Printer printing blank pages

Four prints, four answers

1. Printer self-test, from the printer's buttons or screen. Blank: the problem is in the printer, its ink or toner. Not blank: the printer can print.
2. System test page, from Windows or macOS (see how to print a test page). Blank while the self-test works: the driver, queue or connection.
3. PDF test page: the printer test page PDF printed from a PDF viewer. Blank while the system test works: the app or print settings.
4. Your document. Blank while the test pages print: the file, its fonts or its colours.

If the self-test is blank: inkjet

• New cartridge: remove all tape and caps and reseat it until it clicks.
• Check the ink levels on the printer or in its app. A tank printer may need its ink lines primed after setup; follow the setup steps in the manual.
• Print the nozzle check. If it is completely blank, run one cleaning cycle, check again, and do not repeat endlessly.
• Blank after cleaning on a printer that was unused for a long time can mean dried ink. Let it rest and try again, or contact support.

If the self-test is blank: laser

• A new toner cartridge often has a sealing strip or protective cover that must be removed.
• Reseat the toner and drum unit, making sure they are pushed fully home.
• An empty or failed drum unit or toner gives blank pages. Check the printer's status screen or configuration page for supply messages.

If only the computer prints blank pages

• Check you are printing to the right printer: a blank page can come out of one printer while the job went to a PDF or a different device.
• Clear the print queue and print the system test page again.
• Remove and re-add the printer in system settings. Windows can then offer to print a test page to confirm.
• If only browser pages print blank, try the PDF. If only PDFs print blank, try another PDF viewer or print the document as an image from the print dialog's advanced options.

If only one document prints blank

• White or very light text, layers hidden for printing, or a PDF with form fields set not to print.
• Background graphics switched off in the browser, which leaves coloured blocks blank: switch it on in the print dialog.
• A page range that selects empty pages, or a blank last page caused by the browser's headers and margins.

Wireless printers and the wrong destination

On a network, the same printer may appear twice, for example once as a direct connection and once as a shared or cloud queue, or an old entry may remain after replacing a printer. A job sent to a stale entry may print nothing or a blank sheet. Check the exact printer name in the print dialog, delete duplicates you do not use, and print the system test page to the remaining one. Printers that wake from deep sleep can also eject a blank page before the job; that alone is not a fault if the next page prints correctly.

Before contacting support

Keep the result of each of the four prints. If the self-test is blank with genuine supplies correctly fitted, the printer needs service. If the self-test is fine and everything from the computer is blank, the manufacturer's support or your system's printer troubleshooter is the next step. For faded rather than blank output, see printer printing lines and printer not printing black.