HP Deskjet 2542 will not print in color

[panther2]

My HP Deskjet 2542 has a full color ink cartridge, but will not print in color. It prints fine in grayscale. Why won't it print in color?

[Flower_Bud]

Hi @panther2, 

Thank you for posting on HP Forums,

Flower_Bud is at your service.

As I understand, your printer is not printing in color. 

No worries, as I'll be glad to help you, that said, I'll need a few more details to dissect your concern & provide an accurate solution:

When was the last time it was working fine?

Did you replace the ink cartridge?

Were there hardware/software changes made on printer?

Let's try troubleshooting steps to resolve this issue: 

Step 1: Use genuine HP ink cartridges

HP recommends that you use genuine HP ink or toner supplies. HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP or refilled cartridges. If you do not use genuine HP cartridges, the steps in this document might not resolve the issue. To check the authenticity of your cartridges, go to hp.com/go/anticounterfeit.

Visit HP SureSupply to check ink or toner cartridge compatibility or purchase replacement cartridges and other supplies.

1. Go to HP SureSupply.

2. If necessary, select your country/region.

   Figure : Country/region selector

   

3. Follow the on-screen instructions to order new supplies or check cartridge compatibility with your printer.

You can also purchase genuine HP cartridges and supplies from other retailers.

   NOTE:

Rough handling at the store or during installation can cause print quality problems with newly installed ink cartridges. If you see print problems with newly installed ink cartridges, wait for a few hours for the automatic servicing routine to complete, and then try to print again.

If genuine HP ink cartridges are installed in the printer and the print quality is unacceptable, continue to the next step.

Step 2: Allow the printer to rest

Sometimes, print quality issues can be resolved during a period of inactivity. Consider waiting for about 30 minutes, and then try the print job again.

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.

• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

Step 3: Check the paper

Follow these guidelines to make sure that the paper is appropriate for the print job. If it is not, reload the printer with an appropriate paper type.

Click here to continue troubleshooting.

Keep me posted how this goes!

Have a great day 🙂