5101 printer

[Skier21]

We just installed a 5101 and it didn’t print color

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @Skier21 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

I understand how disappointing it must feel to set up your new printer and then find that color isn’t coming through. Thank you for sharing the details so far—it helps us narrow down the cause more quickly. 

Let’s go step by step to get the Smart Tank 5101 printing in color:

1. Check ink levels and placement

• Open the ink tank covers and confirm that all color inks (cyan, magenta, yellow) are filled to a sufficient level.
• Make sure the tank caps are properly closed and there are no leaks or air bubbles in the tubes.

2. Run a print quality diagnostic

• On the printer’s control panel, go to Setup → Tools → Print Quality Report.
• This will print a test page showing if the colors are being delivered correctly. If any color is missing, it points to a supply or flow issue.

3. Clean the printhead

• From the control panel, navigate to Setup → Tools → Clean Printhead.
• Run the cleaning cycle. If color is still faint or missing, repeat the cleaning up to two more times, allowing a short pause between cycles.

4. Check driver and app settings

• On your Windows computer, open the HP App.
• When printing, ensure the print settings are not set to “Black & White” or “Grayscale.”
• Select “Color” under print preferences before sending the job.

5. Align the printhead

• On the printer, go to Setup → Tools → Align Printhead.
• This ensures the nozzles are calibrated for accurate color output.

6. Try a different document

• Sometimes the file itself may be in grayscale. Test with a known color-rich document or image to confirm.

If after these steps the printer still doesn’t produce color, it usually indicates either blocked nozzles or an issue with ink flow that requires deeper servicing. For now, these steps should cover the most common causes and often resolve the issue.

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye