Printing Blank Pages

Posted Friday, October 1st, 2010 by .

Printing blank pagesPrinters can sometimes encounter a lot of different problems that can be difficult to troubleshoot. One of the more annoying symptoms that may crop up is that a printer starts printing blank pages instead of the output you are expecting.

Update the Printer Driver

Printing blank pages can often caused by an incorrect printer driver installed on the computer, or one that has become corrupted. The best solution in this case is to track down the correct driver and install it. See Installing a Printer Driver for details on how to install correctly.

Check the Cables

In some cases, a communication error due to a loose cable can cause blank pages. First, turn off the printer. Unplug the USB, parallel, or ethernet cable from both the computer and the printer, then reconnect both, making sure they are securely inserted.

Check the Cartridges

The first thing to check is to make sure that your inkjet or toner cartridges are not empty. You can generally view the level of ink or toner available on the control panel of the printer or in the software on your computer.

Reset the Print Spooler

The print spooler is responsible for managing multiple print jobs. Reseting the print spooler could resolve the issue. Click the Start button and type “services.msc” in the box (without the quotes), then hit Enter. Right-click the “Print Spooler” heading and click “Stop”. Then right-click the “Print Spooler” line again and click “Start”. Print a test page to see if the problem is resolved.

Clean the Print Heads

When inkjet print heads become clogged, they can have trouble transferring ink to the page. By running the print head cleaning utility, the printer will attempt to flush the heads to get them working again. For most models, you will open the printer software and go to the Tools or Utilities section and choose the print head cleaning utility. Consult your manual for specific instructions for your model.

For models with removable printheads, Canon models in particular, you can try manually cleaning the heads. See the video below.

 

With any luck, the issue of printing blank pages will now be resolved.  If you are still having problems with your printer, you may need to try a repair shop or contact the manufacturer for more detailed information.

Greg Gladman
Greg Gladman has two degrees from the University of Cincinnati and prides himself on managing the operations and customer service at Ink Technologies. With a mind like a vault, he is full of useful and useless information, making him an asset to the company and to his Tuesday night trivia team. When he is not working, he spends his time bowling and playing golf. Greg dedicates much of his free time to raising money and awareness in support of the fight against blood cancers.
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2 Responses to “Printing Blank Pages”

  • Clearing Printer Memory:
    October 8, 2012 at 8:10 pm

    […] serious repairs. If unplugging your unit doesn’t correct this issue, you can try our article on Common Laser Printer Troubleshooting or Common Inkjet Printer Troubleshooting. If you are still having problems, it may be time to call […]

  • Installing a Printer Driver:
    October 31, 2012 at 1:39 pm

    […] that it works properly with your computer. If you ever have communication problems or issues like printing blank pages, reinstalling the drivers can also be a good step in troubleshooting these […]