color cartridges become empty too soon

[CIJerry]

I print with "black ink only" 99% of the time.  Yet, my color cartridges become depleted rather quickly.  Yesterday, I installed 3 new color cartridges, printed about 15 pages black only.  Today the yellow ink supply is only about 80+%.   Does the HP system leak out ink somehow or is the system dripping a bit of color ink into black printing?  All in all, the cost of printing is too high when using black only.

Anyone else experiencing this issue?

[zoey7886]

@CIJerry, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding HP Ink Usage in Black and White Printing! 

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

When printing with "black ink only," it might seem like your color ink cartridges deplete quickly even though you are primarily using black ink. This behavior can be attributed to several factors related to ink usage in HP printers:

Maintenance and Servicing:

• Ink from color cartridges is used for various maintenance tasks such as cleaning the printheads and servicing the printer to keep the nozzles clear and ensure smooth ink flow. This process uses small amounts of color ink sporadically, even if you are printing only black documents.

Initialization Process:

• During the initialization process, or when setting up the printer for the first time, certain amounts of color ink might be used to calibrate and prepare the printer for optimal performance.

Print Quality Preservation:

• HP printers are designed to intermittently use color inks to maintain print quality and prevent blockages within the printhead that could lead to poor print performance.

Steps to Mitigate Excessive Color Ink Usage:

Software Settings:

• Check your printer software settings and ensure that "black ink only" mode is selected each time you print, as some default settings might override this preference in certain scenarios.

Regular Maintenance:

• Conduct routine maintenance recommended by HP to keep your printer in good working order without excessive use of color inks.

Monitor Ink Levels:

• Regularly monitor and track ink levels to predict when replacements might be necessary, aiming to avoid unexpected depletion.  

Hope this helps! 

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

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