Why does'nt my printer print in color?

Question

Hi to you all,

Very peculiar thing happened: my HP printer stopped printing in color. I have checked the cartridge and it’s OK. I have printed the test page after cleaning the cartridges and it shows all colors, but when I print a colored image, it prints in gray mode.

I am not sure what could have happened (I own this computer and this printer for many years). The only thing I have tried to do with this printer was to share it with my husband's computer. But my attempts to connect it wirelessly failed.

I would appreciate any help.

Thank you in advance,

Irene

P.S. My OS is Windows XP Professional.

Answer

This question was answered on December 7, 2004. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

If a document appears in color on the screen but prints in black and white, try the following solutions.

Run a test printout to see if the color cartridge is working

1. Turn on the printer.

2. If you have an HP Deskjet 710c, 712c, 720c, 722c, or 820c series printer, follow the instructions below:

a.Turn the printer on.

b. Press and hold down the POWER button while pressing the RESUME button four times.

c. Release the POWER button.

3. If you have any other HP Deskjet printers - http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/famiDocument?dlc=en&lc=en&product=14438&cc=us&docname=bpd07098

If the printout is black and white, with no color, follow the instructions below:

a. Open the top cover of the printer and remove the cartridges.

b. Verify that the correct cartridges are installed in the printer - http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/famiDocument?dlc=en&lc=en&product=14438&cc=us&docname=bpa00585 . If the correct cartridges are installed, make sure that the tape has been removed from the cartridge nozzles.

c. Insert the cartridges firmly back in their cradles and close the latches.

d. Close the printer door.

Verify the correct printer is selected as the default printer

1. In the software application that you are using to print, click the File menu.

2. Click Print.

3. In the Print dialog box, verify that the name of the HP printer you are using is listed in the Name box.

4. If the printer is not listed in the Name box, click the arrowhead to the right of the box.

5. Click the name of the HP printer.

6. Click OK.

Check that the printer settings are correct

1. Close the software application that you are using to print.

2. Click Start, click Settings, and then click Printers.

3. Right-click the icon (picture) for the HP printer.

4. In the menu that pops up, use the left mouse button to click Properties.

5. In the Properties dialog box, click the Details tab. (In Windows 2000, click the Advanced tab.)

6. Check that the driver listed under Print using the following driver or Printer matches the HP printer you are using.

The following setting may be in one of several places, depending on your printer driver and operating system.

7. In the Details tab, click the Setup button. Under Printout, choose one of the color options. (If other options have checkmarks, click in the check boxes to remove the checkmarks.)

If there is no Setup button, click the Graphics tab, and then click the Color button. Under Color Control, choose a Color option, and click OK. If there is no Graphics tab, click the Advanced tab and look for the text Print in Grayscale.

If there is a checkmark in the box by Print in Grayscale, click in the box to remove the checkmark, and click OK.

If you are using Windows 2000, in the Advanced tab, click the Printing Defaults button. Click the Advanced tab. The box by Print in Grayscale should not be checked.

8. Click OK.

9. Close the Printers window.

10. Open the software application that you were using to print.

11. Try printing again.

Install a new driver

If none of the above options worked, the wrong driver may be installed on the computer:

Author

Posted by Henry of Katharine Gibbs School - New York on December 7, 2004