, HP says to contact HP Customer Support.
Which models show E8
HP documents this code for models including HP Smart Tank 670, HP Smart Tank 720, HP Smart Tank 750, HP Smart Tank 210, HP Smart Tank 520, HP Smart Tank 580, HP Smart Tank 5000, HP Smart Tank 5100.
First steps for any printer error
- Write down the exact code before you do anything else — similar-looking codes often mean completely different things.
- Power the printer off, unplug it for a couple of minutes, then power it back on. A surprising number of transient errors clear here.
- Open the covers and check for paper scraps, packaging material, or anything blocking the carriage.
- Check the cartridges or tanks are genuine, correctly seated, and not empty.
- Confirm the printer is plugged directly into a wall outlet, not a power strip or extension lead.
- Check your model’s own manual — codes are model-specific, and the manual is the authority for your machine.
Source: HP Customer Support - HP Smart Tank 670, 720, 750, 790 Printers, Blinking lights and error codes. Codes are model-specific, so your own model's manual is the final word. Reviewed October 2026.
Still showing E8?
Tell our printer technician your model and what you've tried. You'll find out whether it's fixable at home or worth repairing at all.
Ask about my printer — $1Eric Paul Amora · Printer & Hardware Repair Technician
Related HP codes
E1 — Paper size mismatchE3 — Carriage jamE4 — Paper jamE5 — Scanner errorE6 — Printer error stateE7 — Ink tank out of inkE9 — Firmware update interruptedPrintheads missing — Printheads missing on Smart Tank0x610000f6 — Carriage jamE0 — Ink cartridge problemE2 — Paper length mismatchP — Ready to prime ink system (blinking P)