system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5 Why does a home printer need all cartridges if I’m just printing black type?
gpt
Two possibilities:

First is the printer is overlapping all the colors to make black. (Not likely)

Second, its made by a scammy printer company that makes their money on ink cartridge sales. If you aren't buying ink, they aren't making money. 

The best way to avoid that b.s. is to spend more up front on a laser printer. Especially if you are just printing black/white. Laser printers use toner. It doesn't evaporate like ink does. So it lasts a lot longer. Especially if you don't print often. Inkjets dry out even when you aren't printing, so you lose ink without printing. You spend more to start on laserjet, but will save money in the long run.