I misplaced my owners manual so I do not know what the number is for the black and white ink cartridge for Lexmark X2600. Can someone help?

The Lexmark X2600 requires both cartridges to have ink in them to continue printing, even if your printing in "black and white". To print true black, you actually use some of the color ink. , Leaving the color cartridge empty or dry isn't good for the printer. It can lead to poor print quality issues.

Lexmark is a company with a simple model: sell the printers cheap and ink expensive. Many brand name cartridges have little sensors that trip when it's empty. This paired with software that tells cartridges to expire after they reach a certain amount of time.
The X2600 is especially made to sell ink. As I'm sure you know, she won't print unless she has a color cartridge.
If you paid someone to do this, they should have known #14 & #15 inks (the one's the x2600 takes) auto expire after a given amount of time. Because of this a newer cartridge may refill just fine and suddenly, once it passes the "expiration date" the cartridge just shuts down.
There are sophisticated hacks were you modify your print software and OS registry to ignore such things but you may be happier just buying the refill cartridge.
I know, it's unfair! Lexmark covered their bases on that one too. Like most companies, the terms you agreed to when you installed the printer and the manual include a commitment to only use Lexmark brand refills and not to refill cartridges as it "may damage your printer."
Here's a good article that addresses the issue in more detail.
Hope this helps!

Perhaps the Lexmark X2600 User's Guide will be able to help you. To download it, click on this link: http://www.lexmark.com/publications/pdfs/2007/2600/v7649663_en.pdf. Scroll to Removing used print cartridges, Page 45, for instructions on how to replace print cartridges.

In some cases, the ink cartridge carrier won't position itself in the middle even when the printer is on and the cover is open. Just unplug the printer from the power source. With the cover open, hold the white tape in the middle inside the printer. The other end of it is connected to the carrier. Gently slide the carrier to the center. Load the cartridges. Close the cover. Plug the printer back to power source. Hope this helps.

Are you using a factory new ink cartridge?
If you are using a refilled or third party cartridge that may well be your problem. Most manufacturers build logic into their products to prevent the use of “Other Equipment Manufactured” cartridges as well as re-filled cartridges.
They do this to prevent problems from contaminated inks causing problems with print quality or damaging the physical printhead.
Don

Hi MikeC,

Most of the time this is due to the black cartridge being out of ink. The Lexmark uses all the colors to create black when the black ink cartridge runs out, but won't let you print black because it is essentially saving ink.

Hope that's the reason and it isn't the printer failing. Good luck! :)

The X2600 uses a #14 or #14a black cartridge.

Color cartridge is #15 or #15a.

Photo cartridge is #31.

Thanks for using Fixya.

To get your printer to recognize the new cartridge; go to start - printer and faxes -right click on printer - preferences (printing preferences) -settings -load factory settings. Print test page Ctrl+P

you may check your only black ink cartridge

longer time less using cause ink chanel(holes) dryer, could not print out even refilled.you may take out the ink cartridge and put it's surface of bottom (just touch ) in the clean water 1 -2 Hrs, then set back and test it. still not fixed, you also need to do same thing if your print head is separated from your ink cartridge

when you print black document the printer should only withdraw black ink,or you have go back to computer to tellthem print black and white, How? when you click print the screen will show out printer setting box ,you can find the option over there.

if your document only black and white , the machine only use black ink, no going withdraw the color ink. but you have had to leaved the full color ink in the machine.