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Archived This topic has been archived. Information and links in this thread may no longer be available or relevant. If you have a question create a new topic by clicking here and select the appropriate board.
HP Recommended

 

 

I feel the same!!!

HP Recommended

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 6600 printer.  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 printhead or burned out printhead firing resistors. The Photosmart 5510 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 describes how ink is used.  While the document is written for HP Inkjet printers the same principles apply to inkjet printers from other manufacturers.

 

 


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 

If my answer was helpful please click "Yes" to the "Was this post helpful" question.


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Thanks for the help Bob Headrick. Much appreciated. That solves it for me I’ll be making a video and posting it on Youtube on how to fix your HP printer problems with a Ten Pound Sledgehammer It will be a really big production. With lights, music, face shield, real fancy and in HD quality the whole kit and caboodle. I bet it will go viral. I am sick of being scammed by companies like HP. I’ve had it.

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Dear Bob and other HP employees,

My wife asked me to buy her a new printer to replace her dependable, early 90's model, HP inkjet printer and get a scanner too, so I was really excited about the HP 6600.  Now it won't print without color ink and she hates it.  All she wants is black and white.   Sure it is quiet, fast, and prints great quality pictures but all these things are not remembered when I have to get up and drive miles to get a magenta ink cartridge so my wife can print a black and white document.  She even wants the old noisy printer back but it is long gone.  If HP isn't willing to do something to make lifelong customers happy then I will never buy another HP again.  I am going to tell everyone I know about how HP doesn't care about its customers.  RING RING, Comcast is on the line and they want their customer service reps back. Oh.  And as a computer animator I use high dollar workstations.  You wont be getting my business there either.  Fix this or I am done with HP for good.  Splitting your printer division into a new group (enterprise) won't fool us. You are going to lose thousands from me alone over a $120 printer.  Good business decision.  And Bob, while a technical description of why the 6600 wont work like all printers should is mildly interesting, it doesn't solve anyone's problems.  If you are willing to send me a different printer that can print black and white only (even a legacy model) I will remain loyal to HP as I have for almost 20 years.  If not, goodbye.

Sincerely,

 Erik

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Please send link so I can enjoy the movie.

HP Recommended

@Elvgren wrote:

Dear Bob and other HP employees [snip]


As noted in my signature lines, I am not an HP employee.


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 

If my answer was helpful please click "Yes" to the "Was this post helpful" question.


HP Recommended

Be careful people the moderators are going to lock this thread up like the other one.

 

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Ink-Toner-Cartridge-Printhead-Issues/hp-officejet-6600-won-t-print-b-am...

 

Don't let these "non-HP" employees fool you. They don't work for HP... They probably work for a company that contracts with HP to monitor these forums.

 

Someone is probably going to post a big long carefully worded explaination of why HP's hands are tied because they are just trying to provide a great product. Like the last post in the link posted above. Then they will lock it up. Like the link posted above.

 

The thing they are not going to tell you and you should be able to recognized while sifting throught their BS(Both non-HP employees and HP employees) is that they don't want to provide a firmware update that shuts off the color ink under the black. This is because they think you want it on all the time because it makes that B&W text paper look SOOOO much better. And if they get an extra 15 every time you buy a color ink cartridge oh well.

 

GREAT MORALS HP I HOPE IT BITES YOU IN THE REAR END!

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@OrganizedIdiots wrote:

 

[snip] Don't let these "non-HP" employees fool you. They don't work for HP... They probably work for a company that contracts with HP to monitor these forums. [snip] 


There are SO many incorrect items in your post.  I will not bother addressing most of them, but will clear up a few.

 

The folks in the forum with HP Administrator  next to their names are forum administrators, hired to keep things civil here.  Threads are typically closed if they degenerate to rants, long after the technical discussions have ended.

 

Those with Provost next to their names are HP employees.  Some are paid support folks, they have "HP Support" in their badge and "HP Representative" below.  Others are HP employees who participate here beyond thier day-to-day jobs.  Their badges may indicate "HP Expert" and "Volunteer".

 

Folks (like me) with an  next to their name are not employed by HP (or by third parties on HP's behalf).  They unpaid volunteers here, helping folks solve issues as they can.  See the blog here for information on the HP Expert program

 

As for issues in printing without color ink available, I will not repeat the technical issues here, they can be found elsewhere in this thread.  Suffice to say, there are technical reasons behind the behaviour that have nothing to do with selling more ink.


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 

If my answer was helpful please click "Yes" to the "Was this post helpful" question.


HP Recommended

"The Black Ink Only feature will limit the color usage to only the amount that goes under the black ink to ensure a long standing printout and the true-black tone that is expected."

 

This quote comes from one of your "HP Representatives" in the thread posted in my previous post.

 

Suffice it to say that the color put under the black ink does not give me a warm fuzzy feeling inside. I do not value a word printed on a page any more or less so long as I can read it. Therefore, I feel that HP's decision to make us put that color ink under the black is incorrect. If there are other reasons for the necessity of that color ink please do tell... I know a few big words so go right ahead and enlighten me. Otherwise HP needs to provide a firmware update that allows for a complete shutdown of color ink. Perhaps it can be called "NOBS Black Ink Only".

HP Recommended

There are a few reasons color ink is used, even when printing black only:  

 

  • Some ink is used to keep the nozzles from drying out.  When printing (even black only) the color printhead, attached to the same structure as the black printhead, is waving around in the air and the nozzles would clog if there were no servicing.
  • When automatic duplex printing the front page typically has a thin underprint of color ink under the black to "set" the black ink.  It is not intuitive, but this causes the black ink to dry faster, reducing the chances of smearing the ink as the page is pulled back into the printer to print the back side.
  • Graphics are typically printed with a mixture of color ink rather than black.  The color droplets are much smaller than the black droplets.  The composite black (made from colors) gives visibly better grayscale graphics results.  (For some drivers there is an option for printing in grayscale as "black ink only" or "High quality grayscale".) 
  • Printing in "Best" quality typically underprints balck with color to give a darker black.
  • The pigmented black ink is not compatible with photo apper.  If photo paper is detected or selected in the driver the printer will mix color ink to make black.

Depending on the driver the option for "black ink only" may not be available when color ink will be needed, for example in the duplex printing case.

 

See the document here for information on how ink is used in the printing process.  In the language of that document the Officejet 6600 is an IIC printer.

 

If you want a printer that can print with no color ink at all I would suggest something like a monochrome Laserjet, or an IPH printer such as the Deskjet 6980 or Officejet 8040a that would allow printing with the color cartridge removed compeltely.

 

 


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 

If my answer was helpful please click "Yes" to the "Was this post helpful" question.


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