# Solved: Printer Prints blue and not black



## Retired_Bill (May 7, 2006)

I recently replaced my black cartridge in my HP 722C printer. Since then, when I use the draft mode (which I use most of the time), the printing that is supposed to black comes out blue. When I change to the normal mode, the printing comes out black as it should. This occurs if I print a test page or a document. I have uninstalled and reinstalled the printer twice to try to correct the problem. I have also shut down and rebooted the computer. I use a PC with a 1.8MHZ processor using WinXP, SP2. Any suggestions?

Bill


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

Hi,

You have me stumped but that does not take much to do that.

If nobody else has any ideas I would go to the HP website and go into support and use their diagnostic tools. maybe try seeing if there is an update for the driver.


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

does the printer come with a blue cartridge? What happens if you remove it? It seems as if hte app is telling it to print in blue; maybe a setting somewhere is ticked when it shouldn't be.

Course, could also be a setting in the printer. I"ve got an epson, and for many days wondered why it would only print black; turned out that I had ticked the box that said 'print using black only' in one of my fugues.

v


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

While it differs between printer makes and models, in some modes when black is called for the printer uses "all colours" to get black, but uses only the black cartridge in other modes.

If "draft" uses "all colours" for black (for speed perhaps) and one colour is low or out, then the result you get would be possible.


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## Retired_Bill (May 7, 2006)

Based upon your suggestion, I tried replacing the color cartridge and the problem went away. Contrary to what I thought, if I am printing a page that has color in it, the printer uses the color cartridge to produce the black printing instead of the black cartridge.

Thanks very much,

Bill


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## Retired_Bill (May 7, 2006)

kiwiguy said:


> While it differs between printer makes and models, in some modes when black is called for the printer uses "all colours" to get black, but uses only the black cartridge in other modes.
> 
> If "draft" uses "all colours" for black (for speed perhaps) and one colour is low or out, then the result you get would be possible.


Thanks for the suggestion. I tried replacing the color cartridge and the problem went away. I had been assuming that when I'm printing a page with color in it that the printer would use the black cartridge for the black printing. This appears to not be the case with this printer. It uses the color cartridge to produce the black print.

Thank you very much,

Bill


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

That is how the printer folks make their money 

You can mark the thread solved using the THREAD TOOLS drop down menu


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

good call, kiwi.....that is something I was unaware of. 

learn something every day.........


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

Quite frankly, my HP printers won't even PRINT if the color cartridge is out 

NOW THAT is a pisser......my color cartridges cost about $35


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

switch to epson....the prices are the same, but at least you can print if one of the colors is out.

at least, I think you can. Black only, of course.

v


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

I've had a couple of older Epson printers, they used to clog easily. And there was a little mesh screen of some sort that you had to take out and maneuver through. I'm gone for a couple of months at a time, and I've yet to find a 'good' solution to any of my printer problems


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## valis (Sep 24, 2004)

I HAVE noticed that it clogs frequenty, even when not in use for say, a week. Have you considered the extra $$ and going laser? They last forever, and instead of your pool boy, you could have the laser boy over occasionally.


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## wacor (Feb 22, 2005)

I am pretty sure my printer at work is a Canon which has 3 color cartridges along with the black. seems to be a good good idea as cartridges are cheaper and don't go thru as many.

also when color is out i can still print as i recall and it is not blue so i believe it is using the black. i thought i remembered that if you ran out of black that the other colors could compensate but did not know they provided the black


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

valis said:


> I HAVE noticed that it clogs frequenty, even when not in use for say, a week. Have you considered the extra $$ and going laser? They last forever, and instead of your pool boy, you could have the laser boy over occasionally.


I do have an HP LASER, I think it's a 1200. It seems to always work


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## kiwiguy (Aug 17, 2003)

If you think about it, black is black. In draft mode, the black is actually a "pale black" which probably cannot be achieved using the black cartridge, its either all or nothing with that.

Only the colour ("color" to you US people) cartridge is probably capable of variation of volume, in many printers, so is used for draft.


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## ~Candy~ (Jan 27, 2001)

I understand the logic....but, it's still a pisser


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