Hp Printer: No Colour Option

[SteveD]

Windows 10
HP Envy 5544

When printing a document (File, Print, Printer properties, Paper/Quality), only Draft, Normal and Best are offered. There is no option to select colour and the printer prints in greyscale (there is a difference in tone between black and colour text).

As part of the solution to a previous problem, the Envy 5540 series Basic Device Software was downloaded successfully.

Any ideas?

[Buenchico]

Have you downloaded and run HP Print & Scan Doctor?
https://support.hp.com/gb-en/document/c03286146

[SteveD]

Yes. It shows an "!" alongside Device status. All other items are OK. A test page prints satisactoriy but only in black or greyscale.

[bainbrig]

Don't know about PCs and their problems, but on Macs the best (first) way is to delete the printer, reinstate it, and try again. Often works.

But it might be trickier on a PC!

[Buenchico]

If you start from here you can eventually get to a phone number for HP UK Support:
https://support.hp.com/gb-en/contact/printers
(I can't give it to you directly because I've not got an HP printer).

Or if you use the 'HP Diagnostic Solutions' link from that page you can use online chat to a virtual assistant.

I'd try uninstalling and reinstalling the printer first though (remembering to RESTART the computer before reinstalling - that's important!).

[SteveD]

I've already been to Support but the Virtual Assistant is a robot and is no use. To chat to a human you have to pay. I followed your last suggestion but no joy - colour is still not an option.

[Buenchico]

Try this:

Click Start

Click Settings (cogwheel icon)

Click Devices

Click Printers & Scanners

Right-click the icon for your printer.

Select Printing Preferences

Look through the options. You'll either need to enable an option labelled 'Print Color' (which I believe is the way that HP usually does it) or disable one that says 'Grayscale printing' (which is what my Canon uses).

If there's an 'Apply' option available, click on it and then on OK. (Otherwise just click on OK).

[SteveD]

Sorry, that doesn't work: I always end up here: [IMG]http://i63.tinypic.com/334u44x.jpg[/IMG]

Underneath the Quality box (Draft, Normal, Best), there should be another one offering colour.

[Buenchico]

What happens when you click on 'Advanced'?

[SteveD]

It opens several options but none to do with colour unfortunately http://i63.tinypic.com/290r5kz.jpg

[Buenchico]

Sorry! I'm lost :(

Try a phone call to 0207 660 0596 on Monday. (0830 to 1800)

[pauln90]

Try this which is from an HP help topic

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Inkjet-Printing/Re-HP-ENVY-5540-won-t-print-in-colour/td-p/6431997

[Buenchico]

^^^ I think that Steve has already tried that lot, Paul.

[SteveD]

Indeed! The problem is that the option in Printer preferences is that the option to print in colour is not there:

http://i63.tinypic.com/334u44x.jpg

[SteveD]

Thanks, Buenchico. What are these numbers?
I'm lost, too. It must be a software (driver) problem. I have downloaded the driver several times but to no avail. The missing colour option also affects the other PC on the network. Googling words to the effect "My HP printer has no colour option" produces several results which suggests that this is a known problem. The replies from Customer Service are sometimes useless. I have seen:
CUSTOMER: I want to print in colour but there is no colour option.
TECHNICIAN: Go to Printer properties and select colour.
CUSTOMER: Der!!

The printer prints just fine in colour if I scan a document so the problem is not there.

[SteveD]

Does this suggest that the driver has been correctly installed?

http://i64.tinypic.com/1y9ulw.jpg

[JuniperEccles]

I'm sorry if this sounds too obvious but on my PC I click on 'Properties ' and then get headings (including 'Advanced' as mentioned) and further along there's 'Color' to click on and it gives me the choice of color or greyscale.

[Buenchico]

Other than calling the phone number I've given you, all I can thik of that I'd do in your situation would be to
(a) uninstall the driver ;
(b) restart the computer ;
(c) download & run CCleaner to get rid of any incorrect registry entries ( https://www.ccleaner.com ) ;
(d) restart the computer in Safe Mode ( https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/help/12376/windows-10-start-your-pc-in-safe-mode ) ;
(e) install the driver in Safe Mode ;
(f) restart Windows normally ;
(g) cross fingers

[SteveD]

Got there in the end!! I'm not sure exactly how but basically, I did parts of the above suggestions including some from the HP Support Community (like the curate's egg - good in parts). We can now print in colour from both PCs on the network. Running the Microsoft Troubleshoot and downloading the driver seemed to clinch it.

[IMG]http://i67.tinypic.com/2088y7k.jpg[/IMG]

[SteveD]

Thanks to all for your help.

[Buenchico]

I'm glad you got there in the end!

Just as an aside, Upl.co is a lot easier to use than Tinypic:
http://upl.co/
(Use the first link offered to you)