Hi Dogwatch,
I understand you have a PSC 1410 that is appearing off when it is in fact on. I will certainly do my best to assist you with this issue.
Would you be able to tell me what version of Windows you're laptop has?
In the meantime I would suggest that you download and run the HP Print and Scan Doctor and see if it has any suggestions to offer.
Are you able to make a copy of a black document and it come out completely black, or does it do the same thing when printing from the PC?
Hope to hear back from you soon :)