ID: I202603181702
Status: idea
Tags: printer

stop wasting printer color ink on black text

Color Mixing

Color mixing is what is used to create Rich Black. But it uses color ink on black text.

Disable color Mixing

This is a Windows guide.

There are 2 ways to fix it:

1. To disable it all together, but this might make some prints that you do care about ugly
2. To make a separate virtual printer that has the right configuration

Disable it all together

Go into the Printer Preferences menu. Now this will look different depending on your printer, since the manufacturer creates this window. But in general it’s the same.

the color tab → print in grayscale → ON

You might also want to check the paper type, since glossy will always use colors.

I’d advice watching this video from 2:50 to 4:00

Virtual printer

In windows 11, go to the settings app → bluetooth & devices → printers & scanners. then click into the printer that you are using, then click printer properties. This will open a menu, look for the ports tab. DO NOT CHANGE ANYTHING HERE. Just take note of which ports are checked in the list of ports. Then go back to the printers & scanners menu and click add device, then wait a second to get the option to add a device manually. In the next window, select Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings. Then in the existing port dropdown, select the one your printer had. (if it had multiple, choose the one you mostly use). Then in the next window, if an driver is auto selected, just press next. And then next window use the driver that is currently installed. Then name it whatever you want HP printer (my grayscaled mode) or something. then click next until it closes the window. Then go back to the printers & scanners menu, select your printer. and there should be a menu with the name you created., click it. And then open Printer Preferences. and do the steps we did at Disable it all together.

I’d advice watching this video from 4:00 to 7:33

Auto Calibration (laser printers)

Auto calibration takes a little bit of all colors. And with some default calibrations, that’ll happen every single day.

How to fix this is going to depend on the brand of the printer.

These settings might be hidden in the web settings, and not in the printer on screen settings.

I’d advice watching this video from 7:30 to 10:00.

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References