Yes, the OKI MC853dn can also be operated without colour cartridges by using only the black cartridge. This enables printing in black and white, while the colour cartridges (cyan, magenta, yellow) do not need to be inserted.

However, it is important to note that without colour cartridges, the printer can only print black and white documents and the colour printing functions cannot be used until the colour cartridges are reinserted.