• ×
    Information
    Need Windows 11 help?
    Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
    Windows 11 Support Center.
  • ×
    Information
    Need Windows 11 help?
    Check documents on compatibility, FAQs, upgrade information and available fixes.
    Windows 11 Support Center.
Guidelines
Experiencing 'Printer Blocked' or 'Printer Error' message? Click here for more information.
Check some of the most frequent questions about Instant Ink: HP INSTANT INK, HP+ PLANS: INK AND TONER.


Check out our Black or Color Ink Not Printing, Other Print Quality Issues info about: Print quality and Cartridge Issues.
HP Recommended
HP Officejet 3831
Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit)

At home with only a wired Windows 10 PC and the HP Offciejet 3831 wireless printer.

My tricolor 302XL cartridge ran out of ink so I replaced it. Sadly don't remember if it ever printed colour before I noticed something blakc and white that I had intended to print in colour. 

 

Printing a photo from my mobile works fine - colourful. Also tried sending a file I called:

sz180303PrinterTarget.pdf

to the printer's email address - works fine too.

 

Problem:everything printed 'normally' from the PC inc via Photoshop and directly from Chrome comes out in black and white only.  No colour.

So printing 

sz180303PrinterTarget.pdf

 from Windows 10, Chrome launches it's printing dialog and I see the doc in colour, but the printer prints B&W, even though 'colour' is selected in the print dialog drop-down. 

 

Here is a link to the actual PDF I used: sz180303PrinterTarget.pdf

 

Switched off the printer and uninstalled the HP software and drivers.

W10 Device Manager showed no trace after the uninstall.

 

Waited ten mins then switched the printer and PC back on again, re-downloaded the full HP Suite for the 3830 series.  Installed everything and ran the HP Print and Scan Doctor.

No difference, still black and white only.

 

Uninstalled everything again, switched off the printer and PC again,  rebooted, re-installed everything - no difference. 

 

Connected to the wifi my mobile prints the hp.com webpage correctly in colour, the PC prints the same hp.com website screen in black and white.

 

When selected at the printer or via the Windows HP Software or HPConnected.com website, the printer demo page is in full colour. The print quality report shows the printer colour cartridge is nearly full and that both are 'genuine'.

 

The Windows 10 Printer Test page prints in Black and White.

 

 

I have tried pausing the print queue to examine what is sent to it - there I can see, just below 'Layout' that the pdf is intended to print in colour. Prints in B&W though.

I then reprinted it, choose 'black and white' from the Chrome PDF print dialog - sure enough, the job sent to the print queue has the 'Black and White' radio button preselectedPrints in B&W.

 

So it really looks as if the printer firmware (at the latest level) is differentiating between jobs sent from my phone or via HP's email Cloud Print facility - they all print fine.  Jobs sent from the Windows print queue only print in B&W. Does HP have something against the W10 print spooler?

 

Help!

 

 

Who Me Too'd this topic
† The opinions expressed above are the personal opinions of the authors, not of HP. By using this site, you accept the <a href="https://www8.hp.com/us/en/terms-of-use.html" class="udrlinesmall">Terms of Use</a> and <a href="/t5/custom/page/page-id/hp.rulespage" class="udrlinesmall"> Rules of Participation</a>.