Printing with depleted color cartridge

[nance0]

I'm frustrated with my Epson printer for not allowing me to print in Black with a depleted cyan color cartridge.

Looking at the Envy 5540 to replace the Epson.  Will this printer do the same thing or will I be able to print in Black only if a color is out?  Thanks

[Bob_Headrick · Accepted solution]

Short answer:  The Envy 5540 will print with one or mode inks depleted, or even the color or black (but not both)  cartridges removed completely. See page 53 of the user manual here.

Use single-cartridge mode

Use the single-cartridge mode to operate the HP ENVY 5540 series with only one ink cartridge. The single-cartridge mode is initiated when an ink cartridge is removed from the ink cartridge carriage. During single-cartridge mode, the printer can copy documents, copy photos, and print jobs from the computer.

Long answer:  HP and other printer manufacturers have different printer technologies for different needs.  For inkjet printers:

• Some have printheads built into the ink cartridges.  These printers can typically print with one or more of the colors completely empty, or even with color or black (but not both) cartridges removed. The Envy 5540 is an example.

• Other printers have separate ink supplies and replaceable printheads.  An example would be the Officejet Pro 8600.  The printhead in these printers can be replaced if they are damaged by running the printhead with colors out.  Some of these printers will allow printing with a color out, other will not.  If the printer is run without ink in one or more colors the printer may be damaged, but the user may be able to recover without having to send the printer for service. 

• Other printers have permanent printheads.  To run these without some ink in all the colors would risk causing damage to the printhead due to clogs, air ingested in the printhead or burned out printhead firing resistors. The Officejet 6700 is an example of this type of printer. For printers with fixed printheads this could require service to get the printer to print properly again when the ink is finally replaced.  

The document here describes how ink is used.  While the document is written for HP Inkjet printers the same principles apply to inkjet printers from other manufacturers.