HP Officejet Pro 8600 - Now won't print in Black Ink Only!

[olilynton]

I bought this printer to replace a HP 2200 series printer which had seen better days. Previously working abroad it stood idle for 3years once without any ink drying issues. And printed in black only - I am begining to wish I had kept it.

If ink drying out is really the problem, which I doubt, then simply enable the 'print with black only' option in the firmware with a warning that HP cannot accept responsibility for any ink drying issues.

Simple

[-PSi-]

I run out of black ink first. The "thing" offered to print using CMY to replace black as an temporary solution util I got new black cartridge. Excellent! Luckily I had the black already purchased. I got the new black installed. Now the thing tells me that yellow is empty. This time I canot print even black. I would have thought the "thing" to inform me that prints will be less perfect but you can print lower quality untill you replace the yellow. No such luck!

I cannot figure out why it cannot print black using black only.

So, I got the new yellow cartridge and installed it. Before i could print a single page the "thing" tells me that Cyan is empty. No print!

Just think if had to mail order the cartridges and now would have to wait for another shipment.

Very Pro -- no?

Well done HP!

pekka

[-PSi-]

...or is this something to do with printer steganography / machine identification code technology: if printer is capable of printing colors, it must print the yellow id tag patterns wether we wish it to print pure black or not. Has this been extended from laser color printers to ink jet printers?

[olilynton]

I don't think so because it used to be possible on HP colour inkjet printers. The only conceivable explanation I have found is that this is a way of ensuring future ink sales, offstteing and reducing the original printer price to entice us, the customers. The fact is it is the way the firmware has been designed which does not happen by accident.

[tariina]

This is so frustrating. I just want to print something in black and white and because my yellow ink is out, it refuses to print.

I'm throwing this garbage onto the street and telling all the students and teachers in my school, which is a prominent design school in sydney, not to buy hp. This is bs and unethical. You've lost me and dozens of others as customers that's for sure.

[olilynton]

Why not email your comments direct to an HP CEO - here is the link for the UK one.

https://h41268.www4.hp.com/live/index.aspx?qid=12350

I am really pissed about this as well as I need to occasionally print black & white images. Let's keep the pressure on and have them rewrite the firmware.

[andyca]

Just wanted to add a +1, I’m very disappointed with the response from HP on this issue. How can you possibly think that leaving customers stranded in this way is going to be a good thing for you?

Every other printer in the world allows printing with black when the colours are depleted! 

Can anyone from HP respond in a manner which looks like they have read and understood the issue here?

[xantes]

And +1 from yet another VERY annyoed LONG time IT guy that have always held HP printers in high esteem, until now. I even accepted the fact you didnt make new drivers for many old printers when windows 7 was released. 

Mainly I have aquired the laserjets in the 4xxx range, but also the smallerlaser 1000s all the way to the A0 plotters used when printing cad-sketches. 

I think I have during my 20 year in IT bought over 150 HP-printers in the different product ranges.

But this time its my OWN bloddy home office printer that fails me in my time of need and all because of the greed you at HP shows and the utter disrespect for your customers.

This "wont print anything  if one of your cartridges is empty, not even black and white" problem have just **bleep**ed up my weekend, that´s all I have to tell you about this.... 

**bleep** HP! I just say **bleep**! 

Worthless pieces of filled cartridge spills....

[-PSi-]

I contacted the HP chat support and got this kind of  tail:

"In order to print we need to have all the cartridges in the cartridge Slot. If any cartridge is emptied, then the printer does not print. When, most of the documents are printed in Black, The black cartridge usage will be high and will be emptied soon, hence the other cartridges are of no usage Like [Yellow, Cyan]. If these cartridges are not used in printing then the Ink in the cartridge might become Harder, and there is a chance of malfunction of the cartridge. To overcome, these problems, HP Engineers have developed TIJ[Thermal Ink jet technology], in such a way that while printing in grayscale or Black, there is a mixture of Cyan, Yellow. Yellow is used at Maximum, because this is the very near color to Black. Cyan is used little, to form a Grayscale."

I then asked why it is possible to print black using Cyan, Magenta and Yellow cartridges & empty Black cartridge but not possible to print black using Black cartridge & empty Cyan, Magenta and/or Yellow. At this moment I was told that the chat is for US Canada only and I should contact local representatives by phone ( I had selected Finland when entering to chat!).

What other HP ink jet printers have this feature -- or more simply: which models are not enhanced with this feature?

I do know that a feature is a documented bug.

If this is not a bug, it should be documented and advertised/mentioned as intentionally designed feature in user manuals and product features.

If it is a bug, the it must be fixed!

My printer is still under waranty. Where do I send it for repair?

[olilynton]

The fact of the matter is the HP user manual available at  http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c03026243.pdf on pages 40 and 41 clearly states:

b. To print the photo in black and white, click Grayscale from the Color pop-up menu, and then select one of the following options:

•

High Quality:

Uses all the available colors to print your photo in

grayscale. This creates smooth and natural shades of gray.

•

Black Print Cartridge Only:

Uses black ink to print your photo in

grayscale. The gray shading is created by varying patterns of black

dots, which might result in a grainy image

And This is not true which is effectively mis-selling by HP.

Write to tha HP UK CEO at:

https://h41268.www4.hp.com/live/index.aspx?qid=12350

Tell him what you think.