Why are the colour inks used when I am printing in black?

Applies To

  • Hardware: Epson inkjet printers
  • Related Articles:
    • KA-01055 (How do I select the 'Black Ink Only' or 'Grayscale' print mode?); FAQ KA-01589 (Print resolution / DPI quality options)

Description

Each Epson inkjet printer produces high-quality prints in both black and colour, via the combination of the print head unit and the ink cartridges used with it. When printing standard black text, the printer normally uses black ink — but even users who mostly print black text will still see colour ink consumed through general use.

When the printer is switched on, or used after a period of inactivity, the print head performs a self-check that prepares the ink and helps keep the ink system lubricated — this uses some ink from the cartridges. Head cleans also use ink from all colours, with the amount depending on how many cleans are performed.

Solution

I'm Selecting 'Black Ink Only' or 'Grayscale' But Colour Ink Is Still Used

The Black, Black Ink Only, and Grayscale driver settings print black text only, in draft mode, or print colours as shades of grey — useful for a "black and white" version of a document that contains colour (web pages, photos, headed letters, flyers).

Black ink usage depends on the paper selection you make — colour inks may still be used if, for example, an Epson Photo Paper setting is selected. Ensure you select the correct Paper Type/Media Type for the document you're printing.

To produce Grayscale (various tones of grey), Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow are mixed in equal proportion; black is used only for mid-tones and shadows. The system can also intelligently mix maximum quantities of Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow to produce a composite black.

Other Driver Settings That Affect Colour Ink Usage

Print Quality — Draft or Economy mode:

  • Draft (or Economy) prints at 180 dpi — half the resolution of the Text quality setting (360 dpi).
  • Low-resolution draft modes can make punctuation and line art harder to read. To improve resolution at top speed, Epson's Claria ink printers use a composite black in Draft mode — a small amount of colour ink mixed with black for better print definition, balancing resolution with low ink density at fast speeds. Higher-quality print modes can achieve pure black text, at the cost of print speed.
  • Accidentally printing a black-and-white document in Photo mode may use some colour ink — make sure the print mode matches the type of document you're printing. See FAQ KA-01589 for the DPI value behind each quality option.

Black Ink Save Mode:

On some Epson printers, a Black Ink Save Mode is available in Windows printer drivers when black ink is low — Epson Status Monitor prompts you with the option to save black ink. Selecting this uses a mix of colour ink to conserve black.

Colour Ink Levels in Status Monitor Appear to Drop Faster Than Black

Ink levels shown in Epson Status Monitor are an estimate — the software doesn't directly measure ink used, but calculates based on the resolution of the print job and the size of the document. The printer itself gives a more accurate indication:

  • When the red/amber Ink light starts flashing, the indicated cartridge is running low (printers with an LCD panel show a corresponding warning). This is a good time to get a replacement ready.
  • When the solid red/amber Ink Out light is displayed, the indicated cartridge is expended (LCD panel printers show an error message or icon). Action to take: obtain a replacement cartridge.
Note: You cannot print using black ink only if a colour cartridge is expended, even if others still have ink — the printer requires all cartridges installed with sufficient ink, to prevent air being drawn into the print head (which could damage the printer). Replace the expended cartridge before printing.

Selecting 'Black Ink Only' or 'Grayscale' Yourself

To print in "black," select the Black Ink Only, Grayscale, or Black print mode option in your printer driver. See FAQ KA-01055: How Do I Select the 'Black Ink Only' or 'Grayscale' Print Mode? for the exact steps.

Note: Ink yield varies considerably based on images printed, print settings, paper type, frequency of use, and temperature. A variable amount of ink remains in the cartridge after the "replace cartridge" indicator activates, for print-quality reasons. Printers ship with full cartridges, and part of the ink in the first set is used to prime the printer — the same amount will not be taken from subsequent cartridges.