printer won't print b&w even when selected

Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
423
Reaction score
15
Points
18
Location
New Eng
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook white, 2.0 Intel Core 2 Duo Pro, 2 GB RAM, 13" screen
I have a mystery.

I have the same hardware as last month, but now it works differently.

I have a Macbook and am printing to an HP deskjet 940c. I can't get it to print in B&W even when it's selected in the print dialog box. I can get the same printer to do B&W from my PC. When I go to the printers utilities it to check the ink level (the cartridge was just refilled) it says there is an error and it can't determine the ink levels. The printer's utilities dialog box shows the color one with a little ink and the B&W graph is just empty.

I have deleted and reinstalled the drivers several times, shutdown, rebooted multiple times.

I attempted to use Utiltities>Printer Set Up, but there's nothing there.

Any help?

What I am trying to print is a grayscale document from InDesign. But no matter what I do, it prints in (bad) color.

I have printed a document from TextEdit and it prints in B&W. Quite strange...

Thank you! :)
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
This may have more to do with the refilled cartridge you're using. (I'm assuming it's not the more expensive HP factory cartridge) If the software "thinks" the BW cartridge is empty, the result will be a mix of colors.

I have had similar problems with older HP DeskJet printers even in Windows but usually was able to implement a work around. I don't know of a work around for using the 940C with a refilled cartridge. TextEdit prints OK because it does not check ink levels.

One reason why I still keep an older model HP LaserJet around - for those fast grey scale or BW jobs I need to print. No fuss. :)

Regards.
 
OP
rcronin
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
423
Reaction score
15
Points
18
Location
New Eng
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook white, 2.0 Intel Core 2 Duo Pro, 2 GB RAM, 13" screen
that makes sense. It's been refilled a few times, maybe I've passed the sweet spot and this is it for now.

Thank you!
 

cwa107


Retired Staff
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
27,042
Reaction score
812
Points
113
Location
Lake Mary, Florida
Your Mac's Specs
14" MacBook Pro M1 Pro, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
It might not be a bad idea to check HP's website and see if they have an updated driver for it, as well.
 
OP
rcronin
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
423
Reaction score
15
Points
18
Location
New Eng
Your Mac's Specs
MacBook white, 2.0 Intel Core 2 Duo Pro, 2 GB RAM, 13" screen
The font drivers that I found were quite a few years old. The newest one I found was from 2006.

I had seen a webpage somewhere that described how to delete your drivers, there were several locations on the HD. But I can't find that now. I thought it was on Apple's website. I'm wondering if I haven't properly deleted the old driver.

I also tried printing the document from Preview and it still printed in color. So annoying!

Could this have happened during a software update? I can understand why it is happening now, when all the hardware is exactly the same. grrr.
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
25,564
Reaction score
486
Points
83
Location
Blue Mountains NSW Australia
Your Mac's Specs
Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
Further to csschag's post, when the cartridge has been refilled several times, the sensor on the front of the cartridge may well fail giving one of two responses. On e is printing in colour, the second is repeatedly telling you there is no black cartridge installed when obviously there is.

Toss in a new black cartridge and see how you go?
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top