When you are trying to print documents using the printer you have and it is not printing black, there is no point in printing it. Black is usually the most used color for documents. In this guide, we have a few solutions that can help you fix if your Printer is not printing Black on a Windows 11/10 computer.
The main reasons for this issue are-
- Insufficient ink in the cartridge
- Printhead not clean
- Unsupportive Cartridge
- Outdated or corrupted Printer driver
Fix Printer not printing Black on Windows computer
If you see that the Printer is not printing Black color on your Windows 11/10 computer, try the following ways to fix the issue:
- Check the Printhead and Cartridges
- Use only manufacturer’s Cartridges
- Run Printer Troubleshooter
- Update the Printer driver
- Change Printing Defaults
Let’s get into the defaults of each method.
1] Check the Printhead and Cartridges
The Printhead of the printer houses cartridges. It needs to be clean and not blocked with dust or anything. You need to make sure it is clean. Then, check the ink level in the cartridge and replace it with another one if you find any issue.
2] Use only manufacturer’s Cartridges
The manufacturers of printers like HP, Epson, etc. recommend using their cartridges in printers manufactured by them. We brush it off thinking it as a marketing gimmick, but a third-party cartridge might cause issues such as these.
3] Run Printer Troubleshooter
If the printer is not printing black due to an error, it can be fixed by running the Printer troubleshooter. When you run it, it automatically scans for the issues and resolves them automatically.
To run the Printer troubleshooter,
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll down and click on Troubleshoot tab
- Then, click on Other troubleshooters
- Find Printer in the list and click on Run beside it
Check if it has fixed the issue.
4] Update the Printer driver
Your printer might not be printing black due to an issue that has been occurred due to a corrupt or outdated Printer driver. You need to update it to the latest version to resolve the issue.
You can update the Printer driver using the following ways.
- Using Optional Updates
- Using the manufacturer’s website
- Using a third-party driver updating software
- Using Device Manager
If you have the INF driver file already on your computer then:
-
- Open Device Manager.
- Click the driver category to expand the menu.
- Then choose the relevant driver and right-click on it.
- Select Update Driver.
- Follow the on-screen wizard to finish updating your Printer driver.
Read: How to print Black and White in Word
5] Change Printing Defaults
The final way is to change Printing Defaults using Settings. Change Printing Defaults to Black and white as the default printing color can make your printer print in black. If you want to use the same printer for color printing, you have to change the defaults again.
To change Printing Defaults,
- Open the Settings app
- Select Bluetooth & devices on the left side panel
- Click on the Printers & Scanners tab
- Click on the printer you are having a problem with, in the list
- Now, click on the Printing preferences tab
- Select Advanced
- Click on Printing Defaults
- Select Black and white and save changes
These are the different ways using which you can fix when the printer is not printing black on Windows.
Related: How to reset Printer to default factory settings in Windows 11/10.
Why is my computer not printing black?
There might be many reasons like not clean Printhead, low ink in cartridges, non-responsive cartridges, outdated or corrupted printer driver, or any issue with the printers. You can fix them using the above methods.
Read: Printer not printing in color on Windows PC.
Why is my printer not printing black when ink is full HP?
Your HP printer might not have ink in its cartridge, or the printer does not support the cartridge you have used, the printer drivers are corrupted, or any other issues with the printer.
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