Fix Microsoft Word Printing Color Images in Black and White
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where Microsoft Word prints color images in grayscale, despite the printer having sufficient ink and functioning correctly.
- Product
- Microsoft Word
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Printing a document containing color images after a Microsoft 365 subscription reactivation.
- Observed behavior
- Images appear in full color on the screen but are printed in black and white or grayscale. Meanwhile, the printer diagnostic page prints in color without issues.
Ensure your printer has sufficient color ink and verify that it can successfully print in color from other non-Office applications, such as your web browser or a PDF reader.
Adjust Printer Properties in Word Print Settings
The most common reason for this issue is that the specific printer profile selected within Microsoft Word defaults to grayscale or black-and-white printing.
Printer settings can sometimes revert to default configurations after an Office update or subscription reactivation. Adjusting the Paper/Quality settings directly from the Word print menu forces the software to communicate the correct color profile to your printer.
Click on 'File' in the top-left corner of Microsoft Word, then select 'Print' from the left-hand sidebar.
Under the selected printer name, click the 'Printer Properties' link to open your specific printer's configuration dialog.
In the new dialog box, look for a tab named 'Paper/Quality', 'Color', or 'Features' (the exact name varies by printer brand).
Ensure that the 'Color' option is explicitly selected instead of 'Black & White' or 'Grayscale'. Click 'OK' to save the settings and print your document.
Verify Advanced Word Printing Options
Microsoft Word has built-in advanced print configurations that might restrict printing quality or strip images to save processing power and ink.
Print Your Documents Flawlessly with WPS Office
If Microsoft Word continues to struggle with your printer drivers or overrides your color settings, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a reliable, seamless alternative that perfectly communicates with your printer to ensure that what you see on the screen is exactly what you get on paper.
- 1. Download and Install: Get WPS Office for free from the official website and install it on your computer.
- 2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and simply open the existing .docx file that contains your color images.
- 3. Print in Color: Click 'Menu' > 'Print', verify your printer's color settings, and hit print to easily get your document in full color.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my document look colorful in Print Preview but print in black and white?
This discrepancy usually happens because the underlying printer driver properties are overriding Word's visual settings. Accessing 'Printer Properties' directly within the Word Print menu to ensure the 'Color' setting is actively selected will normally fix this issue.
How can I tell if the printing issue is caused by Microsoft Word or my printer?
You can easily isolate the problem by trying to print a color image or webpage from a completely different application, such as your internet browser or a PDF reader. If it prints in color successfully elsewhere, the issue is strictly isolated to Microsoft Word.
Does checking 'Print background colors and images' fix this grayscale issue?
Checking this option in Word's Display options primarily resolves missing page background colors and background shapes. If standard inserted images (like JPEGs or PNGs) are printing in grayscale, the issue is more likely related to your printer properties or having 'Use draft quality' enabled.
Can an outdated printer driver cause Word to print only in grayscale?
Yes. Sometimes, updating or reactivating Microsoft 365 can cause unexpected communication bugs with older printer drivers. Updating your printer driver to the latest version directly from the manufacturer's website can restore full color printing capabilities.
