Print quality
Colors are wrong or missing
Prints have a color cast, a missing color or don’t match the screen. Find out whether it’s a clogged ink, a setting or color management, and fix it in order.
You’ll need: Plain paper · A color photo or test page to compare
Try this first
Print a nozzle check from the printer’s maintenance menu and look at each color block. A block with gaps or no ink at all is your answer, so run one cleaning cycle and check again. If every block is complete, the hardware is fine and the cause is in the print settings, starting with grayscale and paper type.
Didn’t work? Go to the full stepsWhat you’ll notice
- Blue skies print purple, or greens look yellowish
- Reds come out orange or pink
- Everything prints in black and white even with color selected
- Prints look much darker or duller than the screen
- A whole page has a green, magenta or yellow tint
Usually caused by
- Most commonOne ink color is clogged, low or empty
- Most commonThe job is set to grayscale or black and white
- SometimesThe paper type doesn’t match the paper loaded
- SometimesColor is being adjusted twice, by the app and the printer
- SometimesA bright screen makes prints look dark by comparison
- Less commonWrong ink in a tank, or a color laser needs calibrating
Step by step
Work down the list in order. Tick off each step as you go: your progress is saved on this device.
On the printer itself
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Print a nozzle check and read each color
From the maintenance or tools menu, print a nozzle check. Compare each color block with the example shown on the printer’s screen or in the manual.
You should see: A complete pattern in every color rules out clogs; a broken or empty block tells you which color is failing.
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Match the symptom to the missing color
Printers mix most colors from cyan, magenta and yellow. Missing cyan turns blues purple and greens yellow. Missing magenta turns reds orange or yellow and blues a pale cyan. Missing yellow turns greens bluish and reds pinkish. That tells you which ink to look at even before you print a nozzle check.
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Clean the head for the failing color
Run one cleaning cycle, then another nozzle check. Some printers let you clean only the color group or only the black, which saves ink. After two or three cycles, let the printer rest for a few hours before trying again.
You should see: The failing color block should fill in a little more with each check.
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Replace a low or empty cartridge
If one color is empty or shows a warning, replace it. On printers with a tri-color cartridge, all three colors share one cartridge and one built-in head, so one empty color means replacing the whole cartridge, and the fresh head also clears any clog.
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Check the tanks on an ink tank printer
Look at each tank under good light. If a color looks muddy or the wrong shade, ink may have gone into the wrong tank. Stop printing straight away rather than running cleaning cycles, which pull the mixed ink further into the head.
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Calibrate a color laser
Color lasers use four toners and can drift out of balance or out of register. Look in the setup or maintenance menu for a color calibration or color registration option and run it, then check the supplies status page for any cartridge, drum or imaging unit near the end of its life.
You should see: Colored text should sit sharply without colored fringes, and gray areas should look neutral.
Windows 11 and 10
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Turn off grayscale in printing preferences
Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners (on Windows 10, Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners and Manage), then Printing preferences. Make sure color is selected rather than grayscale or black and white, then select Apply.
You should see: A test print should now come out in color if a setting was the cause.
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Check the setting inside the app as well
Many apps have their own color or grayscale option in the print dialog that overrides the driver, and some office apps remember it per document. Open the app’s print settings and check for a color option there too.
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Match the paper type
Set the paper type to the paper you loaded. Photo paper printed on a plain-paper setting looks dull and blotchy, and plain paper printed on a glossy setting takes too much ink, so colors bleed and darken.
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Let only one thing manage color
In photo apps that offer color management, choose to let either the app or the printer manage color, not both. When both adjust the colors, prints often come out with a strong cast. The app’s own help explains its options.
You should see: With a single color manager, skin tones and grays should look natural rather than tinted.
macOS
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Check black and white and color options
In File > Print, make sure any Black & White option is turned off and that your printer’s own section of the dialog isn’t set to grayscale.
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Set the paper type
Open Media & Quality, or the section named after your printer, and choose the paper type that matches what is loaded.
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Check color matching
If your print dialog shows a Color Matching section, make sure only one system is adjusting color. When a photo editor is managing color, follow its help to set the printer side so it leaves color alone.
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Compare with screen brightness turned down
Mac screens are bright and backlit, while paper only reflects room light. Turn screen brightness down to around half and look at the print under daylight or a daylight-balanced lamp before deciding the colors are wrong.
Did this fix it?
Good to hear. If the problem comes back, the steps will still be here, and your ticked steps are saved on this device.
Try these next:
- Print the same image from a different app, or save it as a PDF and print that. If only one app produces odd colors, its own color settings are the cause.
- Reinstall the driver for your exact model from the manufacturer’s official support site; a basic or generic driver may offer limited color control.
- If you use third-party ink, try a genuine cartridge for the failing color. Ink formulas differ, and the color settings in the driver are tuned for the original.
Still stuck? Run the diagnose questions, or check your printer’s manual and the manufacturer’s official support site.
Common questions
Why do my prints look darker than the screen?
A screen gives off light while paper only reflects it, and most screens are set far brighter than a print can look. Lowering screen brightness gives a fairer comparison.
Why is my printer only printing in black and white?
Usually a grayscale setting in the driver or the app, or an empty color cartridge the printer is working around. Check both settings and print a nozzle check.
Can one empty color stop the printer entirely?
On many printers, yes: they refuse to print until every cartridge has ink, even for black-only pages. Some allow black-only printing for a while; your manual says which.