Printer Printing Blank Pages? Causes and Fixes

When this guide applies

• Paper feeds through the printer but comes out completely blank.
• Blank pages started straight after installing a new cartridge.
• Some documents print normally but one particular document comes out blank.
• Pages are extremely faint, almost blank.

Possible causes

Protective tape or seal left on

New inkjet cartridges often have tape over the nozzles, and new toner cartridges may have a seal or packing material that must be removed.

Empty or dried ink

An empty cartridge, or ink that has dried in the nozzles after a long period without printing.

Clogged printhead nozzles

Dried ink blocks the tiny nozzles that spray ink onto the page.

Cartridge not seated or wrong slot

A cartridge that is not clicked fully into place, or is in the wrong position, may not make proper contact.

Document or app problem

The document contains blank pages, white text, or content the app is not sending correctly.

Driver or settings problem

A wrong or corrupted driver, or settings such as a mismatched paper size, can send an empty page.

1. Rule out the document first (inkjet and laser)

1. Print a test page from the printer

   Print a test, status or configuration page from the printer’s own control panel (often under Reports, Setup or Maintenance; names vary by model). If that page prints correctly, the printer is fine and the problem is the document or the computer.

2. Try a different document

   Print a simple text document or web page. If it prints, check the original for blank pages at the end, text set to white, or very light colours that may not show up.

3. Check print settings

   In the print dialog, check the page range, the paper size and the selected printer. If a PDF prints blank, try printing it from a different PDF viewer or use any “print as image” option the app offers.

2. Inkjet printers: check the ink and printhead

1. Check for tape on new cartridges

   If the problem started after fitting a new cartridge, take it out and look for any plastic tape or clip still covering the nozzles or air vent. Remove only the packaging the instructions tell you to remove, and do not touch the nozzles or copper contacts.

2. Check ink levels

   Use the printer’s screen or companion software to check levels. On ink-tank printers, check the tanks visually. Note that some printers report levels as estimates.

3. Reseat the cartridges

   With the printer on (most inkjets need power to move the cartridge carriage to the access position), open the cover, remove each cartridge and push it back in until it clicks. Make sure each colour is in its marked slot.

4. Run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle

   Print a nozzle check or print-quality report. If it is blank or has large gaps, run the printer’s cleaning function, then check again. See how to clean a printhead for how to do this without wasting ink.

3. Laser printers: check the toner and drum

1. Check for a seal or packing material

   New toner cartridges and drum units may ship with a pull-tab seal, protective sheet or orange plastic spacers. Turn the printer off, let it cool, remove the cartridge and check against its instructions that all packing has been removed.

2. Reseat the toner and drum

   Reinsert the cartridge firmly. On printers with a separate drum unit, make sure the toner cartridge is locked into the drum before the assembly goes back into the printer. Instructions differ by model.

3. Check the toner level

   An empty toner cartridge usually produces faint pages before blank ones. If the printer allows it, a gentle side-to-side rock of the cartridge can redistribute toner temporarily; check your manual first, as not all manufacturers recommend it.

4. Consider the drum

   If the printer reports that the drum is at end of life, or blank pages continue with a new toner cartridge, the drum unit (on models that have a separate one) may need replacing. Check the printer’s status messages.

4. Reinstall the printer on the computer

1. Remove and add the printer again

   If the printer’s own test page prints but jobs from the computer come out blank, remove the printer in your computer’s printer settings and add it again. Our guide on adding a printer to a computer covers Windows, macOS and ChromeOS.

2. Use the official driver

   If the automatically installed driver does not work, install the driver from the manufacturer’s official website. Make sure it matches your exact printer model and operating system.

If it still isn’t working

Let a dried-out inkjet rest. If cleaning cycles improve the nozzle check a little each time, leaving the printer switched on for a few hours, then trying again, sometimes helps. Avoid running many cleaning cycles back to back.

Try a different cartridge. If you have a spare cartridge, fitting it helps show whether one cartridge is faulty or the problem is the printer.

If the test page is also blank after new ink or toner has been fitted correctly and cleaning has been tried, the printhead or another internal part may have failed. Check the manufacturer’s official support resources or your warranty.

Frequently asked questions