Why Is My Printer Printing Blank Pages

ByFlexion Extruder

There are situations when the printer gives out a blank sheet of paper instead of a full print. This happens with all types of office equipment, regardless of the period of its operation. A variety of reasons can cause this printer failure. In this article, we will talk about why is my printer printing blank pages, this is the most common printing equipment problem, due to which it starts to produce blank sheets of paper instead of a normal print. In addition, we will explain how to solve this without contacting a service center.

Why Does the Printer Print Blank Sheets

There are three main reasons why the printer does not use print materials, while everything else functions perfectly. In particular, we are talking about the following:

  • Negligence of the owner of office equipment. The problem may lie in the banal distraction of the user. For example, you might forget to remove the protective tapes during the cartridge installation. Or the wrong type of paper has been installed.
  • Software failure. One of the most common reasons is that few people monitor the state of software that a virus or any other way could damage. Also, here it is necessary to include the input of incorrect print parameters.
  • Technical malfunctions of the printer or cartridge. During operation, the details of the equipment wear out, which leads to the appearance of various kinds of problems in printing. In addition, the ink in the cartridge runs out over time, which causes gaps in the print.

All of the above reasons are dividing into several categories. In this regard, we will analyze each problem in detail and indicate how to solve it.

The Printer Prints Blank Sheets Due to Consumer Inattention

Before you start “sinning” the technical condition of the printer and cartridges, carefully inspect the printing device and try to create a test print without an active connection to a personal computer. Depending on the model of office equipment, a test page is creating by pressing the corresponding button, pressing a specific key combination, or through the service menu of the device. Read more about this in the instructions that came with the printer.

The Unreliable Connection Between Printer and Computer

If you could create a test print, there is ink in the printer cartridges. Therefore, the problem should look for in something else. First, we recommend checking the device’s connection to a personal computer or other sources from which you send the file to print. During the cleaning process, you may have accidentally caught the USB cable, which led to the problem of printing blank pages. In addition, an error may appear due to various kinds of adapters. It is best to use a solid cable with a ferrite filter. If the printer with the gadget is synchronizing wirelessly, you need to check the connection’s settings and activity.

The Wrong Paper Type Was Selected

Occasionally, office equipment ejects blank sheets due to the wrong type of paper installed in the input tray. Some devices can detect the type of paper, and if it does not match the preset parameters, the printer will refuse to create a printout. The easiest way to fix this problem is to change the paper. Or change the paper type in the print settings. To do this, you will need to do the following:

  • connect the printer to the PC, on which enter the “Control Panel”;
  • open the “Printers and Faxes” or “Devices and Printers” section;
  • select your printer model, right-click on it, and in the menu that appears, click on “Printing Settings” or “Properties”;
  • in the window that opens, go to the “Advanced Settings” tab and select the settings so that they correspond to the type of paper installed in the printer.
  • You can create a test print directly in the same menu; go to the “General” or “Home” tab.

Protective Elements Are Installed on Consumables

If the test print is not creating, do not immediately panic. New cartridges and those refill at an authorized service center are equipping with protective films and shipping tapes. If you accidentally install such a consumable in the printer, it will start producing blank sheets in printing. However, many models of office equipment warn you about this in advance with an appropriate message (for example, a cartridge incompatibility error code appears on the display of a Canon inkjet printer). If this is the reason, remove the accessories from the printer and scrutinize them. Remove all protective films, tapes, stickers, and other items, install supplies in the printer, and print a test page again.

Due to Software Malfunctions, the Printer Outputs Blank Sheets

Unfortunately, many users of office equipment are far from understanding how its software works. And here, it concerns printer drivers, various editors, and other programs with which the device can synchronize.

In such cases, the most common mistake is the presence of blank pages in the printed file. For example, you need to print some material from the Microsoft Office suite of programs. However, do not rush to send the file to print, but inspect its contents using the “Preview” function in advance. If you find blank pages, then delete them.

The Port Settings for Connecting the Printer to the PC Have Gone Wrong

Almost all printers can connect to a computer via a USB cable. If you use this method, then the problem of the appearance of blank pages may be a software failure, due to which the connection settings have changed. Open the “Ports” tab in the printer properties to solve this. Opposite “Use the following port,” set the correct port to connect the printer and personal computer. Another problem may cause by the fact that in the settings, the checkmark is unchecked from the category “Print text” or “Print image.”

Print Queue Full

During the operation of computer equipment, some files are damaging and lose any data. However, they work quite well. However, at certain times they can adversely affect the computer’s OS. For example, if you want to print the contents of such a file. The process will succeed, but its data may remain in the queue due to a system failure even after printing is completed. Therefore, when you put the next file to print, the printer may start outputting blank sheets.

This problem is easily fixed. Open the printer properties and clear the print queue. This usually helps. If all else fails, then use another method:

What are the ways to remove the print queue of the printer?

  • go to the “Computer Management” section;
  • in the menu on the left, select “Services”;
  • a list will appear on the right side of the window, in which you will find “Print Spooler”;
  • right-click on it and click “Stop”;
  • then open the explorer and in its address bar write C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\PRINTERS;
  • a folder with print queue files will open, delete everything;
  • open Services again and start the Print Spooler process.

If the problem was in the print queue, the printer should usually work again after performing the above steps.

Printer Driver Failure

The driver outdated or stopped functioning normally for some reason. As a result, printing problems may begin, such as blank sheets of paper coming out of the printer. You need to update or reinstall the printer driver (preferably the second one) to fix the situation. To do this, uninstall the old version of the printer software. After that, go to the official website of the printer manufacturer, and find and download the driver for your printer model. Run the file and follow the installation wizard. If this were the reason, the printer would again begin to create full-fledged prints.

Antivirus Is Interfering With the Regular Operation of the Printer Software

Some antivirus programs adversely affect the operation of the printer software by adding it to the list of suspicious applications. Most often, this happens with printing devices connected by a local network. To get rid of antivirus effects, open it, go to the settings menu, find “Network properties, ” and set the type to “Trusted network.” The problem of blank pages should be gone. In addition, it is not uncommon for printer software to be damaged by viruses. If your PC has caught a “worm,” “trojan,” or something else, then go through it with an antivirus (preferably several) and reinstall the printer driver (or better, completely reinstall the computer’s OS and set everything up from scratch).

Printer Software Conflicts With Computer OS

If the MFP has long gone out of fashion, and you want to make it work with a new generation of PCs, get ready because the computer operating system will not adequately perceive the printer software. You can try to solve the problem in two ways:

Run the printer software in legacy OS compatibility mode. To do this, right-click on the program shortcut and select “Properties” from the context menu. Click the “Compatibility” tab. In the “Compatibility mode” section, check the box next to “Run this program in compatibility mode for” and select the appropriate OS below. Click Apply.

Print using VirtualBox. This emulator allows you to install another OS on your computer without directly affecting the main operating system. Use it to install an OS that supports your printer software.

The program “VirtualBox” can easily found and downloaded on the Internet. In addition, there are many “guides” for its proper configuration.

The Printer Prints Blank Sheets for Technical Reasons

If you have tried everything possible, and the printer continues to produce blank sheets, then the problem must be sought in the technical malfunctions of the device or its consumables. The first step is to remove the cartridges from the printer and scrutinize them. If you have an inkjet printer with a separate print head from the ink tank, that is the next one to inspect. And at the very end, if everything else is in order, the reason must be sought in the design of the apparatus itself.

The Printer Prints Blank Pages Due to Ink Cartridge Problems

When the printer is in constant use, you may not notice when it runs out of ink or toner (depending on the type of cartridges). Therefore, the device will produce blank pages instead of full prints. This usually happens with MFPs that have the consumables monitoring system turned off. If so, then you are fortunate. To fix the problem, you only need to replace the cartridges or refill them with fresh coloring matter. Cartridge works but prints blank pages.

Sometimes pages may not print after a long period of inactivity of office equipment. If you have a laser printer, then everything is simple. The toner is slightly compressing. To return the cartridge to working condition, it must pull out of the printer and shaken slightly. With jet consumables, everything is much more complicated. If the ink tank left idle for a long time, the ink in it may dry out and clog the print head nozzles. You need to soak the consumables in distilled water to fix this problem.

And then, this does not guarantee its return to working condition. You will most likely need to replace the cartridge.

Blank pages can also appear due to defects in the cartridges. For example, if the inkjet consumable overheats due to the intensity of printing, the print head nozzles may burn out. It cannot be repaired, so you will have to change the printing accessory. If you have a laser printer, then the gears of the drum cover could break on its consumables. Either the drum itself or the magnetic shaft is out of order. Fortunately, the laser cartridge can be repaired if the defect is not severe.

The Printer Prints Blank Sheets – What Is Wrong With the Device

The most recent reason for a printer to produce blank sheets during printing is a malfunction of the machine itself. This often happens with inkjet office equipment when the carriage movement mechanism breaks down. The printer works; something clicks in it, but the carriage does not move, so you see a blank sheet of paper instead of a print. A similar problem exists with laser office equipment. When a printer clutch wears out, although it works, the print does not transfer to a paper sheet. In addition, for some models, the connection between the printer’s contacts and cartridges may be broken. This is especially true for HP MFPs. Worst of all, when the reason for the appearance of blank pages is the control board, you can try to reflash it, but this does not always help solve the problem.

If the Problem Is Still Not Solved…

Suppose the above methods did not help, and the sheets are empty at the exit from the device. In that case, a possible reason may be hidden in a malfunction of the cartridge or the device itself, so you should contact the manufacturer’s support or an authorized service center.

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