why won't photos print with accurate colors?

Hi Sheila,

(I’ll try not to complicate it further than needed … 😉 Sorry for the long post.)

First note that not all color CAN be printed, in particular the saturated colors. Light bulbs (monitors) can emit colors outside of the range that can be achieved with inks. Also, an all-in-one is not a specialist photo printer. Adjust your expectations accordingly.

Let’s assume first that the pinter is functioning well, and the inkjet inks distribute on paper as intended by the manufacturer. The printer driver should be updated through Apple Software Update, probably automatically. Most printers have “calibration” sequence (HP Utility) to roughly optimize internal settings. Run it after replacing inks.

With that being said, a lot can be done to optimize prints to the range of colors that a printer can produce. Introducing color management with Apple ColorSync color matching (using ICC Color Profiles):

1. Photos can (and should) have a Color Profile; sort of like definition of how a certain set of color values should look. There are lots of different ones, but that doesn’t matter: it should be like a tag “this is the intention”, most likely set by the camera. (E.g. an iPhone might set the ‘sRGB’ color profile; a Canon DSLR might be set to ‘Adobe RGB’.) The important thing is that there is a profile attached to an image, so that the workflow doesn’t have to guess/use a default.
2. Printers also have a color profile, this time describing the output range. Mostly this is behind the scenes, and in a one-setting-for-all-printers-of-this-model kind of way. The ink and paper should also be specified in the profile, as a glossy photo print looks way different than a regular copy paper print, and off brand ‘compatible’ ink may be slightly differently colored. The settings should take that into account. Hence the printer’s need for a SET of profiles (i.e. more than one). The manufacturer may include such profiles with the driver, generically adjusted for your model. They need to be in ICC format for use with ColorSync. [More/better]
3. Monitors also have a color profile, here describing the output range. You can roughly set it a custom one for YOUR monitor using the visual steps in System Preferences > Displays > Color > Calibrate. Or do it like a pro.

The factory defaults are just enough to keep the number of complaints manageable, so there is room for improvement with custom calibration and measurements with quality equipment. But that would be worth a book or two (more than a forum post).

The idea is that now that the range of all devices is known, there is a programmable and automated way to optimize the transition between each. The photos should look as intended, the best the monitor can do. The photos should print as intended, within the characteristics of the printer.

I can’t show you the exact dialog box without connecting to your model printer to install the drivers. But it should have a drop-down menu that can be set to Color Matching. In there, you can change the method to ColorSync. Once selected, you can set a profile; pick a printer profile that also accounts for paper type, not a generic RGB profile like sRGB. Avoid descriptions like ‘standard’ if possible (which are likely sRGB based, and not describe the printer and paper). The profile name may be cryptic with abbreviations (e.g. PGPP for Premium Glossy Photo Paper); I can’t check that without your printer.

I hope this helps as a starting point. There’s much more to it, if you want to optimize further. Report back if you encounter any problems.

If you haven't done so already, try resetting the printing system.

OS X Mavericks: Reset the printing system
also Yosemite

You are welcome.