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Archived This topic has been archived.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.
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Wondering why you are running out of color ink cartridges and have to replace them while only using BLACK/WHITE printing.

 

No worries, here is something that will help you understand why.   

 

Your printer performs through the ink system as a whole, not individually (unless your have laserjet B&W only printer). If you change your settings on the computer to ONLY use Black and White, it will still use some of the color ink. In order to get a TRUE BLACK component, the Magenta, Cyan, and Yellow mixed together to blend in with the black ink to get a solid black. 

 

If you run out of one of the ink cartridges, your printer will NOT function without it being replaced. It needs that one color to mix in with the other colors to perform the secondary colors on printouts. 

 

 

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Hope this helps.

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If that is true then why is my HP PSC 1210 not printing black but IS printing colour - if what you say is correct then you would expect to see some of the colour ink instead of nothing when printing black. I hope you are wrong but it WOULD explain why inkjet pigment blacks are IR reflective (annoyingly).
HP Recommended

Black doesn't mix together to form the primary colors. The color cartridges have to mix together with black to make a definite black color.

 

Your printe may not be printing black because of a print head issue, or need of another cartridge..  

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Why would you need to subtract colour from black I wonder? - black is black and one of the very easiest inks to make - carbon black based inks have been around for time immemorial.

 

I have a HP PSC 1210 all-in-one - I can take the colour cartridge out and print/copy/scan in black and white without any "apparent" problem - could this be a reletively recent innovation? (using the subtractive colours with black I mean).

 

Actually, this is of great interest to me, I wonder if you have any links or further information you could post on the matter? It would be greatly appreciated.

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@Bundaboy, some older model printers are able to print with just black only without the color cartridges. Majority of the printers that are being made and recently been made, cannot function without. In some cases when you print a document, the text may actually be a shade of gray rather than a true black.

@hamzatula, you will need to post in the MAC forum. Here is the link for that. http://goo.gl/RxS0q
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Thanks, but can I get you to confirm that HP is deliberately spraying pure black ink with "colour" black ink in order to waste as much colour ink as possible? - it seems incredible but that seems to be what you are saying. Given the crazy prices of ink it does seem plausible from a criminally economical sense.

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This is ridiculous, black inks have done a fabulous job for years without 'color enhancement'. Please advise a work around. I have $100 plus in new cartridges sitting here and the cyan won't work. I only need to print doc's in b&w. Please help.
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I agree with the response from this morning.  It seems like it is just another way for HP to make more money.  Black does not need pink, yellow, or blue to make black.  Black has always been black.  And now I am stuck and not able to print  because my M is out of ink and I never use the colored ink.  I only always print in black.

 

If anyonly out there knows of a way to get around this problem and to keep us from continuing to buy colored ink, please let us know.    I would appreciate it very much.

 

Thank you very much,    

HP Recommended

I'm using HPOfficeJet 6600...I can't find a way to print using black ink only...the error msg states the magenta ink cartridge needs to be replaced.

 

How can I override to print in black only without having to purchase a new color cartridge?

 

Bought this printer a few months ago and haven't used it that much.     

 

Thank you.

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