Printer troubleshooting technician providing live chat help

Joe B.

Reviewed for technical accuracy

Specialities: ChromeOS printing, CUPS/IPP Everywhere, PPD mapping, Google Admin Console, Network printers

Chromebook prints black & white only — Color option missing on ChromeOS, CUPS ColorModel, IPP print-color-mode, PPD mapping

Technician avatar Technician
Hey! We’ll fix the Chromebook prints B&W only issue by checking how ChromeOS CUPS mapped your printer’s PPD and whether the IPP attribute print-color-mode is exposed as color (not monochrome).
A few details to target the repair: what exact printer model? Did you add it via Settings → Printers → Add printer using IPP/IPPS auto-discovery, or by typing the URI (e.g., ipp://PRINTER-IP/ipp/print)? And in the print dialog do you see any Color dropdown, or only “Black & White / Monochrome”?
Customer
HP Color LaserJet. The Chromebook auto-finds it as IPP. In the print sheet I only get Black & White — there’s no Color setting at all.
Technician avatar Technician
Understood. ChromeOS prefers driverless IPP Everywhere. If the printer advertises limited capabilities, CUPS may create a mono-only queue and hide Color. A mismatched or generic PPD can also set ColorModel to Gray by default. We’ll 1) remove the auto queue, 2) add the device with the manufacturer PPD, 3) ensure print-color-mode includes color, and 4) verify the dialog exposes Color, duplex, and tray options.
Customer
Where do I upload a PPD on a Chromebook? I only see the auto setup.
Technician avatar Technician
Step 1 — Add the printer with its vendor PPD
• Go to Settings → Printers → Add printer. If it appears, select it; otherwise enter the hostname/IP and set protocol to IPP or IPPS (ipp://YOUR-PRINTER/ipp/print).
• Click More options → choose the make/model or select “Or specify your printer PPD”, then upload the vendor .ppd/.ppd.gz file (ChromeOS supports ≤ ~250 KB). This tells CUPS the device supports color, duplex, trays, etc., so the Color control appears in the print dialog.
• Delete any old auto-discovered mono queue so ChromeOS doesn’t default back to it for future jobs.
Customer
I have the PPD. What inside it affects color vs monochrome?
Technician avatar Technician
Step 2 — Ensure ColorModel is present in the PPD
In a proper PPD you’ll find an *OpenUI *ColorModel/Color Mode: PickOne section with choices like RGB/CMYK and Gray. CUPS maps that to IPP’s print-color-mode (color or monochrome). If Default is Gray or the PPD lacks Color, ChromeOS hides the Color toggle. Using the manufacturer PPD usually exposes full color capabilities immediately.
Customer
After adding the PPD, I still see “Monochrome” as the default. Can I force Color?
Technician avatar Technician
Step 3 — Recreate the queue & verify capabilities
• Remove the old queue so defaults don’t collide, then re-add via IPP/IPPS with the PPD attached.
• In the print dialog open More settings → switch from Black & White to Color. Print a PDF with C/M/Y/K blocks to confirm.
• Some printers publish print-color-mode-default=monochrome until firmware is updated. If Color still won’t stick, update firmware in the printer’s Embedded Web Server and re-add the queue.
Customer
This is for a school. Could the Google Admin policy make Chromebooks B&W only?
Technician avatar Technician
Yes. In Google Admin Console admins can deploy printers and lock defaults. If a printer is pushed without the correct PPD or with Monochrome default, users only see B&W.
Fix (Admin): Devices → Chrome → Printers → Add/Update → set the IPP/IPPS URI, choose the correct model or upload the vendor PPD, then assign to the target OU. Force a policy refresh on Chromebooks so the Color option appears.
Customer
Anything else that could make it behave like mono? Tray settings or paper type?
Technician avatar Technician
Good call. IPP capabilities depend on the device’s tray configuration. If the printer thinks the tray is “Plain” only or an Eco/Mono policy is active, it may bias output to grayscale.
• On the printer panel set the exact media type (e.g., Plain/Photo) and size (A4/Letter).
• Disable Economy/Mono modes in the device settings.
• Back on ChromeOS, keep only the PPD-backed queue and make it Default so jobs don’t fall back to the auto-discovered mono queue.
Customer
We re-added with IPPS + vendor PPD. Color is available now. Any final checks?
Technician avatar Technician
Final checks for stable color printing on ChromeOS:
• Print a test PDF with solid C/M/Y/K patches; verify saturation and blacks.
• Confirm only one queue exists and it’s the PPD-backed IPP/IPPS queue.
• For managed fleets, deploy the same queue via Admin Console to all user/device OUs so the Color option and duplex/tray choices stay consistent.
Customer
Perfect — Color sticks after reboot and users can pick it. Thanks!
Technician avatar Technician
Summary: When a Chromebook prints black & white only, remove auto-discovered mono queues, re-add the printer via IPP/IPPS with the correct PPD so CUPS exposes ColorModel and IPP print-color-mode. Update firmware if needed, make the PPD queue Default, and (for schools) deploy via Admin Console. Need hands-on help? Open the chat.

Quick answer: the accepted fix

Accepted fix when a Chromebook shows only B&W: delete old driverless queues, add the printer as IPP/IPPS with the manufacturer PPD so CUPS exposes Color. Set this queue as Default and, in managed environments, push the same configuration via Google Admin Console.

Why ChromeOS hides Color (IPP Everywhere defaults, missing PPD, capability mapping)

Driverless IPP Everywhere is convenient but some printers publish limited capabilities (e.g., monochrome). Without a vendor PPD, CUPS may hide Color, duplex, or tray selection. Uploading the correct PPD enables the ColorModel choices and maps IPP print-color-mode=color so the Chromebook can print in full color.

How to verify the color fix on a Chromebook

Print a PDF with cyan, magenta, yellow, and black blocks. In the ChromeOS print dialog (More settings) ensure Color is selectable. If the option disappears, remove the auto queue, keep only the PPD-backed IPP/IPPS queue, and check the printer’s firmware & tray media settings.

Chromebook color printing — quick troubleshooting tips

Most “B&W only” cases are capability mapping: IPP defaults, missing PPD, or outdated firmware.

Quick path: add via IPP/IPPS with vendor PPD → confirm ColorModel in the PPD → delete auto-discovered mono queue → set PPD queue as Default → update printer firmware → for schools, deploy via Admin Console. This resolves the majority of Chromebook prints black and white only cases.

Disclaimer: This information is AI-generated and intended for general guidance only. For advice specific to your environment, please consult a verified expert on Whizz-Tech before making decisions.

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FAQ

Why does my Chromebook show only Black & White?

In driverless IPP Everywhere, some printers advertise mono-only. Without the correct PPD, CUPS hides Color. Add the printer via IPP/IPPS and upload the manufacturer PPD to expose ColorModel.

How do I enable color printing on ChromeOS?

Remove auto queues → Settings → Printers → Add printer → enter IPP/IPPS URI → Or specify your printer PPD and upload the vendor file. Make this PPD-backed queue the Default.

Can Admin policy force B&W?

Yes. In Google Admin Console, a printer pushed without the proper PPD or with a B&W default will hide Color for users. Update the printer object to include the vendor PPD and redeploy.

IPP vs IPPS vs USB — which to use?

IPP/IPPS with the correct PPD is ideal on ChromeOS. USB works but won’t fix capability mapping; the PPD is what exposes the print-color-mode option.

Sources

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