CP1518NI only prints color when first powered on

[RevancheRM]

I bought a used CP1518NI three days ago. It appears to be in great physical condition and came with two unopened cartridges (yay!). Installation was not an issue: drivers and firmware downloaded and installed without a hitch.

However, when I go to print, I see NO options to choose color or b/w, and all directed printings (ex: browser, Word, saved images) come out only in b/w. When I've done Supply Status Page reports or the Windows Printer Test Page, they come out in color, but those come directly from the printer, not the PC.

Cartridges are all nearly fully loaded (exception: black reports only about 40 pages left), and now I've discovered that if I power off the printer, the first print job WILL be in color, but everything after will not. For example:

- Power on

- Print Job 1: color

- Print Job 2 (same image, no settings changes, straight to print request): b/w

I followed this post's (https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/LaserJet-Printing/CP1518-suddenly-won-t-print-in-color/td-p/6268496) solution very closely, though I had to find some options that differed since my OS is Win10. Also, no regedits were necessary, when directed to do so, as the HP printer was not/no longer evident.

I have really wanted a laserjet for well over 10+ years, and want to believe this can be resolved. I feel like it has to be a software issue, rather than a hardware one, since it is perfectly capable of printinf beautiful color images. (I also suspect that the older couple that sold it may have gotten rid of it, because of this issue.)

Any help will be much appreciated.

[Kumar0307 · Accepted solution]

@RevancheRM

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

This seems to be an issue with the drivers and not the printer Hardware. Let us try these steps: 

Step 1: Update the printer firmware

Click here to download and install the latest firmware from your computer.

Click here to know different methods of updating printer firmware.

Step 2: Update Windows

Select the Start button, and then go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update, and select Check for updates.

Step 3: Clean uninstallation of Pre-installed HP drivers

1.  In Windows, search for and open Programs and features 
2.  Select your HP Printer 
3.  Select Uninstall 
4.  In Windows, search for and open Devices and printers 
5.  In the Devices and Printers windows look for your HP printer. If you see it listed right-click on it and choose ‘Delete’ or ‘Remove Device’ 
6.  Open up the run command with the “Windows key + R” key combo. 
7.  Type printui.exe /s and click Ok. (Note: there is a space in between “printui.exe” and “/s”) 
8.  Click on the “Drivers” tab 
9.  Look for HP Printer driver. If you see it Click on it and click Remove at the bottom 
10.  Select Ok 
11.  Select Apply and Ok on the Print Server Properties windows 
12.  Close Devices and Printers, restart the computer.

Step 4: Click here to download the HP Full-featured driver.

Once downloaded, make sure to run the file to start the installation and follow the on-screen instructions.

Let me know how this goes.

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" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[RevancheRM]

That was it.

Thank you /so/ very much. I've printed the same web image twice in a row, with the same result. I changed profiles and printed a saved image with color. I am very pleased.

Much of your directions were familiar to me, from the previous thread. However, what definitely different was the firmware: before I updated it, I checked my previously printed Self Test/ Configuration page and it had a different Firmware datecode than the one you directed me to install. I thought that was odd, because I had found the first firmware installation thru the site's own search wizard, but yours was clearly newer (and correct).

Again, thank you.