Trying to print documents, white background with black typed words. Problem I have is the printed documents have solid dark blue and solid black ink and the words don't show.

Try resetting word to factory settings to clear all the settings, Then make a new document and type whatever you want with the font size you require, save then print, see what happens.

Perform the head cleaner mantenace menu and feed roller cleaner then make a test print.

Normal printer ink does not print white - it does every other color, just not white - if you really need white printing, you should contact a professional printing company, they can generate white printing,

Setting the font type color in a Microsoft Office Word document to black will ensure that the document prints the text in black. However, if there are images, graphics or photographs within the document, they will more than likely print in color or hued colors similar to black. To ensure that the entire document prints solely in black ink, you must set the color settings on your individual printer to black-and-white

Instructions:
1.Click "File" and then "Print." To open the print dialogue box using keyboard commands, press "CTRL" and "P" simultaneously.
2.Select the printer you are using at the top of the dialogue box under "Printer" and "Name."
3.Click the "Properties" button next to the selected printer. The dialogue box that appears is different for all users, as it depends on the type of printer being used.
4.Click on a tab, button or selection box indicating "Color." Most options include high-quality color, grayscale and black cartridge only. Choosing grayscale will print the document using various shades of gray and other tones such as blue or green that match the actual hues in the document visible on the screen. A photo or picture that may look black or gray could actually have blue undertones. To print purely in black and white with no undertones, you must select either "black cartridge" or "black and white only."
5.Select "OK" to return to the Microsoft Word printer dialogue box. Press the "Print" button to print the black-and-white document.

I hope you find it very helpful. Thanks.

The black ink produces dark images while color ink produces multicoloered images. Once pictures that appear in color on the computers word documents are dispensed for printing, the color ink makes possible requests. It is impossible to request black charaters from colored ink on the printer.

Inkjet printer inks are dye-based, and that's the reason.

Perhaps this will help explain things. You know those little boxes of food colouring you can buy in the supermarket - the ones that have four little bottles of colour - red, blue, yellow and green. Within reason you can combine these to turn white icing into most colours. Use nothing and the icing is still white or use everything and the icing will go a black-brown colour. Use a couple of drops of red and blue and you'll get purple.

But if you start with black icing, there's nothing you can add that will make it anything but black.

It's the same with your inkjet printer - because white is obtained by not having any ink print on the white paper. But of course that only works when the paper is white. Naturally you'll get different results on all colours of paper, decreasing as the paper gets darker in colour. Print blue on yellow paper and you should get green printing.

The only way to print in white is to do what commercial printers do - use opaque inks and include a white ink in the process. And as far as I know there's no commercial ink that will do that with an inkjet printer.

I can hear lots of you muttering "Rubbish. Of course you can print light colours on dark paper." Well all I can say is, have fun experimenting, but you won't be able to do it.

About the only way to achieve the sort of result you may be after is to print the job then trim it and paste it in place. For instance, if you want to print onto a black or dark-coloured T-shirt then print onto white transfer material, trim the print to size and iron it in place.

Yes you can but it's called setting the print color to "black and white" only. This way the solid black page will be just a very light gray and uses less ink.

To change the print color to "black and white", go to your printer icon in Control panel and right click on your primary printer (the one that is on default). Next click the button "printing preferences" or click on the tab that says the same. Click on the tab that says paper / quality and choose the "PRINT BLACK OR WHITE" option.

That should help you save your black printing problems.

Let me know if this worked for you ok?

The problem that you are experiencing is caused by the way the text is formatted in most word processing documents. By default envelopes are printed not in black, but a dark gray. This confuses the printer and causes it to use the color cartridge to process gray instead of using the black cartridge.

You can fix this problem with one of two ways:

1. Click on "Start", "Control Panel" and click on "Printers and Faxes." Right click on the "Lexmark Printer" icon and select "Properties." Click on "Printing Preferences." Go to "Quality/Copies" tab and select the option "Print color images in black and white."
2. You can also change the color of you text to a true black in your word processor. This will require you to resort to the word processor's documentation and help files.

Both of these settings will cause your printer to use the black cartridge instead of the color. If either one of these solutions solves your problem, it means your color cartridge needs to be cleaned or replaced. If you feel that the color cartridge should not be out of ink, please follow the steps given below:

Clean Nozzle Procedure:

1. Go to the "Solution Center" and click on the "Maintenance" tab.
2. Select "Clean to fix horizontal strips."
The colors that you should see here are black, yellow, magenta (a reddish purple) and cyan (a dark sky blue). You should notice the diagonal lines above and below the solid horizontal lines. These diagonal lines should be solid from left to right with no gaps.

If there are gaps in the lines or the print diminishes across the page, you should run the "Clean Print Nozzles" page a couple more times to try and clear it up. If you still have gaps at the top and bottom, you should "wick" the cartridges by following the steps given below:

“Wicking” Procedure:

1. Select "Install color/black cartridge" and remove the cartridge from the printer.
2. Get a damp paper towel.
3. Set the ink cartridge right side up on the damp paper towel so that the ink nozzles are against the towel and hold the cartridge in this position for about 15 seconds.
4. Now wipe the print head (on the bottom where the ink comes out) across in one direction only (left to right) until it looks clean.
5. Next dab the cartridge on the towel to make sure that the ink is flowing.
6. Snap the cartridge back into the printer.
7. On your computer, select "Old Cartridge installed."
8. Repeat the "Clean to fix horizontal strips" procedure listed above.

If this procedure does not help, please let us know so that we can continue with technical support.

The problem you are experiencing is caused by the way the text is formatted in most word processing documents. By default envelopes are printed not in black, but a dark gray. This confuses the printer and causes it to use the color cartridge to process gray instead of using the black cartridge. You can fix this problem with one of 2 ways.
Please select the "Black" only option following the steps given below:
1. Click on "Start," "Control Panel" and click on "Printers and Faxes."
2. Right click on the "Lexmark printer icon" and select "Properties."
3. Select "Printing Preferences," click on the "Quality/Copies" tab and choose "Print Color images in Black and White."
4. Select "OK."
You can also change the color of your text to a true black in your word processor. This will require you to resort to the word processor's documentation and help files.
Both of these settings will cause your printer to use the black cartridge instead of the color. If either one of these solutions solves your problem, it means your color cartridge needs to be cleaned or replaced. If you feel that the color cartridge should not be out of ink please try the following:
1. Go to the "Lexmark solution center." This can be done by clicking on "Start," go to "Programs" and Lexmark printer group. Click on the "Lexmark Solution center." Next click on the "Maintenance" Tab.
2. Select "Clean and Fix Horizontal streaks." This will produce a printed page.
The colors that you should see here are black, yellow, magenta (a reddish purple) and cyan (a dark sky blue). You should notice the diagonal lines above and below the solid horizontal lines. These diagonal lines should be solid from left to right with no gaps.
If there are gaps in the lines or the print diminishes across the page, you should run the "Clean Print Nozzle" page a couple more times to try and clear it up. If you still have gaps at the top and bottom, you should "wick" the cartridges by following the steps given below:
1. Please open the "Solution center" again and go to the "Maintenance" Tab.
2. Select "Install color/black cartridge" and remove the cartridge or cartridges from the printer.
3. Get a damp paper towel.
4. Set the ink cartridge right side up on the damp paper towel so that the ink nozzles are against the towel and hold the cartridge in this position for about 15 seconds.
5. Now wipe the print head (on the bottom where the ink comes out) across in one direction only (left to right) until it looks clean.
6. Next dab the cartridge on the towel to make sure that the ink is flowing.
7. Snap the cartridges back into the printer.
8. On your computer, select "Old Cartridge install."
9. Repeat the "Clean Nozzle Page" one more time. If this fails to address the problem the entire procedure may need repeating.

This may sound a bit dumb, but believe me as a tech support specialist, I have seen it happen. If you are trying to print a document, what color do you have set for text? I had a lady who wanted the text to be white on blue on the screen in Word and instead of setting it with a blue background and "auto" text, she set the text as white. White print on a white background (paper) doesn't show up...:-)