Why Is My Printer Printing Blank Pages! [2023 SOLVED]

Sometimes you may find that your printer is working but not functioning properly.

Despite having enough pages in the paper tray and ink in the cartridge you may find the printer prints blank pages!

This is a common problem and can be dealt with with the solutions given below.

Why Is My Printer Printing Blank Pages?

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Your printer may print blank pages if there is no ink in the cartridge or the printer head is clogged with old ink.

If the printer is not aligned properly or the printer driver is outdated then also the printer may print a blank page.

Also see what to do when the HP Printer is not printing black.

What To Do When The Printer Is Printing Blank Pages?

Follow the steps given below and check which solution works for you to fix the printer problem.

1) Restart The Printer

When your printer is printing blank pages, restart it. Sometimes a fresh restart can fix the problem.

To do that, press the Power button of your Printer and turn it off.
Disconnect the printer from the wall outlet.
Allow a few minutes before reconnecting everything and then turn the printer on.

Check if the problem is solved. If not, then go to the next steps.

2) Clean The Printer Head

If the head of the printer is clogged with ink, the printer may not function properly.

So, clean the head of the printer. To do so, open the printer’s door and disconnect the head of the printer.

Carefully pull it out and hold it under hot tap water. Pat dry it using a paper towel.
You can also use some pure alcohol or non-oil-based cleaner and a micro-fiber cloth to clean the printer head.

Make sure to handle the printer head carefully as it is very fragile. After you have properly cleaned the print head, turn the printer on.

Check if the problem is solved or move on to the next solution.

3) Check The Ink Cartridges

Check that the ink cartridge is seated properly and there is enough ink to print.

Sometimes because of these reasons, your printer does not function properly and prints blank pages.

To reseat the ink cartridges follow the steps given below:

Turn off the printer and remove the ink cartridges. Refill the cartridges if there is not enough ink in them. If you find any damage signs, then replace the cartridge.
Insert the cartridge back carefully. Generally, you hear a clicking sound after inserting the cartridge.
Restart the printer and it should operate as expected. If not run the printer troubleshooter.

4) Run The Printer Troubleshooter

Windows in-built troubleshooters can fix most of the problems related to the device.

So, run the Pinter trouble-shooter when you are getting an HP error.

To do so, follow the instructions given below:

Enter Troubleshoot in the Windows search box and select Troubleshoot Settings option.
Next select Additional troubleshooters as shown below.

Click on the Printer option and select Run the Troubleshooter.

Follow the on-screen instructions given on-screen to finish the process.

5) Set Proper Alignment

If your printer is still printing blank pages, then align the printer following the steps given below:

Turn on your printer and load papers.
From the lower-left corner of the Control Panel, press the button shown below:
Next select Tools by pressing the right arrow button and pressing OK.
Again press the Right arrow button for selecting Align Printer option. Press OK. The printer will print an alignment page.
Open the lid of the printer. Set the alignment page on the right front side of the scanner glass. Make sure the printed side is placed down.
Close the lid of the printer and press the OK button.

The printer will now scan the alignment page and complete the alignment process.

6) Skip Blank Page

You should select skip blank page settings to ensure there is no blank page in the document that you are trying to print.

So, select skip blank page from the printer software settings following the steps given below:

Click on the Windows start button and select Settings.
Select Devices then click on Devices and Printers.

Select your printer device and click on the Manage option.

Next, select Printing Preferences and click on the Skip Blank Page option.

Now try to print your document. If you again find that the printer is printing blank pages, then go to the next step.

7) Update Or Reinstall The HP Printer Drivers

If you are using an outdated printer driver, then this can also be the reason your printer is malfunctioning and printing blank pages.

To do that, follow the steps given below:

Right-click on the Windows Start button and click on Device Manager.
Expand the Print queues section by double-clicking on it. Right-click on your printer device and select the Update driver option.

After updating the printer driver, if the printer is working properly, then reinstall the printer driver.

Follow the steps given below to reinstall the printer driver:

Open Device Manager and expand the Print queues section.
Right-click on your printer and select Uninstall device.

Finish the process by following the on-screen prompts.

8) Enable ‘Print Only The Data From A Form’ Option

While printing a document in the print preview mode, the printer may print blank pages.

To avoid such a situation, stop printing only the data. To do that follow the steps as given:

Open the Word document you want to print and click on the File tab > Options > Advanced.

Scroll down to the Print section and uncheck the box for Print only the data from a form option. Click OK and try a test printing.

See if this fixes the problem, otherwise go to the next solution.

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]

How do I fix my printer from printing blank pages?

When your printer is printing blank pages, restart the printer, check the ink cartridges, clean the printer head, update or reinsall the printer driver.

Why my printer is printing blank when I have ink?

If the ink cartridges have enough ink and still the printer is printing blank pages, then restart your printer, check if you have enough pages, clean the cogged printer head, reinstall the printer drivers to fix the problem.

Why is my HP printer not printing anything?

When your HP printer is not printing anything, check if you have enough pages and ink, clean the print head, reinstall the printer drivers, run the printer troubleshooter.