HP4650 Is not Printing Colors / Grayscale Check Box

[Pascal1970]

Hello, 

I've uninstalled and reinstalled and uninstalled and reinstalled my HP4650 with HP SMART everything is up to date and it's still not printing colors, although it does when printing a diagnose page.  I see many places that under the Color Management tab, Grayscale check box should be off.  But I do not see or have a grayscale check box.  

Please Help

Thank you

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Pascal1970,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand your HP 4650 printer prints colors during test/diagnostic pages but won’t print in color from your computer, and you can’t find the grayscale option to disable it. Let’s go through some steps to fix this.

    a. Check Printer Preferences (Windows)
        On your computer, go to Control Panel → Devices and Printers.
        Right-click your HP OfficeJet 4650 → Printing Preferences.
        Look under the Paper/Quality or Advanced tab.
        Ensure Color is selected instead of Black & White / Grayscale.

    b. Disable Grayscale in Application Print Settings
        When printing from apps like Word, PDF Reader, or browser, click Print → Printer Properties / Preferences.
        Make sure Print in Grayscale / Black Ink Only is unchecked.
        If you don’t see this option, click Advanced → Printing Defaults.

    c. Check HP Smart App Settings
        Open HP Smart → Printer Settings → Advanced Settings (EWS).
        Go to System → Print Quality Tools and make sure color printing is not disabled.
        Run Align Printhead and Clean Printhead if needed.

    d. Check Ink Levels & Cartridge Vents
        Make sure the color cartridge has sufficient ink and is genuine HP.
        Remove the color cartridge and inspect the vent (small hole on top)—if clogged, gently clean with a pin and soft cloth.

    e. Update Printer Driver (Full Feature Software)
        Uninstall HP Smart and any HP drivers from Control Panel → Programs and Features.
        Download and install the HP Full Feature Driver from the printer support page (not just HP Smart).
        After setup, go to Printing Preferences again and check if Color/Grayscale option appears.

    f. Print a Test from Another Device
        Try printing from a different PC or phone using the HP Smart app to see if colors print correctly.
        If it prints in color from another device, the issue is with the computer's print settings.

    g. Reset Printer Settings
        On the printer display, go to Setup → Printer Maintenance → Restore Factory Defaults.
        Reconnect the printer to Wi-Fi and try printing again.

I hope this helps.

I'm glad I could help! 😊 If this resolved your issue, please mark it as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" Your feedback not only keeps us going but also helps others find the solution faster! 👍✨

Take care and have an amazing day ahead! 🚀

Best regards,

[Pascal1970]

Hello Kuroi_Kenshi, 

Wish you would have read my post carefully and looked at the image I posted.  

The problem is that there is NO I repeat NO place that shows : Ensure Color is selected instead of Black & White / Grayscale.  

I post Image again

I did STEPS : C - D - E Many times, uninstalled printer, reinstalled, with HP Smart and with Full feature, but Still there is no no way to Ensure Color is selected instead of Black & White / Grayscale.  as it is still missing.

If I print from my phone all is fine and it prints in Color.

I also noticed that even after installing HP Smart and Full Feature Driver, my computer says my Driver is out of date and I check and it is dated 2006.

For now I have been able to bypass the problem by installing a genereic driver, but I have lost all the scanning abilities of the all in one.

Thank you

[Garp_senchau]

Hi @Pascal1970,

Thank you for your response

My colleague @Kuroi_Kenshi is currently out, but don't worry – I’ll be taking over and making sure we get this sorted for you.

It sounds like the main issue is the absence of the "Color" option or "Grayscale" option to toggle in the printer settings. Since the printer prints in color from your phone, but not from your computer, it could be related to the outdated driver issue you mentioned.

Here’s what I recommend based on your additional information:

Update Printer Driver Manually

Since the HP Smart software doesn’t update the driver as expected:

Go to the HP Support website: Find the latest driver for your HP OfficeJet 4650 (make sure it’s compatible with your operating system).

Download and Install the Latest Driver: Even though you’ve tried using HP Smart and Full Feature software, this manual installation might provide a more updated driver and unlock missing features like the color selection.

HP OfficeJet 4650 All-in-One Printer series Software and Driver Downloads | HP® Support

Reset Printer Preferences (Advanced Settings)

After installing the latest driver, try again to access Printer Preferences:

Right-click your HP 4650 under Devices and Printers and choose Printing Preferences.

In Advanced, ensure that "Color" is selected. If this still doesn't show, check if there's an option to switch to Color in the Paper/Quality or Color tab.

Remove and Reinstall Printer via HP Smart

After updating the driver manually, uninstall the printer from HP App and reinstall it. This might help HP App recognize the new driver and show the color options.

Recheck in Printer Settings Post-Driver Update

Once the driver is updated, check the Print Preferences again and confirm if the "Color" or "Grayscale" options are visible.

Also, i suggest you refer to this guide for further troubleshooting steps: Can't print in color on select HP DeskJet, ENVY, and OfficeJet printers (Windows) | HP® Support

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

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Regards,