In Feb./26 my HP OfficeJet 4650 stopped printing docs with color text. Help!

[bolgatanga]

In late Feb./26 my HP OfficeJet 4650 suddenly stopped printing documents with color - now only black ink prints.  My 4650 will COPY a color doc, but it will not PRINT a color doc. Geek Squad reps say "buy a new printer".  They also tell me that Microsoft updates for Windows 11 have not included a driver update for color printing and they probably will not fix this in the future.  Does this mean I need to buy a new printer even though my 4650 is working very well, otherwise???  And, if that is the case, how would I know that any new printer I buy would not fail for the same reason???

[Pallipurath]

Hi @ bolgatanga,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query.

I understand you're experiencing an issue where your HP OfficeJet 4650 is unable to print documents in color, although it can copy them successfully. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot this issue.

Check Printer Settings

• Open the document you want to print.

• Press Ctrl + P (or go to File → Print).

• In the Print dialog, select your HP OfficeJet 4650.

• Click Printer Properties or Preferences.

• Look for a Color or Print in Grayscale option.

  • Make sure Color is selected.

  • If “Print in grayscale” is checked, uncheck it.

 Update Printer Drivers

• Go to the HP Support website.

• Enter OfficeJet 4650 in the search bar.

• Select your operating system (Windows 11).

• Download the latest Full Feature Software and Drivers package.

• Install it, following the on-screen instructions.

• Restart your computer after installation.

Check Printer Preferences

• Press Windows Key + R, type control printers, and press Enter.
• Right-click your HP OfficeJet 4650 → Printing Preferences.
• Under the Paper/Quality tab:
• Ensure Color is selected.
• Under the Advanced tab:
• Check if there’s a “Print in grayscale” option—disable it.

Test with Another Document or Application

• Try printing a color PDF from Adobe Acrobat Reader.

• Try printing a color image from Photos.

• If one app prints in color but another doesn’t, the issue may be application-specific.

Firmware Update

• On the HP Support page for OfficeJet 4650, check for Firmware Updates.

• Download and install if available.

• Firmware updates are applied directly to the printer (via USB or Wi-Fi).

• Restart the printer after updating.

Take care and have an amazing day!

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Regards

Pallipurath.