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Printer printing blank pages? Find the cause in minutes

Updated 2 min readWritten by the HelpMeFixPrinter support team

Paper feeds through, but nothing’s on it. The first job is working out whether the problem is the printer itself or what your computer is sending — and one test page tells you.

Quick answer

Print a self-test or nozzle check page from the printer’s own menu. If it’s blank too, the problem is ink, toner or the print head. If it prints fine, the problem is the document, driver or settings on your computer.

Why this happens

  • Empty cartridges, or new cartridges with the protective tape still on.
  • Clogged print head nozzles (common after the printer sits unused).
  • A new laser toner cartridge with its seal still in place.
  • Wrong paper size or a blank page in the document itself.

Step 1: Print a test from the printer

Use the printer’s control panel (usually under Maintenance, Tools or Reports) to print a nozzle check, print quality report or configuration page. This bypasses your computer completely.

  • Test page is also blank or missing colors → the problem is in the printer: go to the ink or toner steps below.
  • Test page prints fine → the printer is OK: reinstall the driver, check the paper size matches, and try printing a different document.

Inkjet printers

  1. Open the ink access door and reseat each cartridge. On new cartridges, make sure the plastic tape over the nozzles and vents is fully removed.
  2. Check ink levels on the printer’s screen or app and replace any that are empty.
  3. Run the print head cleaning or nozzle cleaning tool from the printer’s Maintenance menu. Run it up to two times, then print a nozzle check.
  4. If lines are still missing, let the printer sit for a few hours (or overnight) and try once more. Repeated back-to-back cleanings waste ink.

Laser printers

  1. Remove the toner cartridge and check for any orange tabs, tape or a pull-strip seal. Remove them.
  2. Gently rock the toner cartridge side to side to spread the toner, then reinstall it firmly.
  3. If your printer has a separate drum unit (common on Brother lasers), make sure the toner is clicked into the drum.
  4. Print a test page.

Brand-specific tips

HP

HP Smart and the printer’s menu offer a Print Quality Report and Clean Printhead tool. Some HP printers reject non-HP cartridges, which can look like a print problem — check for cartridge messages. More HP help

Canon

Use Maintenance › Nozzle Check, then Cleaning or Deep Cleaning on the printer or in the Canon PRINT app. More Canon help

Epson

Use Maintenance › Nozzle Check, then Head Cleaning. Epson also offers a stronger “Power Cleaning” — use it sparingly, it uses a lot of ink. More Epson help

Brother

Inkjets: Ink › Print Quality check and Cleaning. Lasers: check the toner seal and that the drum unit is seated. More Brother help

Still stuck? Talk to a printer technician.

Call for a free diagnosis. If it needs a paid fix, you’ll get a flat price before we start — and if we can’t fix it, you don’t pay.

Call 1-866-656-6696

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Frequently asked questions

Why does my printer print blank pages with new ink?

Most often the protective tape is still on the cartridge, the cartridge isn’t fully seated, or the print head needs a cleaning cycle after sitting.

How many head cleanings should I run?

Two in a row at most, then print a nozzle check. If it’s still poor, wait a few hours before trying again so the ink can soak through.

Related fixes

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