Black prints red

[DudeWheresMyPar]

New cartridges, clean printheads, printer maintenance done, documents print fine with it's just black and white, but any photo or something that uses color, the black comes out red, and there's other missing colors.

[Raj2111]

Hi @DudeWheresMyPar 

Welcome to the HP support community.
 

I understand you're experiencing an issue with your HP device, and I apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. I'm here to help you today.
 

It sounds like you're having a persistent color printing issue with your HP OfficeJet Pro 6978. Here’s a focused approach to troubleshoot why the black ink is appearing red and colors are missing:

1. Print Quality Diagnostic

• Print a Test Page: Use the printer’s control panel to print a quality diagnostic page. This will help you assess how colors are printing.

2. Check Ink Levels

• Verify Cartridges: Ensure all color cartridges (cyan, magenta, yellow) are not only installed but also have sufficient ink. Even new cartridges can sometimes be defective.

3. Run Printhead Cleaning Again

• Repeat Cleaning: On the control panel, go to Setup > Printer Maintenance > Clean Printhead. This may help if there are any clogs affecting the colors.

4. Align Printheads

• Alignment: In the printer settings, navigate to Setup > Printer Maintenance > Align Printheads. This can fix misalignment issues that affect color output.

5. Check Printer Settings

• Print Settings: When printing photos, make sure the settings are configured to print in color and not grayscale. Look for color options in the print dialog.

6. Update Drivers and Firmware

• Check for Updates: Ensure that your printer drivers and firmware are up to date by visiting the HP Support website. Sometimes, updates can fix bugs related to color printing.
• cilck here

7. Test Different Software

• Use Various Applications: Try printing from different programs (like Microsoft Paint or Adobe Reader) to see if the issue is consistent across applications.

8. Reset Printer to Factory Defaults

• Factory Reset: If the issue persists, consider restoring the printer to factory settings:
  • Go to Setup > Printer Maintenance > Restore Factory Defaults. Be mindful that this will reset all your custom settings.

I hope this helps! Keep me posted.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.
 

-Regards
Raj-HP Support