Printing Problems

How to Fix HP 7301 Printing Black and White Instead of Color in Word on Mac

Maira Mehtab Sep 28, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to fix an issue where their HP 7301 printer refuses to print in color and only outputs in black and white when printing from Microsoft Word on a Mac.

Product: Microsoft Word for Mac, HP 7301 Printer
Device & OS: macOS
Scenario: Attempting to print a color document from Microsoft Word on a Mac computer.
Observed behavior: The printed document comes out in grayscale or black and white, completely missing all color elements present in the digital file.

Before you start

Before changing software settings, verify that your HP 7301 printer has sufficient color ink in its tanks and that a simple photocopy directly from the printer bed yields color output.

Solution 1Recommended

Disable Grayscale Settings in the macOS Print Dialog

The most common cause for this issue is a previously saved preset or a default setting in the Mac print dialog that forces grayscale printing.

macOS remembers your last used print settings. If you previously printed a document in black and white to save ink, that setting might still be active for your current Microsoft Word document.

Open the Print Menu

With your document open in Microsoft Word, click on 'File' in the top menu bar and select 'Print', or press Command + P on your keyboard.

Expand Print Settings

If the print dialog is collapsed, click the 'Show Details' button at the bottom to reveal all available printer options.

Adjust Color Options

Click on the dropdown menu in the center (often labeled 'Copies & Pages' or 'Word Features') and select 'Printer Features' or 'Color/Quality'. Ensure that the 'Print in Grayscale' or 'Black & White' option is unchecked or set to 'Off'.

Print the Document

Click the 'Print' button to test the color output. If it prints correctly, you can save this configuration as a new preset from the Presets dropdown.

Save as Default: Saving your newly adjusted color settings as a 'Default Preset' will prevent you from having to manually uncheck grayscale every time you print.

Solution 2

Perform Printer Maintenance and Clean Printheads

If software settings are correct but color is still missing, the physical printheads in your HP 7301 may be clogged or dry.

Solution 3

Update or Reinstall the HP Printer Driver

Outdated or corrupted printer drivers can disrupt communication between Microsoft Word and macOS, limiting available printing features.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Seamless Color Printing on Mac

If Microsoft Word continues to struggle with printer communication or persistently defaults to grayscale, consider using WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible environment to handle your documents and ensures a reliable connection to your Mac's print dialog.

1. Install WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office suite for your Mac.
2. Open Your Document: Launch WPS Writer and seamlessly open your existing .docx file without losing any formatting.
3. Print in Color: Press Cmd + P to open the stable print dialog, confirm your color settings, and print successfully.

Completely free and lightweight office suite optimized for Mac users.Perfect formatting compatibility with Microsoft Word documents (.docx).Stable, native macOS print interface to ensure accurate color output every time.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my HP printer only print in black and white when the ink is full?

This usually happens because the print driver settings on your Mac have defaulted to 'Grayscale' or 'Black & White' to save ink. It can also occur if the color printheads are severely clogged, even if the ink tanks are full.

How do I make color printing the default setting on my Mac?

Open a document, press Cmd + P to open the Print menu, and disable the grayscale setting. Then, click the 'Presets' dropdown menu, select 'Save Current Settings as Preset', name it 'Color Printing', and choose it as your default for future jobs.

Can an outdated macOS version affect my printing capabilities?

Yes. Apple regularly updates its native print architecture (AirPrint). If your macOS version is heavily outdated, it may struggle to communicate properly with modern HP drivers, leading to missing features like color options.

Document & File Issues