ImageCLASS MF744 Cdw - Can you still print in Black & White if all Color Toners are empty?

[jlaroche]

I'm looking into purchasing an ImageCLASS MF744Cdw printer to replace a Ricoh AIO we are not satisfied with. Despite having a high capacity black toner cartridge with plenty of ink, we have to fight with our printer to print in B&W if even one of the color toner cartridges is empty. To make things worse, we live in an area where getting replacement cartridges for the printer is very difficult.

And here is our issue:
We've read a lot of material on this MF744Cdw and it seems like a great printer, BUT we need to be absolutely certain we don't end up in the same situation. We want to know for sure if you can easily print in Black and White if the Black toner cartridge is full and any (or all) of the color toners are empty.

I hope someone can please help because I called Canon sales last night and talked to 3 people who couldn't answer the question, then got transferred to an "expert" and was waiting on hold FOR AN HOUR.

Thanks in advance.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

In most cases, I am inclined to say no.  Here's why.

Printing in B&W doesn't mean that only black ink or toner will be used.  The definition of black is the presence of all colors.  White is the absence of all colors. 

If you want to ensure you can always print in black, buy a monochrome (non color) printer.  If you need to print both color and B&W, you'll need to have ink or toners available should one or the other become depleted.  In general, this true for all manufacturers, not just Canon.  

[Iconoclast · Accepted solution]

I just typed a long reply & it erased itself?!  short answer probably YES. preset to 'B&W only printing.' get nag screen warning quality & must select print anyway. I have ImageClass MF 634Cdw

[BePositive]

Unfortunately, the ACCEPTED SOLUTION post is not accurate.  The ImageClass MF series printers, when one or more color catridges gets low, will allow you for a short time to continue to print in Black and White if you: 1) tap the message on the printer's little screen "Continue Printing (Quality Not Guaranteed)" and 2) select Black and White in the print window on the computer.  However, eventually the printer will take itself offline ("Offline" will appear next to the printer's name in the print window and in your list of printers. There is nothing to do at that stage but pony up for replacement cartridges.  By the way, the old trick of shaking the depleted cartridge and putting it back in doesn't fool this machine.

[Iconoclast]

@ BePositive,

I will assume you are correct.

In 2021, when I ran out of one of my color toner cartridges (despite rarely printing in color)
I was able to print in B&W as described above.

I do not print often & a week or so later I installed replacement color toner cartridges. So, based on your reply, I probably skated by, b4 the Canon would have refused to print.

I think a Canon rep told me that every time you print in B&W… You use a small amount of all 3 color toners.

This seems extremely wasteful to me since supposedly, toners do not dry out.

[BePositive]

It seems to be an open question whether any particular printer uses its color cartridges in the production of black text.  I must have first heard this postulated around the time color inkjet printers appeared.

For decades after I began working in offices in the late 1970's, large cabinet printers using only black, powdered toner were the only option available.  Most business and government offices didn't have a need for color and still don't.  The reason some offices started buying desktop printers was so folks could print their own letters and file copies without having to leave their offices and walk down the hallway to the big machine that remains for big, fast, collated print jobs.

Considering the history of black toner machines, and the fact that Canon and others manufacture B&W desktop printers which still use only a single black ink cartridge, I wonder if the need to add a bit of color to produce B&W copies isn't a myth.

[Iconoclast]

I almost never use color & don't even print often in Black.

I now have 40% remaining Black & only 50% remaining of each color!

I will search for a setting that says print only in Black. So I can change it back to color in the rare instance where I want color.