Why Is My Printer Printing Blank Pages
Printers are one not the most advanced tools to use. But they can be extremely hard to handle when anything goes wrong even slightly. Hence, knowing how to handle the troubles of printers is as significant as learning how to use them.
Printing blank pages is one of the most common issues faced by users. This may influence our work greatly and make things hard. It is really difficult to understand why our perfectly working printer is showing such a strange phenomenon, maybe all of a sudden.
But not anymore! Here, we have tried to cover nearly every detail regarding the printer malfunction where it prints blank pages. Read the entire article to understand the several reasons for this issue and simple solutions to fix it.
Reasons Behind Printer Printing Blank Pages
There can be numerous reasons for a printer printing blank pages rather than your required content. It can be an issue or error with your printer or the computer. Here are few common causes for a printer printing blank pages:
- Your printer is place on an angled or tiled surface.
- You are using low or old ink cartridges.
- The yellow color tapes from the cartridges were not remove before installation.
- You use paper which does not meet product specifications (such as transparencies).
- The nozzles of cartridges would be clogged.
- The cartridges have displaced from their suitable place.
- The paper layout, orientation, or size are wrong in your printer software settings.
- The incorrect number of papers are inserted into the input tray.
- The document you wish to be printed contains blank pages.
In addition to these issues, printer driver issues can also cause the printing of blank pages.
Printer Driver Issues
Printer driver issues are most common among every printer and the error “Windows failed to recognize the new hardware” has been noticed at least once by most users. The major causes for this error are:
- The printer driver has not been installed suitably.
- The driver is incompatible with the connected device.
- The driver is enter wrongly in the Windows registry.
- There is a virus infection in your driver files.
- Windows Explorer has encountered an issue and needs to close. We are sorry for any inconvenience to you.”
- “Spooler Subsystem has stopped functioning”.
One or many of these situations can contribute to the wrong functioning of your printer. Understanding the problem is the first step you require to do while encountering the issue.
What Should I Do If My Printer Is Printing Blank Pages?
When your printer prints blank pages, don’t make a big fuss out of it and run to the store to resolve the problem. It is quite common and there are several ways to fix it. Some of the solutions which you can try out are mention below.
Solution 1: Restart Your Printer
Switching off the printer device and back on again is the first solution you must try for any error with the printer. It may be due to a slight connectivity issue which can be resolved by this action. Follow the underneath steps to restart your printer:
- Tap and hold your printer power button and wait for it to switch off.
- Take out the power cord from the socket and reconnect it after 3 minutes.
- Turn on the device by clicking the power button.
Solution 2: Resolve Ink Cartridge Issues
There can be several Ink cartridge issues. The issue where the printer prints blank pages can be caused by any of the ink cartridge issues.
Empty Cartridges
Confirm that your ink cartridges are not empty from the last usage. Enough toner level is essential for printing. Check the ink level in regular intervals to guarantee that empty ink will not influence your work.
Dislodged Cartridge
If your cartridge is disoriented from its actual place, it can prevent printing. Removing and reinstalling the cartridges may help in fixing this issue by completing the circuit and putting things to normal.
Air Trapped Inside The Cartridge
If there is air trapped inside the cartridge, it can prevent suitable printing. For preventing this, confirm that the yellow tape from the cartridges is removed before installation. Also, one can try wrapping the cartridge in an absorbent paper towel and shaking lightly.
Solution 3: Clean The Print Head
Clogging of print heads can also be a cause to print blank pages. You can unclog the print head using automatic or manual methods.
Automatic Cleaning
If you have an inkjet printer, then you can use the automatic cleaning feature to unclog the print head. The printer’s automatic cleaning cycle can be activate from the control panel of your printer or the Printer Properties of your system. If the easy cleaning doesn’t work, use the deep cleaning feature.
Manual Cleaning
You can moreover try cleaning the print head manually by using a smooth cloth dipped in warm water. Use protective gloves if you are cleaning the removable print heads to prevent direct contact with the ink.
Solution 4: Updating Your Printer Driver
Installing the latest printer driver or updating the current driver can fix any issues regarding the driver.
Install The Latest Driver
Installing the latest version from the device folder may help in fixing its issues.
From the printers folder:
For installation, follow the below steps:
1: Search Device Manager in the desktop search panel.
2: Now find the Printer queues option.
3: Right-click on the driver you wish to install.
4: Choose Properties and then Advanced.
5: Choose the New Driver Tab.
6: Finally, follow the instructions provided for complete installation.
From the manufacturer:
For the installation of a new driver from the manufacturer, follow the below steps:
1: Go to the printer manufacturer’s website.
2: Now search for printer drivers.
3: Select the right driver.
4: Finally download and install the driver.
Update The Driver
After installation, you will automatically obtain notifications for updates. Here is how to set up the update in Windows:
1: Tap on the Start icon.
2: Now search for Update in the search bar.
3: Tap on the Check for updates option.
4: From the available updates, one can select the right driver and click update.
Solution 5: Configuring The Print Spooler Service
Restarting the Printer Spooler in Windows is a remedy to the printer issues. This is because when the files in the printer spooler are several, the interaction with the computer and printer will be flawed that can lead to defective printing. For restarting the printer spooler in Windows 10, follow the steps provided below:
- Tap on the search bar on Windows desktop.
- Enter services.msc and press enter.
- Search Print Spooler from the menu.
- Select the option Restart the service from the left pane.
- The service will be restart.
Solution 6: Running The Troubleshooting For Your Printer
Troubleshooting your printer is a great method to fix any printer-related issues. You can troubleshoot common issues using Windows 10 troubleshooter. Here are the steps to implement while troubleshooting with Windows.
- Right-tap on the Windows Start button.
- Select Settings and open Update & Security.
- Tap on the Troubleshooting option from the left pane.
- Choose the Additional Troubleshooters option from there and click on Printer.
- Tap on Run the Troubleshooter and choose your printer from the list.
The troubleshooting will then start to detect any issues and suggest the right solutions.
Conclusion
Having blank pages come in between your prints is one of the most irritating issues in printers. This can interrupt our task and cause a great deal of trouble. If a completely blank page goes unnoticed, it can result in the loss of significant content which we need. When you have to print urgent documents, always confirm that no page is blank.
Taking troubleshooting precautions is a great method to prevent this blank page printing issue. Guarantee that the print head is clean, the ink toner is sufficiently full, the driver is suitably install, and all connections are made. In most circumstances, if you take essential precautions, blank page printing can be prevent. In case if you need any kind of assistance simply consult tech-savvy geeks at Uspcsolutions for instant resolutions.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Q) Why is My HP Printer Printing Blank Pages?
There can be one or more causes that we already mention previously can contribute to this issue in an HP printer. The most common causes comprise cartridge displacing, software or driver issues, cogged nostrils, and wrong installation of the cartridge.
Q) How To Stop Printing Blank Pages?
The first thing to do if your printer is printing completely blank pages is to detect the issue. Begin with restarting the device and checking the ink cartridges as these are the most common areas to go incorrect. Now, follow the corresponding steps to fix the issue.