INK LEVEL COMMANDEERING

Question

I have had only HP printers over decades. In April I spent thousands on a new HP laptop and 8600 printers. Little did I know that HP Management, hard and software Engineers seized control away from the customers to confiscate control for themselves about how we use ink so they could DEMAND we WASTE AND BUY MORE ink than necessary from HP. Disgraceful and shameful! I cannot even print black & white copies within going to buy more color ink. PLEASE POST the names of printer BRANDS (by the way, that HP made previously) that DO NOT have software imbedded to WASTE INK but allows the printer, like previously, to continue printing until it completely runs out of ink to print and you see this on the paper coming out of the printer. (by the way, I've never had ANY DAMAGE to my print heads) I will gladly trash all my 8600's and buy the new printers and buy ink from the new company. It's the principle. HP you DID NOT become more CLEVER than your customers.

Answer 1

There are different printhead technologies with different requirements.  Printers with integrated printheads (ink supplies and printheads on the cartridge) typically allow printing until the ink supplies are deleted or even removed.  Printers (like the Officejet Pro 8600 series) that have separate ink supplies and printheads generally require ink in all colors and black to prevent clogging of the printheads.  See here for information on how ink is used, the Officejet 8600 is an IIC printer in the terminology of that document.
Running a printhead without ink available will generally cause clogging as the ink dries out in the "plumbing", or worse, an electrically damaged printhead.  Replacement of the printhead (for models with replaceable printheads) or service (for models with permanent prints) would then be required.  For printers with the printheads built into the cartridges this is not so much an issue since a replacement cartridge will have a replacement printhead, but for models with separate printheads it can be an expensive proposition.
The above is generally true regardless of the manufacturer.
Bob Headrick,  HP Expert
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