MX920 won't print in black and white when color cartridges are empty

[talentetta]

For over a year at least, my color cartridges have been empty, and I haven't had a problem printing or copying in black and white until now. I have an error on the machine that says to replace the 3 color cartridges. I only need black, so how can I work around this error and get back to printing? Recently the lg black 255 was out of ink, but it was still printing fine. I replaced that cartridge with a generic refill, but that hasn't helped. I still get the picture showing arrows to the 3 color cartridges, which are empty. I never printed in color, and yet they all drained down, even though I had grayscale and draft selected.

I am running Windows 10 on a Lenovo Thinkpad.

[Michael]

Hello.

Our inkjet printers will not be able to print if any ink tanks are missing or empty.  Please install new, genuine Canon brand ink tanks to resume printing again.  We cannot guarantee functionality with refilled or third-party ink tanks.

If you continue to have difficulties, find more help at Contact Us.

[chuck1]

I noticed this on my MX920 too.  Must say this is one of the worst design features that I have ever seen.  No advantage to making it impossible to print in grayscale when color ink is empty - even if only 1 of the color inks are empty!  Sure its great from the standpoint of always having to have backup color cartridge$ on hand, just to ensure that I can still print in black and white.  Dumb.  Makes money for the company but with the vast, vast majority of printing done using only the black ink cartridge, this is ridiculous.  The manager or designer who ok'd this design spec should be fired. 

[brucenoel]

I agree with the last person.  The manager who released this feature where the printer won't print in black and white if a color cartridge is empty.  I think I am going to throw away my new MX920.  It isn't worth the agravation.  I am trying to print an important document and the color just ran out and I don't have a refill.  I have all cannon cartridges.  It is a black and white document.  What a disaster.

[dakota1]

I have  to spent $80.00 to replace the yellow color I  never used just to print an email in black?? A really sleazy tactic!!

Good bye Canon hello Epson!!

[tsdragon]

This is truely a sleazy business tactic.  Very dissapointed in Canon for this.  Why should having a color cartridge empty stop black and white printing?

Well now we know Canon would choose $$$ over product qaulity and customer satisfaction/loyalty.

Shame on you Canon.  I will not be buying another Canon product going forward.

[Ceekoke]

You are evil. A child has to print something for a school project in black and white, but can't, because the printer has no pink ink. This is an anxious child. You are evil.

[luvecerviere]

Time to switch to Epson. This is frustrating.

[jhbendigo]

This is disgracefull Canon.  So underhanded by the company and so wasteful resource wise. My colour tanks have been emptied by the cleaning process alone.  I too can no longer print in black and white and I can't scan documents either.  I will never buy Canon again.

[TanToes]

Underhanded like 99% of the business world