Can't print black when color ink is low but not empty

[Buendia]

I "just" replaced my color cartridges in my HP 8020 printer and hardly ever print color. As I was printing just black ink pages, the printer stopped, as frequently happens, and said that one or more color ink cartridges are low. I looked at my ink levels, and as always, the involved color cartridges show a visual bar of 25 - 33% still filled, but...the printer will not let me print in standard black ink. WHY? And why does it say the ink cartridges are low when the visual colored indicator bar shows 25 - 33% color ink level still in the cartridge? And...why are the color ink cartridges fill with such low volume. I "just" put the cartridges in about two weeks ago, and have not printed hardly any color. 95% of what I print is black only. My computer is an Apple MacPro.

[Sneha_01]

Hi @Buendia,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

It sounds frustrating to deal with ink restrictions when you're primarily printing in black. Here are some reasons why your HP 8020 printer might be preventing you from printing in black, along with some solutions:

Why This Happens

Ink Cartridge Usage: Many HP printers are designed to require a certain level of color ink to print black. Even if the color cartridges are not empty, the printer may not allow printing if they are deemed low.

Ink Level Reporting: The ink level indicators may not always be accurate, especially if the cartridges are new or have not been used much. The visual indicators might not reflect the actual amount of usable ink.

Color Cartridge Dependency: Some printers use a process called "composite black," where the printer uses color ink to produce a richer black. This can happen if the printer is set to "Best" or "Photo" quality settings.

Solutions

Change Print Settings:

• Go to Printer Settings on your Mac.
• Select Print in the dialog box.
• Look for an option that allows you to change the print quality or print in "Black & White" or "Grayscale." This can sometimes allow you to print without using color cartridges.

Use “Print in Grayscale”:

• In the print dialog, check the box for "Print in Grayscale" or "Black Ink Only," which may bypass the need for color cartridges.

Reset the Printer:

• Turn off your printer, unplug it for about a minute, then plug it back in and turn it on. This can sometimes reset error messages or prompts.

Clean the Printheads:

• Sometimes, issues with the printheads can cause printing problems. Use the printer's maintenance tools to clean the printheads.

Reinstall the Cartridges:

• Remove the color cartridges and reinstall them. Sometimes a poor connection can cause the printer to misread the cartridge status.

Check for Firmware Updates:

• Make sure your printer's firmware is up to date. Check the HP website for any available updates that might address this issue.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

Rachel571

HP Support