How to fix a printer that is printing blank pages or faded prints

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to fix a printer that is printing blank pages or faded prints. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

Blank pages or faded prints are a common frustration, but the cause is usually straightforward. This guide walks you through the most effective fixes, starting with the quickest checks and moving to more detailed maintenance. Work through each section in order until your prints return to normal.

Quick Fix Steps

Try these first — they resolve the majority of blank or faded print issues within a few minutes.

1. Check ink or toner levels. On the printer's control panel, look for an ink drop or toner icon. On Windows, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select your printer, and choose Printing preferences or Printer properties to view estimated levels. On macOS, open System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the printer, and click Options & Supplies > Supply Levels.
2. Remove protective tape or seals. If you recently installed a new ink or toner cartridge, check that all plastic strips, tape, and protective covers have been removed from the cartridge. A forgotten seal will block ink or toner flow entirely.
3. Run the printer's built-in cleaning cycle. Most printers have a Maintenance, Tools, or Setup menu on the control panel. Look for Clean Printhead, Clean Cartridges, or Nozzle Check. Run the cleaning cycle, then print a test page.
4. Print a test page from the printer itself. Many printers let you print a test or status page directly from the control panel — no computer involved. If this page prints clearly, the problem is with your computer's print settings or driver, not the printer hardware.

Detailed Instructions

1. Check ink and toner levels properly

Low ink or toner is the most common cause of faded prints. A cartridge may report as empty even if some ink remains, because printers reserve a small amount for maintenance. Replace any cartridge that is below 10–15% capacity.

• Inkjet printers: If one colour is low, the printer may still print, but colours will appear washed out or incorrect. Some printers refuse to print at all if any cartridge is empty.
• Laser printers: Faded prints often mean the toner cartridge is nearly empty. Gently rock the toner cartridge side to side five or six times to redistribute remaining toner, then reinsert it. This can temporarily restore print quality until a replacement arrives.

2. Clean clogged printheads (inkjet printers)

If your inkjet printer sits unused for weeks, ink can dry and clog the microscopic nozzles in the printhead. This produces blank pages, missing colours, or streaky output.

1. On the printer's control panel, navigate to Setup or Maintenance.
2. Select Clean Printhead or Clean Cartridges. The printer will run a cleaning cycle that takes one to three minutes.
3. Print a Nozzle Check or Print Quality Report to see if the clog has cleared.
4. If quality is still poor, run the cleaning cycle a second time. Do not run it more than three times in a row, as this wastes ink and can saturate the printhead.
5. If the problem persists, perform a deep clean or power clean if your printer offers it. This uses significantly more ink but clears stubborn blockages.

3. Check print quality settings in the driver

Sometimes the printer is fine, but the driver is configured for draft or economy mode, which produces intentionally light output to save ink or toner.

1. Open the document you want to print and press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Command + P (macOS).
2. Click Properties, Preferences, or Printer Options (the label varies by application).
3. Look for a Print Quality, Quality, or Media Type setting.
4. Change the setting from Draft, Economy, or Fast to Normal, Standard, or Best.
5. Ensure the Paper Type matches the paper you are using. Selecting Plain Paper while using photo paper can cause poor ink absorption and faded output.
6. Click OK and print again.

4. Check for a driver or software issue

A corrupted or outdated printer driver can send incorrect data to the printer, resulting in blank pages. Reinstalling the driver often resolves this.

1. On Windows, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
2. Select your printer and click Remove.
3. Restart your computer.
4. Return to Printers & scanners and click Add device. Windows will detect and reinstall the printer automatically.
5. On macOS, open System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the printer, and click the minus (–) button to remove it. Then click the plus (+) button to add it again.

5. Inspect the toner drum or imaging unit (laser printers)

Laser printers use a photosensitive drum to transfer toner to paper. If the drum is worn, scratched, or exposed to light, prints will appear faded or blank even with a full toner cartridge.

• Open the printer and remove the toner cartridge. The drum is often attached to the cartridge or sits directly behind it.
• Look for visible scratches, marks, or a dull, hazy surface. A healthy drum is shiny and uniform.
• If the drum is part of the toner cartridge, replace the entire cartridge. If it is a separate unit, replace the imaging drum according to the manufacturer's recommended page count.
• Never touch the drum surface with bare fingers — oils from your skin can permanently damage it.

Troubleshooting Specific Symptoms

Blank pages only from one application

If the printer works fine from other programs but prints blank pages from a specific application, the issue is with that application's print settings or document formatting.

1. Try printing a different document from the same application.
2. Check the application's print dialogue for a Print to File or Save as PDF option that may be accidentally selected.
3. Export or save the document as a PDF, then open the PDF in another application and print from there.

Faded prints only on one side (duplex printing)

If double-sided prints are faded on the reverse side only, the paper may be too thin or the wrong type for duplex printing. Use paper with a weight of at least 80 gsm, and check that the Paper Type setting in the driver matches the paper you are using.

Blank pages after refilling or using third-party cartridges

Refilled or third-party cartridges can have inconsistent quality. The chip on the cartridge may not communicate correctly with the printer, causing the printer to think it is empty. Try a genuine manufacturer cartridge to confirm whether the issue is with the cartridge or the printer.

If the problem persists after working through this guide, Open a Ticket and our support team will help you diagnose the issue further.

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