Printer properties continue to show HP photo paper, despite Preferences being set for Automatic.

Question

Yesterday, while attempting to print a Word Perfect 5 document (my word processing app), the printer( HP Office Jet 6500 E709) operated, passed the paper through and made the printing sounds, but no ink was applied to the paper.  I thought perhaps the cartridge had run dry, although I usually get a warning and then can visually see from the finished print job when the ink cartridge is empty.  My PC is running Win XP Professional, and the printer has never been a problem.  I installed a new Black cartridge and successfully printed off a test page.  Still could not print the WP document, or any other document from "my documents" file.  Tried the "copy" function and the printer worked fine.  Still no document printing.  Printed a Yahoo e-mail using the "print" option at the top of the message, and the printer worked fine.  When printing from that icon, I got a pop-up display with a menu option labeled "preferences."  This is the standard routine when printing an e-mail. I clicked on preferences saw that they were set at automatic, portrait, and color.  I changed color to Gray Scale, black ink only, and the page printed properly.  This has always been the routine, whether printing an e-mail of printing a document.  Then I went to my WP document and hit the printer icon on my task bar and got a different pop- up display.  In this display there was no "preferences" option, only a "properties" option.  When I pressed that button I saw a setting that said HP Photo paper, portrait, grayscale high quality.  I changed the paper type[ to "automatic" but cold not change the color option to black ink only.  I closed the menu and attempted to print.  No ink.  I repeated the steps and discovered that the properties had reverted back to HP Photo Paper.  I attempted to print from the File menu and by using Cntrl P.  Neither option worked and the "Pproperties" continued to show HP photo paper, even though I changed it after each failed attempt and the hopper was full of white ink jet paper.  I deinstalled the HP printer and reinstalled it using the original discs.  Since the reinstall, the preferences are set as desired, and remain that way every time I chack them.  I can print a test page, copy and print email.  However, when printing from the print option in File, the task bar printer icon or Cntrl P, the pages continue to be processed but no ink is applied.  The pop-up menu that appears when using any of these commands always contains the term "properties" and those properties always show HP photo paper as the stock being used.  Regaerdless of how many times I correct the paper type, the entry reverts to HP photo paper after each attempt at printing. 

Answer 1

I have the B8550 too, and I just assumed that since it's a fairly high-end printer, it would support the highest-end HP photo paper (i.e., Premium Plus).  However, the manual states:
HP Premium and HP Premium Plus photo papers are not supported with this product.
Now, I don't know if that means you shouldn't use it, or that the advanced features won't work, or ??? Or if you should use it, what settings to use (since that type of paper is not listed in the options on the drop-down menu.)  I have used the Premium Plus Soft Gloss without any problems.  But HP seems to think that the highest quality paper you can use with this printer is "Advanced," which is their third-grade paper.  Not exactly what I'd expect from this type of printer.