printer will only print in green though programmed for gray scale

[Chrissy98]

I have a HP  Officjet 5260 all in one which the printer is printing in green even though it is set at gray scale.

email[edited]

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Chrissy98,

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 OfficeJet 5260 is printing in green even though it is set to grayscale. Let’s go through a few steps to check what could be causing this.

Check grayscale print settings
Open the print dialog and confirm Print in Grayscale or Black & White is selected.
If there are options like “High Quality Grayscale” or “Use Color Ink Only,” select Black Ink Only.

Verify printer preferences in Windows
Go to Devices and Printers > HP OfficeJet 5260 > Printing Preferences.
Make sure color printing is disabled and grayscale is enabled at the driver level.

Print a printer diagnostic or quality report
Print a self-test or print quality report directly from the printer control panel.
If green appears on this page, the issue is printer-related rather than software-related.

Check black ink cartridge level and status
Confirm the black cartridge is not empty or reported as faulty.
When black ink is low or blocked, the printer may mix color inks, causing a green tint.

Clean the printhead
Use the printer maintenance or HP Smart option to run a printhead cleaning.
Run up to two cleaning cycles and recheck print quality.

Reseat the ink cartridges
Remove all cartridges and reinstall them firmly until they click into place.
Make sure no protective tape remains on any cartridge.

Disable “composite black” or color mixing
In advanced print settings, turn off options that allow color inks to create black.
This forces the printer to use the black cartridge only.

Power reset the printer
Turn the printer on, unplug the power cord from the rear, and wait 60 seconds.
Plug it back in and try printing again.

I hope this helps.

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Best regards,