Printing in black when color cartridge is empty

Hi,
I'm looking for a new color printer that will print in black and white when the (or a) color cartridge is empty. It seems like all the printer I've had in the past make you change out an empty color even if you are only wanting to print in black.
What does HP have to offer and or what do I need to know to find the correct type printer?
Thanks,
Paul

The printers with separate ink supplies and printheads (and typically four or more cartridges, one for each color) typically require ink in all colors to allow printing. Printer's with a black and a tri-color cartridge with the printhead integrated with the ink supply typically do not require ink in all colors, and many of the recent models will work with the color (or black) cartridge removed compeltely.
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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Officejet 6100 - H611a Will not print in grayscale when color cartridge is depleted.

The title says it all. - Windows 7 64-bit
Officejet 6100 - H611a Will not print in grayscale when color cartridge is depleted!
Even though the documentation that came with the printer says it will. After 2+ hours on the phone with HP support over the course of 2 days, I have been informed that printer WILL NOT print in black ink only if a color cartridge is empty.
I thought anyone who purchases this model should know the documents included lie.
From page 31 of the Officejet 6100 user manual: "If a color cartridge is depleted, the printer will print in grayscale using the black cartridge." LIES!
The HP Help Programs says the same thing.
I have hard-reset the printer, removed and reinserted all the cartridges, set the options to "black ink only," Nothing worked. 3 HP reps all said the same thing, "You have to get a new magenta cartridge."
Will be retuning for a refund as I purchased this model SPECIFICALLY because the manual said it would print the grayscale without color ink present.
Have had 4 HP printers over the years, never even considered buying anything except HP. This will be my last HP printer. Extremely disappointed by HP's deception.

Sorry the printer did not perform as expected. I have escalated this in an effort to get this to the right people.
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HP Deskjet 812C won't print in black unless color is on the page

My mom's printer stopped printing in black unless some of the text is turned from black into a color (we picked red) anywhere on the page.
I removed the black cartridge and put the same one back in.
It printed one page of only black ink. Then no more pages if they only had black text.
We replaced both the black and color cartridges with new cartridges.
Still refused to print in black unless some of the text on the page was in color.
Seems extremely odd to us.
Please help. Any ideas?
HP DeskJet 812C
Microsoft Windows XP - Home Edition - Version 2002 - Service Pack 3
Connected using Parallel Cable
No error messages

danacassese wrote:
I have the same problem. I put in a new black cartridge and it prints fine for a while but then it stops printing all together. I thenk have to copy and paste whatever i want to print if it is an email and put it in a word doc and then change the color.
The cartridge has been replaced 4 times and each time it is more than 1/2 full when i replace it. I shake it and you hear the liquid. They are ALLL BRAND NEW CARTRIDGES THAT I GET FROM STAPLES never refurbished or refilled.
Please help
Are your cartridges Staples brand or HP? All the Staples branded cartridges are remanufactured and suffer the same quality issues as many reman cartridges.
As above: Check the warranty date or "install by" date on the package if still available or check the cartrdige warranty as shown here. A cartridge that is very old (or one that has been remanufactured or refilled) may exhibit the symptoms you describe. Replacing the cartridge with a fresh HP replacement would be the best option. You may be able to recover your cartridge by soaking the cartridge with the nozzles down in about 1" of very hot (but not boiling) water for five minutes or so.
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

How to set HP OfficeJet 4500 used as a network printer to print in black not color as a default.

I have my HP officejet printer set as a network printer but it prints color when I had initially set it for B&W as my default during set-up
How do I set my HP OfficeJet 4500 used as a network printer to print in black not color as the default.
Thanks,
Bob

OK, go to Start > Control Panel > Printers. Right click the printer in question and choose Printing Preferences. Set it the way you want, then click OK.
That should set the defaults for all programs using the printer.
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I am employed by HP

Office 2010 Don't print blank lines when data fields are empty

How do you do this in office 2010? Where do we go now?
This used to be under the Tools menu in previous versions:
On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.
In the Mail Merge Helper dialog box, click Merge.
NOTE: You must select the main document and data source for the merge before doing step 2.
In the Merge dialog box, under When Merging Records, click either:
Don't print blank lines when data fields are empty.
-or-
Print blank lines when data fields are empty.
Click Close in the Merge dialog box, and then click
Close in the Mail Merge Helper.
NOTE: If you made no changes in the Merge dialog box, the
Close button is not available. Click Cancel instead.
Back to the top

Hi,
In Word 2007 or Word 2010, you can add
Mail Merge Helper to the Quick Access bar, and perform the steps then.
To add the
Mail Merge Helper command in the Quick Access Toolbar in Word 2007, follow these steps:
a.
In Word 2007, click the
Microsoft Office Button, and then click Word Options >
Customize.
In Word 2010, click File > Options > Customize Ribbon.
b.
Click
All Commands in the Choose commands from, and then click
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c.
Click
Add, and then OK.
Best Regards,
Sally Tang

Can I print in black and white with an empty color cartridge on a HP Officejet Pro 8100 printer ?

Only the cyan cartridge is empty, all of the other 3 cartridges are fine. I ordered the cyan cartridge online but I need to print important documents today. The power button is blinking when I try to print.
I don't understand, black and white should not use a color cartridge to print.
Is there a trick so I can print before receiving the cyan cartridge ?
This question was solved.
View Solution.

The Officejet Pro 8100 ePrinter has the same print mechanism as its All-in-One counterpart the Officejet Pro 8600. This printer has a printhead mechanism that contains 4 individual cartridges: CMYK (cyan/magenta/yellow/black).
One will have to replace the cartridge, if the unit provides a message of one of the colors being empty, before the unit will resume printing. It is a maintenance mechanism to prevent the product from self-damage. Hope this helps.
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Printing black &white when color cartridges are out of ink

When color ink cartridges low but black new and full, why can't I print in black and white? All my cartridges were low or out of ink. I had a new black cartridge so replaced the empty one with it, thinking I could then print things in black and white, just not color. It's printing practically blank pages with some faint color on them, not even a smidge of black anywhere.

I have the EXACT same issue, just have a different printer Photosmart C4580...I'd like to know the answer as to why with new black and white cartridge it keeps defauting back to color, even if I select under preference to print B&W...really frustrating.....!!!

How can I print in black when the colour cartridge is empty

Hi,
I have an HP Photosmart 5510 that I use ONLY for simple black on white printing for work. I have it set to black ink only but today, a wet and cold Sunday night when I really really need the d*mned thing to work because it's month end and I have to send copies of all my worksheets to head office, I get an error message to the effect that it won't allow me to print using the brand spankin' new original HP black cartridge until I buy some totally unwanted colour cartridges to keep it company.
Am I really being held to ransom like this? Are Hewlitt Packard so short of cash that their corportate monolith will falter and fall if I don't buy expensive consumables whose only function is to print in colours I have no wish or need to use?
Am I really unable to use the black print facility on *MY* printer until I've fed yet more cash into the greedy maw of some US blue chip company?
If the answer to any of the above is yes then tomorrow evennig after work I shall have to go to the store where I bought my HP printer and very publically tell them were to shove it and why. I shall seek out a new printer from ANY MANUFACTURER OTHER THAN HP that allows me to print in black only and I shall make it a mission to spread the word.
Of course it's entirely possible that HP have a simple fix that will allow me to use black cartridges only in which case I shall be delighted to continue buying original HP black cartridges on a monthly basis.
On the other hand I do need a reply urgently because as I say, it's Sunday night and this problem has put me hours behind for work tomorrow as it is.
Thanks (I hope).
Andrew

Hi,
Firstly I'd like to say: I'm not working for any computer vendor, both hardware and software. From my understanding, the technology to make those inject printers dictates why we need all inks to print when we only need black.
1. On some printers which ONLY use 2 ink cartridges (black & tri-color) we can print black only if the tri-color cartridge still has ink at least one color
2. For many other printers which have individual color ink cartridges we need all of them to print even we only print black only. Printers may stop during the warming up process.
3. For some printers, we can force them to print black only without ink in one color cartidge but this would more damage than good because this will shorten their lives.
One thing I've mentioned few times. Vendors (all of them) should allow users to SCAN without inks. But as mentioned above, printers may stop during the warming up process and first of all THEY ARE PRINTERS.
Regards.
BH
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HP C6180 does not print in black when a color cartridge is out of ink - a design flaw?

I mostly print in black and bought the color printer as convenience. Recently I get a message that ink in Cyan cartridge is low, even I have done practically no printing in color for a long time. It seems that I am consuming color ink during power up cleaning process. When it gets low enough, after few print jobs, it stops printing in black also! I do not understand why printing in black is disabled when ink in a color cartridge is low must be allowed to print in black till all black ink is consumed. This seems like forcing customers to buy color cartridges even is they want to print in black. A highway robbery!.

Hi there.
Two things that might help you: first off, if you print in fast draft mode, you'll print in black only. Otherwise, it will underprint some color. It actually makes the black look better and sharper. BUt, if you're simply printing webpages, just print fast draft, double-sided, and save some ink and paper. I print two pages per side, at least until my eyes get a little older. Anyway, that's where your ink has been going.
As for not allowing you to print, it's actually to protect the printhead. As a side note, your printer actually has a very impressive air management system. It actually reduces the amount of waste ink by flowing ink across the inside of the nozzles to keep them healthy, rather than spitting ink to keep them healthy. I was kind of sad we didn't advertise the efficiency side of things for that printer.
Hope that clears things up a bit.
I work for HP and hope to make your day Sproutastic!

HP officejet Pro 8000 Can't print when color cart is empty enven when printing in grey scale

I do not use color in my printing. Nonetheless when the printer says my color cartdridge is empty I can not print. I spent a $100 on color cartdridge and never used them. They now show empy and I can't print. Is there a work around or should I just junk this printer. Thanks for your help.
Bob

Hello Bobmcclammy,
I can understand the frustration when the printer, in your case the Officejet Pro 8000, stops and tells you to change inks you are not even using. I too have fought with this in the past. Unfortunately, there is no "work around" for such an issue, at least that I have been able to find.
Even when printing black text only, for example, a resume, the printer will be using a subtle amount of color as a base. Printhead maintenance also will chip away at the ink, this is to ensure the ink is not drying up within the print system. This information will explain more: Ink Usage in Inkjet Printers.
What I have done in order to get the most out of the printer ink is, set the printer in a black only grey scale mode. This needs to be set in the printing preferences in the print driver installed on the computer.
The inks will still need to be replaced, but it should help for the future.
JERENDS
I work on behalf of HP
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I have HP Office Jet Pro 8500 printer and because the yellow cartridge is empty,can't print black

The yellow cartridge is empty andf when I select black only it will not print. I could do this with other HP printers that I have owned.

Hi there,
This article should cover the issue you are experiencing. Give the steps outlined a shot and let us know if it helps.
Best of Luck!
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HOW CAN i PRINT ONLY IN BLACK WHEN COLORS ARE DEPLETED-officejet 6600

cyan and mag are depleted but I only want to print in black for a contract and it wont allow!!!!!
How can I override this?
This question was solved.
View Solution.

all cartriges exhausted, only black is full. i want to use only black. how to proceed ?
valdengo

My HP Deskjet 3520 will not print in black after replacing cartridge

I have just replaced all my ink cartridges in my HP DESKJET 3520 printer (it's wireless). It prints in color fine, but not in black. I've tried cleaning the print head, aligning the cartridges, checking the breather on the cartridges. I've also just opened up another black cartridge, thinking maybe my new one was defective. So now I've just wasted a cartridge.
so frustrated! My printer is more than a year old now to. So no warranty. when I click on the printer ink levels, it's recognizing I have full cartridges - but it's not printing in black at all.
This question was solved.
View Solution.

If the troubleshooting steps in the post here do not resolve the issue the I suggest you contact HP as described in that post, even if the printer is out of warranty.
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

Prints only black, not color

I have installed new cartridges, both black and color, but everything prints in black. What can I do to print in color?

Hello momomany10,
Welcome to the HP Support Forums!
Since your Officejet 7310 will copy in color, I do not think you need to replace the printer. Try resetting the print system on the Mac, check for and install updates on the Mac (Apple icon and the Check for software updates), restart the computer and then add the printer back.
That should completely refresh the driver used and allow a color print to happen. If you have not reset the print system before, this will help: Mac OS X: How to reset the printing system.
Cheers,
JERENDS
I work on behalf of HP
Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
Click the “Kudos Thumbs Up" to the left of the reply button to say “Thanks” for helping!

Won't print - says to replace color cartridges

I am trying to print and I keep getting an error message about replacing my color cartridges - I have plenty of black and that is all I want to print. I need this to work now - any way to work around this error message and get this f'ing thing to print?

Hi,
What printer model?
Many models require any ink to operate, that in order to operate and service the print mechnism..
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Printing in black when color cartridge is empty

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