Printer Printing Blank or Faded Pages: What to Check

01Quick answer

When a printer is printing blank pages or faded, streaky prints, the cause is usually low or empty ink or toner, a protective strip left on a new cartridge, dried ink in an inkjet’s print head, or a print setting such as draft or toner save mode. Check supplies and settings first, then run the printer’s built-in cleaning or quality tools. This guide is for owners of home inkjet and laser printers.

02Before you start

• Print the printer’s own test or quality report from its control panel if it has one. If that report prints well, the problem is in your computer’s settings or file, not the printer.
• Note what you see: completely blank pages, missing colours, faint text, or streaks and lines. Each points to a different cause.
• Use the cleaning tools built into your printer. They are designed for your model. Avoid opening parts the manual doesn’t mention.

03Why this happens

Usually simple to fix:

• Ink or toner is low or empty. Some printers keep printing faintly before they warn you.
• A new cartridge still has its protective tape or clip in place.
• An inkjet’s print head nozzles have dried out after weeks without use.
• Draft, economy or toner save mode is switched on in the print settings.
• The paper type set in the print dialog doesn’t match the paper loaded.
• A document is set to print white or very light text, or a blank page at the end of a file.

Needs the manufacturer or a repair service:

• Pages stay blank after new genuine cartridges and several cleaning cycles.
• A laser printer prints repeated marks or lines at regular intervals after a new toner cartridge, which can point to a worn drum or fuser.
• The printer reports a print head or hardware error.

04Check supplies and settings

1. Check ink or toner levels on the printer’s screen, in the maker’s app, or in the printer’s properties on your computer. Replace any empty cartridge.
2. Reseat the cartridges. Switch off, open the cartridge access door your manual shows, remove each cartridge, check for tape or clips, and press it back firmly until it clicks.
3. Check print settings. In the Print dialog, open printer properties or preferences on Windows, or the print options on a Mac. Make sure quality is set to normal, draft or toner save is off, and the paper type matches what’s loaded.

   Is the page better now? If yes, save these settings as your default. If not, continue.

4. Print the printer’s own test page again to compare.

   Does the printer’s own page look right while pages from your computer don’t? Then focus on the computer side: the app, the document and the driver settings. Try printing a simple document from a different app, such as a short note from a text editor, to rule out a problem with one file.

05Use the printer’s cleaning tools

1. For inkjets, run a nozzle check. Find it in the printer’s maintenance or tools menu, or in the maker’s app. It prints a pattern of lines in each colour.
2. If lines are missing, run a print head cleaning cycle from the same menu, then print another nozzle check.

   What you should see: the pattern fills in after one or two cycles. Cleaning uses ink, so don’t run it many times in a row; let the printer rest as the manual suggests if the first attempts don’t help.

3. For laser printers, switch off, let it cool, then remove the toner cartridge as the manual shows and rock it gently from side to side to spread the toner. Reinstall it and print again.
4. Run any calibration or alignment tool the printer offers if colours look shifted or lines are blurred.

06Common mistakes to avoid

• Running cleaning cycle after cleaning cycle, which empties ink quickly.
• Leaving an inkjet unused for long periods. Printing a page now and then helps keep nozzles clear.
• Opening or shaking toner cartridges hard.
• Forgetting that draft or economy mode was switched on to save ink.
• Buying cartridges that aren’t listed for your model in the manual or on the manufacturer’s site.

07If it still doesn’t work

If the printer’s own test page is also blank after new cartridges and cleaning, the printer itself likely needs attention. Contact the manufacturer through its official support website, especially if it’s still under warranty. Have the model name, serial number, cartridge numbers and a description of what the pages look like.

If the printer’s test page is fine but pages from your computer aren’t, the driver may be the problem. See our guide to installing or updating a printer driver. For pages that crumple or stop part way, see our paper jam guide.

08The short version

Check ink or toner levels and remove any protective tape, make sure draft or economy modes are off, then use the printer’s nozzle check and cleaning tools. If the printer’s own test page stays blank, contact the manufacturer.

09FAQ

Why is my printer printing blank pages with new ink?

The most common cause is protective tape or a clip left on the new cartridge. Remove the cartridge, check carefully for tape, and reinstall it. If it still prints blank, run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle.

How many times should I clean the print head?

Run one or two cleaning cycles, checking the nozzle pattern after each. If it doesn’t improve, let the printer rest as your manual suggests before trying again, because repeated cleaning uses a lot of ink.

Why are my laser prints getting lighter?

Toner is usually running low, or toner save mode is on. Rocking the cartridge gently can spread the remaining toner for a while, but a replacement is the lasting fix.

Do I need to replace every colour when one runs out?

It depends on the printer. Many models use separate cartridges for each colour, so you replace only the empty one. Others combine colours in one cartridge. Your manual and the printer’s supply status page show which type you have.

Why does my printer print a blank page at the end?

The document often has an extra empty page, such as a blank line pushed onto a new page. Check the print preview and choose the page range you need.