I cannot print in black

[Lessan]

I am trying the unselect the in the color management -preserve black and - treat grays as k-only grays. There's no way for me to just unselect through the advance setting menu and I need help figuring this out because my labels aren't printing as dark as it should. I also trying to print this on my iMac, it's software is up to date!

[zoey7886]

@Lessan, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding your ! 

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

From the screenshot you’ve shared, it looks like you're using an HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M283fdw and printing from a Mac that's up to date (possibly running macOS Sonoma or later). The Advanced Print Setup window you’re looking at shows that the Color Management options like “Preserve Black” and “Treat grays as K-only grays” are currently grayed out — and yep, you're right, they can't be manually unchecked from there.

Here’s why this might be happening:

On macOS versions 14 (Sonoma) and onwards, Adobe Acrobat and the Mac print architecture have moved to a simplified color handling system — this limits advanced color management options like those you're trying to change. Basically, Apple is handling color management behind the scenes now, and certain PostScript options are locked out unless very specific conditions are met (like specific driver types or software).

A few things you can try to fix the dull/washed-out printing issue:

Print using HP’s PCL or PostScript driver directly:

Make sure you're using the HP printer driver and not Apple's AirPrint. You can check this by going to System Settings > Printers & Scanners, selecting your printer, and checking if it says AirPrint under “Kind.” If it does, remove the printer and re-add it using the driver from HP’s official site.

Sometimes, using the PostScript driver gives more flexibility with grayscale and black handling.

Print as Image (like you already have selected):

You’ve already checked Print As Image (300 dpi) — good move! Try increasing the DPI to 600 (if your printer supports it). This can enhance sharpness and density, especially for label graphics or darker text.

Use HP Smart

HP Smart app to see if the output improves — it uses different rendering paths and might give darker results.

Label Paper Settings:

Make sure the media type selected is correct (e.g., Labels or Thick Paper) — wrong settings can cause the printer to apply less toner or use a different fuser temperature.  

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

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Regards,