HP OfficeJet 6500 will not print using black cartridge only

[mcprevatte]

I used to be able to print fine but recently, as of the last few days my print has started to fade, now it is so light it looks like I don't have any ink ... I purchased new cartridges a month or so ago and my system says I have plenty of ink. 

Considering I haven't printed more then 20 pages since I got the ink cartridges I know there is an issue but reviewing everyone's comments, I can't make my printer print anything except by very light (unreadable) pages, and the test pages.  Now what.?  Does anyone have a solution?  I've tried everyone's tips and tricks on this thread. 

FYI - I have a Dell, running Windows 7, and Office 2010.... and could print up to a week ago. 

Anybody??  Thanks in advance too!!

[umeshpawar]

I am also having same issue. For last few days/months my print has also started to fade,   and same thing I can't make my printer print anything except by very light.

I am using this printer for almost year. Naver had this issue. It's just few months back. I think it's software issue. I called HP tech support they told me replace your printhead. and since printer is not in warrenty it will cost me approx $54. I am not sure it's worth or not. I have already spend about $60 on ink.

[razenby]

I have had this printer since  October 2009.  It was an ex-diaplay model so I think that mine was an early build. I do a lot of printing of invoices in black only and had no problem until about June when the update service updated the drivers and I think the printer firmware too.  Then this ridiculous inability to print usingthe black cratridge only appeared. I know that it used to be OK beacuse we print a lot of invoisces from a web based invoice printer with colour on the pages. I have searched but could not find the old drivers or firmware.  My idea t fix the problem was to roll back the drivers. The other problem now is that the printer settings sponanesusly revert to letter size and singel sided printing usually after shut down so after an ivoice run you find that twice as much paper is used. AND teh dialog dox takes about 15 seconds to appear. Unless I find the old drivers this printer is going to the dump and I will never by HP products ever again and will counsel my customers against it.  I conclude that HP has lost it's way - it is certainly losing it's repuatation. Someone within HP needs to restate and enforce the principles to the deveopers and product managers. Bang the table and getthe developers in line.

[gramer1]

Thank you for describing the black only cartridge issue.  I started a conversation two days ago on the message board about the same problem with my 6500  (see "printer will not print in black only").  It now appears the printer is defective, and I will try to return it.

graham

[titus]

HP...I hope you are listening. I went out this week and purchased a Brother Laser printer for less than the cost of one month's supply of ink for my 6500. You loose. Sorry to say, but I'm using the Brother, and the consumables MORE than I am the 6500. It does scan and make quick copies however. 

[Indigo56524]

My 6500 suddenly quit printing with black ink. It also suddenly told me all of my color cartridges were low and after replacing all color cartridges, was still being told the magenta was low. After hours of searching the web I found a solution for my problem which I hope can help others.

Reset your printer using instructions on this page:

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01302031

Here is the text in case that page does not load for you:

Introduction

This document provides basic instructions for performing a partial reset. A partial reset resets the following settings:

All user menu settings are reset to the default values.

All telephony parameter values are reset to the default values.

Country and language user interface is reset to the default values.

Fax memory is cleared.

Performing a partial reset of the All-in-One

Follow these steps to perform a partial reset of your product.

Unplug the power cord from the product, and wait 20 seconds.

Press and hold # and 3 while plugging in the power cord to the product.

Release the buttons after the product starts up. The product will now be reset to factory defaults.

[mttaggart]

My wife and I have been wrestling with the same exact issue with our OfficeJet 6000 wireless for months. We've spent HUNDREDS of dollars on color cartridges because the printer would not let her Mac (OSX 10.5.8) print using the black cartridge only.  We uninstalled the driver, repaired the permissions, reinstalled the driver with the latest version from the HP site-- TWICE (once under the live direction of an HP support staff member).  Still no luck.

Finally, after spending hours on the phone during multiple calls to HP, today one of their support staff informed my wife that she could not print black-only grayscale because Adobe and Microsoft had yet to catch up with the awesomeness of HP's print drivers.  That's right-- according to HP, evidently ADOBE AND MICROSOFT ARE AT FAULT, and need to rewrite the code for their industry-standard office and graphic arts applications in order for the OfficeJet 6000 to print from their programs in black-only grayscale.  

Having exhausted HP's support options, I then tried the following fix:  in the Mac System Preferences, I selected a new driver for the printer, using the Mac-preloaded Gutenprint driver for the HP OfficeJet 6110.  I then opened a full color photo, opened the print dialog, and changed "RGB" to "Grayscale" in the printer options menu.  It printed in black-only grayscale (I'm certain this is the case because our 6000's magenta and yellow cartridges are empty, so previous grayscale attempts had printed in all-cyan).  So for an inelegant but effective fix, Mac users may try switching to a Gutenprint driver.  

If HP's "Total Care" extends to these forums, I'd like them to know that our experience with the OfficeJet 6000 has led me to these conclusions:

(1) Judging from previous posts in this thread, this problem has clearly existed for quite some time.  HP's unwillingness to fix it makes it appear that they are primarily interested in selling more ink cartridges, and not in meeting their customers' basic printing requirements.  

(2) Instead of delivering a solution to this problem, the HP support staff offers customers technically questionable excuses for this printer's obvious driver design flaw.  The OfficeJet 6000 packaging sports a Mac OS logo and claims the printer is compatible with Mac OSX computers; black-only printing is a basic inkjet printer function, and since the OfficeJet 6000's driver cannot deliver it, it is NOT Mac compatible. 

(3) Due to the poor quality of this product and the ineffective customer support for it, my wife and I will certainly not buy any more HP products.  We will also discourage our friends and professional colleagues in the visual arts/design industry from buying HP printers.     

(4) I will share this flaw in the OfficeJet 6000 with other potential customers via the product listing comments at other online vendors, so that other Mac users do not lose as much time and money as we did struggling with this printer.

[tokabison]

Re: indigo56524's solution after experiencing the sudden loss of the printer's ability to print in black ink...

i tried the reset option of unplugging for 20 sec's and then holding the '#' and '3' down as i plug it in again.  it worked.

please try this as a possible cheap solution.

thanks

B

[bnjkim]

Having same/similar problem printing fast black draft from macbook air to 6500.  my color cartridges are low or depleted but have a new bulky 920 black cartridge that prints in black on scan but not from computer.  Any sugestions?