How can I get my HP 6500a plus printer to PERMANENTLY default to black printing? I am needlessly using too much color and the default setting is only for a single document.

This could be your default print settings telling the printer to use mono all the time. Go into control panel or Devices and Printers, get the printer queue up, or the settings if you can remember where they are (i forgot!), click Printer then click properties. In the option tabs at the top, if it's the correct driver for the printer you should find an option under general called Preferences. Click this and you should find the default settings for the printer including paper sizes and colour/mono printing modes.

Hope this helps?

Hi,
For print cartridge errors you may try following the article: Print Cartridge Errors. However, since they are refilled ink cartridges HP cannot guarantee that they will work correctly.
Can I Refill The Ink In My HP Ink Cartridge?
Don't forgot to say thanks by giving "Kudos" to those that help solve your problems.

Read More Help... HP Printer Support

You can usually can only alter or darken a print colour from the software program (i.e. Word), then send your document to the printer.

Simple, turn on your HP OJ 6500A printer and open top cover...carriage should move to cartridge access position. If not, then the service station may be in the way or the PRINTHEAD assembly is not properly locked down causing an error condition. Power supply could also cause this kind of failure.

For information on North American ink refill services (i.e. HP920 and HP920XL ink cartridges) at a major retailer near you (should you wish to save ~50% on ink costs), general printing problem resolutions or advanced HP Officejet 6500, 6500A, 6500A Plus, 7000 and 7500A printer diagnosis procedures (advanced cartridge diagnostic tests/cartridge error bypass & printer reset methods, etc.), please visit Inkjet411: http://www.inkjet411.com

Hi,
As you said that you have already cleaned the print heads it could be the contacts inside the printer has gone bad. Its suggested by HP that if you get any error regarding the print head you should contact them and they will replace the printer. Please do so. Thanks.

you can only print from an ipad using the airprint app if you have one of these printers read more about it here http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/airprint.html

• HP Envy e-All-in-One series (D410a)
• HP Photosmart Plus e-AiO (B210a)
• HP Photosmart Premium e-AiO (C310a)
• HP Photosmart Premium Fax e-AiO (C410a)
• HP Photosmart e-AiO (D110)
• HP Photosmart eStation (C510)
• HP LaserJet Pro M1536dnf Multifunction Printer
• HP LaserJet Pro CM1415fn Color Multifunction Printer
• HP LaserJet Pro CM1415fnw Color Multifunction Printer
• • HP LaserJet Pro CP1525n Color Printer
  • HP LaserJet Pro CP1525nw Color Printer
  • HP Officejet 6500A e-AiO
  • HP Officejet 6500A Plus e-AiO
  • HP Officejet 7500A Wide Format e-AiO
  • HP Officejet Pro 8500A e-AiO
  • HP Officejet Pro 8500A Premium e-AiO
  • HP Officejet Pro 8500A Plus e-AiO

On your PC, what is the default setting for this printer. Check in the printer and accessories of Windows.
The paper size might be defaulted to A4 rather than Letter. That mismatch would cause the printer to
error out every time.

In Printer driver ( control Panel / Printers,) has default Printer config. Change in Priting Pref. From Automatic to Black/White options and change to use only Black.

Bronze, hopefully this is a logical issue: Assuming you're on WinXP > Go to Start>Control Panels>Printers (and faxes).
Find the printer in question in the list (maybe there's only one or 2 listed) and 'Right-click' on the icon > go down to "Printing Preferences" (about second/third down the list).
In here you will be able to set the printers default settings. I'm not 100% familiar with HPs printing dialog, but there maybe a setting there for either 'Black & White' and 'Grayscale' (albeit it should be greyscale, anyway...) if you choose black and white your printing will not have any mid-tone, so if there's a choise, choose 'Grayscale'.
You can set other features here which will become the new default each time you go to print something - personally I set to 'Draft' or 'Fast Draft' mode by default, that way when I just print out rubbish, I am saving "lots" of ink and if I want something in good quality, I change it at time of printing.
Now, there are some programs and files that "remember" you last print settings, so if you've used a colour print setting previously, that file may still pring in colour, even though the new defaults are mono (black & white). So, print using the new defaults and save the file when finished. It's unlikely the case with OpenOffice, but, I don't know. We'll tackle that as we get to it.
So, if that has not cured the problem, please let me know.

**.The best way to acknowledge contribution is to rate it's relevance.**

1. Go to START>PRINTERS AND FAXES
2. Right-click on your printer and choose "Printing Preferences".
3. Choose the Color tab and set it to "Print in grayscale"
4. You can also set it to use the b&w cartridge only for true black & white prints.