Quick Fixes for an HP Printer That Doesn’t Print in Color

HP offers cutting-edge printers that perform exceptionally well in most cases. But sometimes, you will find that it doesn’t give adequate color output. Your HP printer won’t print in color because of dirty printheads, low ink, incompatible cartridges, and disabled printing settings. But you can fix these reasons quickly and start using the device.

Keep reading to learn some actionable resolutions to this common printer problem.

1. Check for Low Ink Levels

If you find yourself complaining, why won’t my HP printer print in color, do some checking yourself. Find out whether the cartridges have ink. You just have to open the front cover of the printer and change the cartridge if the ink is low.

 

If it is full, check the expiration date. Install a new and authentic HP printer cartridge and give a print command.

2. Enable Color Printing on HP Printer

You must enable the color print settings so your printer starts printing in color. Use these steps to turn on color printing.

• Tap the Windows Start icon present at the bottom-left part.
• Now, tap the ‘Settings’ or gear icon.
• Here, tap ‘Devices.’
• Now, tap ‘Printers & scanners.’
• From the different installed printers on the screen, tap your HP printer.
• You will see the listing expanding. Tap ‘Manage.’
• Here, find the ‘Printing Properties’ screen and look for ‘Color Settings.’
• Remove the checkmark from ‘Print in grayscale’ so that color images get printed.

3. Reinstall Your Printer Driver

Reinstalling the drivers is another good fix when you find that your HP printer won’t print in color. Use these steps to fix the problem.

• Open the search area in the Windows system.
• Open ‘Uninstall a program.’
• Find ‘HP printer software’ and right-click it to uninstall.
• Look for ‘Devices and Printers’ and tap it.
• Find your HP printer, right-click it, and select ‘Delete.’
• Now, on the Run box, type ‘printui.exe /s.’
• Tap ‘OK.’
• Now, click the ‘Drivers’ tab.
• Find the driver, click it, and tap ‘Remove.’
• Choose ‘OK.’
• Now, exit ‘Devices and printers.’
• Restart your system.
• Download HP printer software and drivers from the official site.
• Install them and give a print command.

4. Clean the Printhead

If you are wondering why won’t your printer print in black, it might be because of faulty or dirty printheads. Use these steps to clean it.

• Hit the Start button on your Windows 10 or 11 system.
• Look for ‘Control Panel.’
• Here, click ‘Devices and Printers.’
• On the succeeding page, find the icon of your HP printer. Right-click it and choose ‘Properties.’
• Another window will show up. Here, tap ‘Hardware.’
• Now, tap ‘Clean ink.’
• You will see different on-screen instructions.
• Use them to clean the printhead.
• Afterward, perform a printing check.

 

5. Use the Print and Scan Doctor

If you find an HP printer not printing black even with ink, use the Print and Scan Doctor utility from HP. Use these points to get the desired outcome.

• Navigate to the HP website.
• You will find the download link for the Print and Scan Doctor.
• A file by the name of HPPSdr.exe will get downloaded when you hit the download link.
• Open it to install the application.
• Hit the ‘Start’ button followed by ‘Next.
• Go by the instructions to fix the problem.

Summing up

After using these fixes, you won’t wonder why won’t my HP printer print in color. These resolutions will quickly resolve the major reasons for this issue. Use the stepwise instructions to rectify the problem. But if it does not resolve, get professional help.