How to Use Less Ink - B&W or Grayscale?

[DrOot]

Hi - Trying to find out if it uses less ink to print in black and white or grayscale.

I know it uses less ink to do grayscale vs. color, but if my document is all in black, am I better off to use B&W or grayscale to save ink?

Searched the internet and couldn't find a clear answer to this question.

Thanks!

[Jay_G24]

Hi @DrOot,

Welcome to the HP Support Community. I'd be happy to assist you with the "How to Use Less Ink" issue. 

If you want to minimize the use of color ink, you can change the settings in the HP software to print with black ink only or grayscale.

• Black & White or Black Ink Only: The printer uses only the black ink cartridge to produce a black & white print out. Any colors present in an original document or photo are converted to black. Select this setting when you want to print only with the black ink cartridge.

• Grayscale: The printer uses a mix of color inks to produce a high-quality black printout. Select this setting when you want high quality black & white documents or photos.

NOTE: 

Some HP printers must have some ink of each color available to print. For these types of printers, the ink is used for periodic servicing tasks. This helps to prevent issues such as printhead clogs and poor print quality. There is no way to bypass this feature.

I hope this answers your question.

Keep me posted!

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Have a great day! 

[DrOot]

Thanks.  If I'm only printing black (text and maybe a logo), would grayscale or B&W use less ink overall?

[Jay_G24]

@DrOot

No, using grayscale or black ink only feature you will be consuming the more black ink and lesser color ink.

To reduce ink consumption set the print quality mode to draft.

1. Open the document or photo on your computer, click File or the menu icon , then click Print.

   A Print or Print Pictures window or pane opens with general print job settings, including the menu to select the printer you want to print to.

2. Open Document Properties or Printing Preferences from the main print window or pane to access the HP print driver settings. The button or link name varies depending on the app you are printing from.

3. To view the different settings, click the tabs along the top of the window. To access more settings, click the Advanced button that is often located on the Layout tab.

4. on the Paper/Quality tab, change the mode to draft

You can also refer to Print Driver Settings Guide

Hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

Please click “Accept as 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!

Have a great day!