Is it true? Does lexmark really want your money this bad???

[Exahertz]

I just had a conversation with a gentelmen over at Lexmark.
Seems that you MUST have two ink cartrages in order to print using only the Black cartrage.
I waste a lot of ink because i think something is black/grey but instead its got a little color to it, so the printer doesnt print that area... :mad:
This means that either you copy all text to Office and make it black, or photoshop all pictures to turn them B/W. very time consuming and fustrating...

heres the chat we had:

[fsda] Your software is wasting ink!
[fsda] hello?
[Patrick] Welcome to Lexmark Chat support. This is Patrick.
[Patrick] I will help you to resolve the issue, to the best of your satisfaction.
[fsda] hi
[Patrick] Please let me know the printer model number printed on the top of the printer front panel(ex:X1270)
[fsda] X6170
[Patrick] Please let me know the Operating System (Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP,Vista Or Mac) installed on our computer.
[fsda] i have one cartrage installed (black)
[Patrick] Okay,
[fsda] When i go to the all-in-one software i cant select "print color images in black and white"
[fsda] yet..
[fsda] when i print something that has color in it, the color doesnt print
[fsda] or should i say the colored parts dont print
[Patrick] Okay, please let me know whether you also have the color cartridge inside the printer.
[fsda] no
[fsda] like i said, i only have one cartrage
[fsda] (black)
[Patrick] We need to have both the cartridges inside the printer in order to print.
[fsda] i cant do that ATM
[fsda] why cant the printer just print in black and white?
[Patrick] The printer will not print with only one cartridge.
[Patrick] It uses the combination of both the cartridges to print. It is programed in such a manner.
[fsda] understood...
[fsda] but thats a huge waste
[fsda] of $
[Patrick] Can you please let me know ATM?
[fsda] at the moment
[fsda] sry...
[Patrick] Okay, I got that.
[Patrick] Do you have any old color cartridge.
[fsda] maybe???
[fsda] is there any way i could trick it using the "windows color management" configuration?
[Patrick] Please insert the old color cartridge and then try this option.
[Patrick] I hope this should work.
[Patrick] Old color cartridge without ink also will be fine. We just need the color cartridge inside the printer.
[fsda] so, as long as there are two cartrages then i can select the "print color images in black and white" and use only the one black cartrage?
[Patrick] That's perfect.
[fsda] weird logic...
[fsda] ill try
[fsda] thank you

I only print in B/W and i dont have my old empty color cartrage handy.
What Should I Do Now?

I have a nice laser printer sitting under my desk, but guess what... the Asus Maximus Formula MoBo doesnt have any parallel ports :shrug:

[Emerica]

I just had a conversation with a gentelmen over at Lexmark.
Seems that you MUST have two ink cartrages in order to print using only the Black cartrage.
I waste a lot of ink because i think something is black/grey but instead its got a little color to it, so the printer doesnt print that area... :mad:
This means that either you copy all text to Office and make it black, or photoshop all pictures to turn them B/W. very time consuming and fustrating...

heres the chat we had:

[fsda] Your software is wasting ink!
[fsda] hello?
[Patrick] Welcome to Lexmark Chat support. This is Patrick.
[Patrick] I will help you to resolve the issue, to the best of your satisfaction.
[fsda] hi
[Patrick] Please let me know the printer model number printed on the top of the printer front panel(ex:X1270)
[fsda] X6170
[Patrick] Please let me know the Operating System (Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP,Vista Or Mac) installed on our computer.
[fsda] i have one cartrage installed (black)
[Patrick] Okay,
[fsda] When i go to the all-in-one software i cant select "print color images in black and white"
[fsda] yet..
[fsda] when i print something that has color in it, the color doesnt print
[fsda] or should i say the colored parts dont print
[Patrick] Okay, please let me know whether you also have the color cartridge inside the printer.
[fsda] no
[fsda] like i said, i only have one cartrage
[fsda] (black)
[Patrick] We need to have both the cartridges inside the printer in order to print.
[fsda] i cant do that ATM
[fsda] why cant the printer just print in black and white?
[Patrick] The printer will not print with only one cartridge.
[Patrick] It uses the combination of both the cartridges to print. It is programed in such a manner.
[fsda] understood...
[fsda] but thats a huge waste
[fsda] of $
[Patrick] Can you please let me know ATM?
[fsda] at the moment
[fsda] sry...
[Patrick] Okay, I got that.
[Patrick] Do you have any old color cartridge.
[fsda] maybe???
[fsda] is there any way i could trick it using the "windows color management" configuration?
[Patrick] Please insert the old color cartridge and then try this option.
[Patrick] I hope this should work.
[Patrick] Old color cartridge without ink also will be fine. We just need the color cartridge inside the printer.
[fsda] so, as long as there are two cartrages then i can select the "print color images in black and white" and use only the one black cartrage?
[Patrick] That's perfect.
[fsda] weird logic...
[fsda] ill try
[fsda] thank you

I only print in B/W and i dont have my old empty color cartrage handy.
What Should I Do Now?

I have a nice laser printer sitting under my desk, but guess what... the Asus Maximus Formula MoBo doesnt have any parallel ports :shrug:

Do you have another computer on your local Workgroup that has a parallel port? Then, you could hook it up to that computer and just print to the laser printer overt the network.

[Movieman]

Get a parrallel port pci card..maybe $17.00
If you can't find one yell and I'll get you a link

[Exahertz]

Do you have another computer on your local Workgroup that has a parallel port? Then, you could hook it up to that computer and just print to the laser printer overt the network.

All i have are laptops around the house...


Get a parrallel port pci card..maybe $17.00
If you can't find one yell and I'll get you a link

Thanks for the offer but theres no way i could fit another PCI card (especially not for a legacy parallel port).
I have a USB to Parallel converter, but when i use it i get a lot of artifacts in the printed document, i dont know if its the converter or the drivers that are POS.

[Sparky]

Some new boards have a parallel port header on the board, just needs a bracket and port plugged into it.

If you don't have a header, but have a spare PCIe x1 slot, you could use this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815124035

[Exahertz]

I have searched for a header, but i didnt find any.

I do have a spare PCI 1x and thats kind of a nice and small card. and it would be nice to have my laser printer back. :)

Thanks sparky!

[Emerica]

All i have are laptops around the house...



Laptops can share printers as well. They probably have parallel ports on them

[naokaji]

I have a nice laser printer sitting under my desk, but guess what... the Asus Maximus Formula MoBo doesnt have any parallel ports :shrug:

something like this (http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-to-PARALLEL-1284-PRINTER-ADAPTER-CABLE-36-PIN-IEEE_W0QQitemZ160224861494QQihZ006QQcategoryZ51287 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) would help

[Xcel]

something like this (http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-to-PARALLEL-1284-PRINTER-ADAPTER-CABLE-36-PIN-IEEE_W0QQitemZ160224861494QQihZ006QQcategoryZ51287 QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) would help

I have one of those hooked up to a 10 year old laser printer. Works just fine but says on the package it is not guaranteed to work, it depends on the printer and drivers I suppose.