HP4520ENVY suddenly stopped printing in color when using Excel

[Commish2]

I have tried everything multiple times.  I have removed and reinstalled all things associated with the printer and even M365.  When I select the printer, there is no options to print in color.  My cartridges are full.  What is going on?  Do I need a new printer?  If so not sure I want to invest in another HP printer, I have had nothing but problems trying to print documents from word, pdfs from adobe and spreadsheets in excel in color and all I get is black and white.  This is very frustrating and HP, you are not making it easy to troubleshoot.

[Garp_senchau]

@Commish2, Welcome to HP Support Community,

Thank you for posting your query; I’m here to help by guiding you through steps to resolve this issue

If your HP ENVY 4520 won't print in color and no color option appears in the printer settings despite reinstalling drivers and software, you can follow these steps to resolve the issue:

Check Printer Settings in Windows:

• Go to Printers & Scanners in Windows.
• Click on your HP ENVY 4520 printer.
• Select printing preferences.
• Ensure that Color is selected under the Color mode. If Grayscale or Black and White is selected, change it to Color.

Update or Reinstall Printer Drivers:

• Visit the HP Drivers and Software page and download the latest driver for your HP ENVY 4520.
• Follow the instructions to update or reinstall the driver.

Check Print Settings in the Application:

• When printing from Word, PDFs, or Excel, go to the Print dialog box.
• Ensure the printer is set to print in color in the application print settings.
• Look for Printer Properties or More Settings, and confirm the color option is selected.

HP Smart App Configuration:

• Install the HP Smart App from the Microsoft Store.
• Add your printer to the app.
• Use the app to print documents and verify if the color printing option appears.

Check Printer Firmware: Update the firmware on an HP printer | HP® Support

• Ensure your printer firmware is up to date by checking on the HP Official website or the HP Smart app.

Reset Printer:

• Turn off the printer and unplug it from the power source.
• Wait for a minute before plugging it back in and turning it on.
• Sometimes, a reset can resolve configuration issues.

Check Ink Cartridges:

• Make sure the color ink cartridges are properly installed and have ink.
• Run a printer diagnostic or print quality report from the printer's control panel.

Also refer to these guides:

Can't print in color on select HP DeskJet, ENVY, and OfficeJet printers (Windows) | HP® Support

HP ENVY 4510, 4520 printers - No black ink, wrong colors, other print quality issues | HP® Support

Sources

1. HP ePrint & Share - User's Guide
2. HP ENVY, DeskJet, OfficeJet Pro - HP Universal Print Application (Windows)

I hope this helps.

Please feel free to reply here if you have any questions or if you need further clarification on any of the steps. 

Take care and have a good day. 

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Regards,

[Catgrrl007]

I've done all of the things mentioned to resolve the issue, but my HP4520 printer won't print in color and it won't print two-sided.  This issue just started a few weeks ago. My Windows PC is using Windows 11. Please help.

[Garp_senchau]

@Catgrrl007, Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're stoked to have you on board! 

To help us get started on resolving your issue, could you please share your HP unit's product number with us? 

Need help finding your product number? We've got you covered! Check out this handy guide:  Click here

We're looking forward to helping you get back up and running! 

Regards, 

[Catgrrl007]

My printer is the HP Envy 4520 (HPBC3607), Product number F0V67A, serial number TH5B73G0X90660, firmware version CFP1FN2023BR.   I have uninstalled and re-installed the printer several times.  It is set as the default printer. The printer cartridges are Genuine HP and they are more than1/2 full.  I have checked the firmware and the message says it is up to date. Besides suddenly not printing in colour, it also doesn't print two-sided any longer.   It doesn't print in colour whether I am printing from a website (I've tried three browsers: Chrome, FireFox and Edge) or printing an MS Word, Excel or PowerPoint document.  It doesn't print from any of my PCs (one is an Asus, one is a Lenovo, one is an Acer), all of which are using Windows 11 and are currently up to date with software updates.

I've gone through many posts on this site looking for answers from posts by people with identical issues, and tried all the suggestions; none of them work.  I am extremely frustrated right now.   Is there a fix to this issue?

[Garp_senchau]

Hey @Catgrrl007,

Thank you for your response

I'm really sorry to hear you're experiencing these issues—especially after trying so many troubleshooting steps. I completely understand how frustrating this can be, and I truly appreciate the detailed information you’ve provided. My goal is to help get your HP ENVY 4520 printer back to printing in color and double-sided as it should.

Check Printer Driver Type

On your PC, go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.

Right-click on your HP ENVY 4520 printer.

Select Printer Properties > About tab.

Confirm the driver is HP ENVY 4520 series and not Microsoft IPP Class Driver or HP Smart driver. If it is, you’ll want to reinstall using the full-feature software from the HP site.

HP ENVY 4520 All-in-One Printer series Software and Driver Downloads | HP® Support

Confirm Color Settings in Printing Preferences

Right-click your printer again > Printing Preferences.

Go to the Paper/Quality or Color tab.

Ensure Color is selected (not Black & White or Grayscale).

Apply > OK.

Run Printhead Cleaning

From the printer’s control panel, go to:

Setup > Tools > Clean Printhead

Follow prompts and print a test page.

Try Printing from HP Smart App

Download or open the HP Smart app.

Add your printer if it’s not already added.

Try printing a test photo/document directly from the app.

If it prints in color from here, the issue might be with the print dialog defaults from apps like Word or browsers.

Enable Duplex in Printer Properties

Go back to Devices and Printers.

Right-click your HP ENVY 4520 > Printer Properties.

Go to Device Settings tab.

Make sure Duplex Unit is set to Installed.

Click OK.

Set Duplex as Default in Printing Preferences

Go to Printing Preferences again.

Look for a Finishing or Layout tab.

Check Print on both sides (Manually) or Automatic Duplexing, depending on what's available.

Click Apply > OK.

Reset Printer to Factory Defaults

If none of the above resolves it, a reset might help:

Refer to this guide to factory default the unit: Restore factory defaults on your HP printer | HP® Support

References:

Resolve copy problems with HP printers | HP® Support

HP Printers - Scan Multiple Pages into a Single PDF File | HP® Support

HP printers - Using Shortcuts in the HP Smart app | HP® Support

HP printers - Automatic document feeder does not pick paper or feeds too many sheets | HP® Support

HP ENVY 4510, 4520 printers - No black ink, wrong colors, other print quality issues | HP® Support

Can't print in color on select HP DeskJet, ENVY, and OfficeJet printers (Windows) | HP® Support

Take care and have a good day. 

If my response helped, please mark it as an Accepted Solution! ✅ It helps others and spreads support. 💙 Also, tapping "Yes" on "Was this reply helpful?" makes a big difference! Thanks! 😊

Regards,