printing in B&W only

[mossy3903]

can someone please help me, just purchased the 9720e and when ever i try to print colour documents out from my computer they only print in black and white, ive tried everything, i cant find the colour choice in the printer options, where am i going wrong?  please

[NonSequitur777]

@mossy3903,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

When an HP printer like your HP OfficeJet Pro 9720e hides the color option and only prints in black and white, it is almost always caused by Windows installing a generic or basic class driver during the initial setup.

Because your computer sees the printer as a generic monochrome device, the color setting disappears entirely from your menus. You can fix this by changing the device settings or forcing Windows to use the correct driver using the steps below.

Step 1: Turn on Color Mode in Device Settings:

Sometimes the driver has the capability turned off by default.

1. Press the Windows Key + R on your keyboard to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type: control printers and press Enter to open the classic Devices and Printers menu.
3. Right-click your HP OfficeJet Pro 9720e and select Printer Properties (not Printing Preferences).
4. Click on the Device Settings tab at the top.
5. Scroll down to find Device Type or Color Selection.
6. Change it from Monochrome (or Auto-detect) to Color.
7. Click Apply, then OK, and check if your color options have returned.

Step 2: Switch to the Microsoft IPP Driver (Quick Windows Fix):

If Step 1 doesn't work, switching to the native universal IPP driver usually forces the color capabilities to reappear instantly.

1. Go back to the Printer Properties window for your printer (via control printers).
2. Click on the Advanced tab.
3. Look for the Driver drop-down menu.
4. Select Microsoft IPP Class Driver from the list instead of the HP driver.
5. Click Apply and then OK. Test printing a color document. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Step 3: Clean Reinstall using the HP App or Web Setup:

If the system settings still refuse to cooperate, the basic driver must be scrubbed so the full-featured package can take over.

1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners on your PC.
2. Click on your HP 9720e and click Remove.
3. Disconnect your printer's USB cable if it is plugged into the computer.
4. Open a web browser, go to 123.hp.com, and enter your 9720e model to download the official HP setup software.
5. Run the installer to rediscover your printer over Wi-Fi or USB. This automatically pushes down the correct color profiles.

Please let me know which version of Windows you are running or if you are using a Mac instead. If you continue to see errors, sharing whether you connect via Wi-Fi or a USB cable will help narrow this down further.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777