How to Troubleshoot a Printer Printing Blank Pages: 10 Fixes
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If your printer is printing blank pages all of a sudden, the problem might not be immediately apparent. But there are a few fixes and workarounds you may seek to stop your Canon, Brother, Epson, or HP printer from printing blank pages—or any other printer, for that matter.
1. Print a Test Page
To check whether the problem is with your printer, run a test print. This can help you isolate the underlying issue. Maybe the print heads are not aligned, or there is inconsistent ink flow. Printing a test page can help you find out.
Here’s how to print a test page on Windows:
Follow these steps to print a test page on Mac:
It might be that your printer is printing blank pages because it is low on ink—or out of it altogether—or because its print heads are wonky. The test page should confirm this.
2. Restart Your Printer and PC
Many times, a simple reset can resolve the issue. Restarting your printer and rebooting your PC may clear up the issue that leads to your printer printing blank pages. Here’s what you should do:
3. Fix Ink/Toner Cartridge Issues
The next step is to ensure you’ve installed your ink cartridges properly. Refer to your printer manual to remove and inspect them for any damage or incorrect installation.
If your cartridge is new, check that removed the protective plastic tab. Once you’ve made sure that your printer’s cartridges are properly fitted, check their ink levels. These are all possible reasons your printer prints blank pages.
Follow these steps to check ink levels on Windows:
Here’s how to check printer ink levels on Mac:
Some printers let you check these levels directly from the screen on the printer. Here’s how to do that:
If the levels are low, you may need to change your ink or toner cartridges. Consult your manual on how to install printer cartridges.
4. Unclog the Print Head
If your printer is printing blank pages all of a sudden, it could be an issue with the print head.
The print head sits on the bottom of the cartridge and sprays ink onto the paper through microscopic holes. These tiny holes can get clogged, leading to imperfect or disordered printing. You can often clear up simple clogs by running a cleaning cycle, and here’s how. Just verify to have paper inserted in the printing in-tray.
On Windows
With more serious clogs, you’ll need to get hands-on. You can try cleaning the offending cartridge with a paper towel and moistening it with an alcohol-based solvent. Just make sure not to handle the electrical contacts on your cartridge, as this might render it unusable.
5. Align the Printer Cartridges
If your printer’s cartridges have not been installed properly, you may see misaligned or skewed printing. To align your printer’s cartridges, follow these steps on Windows:
Again, make sure to have paper inserted into the printer before you start.
6. Run the Printer Troubleshooter on Windows
Running a troubleshooter for your printer should, in most cases, be able to identify and resolve the issue. Here’s how to run the printer troubleshooter:
7. Update Printer Drivers
Printer manufacturers often update their drivers. To keep your printer up to date, visit the driver webpage of your printer’s manufacturer and look for your model. Download and install the latest printer drivers and print a one-page document to check whether this has resolved the problem.
If you have conflicting drivers on your Mac, follow this guide onfinding and correcting potential driver conflicts.
8. Print Directly to the Printer
Printer spooling allows for printing tasks to complete faster and in the background, so that they don’t use a lot of resources at once. But sometimes, it can also lead to your printer printing blank or nearly blank pages. Here’s how to disable printer spooling on Windows.
9. Check Whether You Are Printing Only Data
Certain print settings can play havoc with your prints. Try this Word-specific solution: uncheck the option to print only the data from a form under Microsoft Word’s advanced options.
10. Check and Reinstall Missing Fonts
Some printing errors can be caused by missing or improperly installed fonts. Check to see whether the document you are trying to print has custom fonts. If it does, you may need to reinstall them for your prints to be accurate. There aremany resources online where you can get free fonts.
Other Possible Causes
Some printer manufacturers offer subscription packages, such asHP’s Instant Inkservice, which could cause printer issues. If you are subscribed to such a service, check on your subscription, although this shouldn’t lead to the printer printing blank pages.
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