Print black only with empty color cartridge

[J369]

Magenta cartridges keep running empty and shutting down printer when only printing black. How do I print with my new black cartridge with the magenta cartridge empty?

[A_Gayathri]

Hi @J369,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

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

I understand you are facing an issue with the HP Officejet Pro 8100 ePrinter typically requires all ink cartridges to have sufficient ink for the printer to operate, even when printing in black only. This is due to the printer's design to protect the printhead and ensure proper operation.

However, you can try the following steps to see if you can work around this issue:

1. Enable Black Ink Only Printing

• Open the Printer Properties or Printing Preferences on your computer:
  1. Go to the Control Panel or Settings, then Devices, and select Printers & Scanners.
  2. Locate the HP Officejet Pro 8100, click Manage, then Printing Preferences.
• In the preferences window:
  • Look for the Print in Grayscale or Black Ink Only option under the Paper/Quality tab.
  • Select it and click OK or Apply.

2. Check Ink Cartridge Override

• Some HP printers allow you to override the "empty cartridge" message:
  1. Press OK or Continue on the printer's control panel when prompted about an empty cartridge.
  2. Try printing again.
• If this option isn’t available, proceed to the next steps.

3. Use HP's Support Tools

• Update your printer's firmware to the latest version, as newer firmware might adjust the cartridge requirements:
  • Visit the HP Customer Support - Software and Driver Downloads page.
  • Download and install the latest firmware for your printer model.

4. Consider Printer Settings in HP Smart App

• If you use the HP Smart app:
  • Open the app and select your printer.
  • Go to the Advanced Settings or Printer Maintenance.
  • Look for options related to ink settings or disable color printing entirely.

5. Potential Workaround: Reset Printer

• Perform a hard reset on the printer:
  • With the printer powered on, unplug it from the power source.
  • Wait 60 seconds and plug it back in.
  • Turn it back on and try printing in black again.

Let me know if any of these steps help!

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

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