Imagine working tirelessly on your documents to beat the deadline, and the moment you’re done, and you hit the print button, the printer sends out random blank pages. The issue indeed is so frustrating, and at times it can make you feel stupid. You’re not alone in this. Most people have experienced this issue with their printers.
The most commonly known reason for this problem is usually an empty ink cartridge, but it’s not always the case. You may replace the ink cartridges with new ones but still experience the same problem.
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Why Is My Printer Printing Blank Pages
Some of the likely reasons why you’re experiencing blank printouts may include;
- Improper cartridge installation.
Even if the cartridges are full of ink, but the cartridges are not installed correctly, you will still end up with blank printouts. So you need to check that the installation of the cartridges is appropriately done. Remove the cartridges and reinstall them, to be sure.
- Empty ink cartridges.
With low ink or empty cartridges, a printer most likely will not produce a printout. You need to check your cartridges’ ink or toner level to ensure the ink is enough for the printer to print. Otherwise, you have to replace the cartridges with the new ones.
- Clogged nozzles.
Occasionally, when the ink hardens up, it may cause a clog to the nozzles. What you need to do is clean up the ink cartridges, and you are good to go.
- Software problem
In most cases, this issue is caused by the printer’s software itself. If that is the case, your only option is to troubleshoot to identify the problem.
- Printer driver issue.
If the printer driver is the issue, chances are you have an outdated or corrupt driver. You need to update the driver to solve this issue.
- The wrong paper size.
This issue mostly happens when you’ve set the default paper size of your printer. So when you insert the wrong paper size, the printer may print blank pages. You need to tweak the settings of the printer accordingly before you start to print again.
- Blank Pages
Sometimes the issue might be the document you’re trying to print blank. Try printing other documents to verify that is not the problem causing your printer to generate blank printouts.
So before you think of calling your regular technician to come and fix your printer, try these solutions below.
Here are some simple fixes you can try out
You don’t have to try all of them, but work your way down one by one until you find a solution that works for you.
- Check ink cartridges
- Restart your printer
- Update the printer software
- Run the window printer troubleshooter
- Configure the print spooler service
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1. Check the ink cartridges
In case your printer keeps printing blank pages, you should verify to ensure your cartridges are functioning correctly. Here is what you should check:
NOTE: Please note that the following process may vary from one printer model to the other. If you’re not sure how it’s done, you should consult the printer’s manual for further instructions.
Check whether your ink cartridges are clogged
Most likely, your printer won’t work correctly if the cartridges are clogged or blocked. For the printer to work correctly, there has to be no blockage so as the ink could flow through the nozzle smoothly. If that’s the issue causing blank pages, try cleaning the ink cartridges manually or automatically from the printer control panel.
Check the ink level on your printer
So, check if your printer has enough ink or toner level. Where necessary, replace the cartridges with the new ones.
Reinstall your cartridges
Your printer may have issues if the cartridges have a defect or they’re not fixed correctly. Start with removing the cartridges and check if they have any weaknesses. If there’s any problem, you should replace it immediately. If the cartridges are okay, reinstall them and try to print multiple pages, again. In case the issue is still there, you can try the next solution.
2. Restart your printer
When it comes to electronic device issues, they can be fixed by simply restarting the device. Giving it a try won’t cost you anything. Here are quick steps to follow:
- Press your printer’s power button and give it time to shut down completely
- Unplug your printer’s power cable from the power source, and then wait for a few minutes.
- After a few minutes, plug back the power cable of the printer to the power source.
- Turn on your printer and try again to print.
3. Update the printer software
A driver or device driver is a program that ensures the hardware attached to your computer works together correctly. Suppose the driver is outdated, corrupt, or has not been installed properly on your computer. In that case your printer won’t function properly. We can use two ways to update the driver of the printer; manually and automatically. You can update your printer’s driver by going to the manufacturer’s official website and download the available updated driver. Once you’ve downloaded the driver for your printer, double click on the downloaded file and follow the screen’s instructions on how to install the driver.
4. Run the Windows printer troubleshooter
If your printer is still printing blank printouts, the next step you need to take is to use the built-in Windows automatic printer troubleshooter utility to see if it can detect the issue and resolve it.
- Right-click the Start icon, go to the Settings and then select Update & Security.
- Select Troubleshooting, then choose Additional Troubleshooters, and then under the Get-up and running section, select Printers.
- Next, select the Run the Troubleshooter to begin the troubleshooting process.
Give the troubleshooter some time to run, and identify and fix any issue, if there is any. After the process completes, try to print to see if the problem has been resolved.
5. Configure the Printer Spooler Services
Damaged print spooler files can also be the reason why your printer is producing blank printouts. If that’s the issue, you need to configure Printer spooler services to solve the problem once and for all. Follow the instructions below to proceed.
- Open the run dialogue box by pressing Windows key+R on your keyboard.
- Type services.msc in the Run dialogue box and then click Ok.
- When the service window opens up, scroll down to where you will find the Print Spooler Service.
- Double click it, and then when a new Window pops-up, click Stop.
- Click Ok to save the changes made.
- Remember to set the Startup Type to Automatic.
- Then click OK to continue.
After configuring the Printer Spooler service, try to print multiple pages to see if you’ve got rid of the problem.
Conclusion
We hope your printer can function properly now. If these solutions didn’t resolve your problem, we recommend taking your printer to a technician and seeking professional help.