FIX: The Printer Is Printing Slowly [2023 SOLVED]

Printing issues can be quite annoying during a busy schedule. Sometimes the printer takes forever to print, making the situation worse.

If you have the same problem and the printer is printing slowly then follow this article.

Here I will discuss all the possible solutions when to fix the issue.

Also read: FIX: Canon Printer Is Offline And Not Printing In 2022

What To Do Is Printer Printing Slow?

Table of Contents

Follow the methods discussed below and fix the problem when your printer is printing slowly.

1) Check Internet Connection

If you are facing this issue on a network printer, then see if the network connection is stable and fast.

You can restart your router or modem. To do that, turn off the router or the modem. Detach all the cables attached to it.

Wait for a couple of minutes, then attach the power cable.

Restart the router or the modem, and then try a test printing. If the printer prints slowly again, reset the printer.

2) Reset The Printer

When your HP printer prints slow, reset the printer. This may fix the problem.

To reset the HP printer, follow the steps given below:

With the HP printer turned on, unplug the printer’s power cord.
Allow a few minutes and then reconnect the power cord.
The printer should automatically turn on after this. If it does not, then turn it on manually.

HP always recommends directly connecting the printer to a wall outlet. So, do this and check if this fixes the problem.

3) Check The Paper Tray And The Ink Cartridges

Make sure that no paper is jammed in the printer and that the paper tray is not empty. Also, check there is enough ink in the ink cartridges.

So, open the access door of the printer and remove if there is any jammed paper.

You may need to remove the toner cartridge to check for the paper jam. Place papers in the paper tray if it is empty.

Also, check there is enough ink in the ink cartridges. Refill the empty ink cartridges and replace any damaged cartridge.

4) Check The Printer Settings

The print quality settings can affect the printing speed as different settings use a different amounts of ink.

If you have selected to print in the Best quality then this may slow down the printing speed.

So, tweak the printing preferences, and print with plain paper for faster printing:

Enter Printers and Scanners in the Windows search box and select the top option.

From the Printers list, click on your printer and select the Manage option

Select Printing preferences and click on the Paper / Quality tab. In the media or Paper Type field, select the Plain Paper option.

In the Quality Settings, select, Draft, Normal, or Standard. Save the changes by clicking on the OK button.

Now try a test printing and check if your printer is working as expected. If not then go to the next solution.

5) Print Using Both Cartridges

The older HP printer models allow printing with a single cartridge. This can slow down the printing process.

Open the printer and make sure that the cartridges are installed properly.

Make sure there is enough ink in the cartridges otherwise replace the empty cartridges.

6) Disable Quiet Mode

To reduce the printing noise we sometimes turn on the Quiet Mode but this can reduce the printing speed.

So, turn off the quiet mode and this can fix the problem. Check the printer’s manual or visit the manufacturer’s official website to know how to disable the Quiet mode.

For HP users follow the steps given below to turn off the Quiet mode:

Open HP Smart on your device and click on your printer.

Select Advanced Settings and click on Preferences. Select Quiet mode and turn it off. Click on the apply button to save the changes.

7) Update Or Reinstall The HP Printer Drivers

If the printer driver is outdated then this can also be a reason why HP printer is taking forever to print.

So, update the printer drivers to fix the issue. Follow the steps to do so:

Right-click on the Windows Start button and select the Device Manager option.
Double click on the Print queues section and right-click on your HP printer.
Select the Update driver option.

Next, select Search automatically for the drivers option.

If the printer still prints slowly after updating the drivers, reinstall the driver.

To do that, open the Device Manager and expand the Print queues section.
Right-click on the HP printer and select Uninstall device option as shown below.

Follow the on-screen prompts to finish the process. Restart your PC and see if this fixes the problem.

8) Restart The Print Spooler Service

Pint Spooler manages all the printing jobs on your device. So, when your printer is printing slow, restart the print spooler service. A fresh restart can fix temporary issues.

To do so, follow the steps given below:

Make sure to shut down all the printing-related programs. Type Services in the Windows search box and select the top option.

In the services, window scroll down to find the Printer Spooler service. Right-click on the service and select Stop.

Next click on This PC and double-click on the Print Spooler installation folder.
You can also press the Win + R keys to open the Run utility. Enter Spool in the dialogue box and press the Enter key.

Open the Printers folder and delete everything in the folder. This will clear the print queues.
Next, go back to the services window and right-click on Print Spooler. Click on the Start button to restart the service.

Try to test print and this time you should be able to print without any further issues.

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]

Why Is My Printer Printing So Slowly?

If your printer is not connected to a stable network then your printer may take long hours to print.

Also, make sure that the printer drivers are up to date and quiet mode is disabled to ensure faster printing.

How Do You Fix A Slow Print?

To fix a slow print, reset your printer, disable quiet mode, update or reinstall the printer driver, and change the printing preferences.

Why Is My HP Printer Printing So Slow All Of A Sudden?

If you are using the best mode for printing or set to maximum DPI then your HP printer may print slowly. The more ink the printer consumes, the slower it prints.