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- HP Community
- Printers
- Printing Errors or Lights & Stuck Print Jobs
- Yellow and Magenta swapped

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05-26-2024 05:13 AM
Everything worked perfectly fine a couple of days ago, until I saw that one of my prints came out red instead of yellow. At first I thought it's not able to print yellow at all anymore, but upon further inspection and running many test prints, I realized that yellow is indeed there, but not where it should be. I tried everything from updating my computer and drivers, cleaning the nozzels a couple of times to factory resseting the whole thing. Is there any way to manually switch these two colors ?
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Accepted Solutions
05-27-2024 08:53 AM
Hi @Moon__,
Welcome to HP Support Community.
Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.
It sounds like the color alignment in your printer may be off, causing yellow and magenta to appear swapped in your prints. While it's not possible to manually switch the positions of the yellow and magenta ink cartridges in most printers, you can try the following steps to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:
1. Printer Calibration:
- Check if your printer has a calibration or alignment function in its settings menu.
- Run the calibration process to ensure that the printer aligns the colors correctly.
2. Print Head Alignment:
- Some printers allow you to manually adjust the print head alignment through the printer settings or control panel.
- Look for an option to align the print heads and follow the on-screen instructions.
3. Printer Utility Software:
- Use the printer utility software provided by the manufacturer to diagnose and troubleshoot color alignment issues.
- This software may offer advanced calibration options and diagnostic tools to help correct color discrepancies.
4. Check Ink Cartridges:
- Ensure that the yellow and magenta ink cartridges are properly installed in their respective slots.
- Remove and reseat the cartridges to ensure they are making proper contact with the printer.
5. Clean Print Heads:
- Run a deep cleaning or nozzle cleaning cycle to clean the print heads and remove any ink buildup or debris that may be affecting color accuracy.
6. Check Printer Settings:
- Double-check the printer settings on your computer to ensure that the correct color profile and settings are selected.
- Make sure that the printer is not set to grayscale or black-and-white mode, which could affect color output
I hope this helps.
Take care and have a good day.
Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.
Rachel571
HP Support
Sneha_01- HP support
05-27-2024 08:53 AM
Hi @Moon__,
Welcome to HP Support Community.
Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.
It sounds like the color alignment in your printer may be off, causing yellow and magenta to appear swapped in your prints. While it's not possible to manually switch the positions of the yellow and magenta ink cartridges in most printers, you can try the following steps to troubleshoot and potentially resolve the issue:
1. Printer Calibration:
- Check if your printer has a calibration or alignment function in its settings menu.
- Run the calibration process to ensure that the printer aligns the colors correctly.
2. Print Head Alignment:
- Some printers allow you to manually adjust the print head alignment through the printer settings or control panel.
- Look for an option to align the print heads and follow the on-screen instructions.
3. Printer Utility Software:
- Use the printer utility software provided by the manufacturer to diagnose and troubleshoot color alignment issues.
- This software may offer advanced calibration options and diagnostic tools to help correct color discrepancies.
4. Check Ink Cartridges:
- Ensure that the yellow and magenta ink cartridges are properly installed in their respective slots.
- Remove and reseat the cartridges to ensure they are making proper contact with the printer.
5. Clean Print Heads:
- Run a deep cleaning or nozzle cleaning cycle to clean the print heads and remove any ink buildup or debris that may be affecting color accuracy.
6. Check Printer Settings:
- Double-check the printer settings on your computer to ensure that the correct color profile and settings are selected.
- Make sure that the printer is not set to grayscale or black-and-white mode, which could affect color output
I hope this helps.
Take care and have a good day.
Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.
Rachel571
HP Support
Sneha_01- HP support
05-28-2024 04:31 AM
Hey Rachel571,
Thank you for your quick answer! Sadly, the only way to solve this problem was by buying a brand-new hp cartridge, even though the old one was almost as good as new. I suppose it was a faulty cartridge that got filled with the wrong ink.
But honestly, I can´t complain. I´m just happy it works again! 🙂
Have a very nice day!