Printer won't print in color

In the app's print window, select your printer and click Printer properties, Preferences or Properties. Look for a setting such as Color, Color mode, Grayscale or Black ink only, often on the main tab or a Color or Advanced tab, and set it to color.

Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners (Windows 10: Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners), select the printer and open Printing preferences. Turn grayscale off and click Apply, so new jobs start in color.

In PowerPoint, the last setting on the File > Print page should say Color, not Grayscale or Pure Black and White. In Excel, click Page Setup on the print page and untick Black and white on the Sheet tab. In Word, if page colors or shading are missing, tick Print background colors and images in File > Options > Display.

In Adobe Acrobat Reader's print window, untick Print in grayscale (black and white). In a browser, check the color setting in the print preview, which can stay on black and white from an earlier job.

Open Printer properties > Advanced and look at the Driver name. A driver meant for a black-and-white model, or Generic / Text Only, can only print in black. Install the color driver for your exact model from Windows Update or the manufacturer's official website.

Press Command + P. Depending on your macOS version and printer, you may see a Black & White checkbox or switch; turn it off. Then open the printer's own option sections in the print window (on older macOS, the menu that shows the app's name) and set any color mode or grayscale setting to color.

A saved preset can include black and white. Choose Default Settings in the Presets menu, or correct the setting and save the preset again.

Office apps and Adobe Acrobat Reader have their own grayscale or black and white options in the print window or Page Setup. Turn them off as described for Windows.

In System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the printer and check its details. A generic PostScript or PCL driver may print in black only. Remove the printer and add it again with AirPrint or the model's own driver in the Use menu.

Check ink or toner levels on the printer's screen, its built-in web page or the maker's app. Some printers carry on in black only when a color cartridge is empty, missing or not recognized, so replace or reseat it and clear any message.

If prints have some color but look wrong, print a nozzle check or print quality report from the printer's maintenance menu. Gaps in one color mean clogged nozzles, which one or two cleaning cycles usually clear.

Shared and office printers can limit color by user or require a code, and some have a menu setting that forces black-only output. At work, ask your IT administrator; at home, check the printer's menu and manual.