Printer No Longer Has Option to Print in Color

[ciroiugap]

I have viewed a number of videos on YouTube regarding HP printers not printing in color after Windows update and they seem to provide viable solutions. They don't solve my issue, however, as I don't even seem to have the option to print in color anymore, no matter what printer settings screen I go to. My options are grayscale and black ink only.

[Gaya1239 · Accepted solution]

Hi @ciroiugap ,

Welcome to The HP Support Community.  

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I understand your printer settings might have been inadvertently changed or there could be an issue with the printer itself. 

Here are a few steps you can try to troubleshoot the problem:

Check Printer Settings:

• Open the Control Panel on your computer.
• Go to Devices and Printers.
• Right-click on your HP Officejet Pro 8600 printer and select Printing Preferences.
• Look for an option related to color settings or quality settings. Ensure that color printing is enabled.

Driver Update:

• Make sure you have the latest driver installed for your HP Officejet Pro 8600 printer. You can download and install the latest driver from the HP website. Software and Drivers for HP Officejet Pro 8600 Premium e-All-in-One - N911n
• Sometimes, Windows updates can interfere with printer drivers. Updating the driver can often resolve such issues.  

Printer Reset:

• Turn off your printer and unplug it from the power source.
• Wait for a few minutes, then plug it back in and turn it on.
• This can sometimes reset the printer settings and resolve any minor issues.

Check Ink Levels:

• Make sure that your color ink cartridges are not empty. Even if you have a partially depleted color cartridge, it may prevent the printer from printing in color.

Printer Settings on the Printer Itself:

• Some printers have a control panel where you can directly access settings. Check if there's an option to switch between color and black and white printing on the printer itself.

Reinstall Printer:

• As a last resort, you can try removing the printer from your computer and then reinstalling it. Sometimes, this can resolve any software-related issues.

Refer to this document: HP Officejet Pro 8600 Premium e-All-in-One - N911n user manual

I hope this helps. 

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

[ciroiugap]

Hello! Apologize for the late post but I had to put the printer on the back burner for awhile to take care of more important issues, primarily my health. Anyway, I ran through all the troubleshooting procedures provided by Gaya1239 and when I got to "Check Ink Levels", I realized that I had initially only depended upon what my printer menu screen was telling me regarding the ink levels. So, when I actually physically removed the cartridges, I discovered my 950XL cartridge was fully depleted. Mind you now the menu screen said it was still 1/3 full. After I installed a new cartridge, I started having printhead issues, so after comparing the costs for a new printhead and the fact that I have had this printer for 11 years now, I decided to get away completely from the cartridges and purchased an HP Smart - Tank 7301. On that note, my PC is an HP Pavilion P7-1451 and I've had that as long as I have had the printer. It's not upgradable to Windows 11, so I think I'm going to be looking for a new PC as well. Right now, I'm just kind of going back and forth on the SSD vs. HDD issue. Anyway, I appreciate all the tremendous help so far and I'm sure I'll be posting again in the future.

[Alden4]

Hi @ciroiugap,

Thank you for your response, 

Is there anything else that I can help you with today?
 

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support