Why do you have to replace every cartridge when only one was out?

[darysrealm]

My printer was out of yellow ink, so I went to buy a replacement. I could not find the blue ink but it had 15% in it. I replaced the yellow and then I got error issues saying I had to replace the megenta, then the cyan. This ink costs more than the printer cost and I think this is just a ploy to make you replace all of the ink. I have read this on reviews. My question is why?

[DavidSMP]

Hi @darysrealm,

Thanks for stopping by the HP community. A very good day to you. I reviewed the post regarding concerns about replacing all the ink cartridges.  I will be delighted to assist you with this.

Superb description and stupendous diagnosis of the issue before posting. Kudos to you for that. 🙂

For better clarity and to assist you better I would require information regarding this:

• Does the printer work correctly now?

If it does work correctly then let me keep you informed about a few things.

• The printer primarily has different cartridges which are, cyan magenta yellow and Black.
• They mix colors in the correct proportion to print in different colors and in black and white also.
• So if the ink is low on any of these cartridges it will display a notification to replace it.
• It may still print a few copies but as the ink is low it will notify you to replace the cartridges.
• If the cartridges have been used regularly, then all of them need to be replaced for the printer to work correctly.
• All the colors that are reproduced on paper are a combination of these colors that mix in the right proportions to do this and over time the cartridges run out of ink and need to be replaced.
• This is not a ploy of any sort. That is how the printer is designed.
• Hope this answers your question

Hope this helps. Let me know how this goes. I genuinely hope the issue gets resolved without hassles and the unit works great.

To simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care now and have a terrific week ahead. 🙂

[darysrealm]

The only cartridge that showed out was the yellow, the other two showed 15%(black had more)  So I went to buy more. I tried to buy all of them but they did not have the blue. I went home and replaced the yellow that was showing empty. As soon as I did that it said to replace the megenta, so I replaced that and then it said I had to replace the cyan which I could not buy. The printer would not print in black and white, it would not scan, nothing. Yesterday I was able to find the last cyan and I replaced it and it is fine. So I am saying that there is an issue. I also read reviews online of the 8710 and there were several complaints of exactly the same thing, which means I believe there is something going on. This is the 2nd HP Office Pro I own, the 8600 does not do the same thing, one is out you replace it and continue on.

[DavidSMP]

Hi @darysrealm,

 I read the post again. You've done great by displaying terrific temperament and infinite patience to get answers to questions. Kudos to you for that.  I am also glad that replacing the ink cartridges made the printer work correctly.  The printer has cartridges and printheads that print ink on paper. SO the color mixing happens from all the cartridges. It does not mean that you print in black and then only the black cartridge is being used. That goes for all the other colors. it depends on what is printed. if it requires other colors to be printed, all the ink cartridges mix ink in the correct proportions to print ink on paper. So only certain color cartridges don't have depleted ink levels over time. All the cartridges will have depleted ink levels as the mixing happens. 

You could try this experiment to prove the point that I am trying to make. after some time remove either the cyan and magenta cartridge and replace it with a new one. After sometime all the other cartridges will display notifications to be replaced except the cyan or magenta ones that were replaced later because their ink levels will not be depleted.

Everything is tested by HP very scientifically before the product is released for consumers to buy. So different printer models are designed differently and one printer may be different in specs and functionality from the other. So please believe HP as it is not a fly by night operator.

To simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care and have a blessed week ahead.