Why Is My Printer Printing Blank Pages HP Deskjet? Complete Fix Guide

Wondering why is my Printer printing blank pages HP Deskjet? There are a lot of factors why an HP Deskjet printer is printing blank pages.

Knowing the exact cause will help you resolve the issue quickly. However, to do that, you’ll need to do some troubleshooting so you can be sure of the cause.

Resolving your HP Deskjet printer printing blank pages can be tricky. The culprit is likely an empty ink cartridge. Replacing it will usually solve the issue so you can resume printing your documents. It’s always wise to check your ink levels before you start your print jobs.

It can be as straightforward as replacing an empty ink cartridge, but there are instances when it’s not this simple.

If it doesn’t work, we recommend reading through this guide to detail more ways to fix this problem.

Why Is My Printer Printing Blank Pages – HP Deskjet

One of the main reasons why this happens is that your printer is out of ink. It’s possible that the ink levels are not high enough, and your HP Deskjet printer refuses to print.

Most of the time, these issues can be resolved quickly.

However, there are specific problems like if your printer has a dirty printhead or a misaligned cartridge, you’ll have to do a few more steps to find the underlying cause.

If the problem does not get resolved quickly, you’ll have to look further. Let’s explore a few more possibilities so you’ll be able to fix your printer and get on with printing your documents.

How to Fix HP Deskjet Printer Printing Blank Pages

Let’s take a look at the most obvious culprit. There’s a good chance that you’re not going to go beyond this point, and changing a cartridge is all you need.

An empty ink cartridge can cause this entire issue. Replacing it should get you back to printing in no time.

Solution #1: Check Estimated Ink Levels

Your HP Deskjet printer comes with software that allows you to check on your ink levels in the cartridge.

It’s a great way to know if you need to replace a cartridge or at least prepare a fresh one.

Here’s how to check your ink levels:

1. Open your printer software. You’ll quickly find it in your app list on Windows.
2. Click Estimated Ink Levels, and it will show you a graphic.
3. If none of the ink cartridges are low, you won’t need to replace them yet.
4. If one of the ink cartridges is low, it’s time to replace them.

Note: The ink level graphic and warnings only provide you with estimates on the contents of your ink cartridges.

When it shows low ink levels, it’s helpful to have a replacement cartridge ready so you can avoid unnecessary delays.

Solution #2: Replace Low or Empty Ink Cartridges

If checking your ink cartridge levels reveals the one that’s low or empty, the next step is to replace it so you can get back to printing again.

Here’s how to replace a low or empty ink cartridge on your HP Deskjet printer:

1. Make sure your printer is turned on.
2. Open the cartridge door and wait for the ink carriage to move to the center.
3. Remove the old cartridge by pulling it towards you.
4. Get your new cartridge out of the package and remove the protective tape.
5. Slide the new cartridge into the ink carriage.
6. Close the cartridge door.

That’s it. Replacing a low or empty cartridge should do the trick and get you back to printing.

Note: Make sure not to touch the contacts or the ink nozzles on the ink cartridge. Touch these can cause clogs, bad connections, and ink failures.

Solution #3: Reseat Your Ink Cartridges

One of the reasons why your HP Deskjet printer is printing blank pages is a disconnected cartridge.

The ink cartridge can still be full and seated correctly in the ink carriage, it could also be slightly dislodged, and the contacts are not correctly aligned.

Even if they’re a few millimeters off, there’s a good chance that they’re not in proper contact, thus presenting this error. The easiest way to resolve this issue is to reseat your ink cartridges.

Remove them and reinstall them into the ink carriage as this would realign the contacts and get your printer to run normally.

The process would be the same as the one above in Solution #2, but instead of replacing the existing cartridge with a new one, you simply have to reseat it.

1. Turn your printer on.
2. Open the cartridge door.
3. Remove your ink cartridges.
4. Replace them into your ink carriage.
5. Close the cartridge door.

It’s a quick fix that should get you back to finishing your print jobs in no time.

Solution #4: Clear the Cartridge Nozzles

If you’re not using your HP Deskjet printer often, there’s a good chance that the ink has hardened on the nozzles clogging it up.

This won’t allow the ink to flow freely out of the printhead, and your printer will start to print blank pages.

Resolving this issue is a quick and easy process since you can use the printer software to clean the cartridges.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Open your printer software.
2. Click on Printer Actions and click on Maintenance Tasks.
3. Click on the Device Service tab.
4. Click Clean Ink Cartridges, and follow the on-screen prompts.
5. After cleaning, click Print to print a page.
6. If the print is not clean, follow the instructions for a Second Level Clean.

Note: If the nozzles are badly clogged, you might need to clean the nozzles a few more times until you get a clean print.

Solution #5: Check for Blank Pages in Your Document

You might not know it, but there could be blank pages in your document.

This is especially true if you’re working with a multi-page document with blank pages to break up the different sections.

Fortunately, there’s a way to go around this, so you don’t print those blank pages.

For Windows Users:

1. Open the Settings Menu found in the Start Menu, then go to Printers & Scanners.
2. Choose your printer, then click on Manage, then Printing Preferences.
3. Select Skip Blank Page.
4. Click OK to save your settings.

For Mac Users:

1. Go to System Preferences via Finder.
2. Click on Print & Scan, Print & Fax, or Printers & Scanners.
3. Choose Options & Supplies, then set Skip Blank Page to on.
4. Click OK to save your settings.

Once you’re done, your printer should skip any blank pages found in your document.

Solution #6: Use Genuine HP Cartridges

It is recommended that you use genuine HP cartridges as you can be sure of the reliability of the print cartridges.

The software works best with genuine cartridges as it will detect printer ink levels properly and allow the printer’s maintenance tools to function optimally.

Note: If you’re using one from a third party, some of these troubleshooting steps might not work and make it harder for you to resolve this particular issue.

If you’re still asking why my printer is printing blank pages, you’ll need to make sure that your cartridges are not low on ink or empty. Printer ink should last you quite a bit, and it’s normal not to check on it now and then.

Ensure that your cartridges contain ink so you don’t disrupt your print jobs.

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Last Thoughts:

These steps should help you resolve why your HP Deskjet printer continues to print blank pages. You need to take a few things into account, so you don’t have to guess and check every time.

If the issue continues after you have done these different troubleshooting tasks, it’s also possible that your HP Deskjet printer might need proper servicing.

If this is the case, you’ll need to contact HP customer support to get a professional to look into your problem and solve it.