envy 4520 won't print color

[Jerry1815]

The only way to get my envy 4520 to print color is to uninstall it and then reinstall it.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @Jerry1815,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

I'd be happy to help you! 

I understand that you are having issues with the printer printing in color. 

Have you made any changes to your printer software (OS) or hardware?

This could be a compatibility issue with your current OS. 

However, Perform the following tasks in the order given. Use the printer after each task to see if the issue is resolved.

Clean the printhead (HP Smart app)

• Use the HP Smart app to clean the printhead and fix many print quality issues including incorrect colors, streaks, and faded printouts.
• Load plain white paper into the tray.
• Open the HP Smart app, and then click the image of your printer to open the settings and management tools.
• Under Tools, click Print Quality Tools, and then select Clean Printhead or Clean.
• A Cleaning printhead message displays, and a test page prints.

EXAMPLE OF TEST PAGE PRINTOUTS

• Examine the print quality on the test page.
• If the print quality is acceptable, you are done troubleshooting.
• If the print quality is unacceptable, touch Yes in the HP Smart app to perform a second-level and third-level cleaning, which are more thorough and take a few extra minutes to complete.
• NOTE: Printheads that are badly clogged might require another printhead cleaning cycle. Wait at least 30 minutes before cleaning the printhead again.

Click here for the remaining steps. 

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[Jerry1815]

The print quality is not my issue. I can print a Word document that has colored text. My problem is I must unistall the printer then reinstall it to print color. If I don't uninstall and reinstall it will print in black only.

[Nal_NR · Accepted solution]

Hi @Jerry1815,

The issue you're experiencing with your HP ENVY 4520 printer, where it only prints in color after reinstalling the printer, can be frustrating. This issue often relates to the printer's software settings or driver conflicts. Here are some steps to troubleshoot and potentially resolve this issue:

Step 1: Update Printer Drivers

1. Uninstall Old Drivers:
   • Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
   • Right-click on the HP ENVY 4520 and select Remove device.
   • Go to Control Panel > Programs and Features, find any HP printer software, and uninstall it.

1. Download Latest Drivers:
   • Visit the HP Software and Driver Downloads page.
   • Search for your printer model and download the latest drivers and software package.
2. Install New Drivers:
   • Install the downloaded drivers and follow the on-screen instructions to set up the printer again.

Step 2: Check Printer Settings

1. Default Printer:
   • Ensure that your HP ENVY 4520 is set as the default printer. Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers, right-click on the HP ENVY 4520, and select Set as default printer.
2. Printing Preferences:
   • Right-click on the HP ENVY 4520 in Devices and Printers and select Printing Preferences.
   • Go to the Paper/Quality tab and ensure Color is selected instead of Black & White.

Step 3: Reset Print System (Windows)

1. Clear Print Queue:
   • Go to Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services.
   • Find the Print Spooler service, right-click it, and select Stop.
   • Go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS and delete all files in the folder.
   • Go back to Services, right-click on Print Spooler, and select Start.
2. Reinstall Printer:
   • Follow the steps in Step 1 to reinstall the printer drivers.

Kindly check the next set of steps in the next post. 

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[Nal_NR]

Hi @Jerry1815,

Please find the next set of steps below. 

Step 4: Reset Print System (macOS)

1. Open Printers & Scanners:
   • Go to System Preferences > Printers & Scanners.
2. Reset Print System:
   • Right-click (or Control-click) in the list of printers and select Reset printing system.
   • Reinstall your printer using the instructions provided by the HP driver download page.

Step 5: Update Firmware

1. Check for Firmware Updates:
   • Go to the HP Software and Driver Downloads page and check for any firmware updates for your printer model.
2. Install Firmware Updates:
   • Follow the instructions to download and install the firmware update.

Step 6: HP Print and Scan Doctor (Windows)

1. Download Tool: Download the HP Print and Scan Doctor from the HP support website.
2. Run Tool: Open the tool and follow the instructions to diagnose and fix any detected issues with your printer.

Step 7: Advanced Settings

1. Printer Properties:
   • Go to Devices and Printers, right-click on the HP ENVY 4520, and select Printer properties.
   • Go to the Advanced tab and ensure the driver is set correctly. If you see multiple drivers, select the most recent one.
2. Color Management:
   • Go to the Color Management tab, click Color Management…, and ensure the correct color profile is selected for your printer.

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, contact HP phone support for further assistance.

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance

Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.

[Jerry1815]

OK, hopefully I have fixed my own problem. Apparently I have been removing my printer and not actually deleting it.  I went to Control Panel and click on remove programs and uninstalled it there. I then shut everything down. I turned my computer back on and went to print my colored document and it worked! Hopefully, this is the end of it. I will wait another day or 2 before I mark this resolved.

[Jerry1815]

I think I have resolved the problem by basically doing what you have suggested. I will wait a day or 2 before marking your post as accepted resolution. Thanks, Elohi_NR !

[Nal_NR]

Hi @Jerry1815,

That's fantastic! Sure, appreciate it😊

[djrexj]

I own this exact printer, and the same thing is happening to me. I did also delete and reinstall driver, and it did work, but then weeks later, i noticed the same thing was happening that no color was being printed. I know it's the PC because when I print from another device it prints color just fine.  What did you say you removed and re-install to fix it?

[Jerry1815]

All I did was go to Control Panel, Programs, Uninstall a program-then highlighted my printer and clicked on uninstall at the top.

Once printer was uninstalled, I went to settings, Bluetooth & devices, printers and scanners, and added my printer. It fixed my problem-Good luck with yours.