Why Your Printer is Printing Blank Pages
Printers are used in almost every working environment regardless of the nature of business. So, if they start printing blank pages, it becomes problematic for the people to continue their tasks. Your printer is printing blank pages? Don’t worry; we’ll inform you of the ways you can use to troubleshoot it.
Method 1: Restart the printer
It might seem like a trivial idea, but it works the majority of the time. The machine, while restarting the system, resolves issues (mechanical or operational) that need to be fixed automatically, allowing it to work just fine.
Step 1: Turn off the printer, letting it shut down completely.
Step 2: Unplug the power cord and return it after 5 minutes.
Step 3: Turn the printer back on and print something to check if the issue is resolved.
Method 2: Check the toner/ink cartridges
If the issue persists, you might want to check if the problem is occurring due to no toner or ink cartridge left enough for printing.
Step 1: Check the status of the toner or ink cartridge’s availability in the printer. If they are not enough to carry out decent prints, you would need to replace the consumables as soon as possible.
Step 2: If the toner/ink cartridge is sufficient, see if any of them is damaged. If you find damaged cartridges, then replace them immediately.
Step 3: If you find the cartridges in perfect shape, try reinstalling them. Perhaps, they are not fixed in their place, and that’s why the correct prints wouldn’t come out.
Note: Drum units could also cause this type of malfunctioning where the printer prints either blank pages with black spots on them or horizontal lines. If you use a printer with a separate drum unit like a brother, then replacing it would be your best option to get flawless prints again.
Method 3: Run the nozzle check
Run a nozzle check by printing a nozzle pattern, and clean the print head if you see weird lines. You can clean it using both automatic and manual methods separately or together if automatic cleaning doesn’t clear the problem.
For automatic cleaning, go to the printer’s control panel and select a deep cleaning option from the menu. And it’ll clean any stuck paper pieces and ink from the printer’s head, unclogging it for smooth operation.
For cleaning it manually, follow these steps.
Step 1: Take the carriage out in which the ink cartridges rest.
Step 2: Remove each ink cartridge from the slot and retrieve the print head.
Step 3: Soak the printhead in a mix of warm water and isopropyl alcohol. Use equal quantities of both substances.
Step 4: Use a lint-free cloth to wipe the ink and other residues like dust, especially clean the nozzle.
Step 5: After ensuring that the print head is cleaned, reinstall the system back and do a nozzle print to check the results.
Method 4: Check the paper quality:
You might want to check the paper quality you’re using as it could be against the printer’s specifications. Printers usually give excellent results on A4 or A5 papers. For instance, you can’t use vellum paper on an Epson printer.
Likewise, do check if the page size and its placement are correct. The page layout settings in the printer’s software system should also be ensured whether they are set correctly or not. Also, make sure you aren’t printing any blank pages. Check your documents and if there’s an empty page, remove it.
FAQs:
What to do if my Hp laser printer prints blank pages?
If your HP printer prints blank pages, follow the abovementioned steps. You could also update your printer driver and install HP Print and Scan Doctor application to run an intelligent check. Moreover, you could reconfigure the printer spooler service to fix the issue.
What to do if the printer doesn’t work after troubleshooting?
Your only resort will be contacting a professional from a local PC repair shop if none of the methods work for you. Still, you could give your best and check everything we mentioned above. More tips include checking the ink cartridges’ seal before installing them. Also, ensure you don’t use cheap, low-quality cartridges in the printing process.
Final Thoughts:
Printers are the number one home/office essential. No matter how much you maintain them, they are still machines that could need repairing or in-depth checkups. And if they malfunction, your work routine can quickly get interrupted. So, if you fail to diagnose or fix the problem, contact a specialist who can help.