5540 doesn't print documents sent from MS Surface in color

[jzvanut77]

Here's what I'm experiencing:

I have a 5540 and it's attached to my home Wi-fi. It's been working fine for years. I have a Surface laptop and other wireless devices on the network (laptops, Android tablets and phones, TV's). I've been able to send print jobs to the printer from any one of them over Wi-fi with no problem.

Until lately when the printer stopped printing in color. Here's what happens

I send a document (Word, Excel, Outlook) from my Surface laptop to the printer. 

It prints but not print in color, just B/W and shades of grey, even though the settings for printing in the PC app and the Surface are set for color. 

Test prints from the HP app print in (you guessed it) full color. 

When I tried to direct print from the Surface using the HP App, the app only shows PDF files in the File Explorer. 

Anybody got a suggestion on how to fix these problems? 

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @jzvanut77,

Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding your HP ENVY 5540 printer not printing in color!

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

Try these steps:

Check Printer Settings:
Ensure that your printer settings are configured to print in color. You can check this in the "Print" dialog box in Word or Excel. Look for an option that might say "Black & White" or "Grayscale" and switch it to "Color".

Update Printer Drivers:
It's possible that the printer drivers on your Surface laptop are outdated or corrupted. Visit the HP website to download and install the latest drivers for your HP ENVY 5540 printer.

Print a Diagnostic Page:
Use the printer's control panel to print a diagnostic page. This can help determine whether the printer itself is capable of printing in color, ensuring the problem is not with the printer hardware.

Check for Software Updates:
Make sure your Surface laptop, particularly Microsoft Office applications, are updated to the latest version. Software updates can sometimes resolve compatibility issues.

Test with Another Device:
Try sending a color print job from another device, like your phone or another laptop, to determine whether the issue is specific to the Surface laptop.

Restart Devices:
Restart both your Surface laptop and the printer. Sometimes a simple restart can resolve connectivity or software issues.

Check for Color Ink:
Ensure that your printer has enough color ink. Sometimes, printers automatically switch to grayscale if the color ink cartridges are empty.

I hope this helps.

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