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Can't print in color on select HP DeskJet, ENVY, and OfficeJet printers (Windows)

After setting up the printer with HP Easy Start or the HP smart app, the printer prints in only black and white when you want to print in color. The option to switch to color printing is also missing in the printing preferences menu.

As a workaround, remove the printer from Printers & scanners, and then create a TCP/IP printer port connection using the printer IP address.

This document applies to the following printers released before 2016:

Affected printers
Printer series	Printer name
DeskJet 1110, 2130 series	DeskJet 1110, 1111, 1112 DeskJet 2130, 2131, 2132, 2134, 2136 DeskJet 1112
DeskJet 3630 series	DeskJet 3630, 3631, 3632, 3633, 3634, 3635, 3636, 3637, 3638, 3639
DeskJet GT 5810, 5820 series	DeskJet GT 5810, 5811 DeskJet GT 5820, 5821, 5822
DeskJet Ink Advantage 1110, 2130 series DeskJet Ink Advantage 3630, 3830 series DeskJet Ink Advantage 4530, 4670 series DeskJet Ink Advantage 5570, 5640 series	DeskJet Ink Advantage 1115, 1118 DeskJet Ink Advantage 2134, 2135, 2136, 2138 DeskJet Ink Advantage 3635, 3636, 3638 DeskJet Ink Advantage 3835, 3836, 3838 DeskJet Ink Advantage 4535, 4536, 4538 DeskJet Ink Advantage 4675, 4676, 4678 DeskJet Ink Advantage 5575 DeskJet Ink Advantage 5645
DeskJet Ink Advantage Ultra 4720 series	DeskJet Ink Advantage Ultra 4729
ENVY 4510, 4520 series ENVY 5540, 5640, 5660 series ENVY 7640 series	ENVY 4511, 4512, 4513, 4516 ENVY 4520, 4521, 4522, 4523, 4524, 4525, 4526, 4527, 4528 ENVY 5540, 5541, 5542, 5543, 5544, 5545, 5546, 5547, 5548, 5549 ENVY 5640, 5642, 5643, 5644, 5646 ENVY 5660, 5661, 5664, 5663, 5665 ENVY 7640, 7643, 7644, 7645
OfficeJet 3830 series OfficeJet 4650 series OfficeJet 5740 series Officejet 6810, 6820 series	OfficeJet 3830, 3831, 3832, 3833, 3834, 3835, 3836 OfficeJet 4650, 4652, 4654, 4655, 4656, 4657, 4658 OfficeJet 5740, 5741, 5742, 5743, 5744, 5745, 5746 Officejet 6812, 6815, 6820
OfficeJet 7510 Wide Format series	OfficeJet 7510 Wide Format
Officejet 8040 series	Officejet 8040
OfficeJet Pro 6230, 6830 series	OfficeJet Pro 6230 OfficeJet Pro 6830, 6835

Perform the following tasks in the order given. Use the printer after each task to see if the issue is resolved.

Find the IP address for an HP printer

Find the printer IP address in the HP Smart app, on the touchscreen control panel (if supported), or by printing an Information page. An Internet Protocol (IP) address is an identification number automatically assigned by your router and required to connect to the internet.

Make sure the printer is connected to the internet. If you are using the HP Smart app, make sure your device is connected to the same network as the printer.
Find your printer IP address.
- HP Smart app: From the app home screen, click the image of your printer, and then click Network Information to find the IP address.
- Printers with a touchscreen control panel: On the control panel, open the Wireless Summary or Network Settings menu to find the IP address.
- Printers without a touchscreen control panel: On the control panel, press the Information button to print an Information Report, and then find the IP address on the printout. Printing reports from the control panel can vary by printer model.

Remove your printer (Windows)

Removing the printer and its drivers from the computer can help clear any error states or partial installs.

For USB connections, disconnect the cable from the printer.
Turn off the printer.
In Windows, search for and open Printers & scanners.
Look for and select the name of your printer in the list.
Click Remove or Remove Device > Yes.

Create a printer TCP/IP Port connection (Windows)

Use your printer IP address to create a TCP/IP port connection, which can help fix common driver issues.

In Windows, search for and open Printers & scanners.
Click Add device or Add a printer or scanner.
Once the computer finds the available printers, click Add manually or The printer that I want isn't listed at the bottom of the search results. You might need to wait a few minutes before one of these options display.
From the Add Printer window, select Add a printer using an IP address or hostname, and then click Next.
From the Device type menu, select TCP/IP Device.
Enter your printer IP address, change the port name to something you can easily recognize, and then click Next.
If an Install the printer driver screen displays, click hp, and then select your printer series name in the list, and then click Next.

For example, if you have an HP ENVY 4526 printer, select HP ENVY 4520 series.
When prompted to choose a driver version, select Use the driver that is currently installed (recommended), and then click Next.
Keep or change the printer name, and then click Next to install the print drivers.
Choose if you want to share the printer with anyone else on the same network, and then click Next.
After adding the printer, click Finish to close the setup window.

Check the color printing settings

Before sending a print job, make sure color printing is selected in the HP Smart app or Printing preferences menu.

Check the print color settings in the HP Smart app (Windows)

Check the print color settings in the HP Smart app.

From the HP Smart app home screen, click Print Documents or Print Photos.
Select the file you want to print, and then Print or Select Photos to Print to open the preview screen.
From the list of print settings, click More settings.
Under Color mode, make sure Color is selected.
Change any other print settings, such as paper type, paper size, and print quality.
When you are done, click Print.

Check the color settings in printing preferences (Windows)

Check the print color settings in the printing preferences menu.

In Windows, search for and open Printers & scanners.
Click or right-click the name of your printer in the list, and then select Printing preferences.
On the Paper/Quality tab, confirm Color is selected, and then click OK.

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