There are many reasons why the printer printing blank pages. These include empty ink cartridges, improper cartridge installation, paper size, orientation and layout settings in the software, etc. Clean the print head if necessary. Make sure that there is no blank page in your document. If the printer software has a preview option, you can check and remove blank pages before printing.

Well, here we are listing down some probable causes of the relevant issue;

• In case your printer has clogged nozzles, this can result in blank pages being printed.
• Empty ink cartridges can cause your printer to suddenly print blank pages.
• Sometimes, your printer doesn’t appreciate the wrong paper size and prints blank pages as a result.
• This may be relevant if the printer’s software starts to malfunction for unknown reasons.
• You may face the problem if your printer has improperly installed printer drivers.
• Blank pages may also be printed due to cartridge installation problems.
• Check that the product is placed on a flat, stable surface that extends beyond the base in all directions. If the product is tilted or at an angle, it may not function properly.
• If the ink cartridges are old or the ink is dirty in that case You can have this problem.
• Remove the yellow tape from the ink cartridge installed in your product. Use only paper that meets the product’s specifications.

There are other minor causes that a user might not be able to appreciate. Therefore before we talk about the fixes to the problem, please make sure that you check a few important things, which we will discuss later in the article.

Steps to Fix a Printer Printing Blank Pages

Restart your Printer

The first thing to try would be to simply reset your printer and this can help resolve the issue with most printers. Reset your printer using these steps:

• Press your printer’s Power button and then wait for the device to shut down entirely.
• Disconnect the Power cord from the electrical outlet. Wait for about 3 minutes and then reconnect the Power cord back to the outlet.
• Push its Power button to turn on the device. Conduct a test print and see if printouts are back to normal.

Resolve Ink / Toner Cartridges Problems

If the problem is with the ink cartridge, the printer will not print normally. In this case, check the ink level to confirm that there is enough ink in the device. If there is no ink left, you will need to insert new cartridges. You can also take out the current ink cartridges and check if they are damaged. For any damaged cartridges, replace them with a new ones. Also, make sure that the cartridges are placed correctly. If not, remove these tanks and put them back correctly. Make sure the cartridge sits snugly in the slot.

Unclog the Print Head by Manual Cleaning

You can try the manual method when the automatic cleaning fails. Since there are two types of print heads – one is fixed at the cartridge and the other is removable. Here’s how:

• Pull out the Ink Cartridge holder and then remove each Ink Cartridge unit from its area.
• Now, slowly separate the print head from the holder.
• Clean any blocked print head and erase any dried ink using a clean cloth free of lint and soaked in water.
• Continue to clean the nozzle area and make sure there’s no more black ink left on the fabric.
• Soak the printhead in a bowl with warm water for 10 minutes. Avoid using boiled water.
• Next, spread a clean paper towel and place the print head above it as it soaks.
• Remove the print head from the bowl, then clean any traces of water and moisture with the help of a dry lint-free cloth.

Next, keep the printhead over a paper towel and let it air-dry for around 15 minutes.
Now, install the print head again into the carriage/holder once it’s completely dry.

• Now, double-check the nozzle to make sure that the print head is clean and dry before you start printing.

Set Skip Blank Page in Printer Settings

You can either use the Print Preview option to check if any blank pages are going to print and remove them, or set the Skip Blank Pages option in your printer settings. Let’s see how:

• Press the Win + I keys on your keyboard simultaneously to open the Settings app.
• In the Settings window, click Bluetooth & devices on the left side of the pane.

• Now, go to the right side of the pane and click on Printers & scanners.

• Next, on the right, select your default printer.
• Next, in the Printer settings section on the right side, scroll down a bit and select Printing preferences.

• Then in the Printing preferences window, under the Layout tab, check the box next to the Skip Blank Pages option.
• Then Press OK to save the changes and exit.

Run the Windows Printer Troubleshooter

Be it any brand of the printer (HP, Epson, or Canon), you must try the Windows Printer Troubleshooter to check if it helps fix the issue. Let’s see how:

• Press the Windows + I keys at the same time to open the Settings application.
• Choose Update & Security and click the Troubleshoot section.
• Then, select Printer and click the Run the troubleshooter button.

• If multiple printers connect to your computer, all the detected printers will be listed. You need to choose the printer that has the issue and click the Next button. This tool will start detecting problems with the selected printer. If any issue detect. Then, try starting your printing task again.

Update the Printer Driver

Sometimes, the issue could also arise due to outdated drivers, and hence, updating the printer driver may help fix the printer printing blank pages issue. Follow the below instructions to potentially resolve the issue:

• Press the Win + R keys correspondingly on your keyboard to open the Run command window.
• In the search bar, type devmgmt.msc and hit Enter to open the Device Manager window.

• In the Device Manager window, go to Print queues and expand the section.
• Right-click on your printer and select Update driver.

• In the Update Drivers window, firstly, click on Search automatically for drivers.
• Windows will now start detecting any available driver updates.
• If any is available, it will automatically update the printer driver to the latest version.

Now, close the device manager window and restart your PC to check if the issue has been resolved.

Configure Printer Spooler service

Sometimes the issue could arise due to damaged or missing print spooler files. Follow the below steps to restore your print spooler files and check if that help fixes the issue:

• Right-click on Start and then select Run from the menu.

• Here, type services.MSc in the search field and press OK to open the Service Manager window.

• In the Services window, navigate to the right side, and under the Name column, look for the Print Spooler service.
• Double-click on it to open its Properties window.

• Print Spooler Properties dialogue box, under the General tab, go to the Service status section and click on Stop.
• Press Apply and then OK to save the changes.

• Now, press the Win + E shortcut keys on your keyboard to open File Explorer.
• In the File Explorer window, navigate to the below path:

C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS

• Now, in the Printers folder, select all files and folders and hit Delete.

• Now, follow Steps 1 through 3 to open the Print Spooler Properties dialogue box in the Service Manager.
• Here, under the General tab, go to the Service status section and click on Start. Now, check if the Startup type set to Automatic.
• Press Apply and then OK to save the changes and exit.

We hope you keep yourself engaged with our other informative blogs and learn with us the expert fixes for all kinds of printer problems.