Printer not printing black? No problem. If your HP printer is out of black ink there's a good chance you can still print with it. The same goes for other brands of printers. I'll show you how. But first let's eat a cookie.
I ate 9 cookies this week. That might not sound like a terrible amount when you first hear it, but that's because I haven't yet disclosed the fact that each chocolate chip cookie was the size of a dinner plate at the Olive Garden. And it wasn't a full week. It was 3 days.
Stress brings out my back fat. So from here on in I'm going to have to work at not eating clown sized cookies and walking even more than normal. I assume your situation has been similar so in an effort to minimize the stress you're dealing with I have a tip on a big stressor everyone has experienced at least once in their life.
I want you to search far back into the depths of your memory for a time when - your printer actually printed. When you could click "print", tapdance your way over to the printer and it would spit out a a beautiful white page filled with black text.
Wasn't it nice back in the olden days when your printer worked?
If your printer is working and is printing, I suggest you read this post anyway as a form of preparation for the inevitable day that will come.
Printer Not Printing Black?
You can fix that. Here's how.
- Turn the printer on and open up the door so you can get to the ink cartridges.
2. You found the ink cartridges. Good.
3. REMOVE THE BLACK INK CARTRIDGE. Now you can print black. Honestly!
As long as your printer also has a colour cartridge, all the colours from the colour cartridge will print together to make ... BLACK.
I figured this little trick out when I was preparing for a screen printing course that I was taking at my local art school. (you can learn how to screen print at home here)
I was supposed to bring a half tone screen printing image to the class. But an hour before the class when I printed my image a sad kind of faded blue image printed out. I needed BLACK for the screen printing process to work properly.
Probably something just got screwed up. So I tried printing it again and again until eventually nothing printed out onto the page. Not even the sad, faded blue.
Not to be deterred (I am the one who brought you How to remove sharpie from your walls, after all) I kept trying.
I tried the thing where you fill up your old ink with even older ink you bought at Costco 10 years ago but ... it didn't work. (you can learn how to refill your old ink cartridges here)
So there I was. An important almost-graduate from a highly esteemed small town night course about to walk into class without her assignment done. In high school I could have talked my way out of it, but at night school?? No, no night school is serious stuff I'd never get away with it.
So I did what any desperate girl looking for a way out would. I ate a cookie. And then I got to work figuring it out.
→Follow me on Instagram where I often make a fool of myself←
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
Lola
Thank you!!! Life-saver for sure!!!
Karen
Excellent! I love it when this tip helps people. Ink emergencies are *real* ~ karen!
sue
thank you for saving my life!!!! the way i always get printer issue when i have urgent matters should be studied lol
rain
but what is it's refillable and you cant take out anything?
Karen
This method isn't meant for that. ~ karen!
Tiffany
Thank you. I have a group(ew!!) interview tomorrow for a job I want, I spent 5 hours working on this resume only to find out it wouldn't print, and the interview is too early to pick up ink that seems to magically disappear out of my printer after 5 pages. You saved me. I am going to go find a cookie now.
Karen
A group interview?!! Are you interviewing for a cult? ~ karen!
Mrs.H
This helped me in a super pinch 🤏. Thank you for sharing.
Karen
I'm glad it helped! Thanks for letting me know. ~ karen!
Dana CURTIS
Thank you so much! I'm printing my tax return and ran out of black ink. This worked like a charm.
Karen
It's always fun to find out what people needed to print in an emergency, lol. Glad it worked for you! ~ karen
Chet
Thank you for this! Was super-helpful for my 5th grader in a pinch.
Karen
Excellent! I'm happy to help the 5th graders of the world. ~ karen!
Kira
This tip SAVED me when I needed to print something important for work this morning and was out of black ink. THANK YOU for the tip and the entertaining read!! :)
Karen
You're welcome Kira! Glad it worked. ~ karen!
Thomas
This didn't actually work for me. The printer just wouldn't print with one cartridge missing. What did work however, is changing the color of the text into a very dark grey. That tricked the printer into printing with color.
Karen
Excellent! Yes, there are some printers it doesn't work with. I've actually upgraded to an Ecotank and love it because I just don't ever have to worry about ink. ~ karen!
Anon
Hello! I took out my empty black cartridge so I only have the color cartridges in but the document ended up printing in green. How did you get it to print in all black ?
Karen
Hi Anonymous! That could be 2 things. Either you need to change your print quality to "best" or change the type of paper to match what you're printing on. I'm assuming it's plain paper. Normally I'd say it just doesn't work with your printer and cartridges, but if it printed in green, it is working, it just isn't printing dark enough. ~ karen!
Erika
Oh my gosh! Than you!! I thought I had another cartridge, but it was a dud and I couldn't for the life of me get it (or the spent one) to work. Never occurred to me to just remove it and try printing with only the color in! The result is not as dark as with a black cartridge, but it will do the trick until I can get a new one tomorrow. Thank you!!
Karen
You're welcome! I'm glad it worked. I've been in your position which I why I spent so long trying to figure out a solution that actually works, lol. ~ karen!
Karen
I can't believe this worked! HP Deskjet 3700. Awesome trick. Thank you so much!
Karen
Isn't it fun when something off of the Internet actually works?! ~ karen!
Harsha
Thank you so much! I was in urgent need of printing in black and white for a legal matter, did not have time to run and get a cartridge, this saved my day and life!!
Karen
Excellent, I love that! ~ karen
Jeremiah
Doesn't work for me, I don't know what next to do seriously, I need help? My model: hp-envy-4500-e-all-in-one-printer-series
Karen
Hi Jeremiah. If your cartridges are new or you *know* they aren't empty it could be that your nozzles are clogged and need to be soaked in isopropyl alcohol. ~ karen!
Hannah
Thank you so much. This has just made what could have been a very stressful morning a whole lot easier! Really grateful
Jennifer
Thank you so much!
Traci
AMAZING!! You saved my life and as they say, you learn something new everyday!!!
Thank you!!!!
Karen
Happy to help Traci! It's a great trick, isn't it?! ~ karen
Kurt Buzzo
Thank you, This tip worked great on HP2752.
George
Tried removing the BLACK, but my printer would not print without it in. Once I replaced it it printed but no text. My printer is much the same as the one on your page. I got over it by changing the from black to MAGENTA......
Soumya
Thank you so much. I can't get a new black cartridge overnight. It was so urgent and you saved me. Much appreciated.
Karen
You're welcome Soumya! I know the feeling, lol. ~ karen!