Printer won't print in color

[kerbyrials]

My HP 2800 printer will not print in color. It is a color printer, and I have deleted the old printer file and reinstalled and still it does this. The docs show in color but when I go to print it is only in black and white.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @kerbyrials,

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 2800 printer is not printing in color even though documents show color. Let’s go through steps to fix this.

Check print settings
When printing, open Print Properties or Printer Preferences.
Make sure Color is selected and Black & White / Grayscale is not checked.

Check ink levels
Ensure all color cartridges have sufficient ink.
Replace any empty or low cartridges even if the printer still shows them as partially full.

Run printhead cleaning
From the printer control panel or HP software, run a cleaning cycle.
Clogged printheads can prevent color printing.

Print a test page
Use the printer’s built-in menu to print a color test page.
This helps determine if the issue is hardware or driver/software related.

Update or reinstall drivers
Even if you reinstalled, download the latest full-feature driver from HP’s website.
Avoid using generic Windows drivers, which may default to black-and-white printing.

Check application print settings
Some apps (Word, PDF viewers) have their own print settings.
Ensure the application isn’t overriding the printer settings to black-and-white.

Reset printer to factory defaults
If the above steps fail, perform a factory reset from the printer menu.
Reinstall drivers afterward and try printing in color again.

Check for firmware updates
Some color issues are fixed by printer firmware updates.
Use HP Smart or HP Support Assistant to ensure the printer firmware is current.

I hope this helps.

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Best regards,