Epson NX430 printer requires colored cartridges to print black and white?

[johnjohn320]

My girlfriend was having printer issues, which I helped her to resolve. But then, the printer announces that "Yellow ink" is running low. No worries, she's just printing a paper, so I'll tell it to print grayscale. It won't let me. Just keeps giving the error message that "Yellow" is empty, so it won't print with black ink. Google lead me to this:

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?infoType=FAQ&oid=183404&foid=194087

Q:

How do I print in black/grayscale only?
A:

Open a document, then follow the steps below for your operating system to select Black/Grayscale or Grayscale in the printer driver.

Note:
To keep the print head clear and ready to print, the printer uses a small amount of ink from all the cartridges whenever it prints. Even if you select Black/Grayscale or Grayscale, some color ink is still being used.

Ok...a little silly, but there's got to be a way to override it, right? Ah, here we go:

http://support.epson-europe.com/onlineguides/en/sx420_425/html/ink_3.htm

Except, that only works up through model 420. 430, being the more advanced printer, is now shittier for not having that option. We have to go buy a new yellow cartridge if we want to print a black and white document.

Wtf is with this? It's 2015, I can't tell a printer to print black text with black ink?

 

[Cerb]

Wtf is with this? It's 2015, I can't tell a printer to print black text with black ink?

That's been standard behavior for inkjets for awhile, now.

If you need to use an inkjet, you need to have all the cartridges installed and not empty. If you need to print B&W, an inkjet is not a good choice (a cheap laser from Brother, Lexmark, Samsung, or Canon should do the trick, with Brothers having the lowest consumable costs).

 

[johnjohn320]

Thanks for the recommendation; think we'll probably go laser for the next printer, then. In the meantime, why has this become "standard behavior" for inkjets? If the 420 was capable of it (not to mention printers dating back decades), why is it now necessary on the 430 to have yellow ink to print black text?

 

[mikeymikec]

Inkjets run in to problems if ink dries in undesirable places. If a cartridge is left empty, then that is almost guaranteed to happen.

If an inkjet allowed the user to print if say yellow was empty, a tonne of users would think it was a great idea not to bother buying yellow (assuming that their main concern was printing black), then they would complain when they want to use yellow and it no longer works.

Furthermore, inkjets do a lot of cleaning cycles automatically which typically involve squirting ink through the heads to clear blockages. That wouldn't work too well if a cartridge was empty.

Also, a colour printer creates greyscale by combining the colours (I don't know how a mono laser does it).

 

[Cerb]

Also, a colour printer creates greyscale by combining the colours (I don't know how a mono laser does it).

Inkjets and lasrers both use a black cartridge. On color inkjets, the colors are printed over black/gray, to give them some use, to help keep them clean. Older ones would allow a B&W override, but that has largely gone away.

 

[corkyg]

After noting Cerb's wise comment, I ran a quick test on my HP Deskjet 6980. I removed the color cartridge and it printed just fine with the Black cart. BTW, for gray scale, there is a gray ink cart for Photos. (CB264A)

I guess there is some advantage in not using the latest and greatest.

 

[rksj0000]

Keep in mind that the HP printer that you took the color cartridge out of most likely has the print head integrated into the cartridge. If the print head is not in the cartridge then the printer must maintain it since it is a permanent part of the printer.

 

[Burpo]

I'm using the NX-430 a lot since my HP is down, and I buy these reman cartridges. These are excellent quality and last like OEM's. Price is right, & have had 0 issues so far..

http://www.ebay.com/itm/262339914519?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[corkyg]

Keep in mind that the HP printer that you took the color cartridge out of most likely has the print head integrated into the cartridge. If the print head is not in the cartridge then the printer must maintain it since it is a permanent part of the printer.

Exactly correct. That is one of the main reasons I use HP.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Thanks for the recommendation; think we'll probably go laser for the next printer, then. In the meantime, why has this become "standard behavior" for inkjets? If the 420 was capable of it (not to mention printers dating back decades), why is it now necessary on the 430 to have yellow ink to print black text?

Because all inkjet printers print an invisible watermark on everything you print, identifying the printer that printed it. (So that documents are traceable.)

 

[PliotronX]

Because all inkjet printers print an invisible watermark on everything you print, identifying the printer that printed it. (So that documents are traceable.)

I know color laser printers do this but inkjet printers are so terrible at stenography particularly on normal stock paper I don't think they do this.

 

[jhansman]

My Canon Pixma AIO uses magenta when printing text, even though it also has two black carts. Go figure. I don't suppose they do that to sell more ink, do they? Just askin'...