Why Is My Epson Printer Not Printing Color? Complete Fix Guide!

Why is my Epson printer not printing color? Is this something that’s currently bugging you? We have the answers!

You can see that the prints coming out from your Epson printer is not in color or not the one you intended them to be.

If this is your experience, you can say that there is an issue with the ink delivery. That’s why your prints are only different shades of gray rather than colored.

The first culprits are low ink levels and blocked nozzles that do not allow the ink to flow out. You will need to check your ink levels and clean the print head to solve this problem. You also want to make sure that Color is the setting in your printer software rather than Black/Grayscale or Grayscale.

Let’s look at the causes of this problem so you can take the necessary steps later to fix it and start printing in color.

Why Is My Epson Printer Not Printing Color

The problem really stems from ink not being able to flow through the nozzles properly.

Whether you have ink left in the tank or some crusted on the print head, if it’s not flowing, it’s not coming out onto the paper.

It could also be the print software not detecting your hardware properly.

Here are the problems you will face once your printer stops printing in color.

1. Low Ink Levels

Even if there are a few drops left in the tank, the software can stop ink delivery. It will allow you to replace it, so it does not disrupt your work.

2. Blocked Nozzles

The holes on the nozzles are small that a piece of dust or dirt can effectively stop the flow of ink.

There will be no way for the ink to flow, and you’ll be greeted with monochrome prints until you get it cleaned.

3. Dried Up Ink

If you have not used your printer for a while, ink can dry up and block the flow. Make sure to print every now and then to ensure that this does not happen.

4. Software Settings

Printer settings can affect the way your prints come out. Set them wrong, and you’ll deal with prints that are not in the right colors.

5. Outdated Drivers

Your printer relies on drivers to communicate back and forth with the computer. If these are not updated, it can read the wrong signals and print a with a different or no color.

How to Fix Epson Printer Not Printing Colors Correctly

Now that you know the sources of this problem, you can take the necessary steps to correct it.

The first thing you want to do is restart your printer. The issue can be temporary, and rebooting your printer should flush it out.

In case that does not do the trick and you’re still asking why is my Epson printer not printing the right color, here are the next steps you need to take.

Solution #1: Check the Ink Levels and Replace the Ink

One of the first things you will suspect if your Epson printer stops printing color is that it has run out of ink.

Luckily, you can quickly check the ink levels on your computer to confirm. You will not need to open up your printer to determine how much ink you have left.

Here’s how to check the ink levels of your printer using the software:

1. Go to your Printers & scanners setting on your computer.
2. Select your printer from the list.
3. Open the Maintenance tab.
4. Click on the Epson Status Monitor 3 button.
5. You can see the approximate ink levels.

Note: The software will notify you if your ink cartridges need replacing.

Here’s how to replace your ink cartridges:

1. Open the printer cover.
2. Push the ink replacement button on your printer.
3. Lift the cartridge clamp and remove the cartridge.
4. Replace the cartridge and push the clamps down.
5. Close the printer cover.

Note: You must not move the print head by hand as this can cause damage to your printer.

Solution #2: Clean the Print Head Using the Utility

The next thing that you will have to look at is a dirty or clogged print head and nozzles.

You don’t have to do it manually since Epson comes with a cleaning tool that you can use. All it takes is a few clicks and sheets of paper to restore your printer’s color performance.

Here are the steps on how to clean your printer’s print head and nozzles:

1. Load a couple of sheets of paper into the tray.
2. Open the printer software on your computer.
3. Go to Utility.
4. Select Head Cleaning.
5. Click on Print Nozzle Check Pattern to start the process.

Tip: If the color quality has not improved, we recommend repeating the process up to 4 or 5 more times.

Solution #3: Set Your Printer Setting to Color

If you checked that your ink cartridges contain sufficient ink and the print heads are clean, you want to look at your printer’s settings.

Your printer has a switch that enables it to print in color or not. It’s possible that this setting has changed and is set to only print in black or grayscale.

Here’s how to set your printer setting to print in color:

1. Go to your printer’s properties in your print settings.
2. On the Main tab, look for the Color setting.
3. Select Color.
4. Click on OK to save your changes.

Tip: The Basic Settings dialog box will also pop up before performing a print job. Make sure to double-check this if you’re printing a photo or colored document.

Solution #4: Use The Color Management Options

If your printer now starts to print in color but is not the same as what appears on the screen, you face a setting issue that you can quickly fix.

Epson’s software comes with color management options that do exactly this. Your prints will not be 100% the colors you choose on screen, but with this feature, you can get as close as possible.

Here’s how to use the color management options for better prints:

1. Select a document or photo to print.
2. Click on your printer, and select Properties.
3. Choose Custom as the mode and click on Advanced.
4. Click on ICM under the Color Management tab.
5. Select Driver ICM (Basic) or Driver ICM (Advanced).

Note: Try these two options to find out which one works best for your prints.

Solution #5: Reinstall the Printer Driver on Your Computer

If none of these steps work, your last resort is to reinstall the printer driver on your computer. Your printer needs this piece of software so it can function optimally.

A symptom of an outdated driver is color prints do not come out the way you expect them to be.

Here’s how to reinstall your printer’s driver:

1. Go to Epson’s official website.
2. Download the Epson Connect Printer Setup Utility.
3. Open the file to start the installation process.
4. Select your printer from the list.
5. Choose Printer Registration and click on Next.

Pro Tip: You don’t need to uninstall your current software as this will automatically update it.

Doing these steps should help you resolve this particular problem. You can always contact Epson’s customer support so they can help you if you are already experiencing hardware issues and your printer needs repair or replacement.

Read Next: How to Connect Epson Projector to WiFi?

Bottom Line

Now that you know the answer to why is my Epson printer not printing color, you can follow this guide to get rid of the problem.

These are all quick fixes that you can perform in minutes so you can start printing your photos or important color documents.