HP Smart Tank not Printing Color

[Heckler51]

I have a HP Smart Tank 7300 that will not print in color from my wife's Surface Laptop running Windows 11. It will print color from my Dell work laptop running Windows 10. All the settings are set to color printing on the Surface but there is no color printing.

Is this a Windows 11 thing or am I missing something here?

[Nal_NR]

Hi @Heckler51,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be glad to help you! 

I understand that you are facing issues with printing in color. 

Before concluding that, windows 11 is causing the issue, let's try a few steps. 

Perform the following tasks in the order given. Use the printer after each task to see if the issue is resolved.

Check ink levels and fill ink tanks

Low ink levels can impact print quality. Refill any tanks that are low on ink.

HP recommends that you use genuine HP ink. HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP ink. If you do not use genuine HP ink and HP printheads, the steps in this document might not resolve print quality issues.

Note: Purchase replacement cartridges and other supplies from the HP Store or local retailers.

On the control panel, look for KYMC and the blinking Ink icons . The Printhead icons might also blink.

Fill any tanks that are low on ink.

Click here for the remaining steps. 

Update the firmware. Click here

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

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

[Heckler51]

The ink levels are all fine. I can print color docs from my Windows 10 Dell laptop but my wife cannot print color docs(PDF, Word, etc.) from her Surface running Windows 11 even though all print settings state to print in color. Still confused.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @Heckler51 ,

If the HP Smart Tank prints color documents from your Dell laptop but not from your wife's Surface, the issue is likely specific to the Surface's software or driver settings. Here are some steps to troubleshoot and resolve this:

Check Printer Driver:

• On the Surface, open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, select your printer, and choose Manage > Printer properties.
• Go to the Advanced tab and make sure the correct, updated driver is installed. If it isn't, download and install the latest driver for Windows 11 from the HP support site.

Verify Print Preferences:

• Open a document on the Surface and select Print.
• In the Print dialog box, click Printer Properties (or Preferences) next to your printer’s name.
• Ensure that Color is selected under Color Options. Also, make sure that no grayscale or black-and-white setting is enabled.

Run the HP Print and Scan Doctor:

• Download and run the HP Print and Scan Doctor on the Surface. This tool can automatically detect and fix common printing issues.

Check for Windows 11 Updates:

• Ensure that the Surface has the latest Windows 11 updates. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and install any pending updates. Windows updates sometimes resolve driver compatibility issues.

Remove and Reinstall the Printer:

• On the Surface, go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners and select your printer. Choose Remove device.
• Restart the Surface and reinstall the printer using Add a printer or scanner.

PDF/Word-Specific Settings:

• When printing from specific applications like Adobe Reader or Microsoft Word, go to Print Settings in each application and verify that Color is selected under printer settings.

Let me know if these steps help, or if the problem persists.

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