QUESTION: I have a Hewlett-Packard Photosmart C6280 All-in-One color printer. I've set the printer's ink setting to "Print in Grayscale -- Black Print Cartridge Only," so in theory I shouldn't be using the printer's colored ink at all.
But the colored ink depletes and needs replacing often. I e-mailed the help desk at HP with this question but it hasn't responded. What can I do?
--Janice Drigans, Fridley, Minn.
ANSWER: The ink gradually evaporates from the color cartridges whether you print with them or not.
While that's irritating, the larger problem with the Photosmart is that a dry color ink cartridge prevents you from printing at all. If you want to print in black and white, the only solution is to buy a new color ink cartridge.
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The HP Support Forum where there are several complaints about this, says the printer could be damaged by running with an empty cartridge.
But if that's true, why was it designed that way? Apparently to make money. Printer manufacturers make little profit on the sale of low-priced printers, and make it up by selling expensive replacement ink cartridges. See a 2009 New York Times article titled "HP Tries to Keep the Ink Flowing."
