How to get my C309a printer to only use black ink cartridge?.

I have changed my ink cartridges 3 times. ALL of them. I haven't had the printer for that long. I only print TEXT so only BLACK INK. And not that much of it either. SO why does all of the cartridges get used up? I cannot find anything where you can adjust or fix this problem. HELP as I don't have the money to keep buying all this ink.

PTGillan wrote:
[snip] Decent thing to do would be to allow printer to do what they have done from time immemorial - print faded docs to give us time to get cartridges and avoid total failure. Not a good or decent system. Not a good way to treat customers.
The Photosmart c309a does allow printing in black if a color ink is depleted - I have one here. What is your printer model?
HP and other printer manufacturers have different printer technologies for different needs.
Some have printheads built into the ink cartridges. These printers can typically print with one or more of the colors completely empty, or even with color or black (but not both) cartridges removed. The Deskjet 6980 series is an example.
Other printers have separate ink supplies and replaceable printheads. An example would be the Officejet 6500 printers. The printhead in these printers can be replaced if they are damaged by running the printhead with colors out. Some of these printers will allow printing with a color out, other will not. If the printer is run without ink in one or more colors the printer may be damaged, but the user may be able to recover without having to send the printer for service.
Other printers have permanent printheads. To run these without some ink in all the colors would risk causing damage to the printhead due to clogs, air ingested in the printheadvor burned out printhead firing resistors. The Photosmart 3310 series is an example of this type of printer. For printers with fixed printheads this could require service to get the printer to print properly again when the ink is finally replaced.
The document here has information on how ink is used.
Bob Headrick, HP Expert
I am not an employee of HP, I am a volunteer posting here on my own time.
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How do I set the print preference to use black ink only?

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That depends on your printer and the software that came with the printer. You can consult your printer manual or the online site for your printer manufacturer.
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Can I print on a Canon MP480 using only a black ink cartridge?

Hi BKJen, Both ink cartridges are required to be installed in the printer in order to print, even if one of the ink cartridges are low or out of ink. If you are receiving a low/out of ink warning and need to continue printing, you can disable the ink level detection function of the printer by pressing and holding down the Stop/Reset or Resume/Cancel button on the printer for at least 5 seconds, then releasing it. Once the low/out of ink cartridge is replaced with a Canon genuine ink cartridge, the ink level detection function of the printer will be re-enabled. You can also set the printer to print using only the black ink cartridge from within the printer driver on your computer. If you would like instruction for doing this, please reply with what operating system is on your computer (version of Windows or Mac OS X), and we'll be happy to assist you.

Hello @downeyke , and welcome to the HP Forums!
I understand you are looking into black ink options. I would love to try and help you, but I do need a little information first. I am linking an HP Support document below that will show you how to find which version of the Mac operating system you are using. With this information we can provide you with accurate information.
Mac OS X: How Do I Find Which Mac OS X Version Is on My Computer?
Please let me know what you find. Thanks for posting on the HP Forums!
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How can I print using only the black ink cartridge?

I have a officejet 4620 that I need to know how to set up to have the option of using the black ink cartridge only. I rarely ever use color ink and I dont want $30 worth of color ink to dwindle away while printing pages that do not need any sort of quality printing. How can I change this setting? I have a Mac and there are hardly any options when trying to print anything.
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Hello @downeyke , and welcome to the HP Forums!
I understand you are looking into black ink options. I would love to try and help you, but I do need a little information first. I am linking an HP Support document below that will show you how to find which version of the Mac operating system you are using. With this information we can provide you with accurate information.
Mac OS X: How Do I Find Which Mac OS X Version Is on My Computer?
Please let me know what you find. Thanks for posting on the HP Forums!
Please click “Accept as Solution " if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
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Jamieson
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Can't print with just one black ink cartridge on HP Photosmart C309a

I have a relatively new HP Photosmart all-in-one print-scan-copy-fax, C309a. There are 5 ink cartridges, 4 small ones in black, yellow, magenta and cyan, then another XL black cartridge. Today the small black cartridge ran out. I ordered all 4 of the small cartridges. Apparently the small black one is called "photo black", the XL is something different. All are HP 654 ink. Anyway, here's what I don't get: There is still plenty of ink in the XL black. So why can't I print? I even set it to print in only gray-scale, using only black ink ; also set it to always print text in black. But when I print a page comes out barely visible, or blank. Print Test & Diagnostic Test comes out the same way.
In another post I read that some printers can't function of one of the inks is dry, even if you don't need that ink for what you are printing. Is that the case here? I tried the online chat for technical support & could not get anyone. Also e-mailed tech support & got a less than helpful answer in very difficult to understand broken English. Just need to know if there is a way around this, or do I just have to wait for my color cartridges to be delivered? Thanks!

I would like to know the answer to this also... I have a brand new black ink cartridge but my photo black is empty yet when I print it still tries to use the photoblack?

Black ink is not printing but the printer states that the black ink cartridge is full

Hi.
I was printing something and the printer was working fine after i changed the black ink cartridge. After a few minutes, i continued to print and the ink was extremely light (almost unseeable unless it was held up to a light) for some words and non-existing for others. I tried cleaning the printerhead and the ink cartridge as well as resetting the ink cartridge but that did not help. I tried using anther black ink catridge but that didn't help. The printer does not state that the cartridge is damage or low in ink. When i printed the quality status, it stated that ink levels were good but showed the box for the black in to be completely empty. I tried to use the clean cartridge and align cartridge functions in tools but that did not help. Rather, when i performed the aligned cartridge, it stated that the alighment failed. I'm not sure what I should do to fix this problem? Any suggestions?

@BabyBluePanda, welcome to the community!
I read about the black ink troubles you've been having with your Photosmart 7525, and I'd like to help.
I absolutely understand you've tried the majority of troubleshooting for this issue however, please take a look at this guide I have linked you to below and ensure you've tried all of the steps.
Fixing Print Quality Problems for the HP Photosmart 7520 e-All-in-One Printer Series
If the black ink is still not printing, a faulty cartridge or printhead could be to blame. If that seems to be the case, please give us a call.
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. http://www8.hp.com/us/en/contact-hp/ww-phone-assist.html
Good luck!
R a i n b o w 7000I work on behalf of HP
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DeskJet 5550 won't print after installing new black ink cartridge.

I recently got a new Dell computer with Windows Vista 64-bit OS. Printer was working fine until I replaced the black ink cartridge. It printed out the check page like normal after installing the cartridge but will not print anything else now. Not even a test page. I tried pulling the cartridge out and putting it back in. Tried unplugging the plugs on the back of the printer and plugging back in. Tried turning the printer off and back on. Also tried restarting the computer. I downloaded the HP Print Diagnostic Report and it could not find any problems. Could there be a problem with the ink cartridge itself?
This question was solved.
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Well first I went and bought another black ink cartridge to rule out the cartridge being the problem. That was not it. So then I unplugged the printer and cleaned it thoroughly and plugged it back in. Still didn't work. So I went into the properties on my printer and started messing with the settings. FINALLY I FIXED IT! I clicked on the Advanced Tab and then clicked on Print Processor. I then changed it to WinPrint and retried the Print Test Page on the General Tab and it worked! Woo Hoo!

HP 5514 not printing with brand new black ink cartridge

Ok so I have the same issue as everyone else here - new cartridges but won't print - specifically black. Other colors print fine. Cartridges have expiration of 2016 and were made in China. I put a new one in last night - got 2 pages printed out and all was good, color printed, black printed. Woke up this morning and no black - nothing, nada, zilch. I did everything recommended - multiple passes on cleaning, checked vent holes, etc etc etc...have now lost most of my color ink from printing the test pages - still no black.
So my unit of course is out of warranty - so now what? Like the others - product was not overly used - a few pages a week - nothing massive. So it should still have life left you would think.
Next steps please? Really can't afford a new printer no matter how cheap they are these days...and with no warranty - what are my available options????
Thanks - btw I worked for HP for a number of years in a small division if that gets me any brownie points....

Hi @LAnn15,
Welcome to the HP Support Forums! I see you are running into some print quality issues on your HP Photosmart 5514, you are unable to print in black ink.
I would like you to continue here: Printer Does Not Print Black Ink or Color Ink, or Prints Blank Pages, I understand you may have done some of these steps already but I need you to complete all steps in order to resolve the missing black issue you are experiencing.
Please note: There are three printhead cleaning stages. Complete all three stages if necessary. If the printhead is badly clogged, it might require another cleaning cycle. If so, wait 30 minutes after the last (third) cleaning stage to start the first stage of the cleaning process over again.
If you are still unable to print in black ink, I suspect the issue may be the printer and not the cartridge. Please let me know which Country/Region you are in as well as the product Warranty status: HP Warranty Checker
I hope to hear from you soon.
Thanks,
HevnLgh
I work on behalf of HP
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Officejet 4620 not printing with the new black ink cartridge installed

I installed all new cartridges yesterday and the black will not work. All the other colors work great but the black will not work at all. Please advise!!!

Hi Meganrvt,
Welcome to the HPCommunity, 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 your new black cartridge. I will be happy to help. I have included an HP document below for just this issue.
Printer Does Not Print Black Ink or Color Ink or Print Blank Pages
If that doesn't work you should contact HP Total Care as ink has its own warranty. HP Total Care can be reached at 1-800-474-6836 in North America or visit this link if you live outside of North America.
Thank you,
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Thank you,
BHK6
I work on behalf of HP

SOLUTION: for printer wont print using black ink cartridge. ETC.

Black ink wont print in low resolution, you can't use high resolution if you selected plain paper. Choose "hp premium paper", even if you use cheap paper. Default Quality for this is "Best" but "Best" ONLY works IF you select a quality paper, such as "hp premium paper".
It's a software fault, there should be no option for plain paper for black only printing.
Hope this helps a few!
Andy

If HP Premium photo paper is selected the printer will print black using the color cartridges since pigmented black ink is not compatible with photo paper. The printer will print much more slowly in photo mode and will put more ink than is intended on the page.
If black is not printing when you print a nozzle pattern from the printer then likely there is an issue with the printhead or the ink delivery system between the ink supplies and the printhead.
Bob Headrick, HP Expert
I am not an employee of HP, I am a volunteer posting here on my own time.
If your problem is solved please click the "Accept as Solution" button ------------V
If my answer was helpful please click the "Thumbs Up" to say "Thank You"--V

Black ink cartridge in my Photosmart c309g-m won't print

I have an HP Photosmart Premium C309g-m printer. The black ink was low so I replaced the cartridge with a brand new HP564 black ink cartridge (not the photo black ink cartridge). The printer will not print the black ink cartridge since I replaced it. I have replaced it with a new black ink cartridge twice thinking that perhaps the first one was bad. I have shut down the printer as instructed and waited. I unplugged the power source and unplugged it from my computer. After waiting the instructed time period, I plugged everything back in, turned the printer back on and attempted to print again. The black ink cartridge still will not print.The color cartridges and the photo black ink cartridge are printing. I have done several clean printhead routines. I even attempted an alignment (this has failed). Now since the alignment procedure has failed, the printer attempts the alignment every time I turn it back on. This procedure continues to fail since the black ink cartridge still won't print! I am wasting all my color and photo black ink! What can I do to correct this problem?The error messages that I received were Oxc19a0007 and Oxc19a00013. I could not find any other solutions for this problem.

I have the same problem as redtailhawk, however no error messages. I have an HP Photosmart Premium C309g-m printer/copier/scanner. The cyan, magenta, and photo black cartridges were all low, so I replaced them with remanufactured HP564XL cartridges from 4inkjets.com, which apparently are from LD Products, which is on the labels on each cartridge. These are what I already had installed, and have been using sucessfully for the past two years or so. The printer will not print using the black ink cartridge since I replaced the other three cartridges. I believe, actually, that I tried to put a document and only the color text printed before I replaced the three cartridges. I tried another remanufactured black ink cartridge, thinking that the one I had installed might have become bad somehow. What I have tried:1. I cleaned the printheads from the printer network page, then did a 2nd deeper cleaning.2. I performed a hard reset by unplugging the printer while it was on, after it got finished performing all tasks, then plugged it back in 30-60 seconds later.3. I verified that all cartridges were properly vented.4. I soaked the printheads in hot water and noticed that quite a bit of ink flushed out of them. However, when I reinstalled the printheads and cartridges, all my ink level went down at least 50%. Before I removed the printhead, I also noticed that there was some black ink on the printhead that looks like it had leaked from the cartridge prossibly. When I run a print quality report or printer status report, I see that the black does not print at all; the other four cartridges all displays their levels. Also, every time I try to align the cartridges, the alignment fails. I do not get any error messages, though. I am running Windows 7 (x64) and printing via USB. I also tried printing via bluetooth as well as using the web services printer, neither of which worked. I also booted into Windows 8.1 (x64) RTM and attempted to print, but I'm having the same problem. Please advise me on what I can do to fix this problem, or if I have to buy another printhead. Thank you greatly in advance. Not sure if these would be useful, but I've include my printer's device information pages and well as the usage report.
Below is my printer's device information page: Below is my printer's usage report:

HP 802 Black ink cartridge not compatible with HP Deskjet 1050 Printer - J410a [Model: CH346A].

I am Sharjil Ahmed from Kolkata, India, and had bought theHP Deskjet 1050 All-in-One Printer - J410a [Product Model: CH346A] from an online shopping website www.crazeal.com on 18 December, 2011, where the product information consisted that I will be provided HP 62 small black ink cartridge HP 62 small tri-color ink cartridge along with the product. However, the box consisted of HP 61 small black ink cartridge HP 61 small tri-color ink cartridge.
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Please help as I have not been able to find HP 61 anywhere in my locality.
[Personal Information Removed]
This question was solved.
View Solution.

Hi sharjilahmed,
The 802 cartridges are the correct ones for your region. If you purchased the printer from a Region other than India you will need to contact technical support, so they can assist you with getting the region changed on the printer. Contact numbers for India support below.
DeskJet, Inkjet All-in-One, Entry level LaserJet, LaserJet All-in-One:
1800 200 0047, 1800 425 7737,
0124 387 7300, 0124 234 0917
I am an HP employee.
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Using black ink cartrige only when receiving faxes

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Hello!
Welcome to the forums @carperwm
I understand you are looking to see if you can use black ink only when printing out faxes, with your Officejet 6600.
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However, you can choose to print in black ink only from your computer, check out these guides for help on changing the settings:
Changing Print Settings in Mac OS X
Changing Print Settings in Windows 7
I hope the information helps, have a great day
R a i n b o w 7000I work on behalf of HP
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How to get windows username printed on each page irrespective of application? we have cm6030f.

How to get windows username printed on each page irrespective of application? we have HP CM6030F.

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How to get page one to animate only once in interactive pdf?

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How to get my C309a printer to only use black ink cartridge?.

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