Printing in B&W comes out YELLOW ??

[Theoldwizard1]

Printing out tax forms (Turbo Tax, saved as PDF), so I have completed over a dozen pages when I got a low black ink warning.  I installed a brand new, genuine HP 64 XL Black cartridge (expiration Mar 2026) in my ENVY Photo 7855 (which it recognized) and ran the alignment procedure (came out perfect).

Continuing with printing my forms (from Adobe Reader) and now, boxes that are supposed to be gray are YELLOW !

Checking the "Print in Grayscale (black and white) makes no difference.

Screen shot

Scan of printed page

Multiple cleaning cycles (level 1, 2 and 3) make no difference !

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Theoldwizard1,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding your printer!

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

If your HP ENVY Photo 7855 is printing gray or black as yellow, despite selecting Grayscale (Black & White), here are some possible causes and solutions:

Check if black ink is actually printing.

Your printer might not be using the black ink cartridge and could be trying to simulate black using color cartridges (which would explain the yellow tint).

• Print a test page:
  1. Go to Printer Settings → Tools → Print Quality Report
  2. Look for a solid black square—if it’s missing or faded, your printer is not using the black ink properly.
• If black doesn't appear, your printer is likely printing black by mixing color inks (Cyan + Magenta + Yellow = dark brownish/yellowish tint).

Force Printer to Use Only Black Ink

Even if you select Grayscale, some HP printers still use color. Try forcing it to use only the black ink cartridge:

On Windows:

1. Open Devices and Printers → Right-click your printer → Printing Preferences
2. Find Advanced Options or Print in Grayscale
3. Select Black Ink Only (not just Grayscale)
4. Apply and try printing again.

On Mac:

1. Go to System Preferences → Printers & Scanners
2. Select your HP printer and click Options & Supplies.
3. Under Settings, look for a "Black Ink Only" option.

Reseat the ink cartridge & clean contacts

The printer may not be recognizing the new Black XL 64 cartridge properly.

1. Turn off the printer and unplug it.
2. Remove the black cartridge and inspect for dried ink on the copper contacts.
3. Wipe it gently with a lint-free cloth and reinsert it.
4. Plug the printer back in and restart.
5. Run a test print to see if black ink appears.

Manually clean the printhead

If cleaning cycles didn’t work, manually clean the printhead:

1. Turn off the printer and remove the cartridges.
2. Dampen a lint-free cloth or coffee filter with warm water.
3. Gently wipe the printhead nozzles (the area that contacts the ink cartridges).
4. Let it dry for 5-10 minutes and reinstall the cartridges.
5. Try printing again.

Update Printer-Firmware

Kindly refer to the steps on this link to update the printer firmware

Try a different PDF viewer.

If the issue is specific to TurboTax PDF files, try printing from a different program:

• Open the PDF in Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge instead of Adobe Reader.
• Print a test page and see if the color changes.

Let me know if any of these fixes for you! 😊

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,