Specifications:
Windows 10 (latest build), office 2016 & Office 365, Xerox Phaser 3250 (B&W) and Xerox WorkCentre 7845 (Color).
Problem Description:
The computer is set by default to print to the xerox 3250. When the user is attempting to print the excel sheet that has colored cells they have to switch to the color printer during the print preview process. When they switch to the color printer the excel sheet will NOT switch to color. We have to manually go in and select "page setup" and select the option for black and white only then go back and de-select it to get it to pick up the color print job correctly.
Both of the printers are set within the drivers to print respectively to their capabilities (B&W for the 3250 and "auto color" for the 7845).
Action Taken:
As mentioned above we can get it to revert if we go through and select/deselect the print black and white only option within the print preview in excel. I have also been able to copy the contents of the excel sheet into a new excel sheet and not have this issue. HOWEVER, if I close that newly created excel sheet and re-open it and try to print the same issue starts up again. We have tried different computers (sent the same document between users) and tried different printers with similar set up (B&W default and color alternative) with no changes.
The only thing that seems to actually work as intended (automatically switch between black and white when you select a compatible printer) is if you try and print the excel document from excel online through the browser. That is the only case where you can start with a defaulted B&W printer switch to color and it automatically detects the changes and prints color like it should.
TL;DR
Printing an excel sheet with color in it will only print B&W even if we switch to a color printer. We have to change page set up options that were not set to get excel to recognize that the document is going to a color compatible printer.
