What if my printer will not print color

[Chas133]

Go smart 454

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @Chas133 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

Got it 👍 — If your HP Smart Tank 454 is not printing color (only black/white or faded output), here are the steps you can take to fix it:

Step-by-Step Fix

1. Check Ink Levels

Look at the ink tanks — make sure the color inks (cyan, magenta, yellow) are filled above the minimum line.

If any are low, refill with the correct HP ink bottles.

2. Run a Nozzle Check / Print Quality Report

On the printer control panel, press and hold the Cancel button + Color Copy button for 3 seconds.

This will print a diagnostic page.

Look at the color blocks — if colors are missing, the nozzles may be clogged.

3. Clean Printhead

In HP Smart app (Windows/Mac/phone):

Go to Printer Settings > Print Quality Tools > Clean Printhead.

You may need to run the cleaning cycle 2–3 times.

After cleaning, print a test page again.

4. Check Printer Settings

When printing, make sure you are not set to Grayscale or Black Ink Only.

In Windows:

Go to Printer Properties > Preferences → Make sure "Print in grayscale" is unchecked.

In HP Smart App → choose Color before printing.

5. Check for Clogs or Air Bubbles

If color is still not printing:

Remove the cartridges and check for clogged nozzles.

Gently wipe the printhead area with a lint-free cloth and distilled water (don’t use tap water).

Make sure there are no air bubbles in the ink supply line (you might see gaps in the tubes). If so, run a cleaning cycle.

6. Update Firmware

In the HP Smart app, check if a firmware update is available. Sometimes printhead recognition improves after an update.

7. If Still Not Printing Color

The printhead may be faulty (quite common with Smart Tank series if left unused for weeks).

HP Smart Tank 454 has a replaceable printhead (Black and Tri-color printheads sold separately).

Part numbers:

Black printhead → HP 3YP61AA

Tri-color printhead → HP 3YP62AA

Most of the time, running printhead cleaning 2–3 times + checking color settings fixes the problem.
If cleaning doesn’t help → you likely need to replace the tri-color printhead.

Would you like me to walk you through how to manually clean the printhead (with a damp cloth and distilled water) before you decide on replacing it?

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye