Printer Troubleshooting by Symptom
Printer troubleshooting starts with what you can see on the paper. Pick the card that matches your printout, or the one for a printer that won’t print, and you get a short checker, the likely cause, the fix in order and a test page to confirm it. Not sure? Print a color test page first.
By Printer Test Page LabLast updated
What does your printout look like?
- Lines, streaks or bandingWhite or colored lines across or down the pagePrinter printing lines
- Faded or missing colorPale prints, or one color or black goneFaded or missing color
- Blank pagesPaper comes out with nothing on itBlank pages
- Smudged or smeared printsInk smears, toner rubs offPrinter smudging
- Symbols or gibberishRandom characters or pages of codePrinter printing symbols
- Gaps in the nozzle checkBroken or missing steps in the patternNozzle check reader
- Clogged print headGaps that come back, or after weeks unusedPrint head cleaning
- Blurry or doubled textJagged vertical lines, ghosted lettersAlignment test page
- Laser lines or streaksStreaks down the page, ghost imagesLaser lines and streaks
- Laser dirty pages or spotsGray haze, specks, repeating dotsLaser printer dirty pages
- Wrong colorsGreens look yellow, reds look pinkColor test page
- Wrong size or off-centerPrints shrink, stretch or sit off-centerPrint size and margin check
Or does nothing print?
- Nothing prints at allNo sound, no paper movementPrinter not printing
- Printer shows offlineIt is on, but the computer says offlinePrinter offline fix
- Jobs stuck in the queueA job won’t print or won’t cancelClear the print queue
- Only the test page printsDocuments fail but the self-test worksTest page prints, documents don’t
Match your printout to a fault
Drawn examples, not scans of real prints. Compare them with your printout to pick the closest match.
What is the usual repair order for inkjets?
Most inkjet quality problems clear up in this order. Each step links to the page that does it.
How do I troubleshoot a printer quickly?
To troubleshoot a printer quickly, split the problem in two before you change anything. Print the printer’s own self-test page from its buttons or menu, because that page never touches your computer. If the self-test comes out clean, the printer hardware works, and the fault is in the driver, the print queue, the app or the connection. If the self-test shows lines, fading or blank areas, the fault is in the printer itself: ink or toner, clogged nozzles, alignment or the paper path. If nothing prints at all, read any error on the printer’s screen and check whether the computer lists it as offline. Then change one thing at a time and reprint the same test page after each change, so you can see which step fixed it.
The same steps, in order:
- Separate the printer from the computer. Print the printer’s own self-test from its buttons or menu. The test page guide shows how on every system.
- If the self-test is clean, the problem is the driver, the app or the connection. Use test page prints but documents don’t.
- If the self-test is bad, print our color test page and match what you see to a card above.
- Fix one thing at a time and reprint the same test page after each change, so you know what worked.
Why does inkjet or laser change the fix?
Inkjets spray liquid ink through tiny nozzles, so their problems are mostly clogs, alignment and paper settings. Lasers fuse toner powder with heat, so their problems are toner, the drum, rollers and the fuser. Head cleaning does nothing for a laser, and drum checks mean nothing to an inkjet. Each checker on this site asks which kind you have first. For the full comparison, see inkjet vs laser printers: how each works and fails.
Steps by printer brand
- HP printersStatus report, quality report, cleaning and alignment.
- Epson printersStatus sheet, nozzle check and cleaning limits.
- Canon printersNozzle check, deep cleaning and alignment.
- Brother printersQuality check, drum cleaning and 94 mm marks.
Other brands: official support sites
We have not verified model-level steps for these makers yet. Their own support sites have manuals and drivers.
Links checked . Printer Test Page Lab is not affiliated with any printer maker.
Questions people ask
What is the most common printer problem?
On inkjets, clogged or dried nozzles, which show up as white lines, faded colors or blank pages after a printer sits unused. On lasers, worn or dirty drums and low toner, which show up as streaks and repeating marks.
How do I know if my printer problem is hardware or software?
Print the printer’s own test page from its buttons or menu. If it prints cleanly, the hardware is fine and the problem is the driver, app or connection. If it prints badly too, the problem is in the printer.
Should I clean the print head first?
No. Run a nozzle check first. Cleaning only helps when the check shows gaps, and each cycle uses ink. Many problems, such as banding or blur, come from settings or alignment instead.