How to Fix the Printer Printing Blank Pages? Learn Here

Large format printers are essential to the modern office, and their performance can impact your business. Unfortunately, printers aren't perfect and prone to malfunctions that can result in lost time and money if you are not prepared.

One frequent issue is the printer printing blank pages every now and then, which can be frustrating and confusing. Other similar problems you may encounter are:

• Ink cartridge is full but not printing.
• Printer is only printing half the page.
• Printer prints the test page but nothing else.

We will cover the causes and troubleshooting of these problems below.

1. Why Is My Printer Printing Blank Pages?
2. How to Fix Printer Printing Blank Pages
3. We Can Help You with the Printer Not Printing Anything and Other Issues

Why Is My Printer Printing Blank Pages? Some Common Causes

There are several possible causes for the printer not printing anything and outputting blank pages. Here are a few common reasons.

The Printer Has Run Out of Ink or Toner

Running out of ink or toner is a common answer to the question, 'why my HP printer is printing blank pages or not printing anything.' If you have run out of ink or toner, check the printer's manual for information on how to check the ink status and follow its instructions for replacing ink or toner.

You Are Using 3rd Party or Cheap Ink Cartridges

Cheap or 3rd party ink cartridges can be a tempting way to save money. However, these products are often lower quality and degrade faster than their counterparts.

Cheap printer ink might be to blame if the printer prints blank pages. Make sure to use only high-quality OEM or name-brand ink in your printer.

You Try Printing in Cold Environments

Keeping the printer in a heated area in cold environments is imperative. Leaving the printer outside or in an area of low temperature can cause damage to sensitive components and result in an ink cartridge printing blank pages. Ensure that the printer is located in a secure space where it will not be exposed to harsh conditions during the winter months. 

There Are Paper Issues – Wrong Paper Sizes

Paper is an essential ingredient for successful document printing. However, using too thin paper can jam or cause other issues within my printer or even damage it. Also, the ink may bleed into the paper, and this answers the question: why is the printer printing black pages?

Use high-quality printer paper, no less than 20lb weight, and cut so that it fits snugly into the tray. In general, thicker paper yields better results.

The Printer Has Congested Nozzles

A clogged nozzle prevents the printer from being able to print a quality page, which can lead to printing blank pages. Check my nozzles carefully for any buildup and clean or change them if needed. Use an appropriate cleaning tool, as a pipe cleaner could cause further damage.

Improper Cartridge Installation

Improperly installed cartridges are among the most common reasons for printouts with gaps or blank pages. 

For this reason, always check that you have correctly installed any new ink or toner cartridges, especially if the printer gives an error message when using a particular cartridge.

Cartridges Dislodged from Their Proper Place

Cartridges are the most common cause of printing errors and blank pages. A printer can't print if it doesn't have a cartridge installed properly.

If your printer prints blank pages, ensure both ink cartridges are properly inserted into their respective places. Also, check to see if either cartridge is missing or damaged—if it is, replace it with a new one.

How to Fix Printer Printing Blank Pages 

If your Canon or HP printer is printing blank pages, here are some simple ways to troubleshoot the issue:

Restart Your Printer

Turning off the printer and removing any unneeded cables—like USB or Ethernet connections—and then restarting it by pressing its power button allows it to reset.

If the printer is connected via USB, disconnect it from the computer and restart both devices. When prompted to reconnect, do so, and then try printing again. More than once, this has been the answer to why does my printer print blank pages or why is my printer printing black pages?

Unclog The Print Head (Automatic Cleaning)​ (Manual Cleaning)​

There are two ways to clean a printer print head. One way is automatic cleaning, and another way is manual cleaning. If the print head is clogged or becomes less effective after printing for a long time, perform an automatic cleaning of the printer's print head. You can do an automatic cleaning by following any of these three steps:

• Using computer software provided by the printer's manufacturer.
• Select Service in the program menu on the computer and click Print Head Alignment in that sub-menu.
• Download a utility software program from the internet that specializes in cleaning print heads, such as PrintHeadFixer.

Run the Windows Printer Troubleshooter

At times the printer has ink but prints black pages. For this, try running the computer's built-in troubleshooting feature. Do this to find out "why my printer only prints half the page, blanks, or the printer prints the test page but nothing else".

Windows 10 includes a built-in tool that can help fix many printing problems. To run it, open Settings and search for troubleshooting. Then select fix problems with printing from the results, which will open a wizard where you choose what type of problem you have with the printer.

Update the Printer Driver

When the printer has ink but prints blank pages, the problem is a bad printer driver—as such, updating the printer driver is usually a quick fix.

All you have to do is open up Windows Update and see if there's an updated version available for your particular printer model. If so, update it immediately and restart my computer for it to take effect.

We Can Help You with the Printer Not Printing Anything and Other Issues 

A printer only printing half a page or blank pages is a common problem, and it's not always clear what's wrong. It is often easy to fix these problems by restarting the printer, and it should start working correctly. And if that still doesn't solve the problem, clean out all the ink cartridges or replace them with new ones. 

Contact Metro Repro at (888) 484-9292 for any assistance related to your printer.