The printer prints white sheets: how to fix the situation? Why are blank sheets coming out of the printer? Printer, PC, or software problems

Signs: - if the printing process is visible, the end result is a white sheet - the nozzle test after cleaning does not get better, only worse.

Possible reasons:- after the purchase, the CISS was not moved to the working position.

Solutions:- move the CISS to the working position.


Prints a white sheet

Diagnosing this problem includes cleaning the nozzles. If after this operation the situation has not changed for the better, then the reason for this is that the CNC system was not put into working condition. Therefore, to the question of what to do if the printer prints white sheets, you can answer that it is enough to make the CISS operational. Therefore, if the device prints a white sheet from Canon, Epson, HP and other printers from different manufacturers, the CISS must be filled with ink, the large filling holes must be closed with plugs and the air holes must be opened. They must have special air filters installed. If the cartridge continues to print a white sheet, then it is necessary to check the integrity of the system itself and the correct connection to the printing device. After all, the main reason is that the ink does not enter the print head. Therefore, it is necessary to check all the joints between the cable and external tanks and cartridges. If there are any obstacles between them, then even after refilling the cartridge, the printer prints white sheets. This means that it is necessary to remove all excess from the joints. It is also necessary to check whether the cartridges have protective plugs on their lower parts. Why does an inkjet printer print white sheets quite quickly and this can be fixed quite easily and quickly.

If you have this problem, you need to check each version step by step.

The air lock prevents ink from entering the head, but the printer will indicate that everything is in order and it is ready for use. This problem can only be eliminated by removing the air. To do this, you will have to remove the cartridge and use paint to displace all the air.

There are many printers in which the cartridge and print head are one unit. They can be distinguished by the presence of contacts at the end and nozzles on the bottom plane. Although they are tightly installed on the carriage, they still have a slight backlash and may become misaligned and, in extreme cases, wear out. If there is no full contact, the printer cannot give the correct command to the cartridges, so the hp printer prints blank sheets after refilling.

If the device is rarely used, and in the case of color printers, color printing is not done periodically, then the nozzles and nozzles may dry out. When the printer prints blank sheets after refilling the cartridge, you need to clean the print head. To do this, use a special liquid and an ultrasonic bath.

Please note that this work requires accuracy and caution, because the print heads of printers cost almost as much as the entire device itself. When it breaks down, the most common solution is to buy a new printer or MFP.

Do not take Pay for the repairs yourself, and call the Master-Service company. To diagnose the problem, it is not necessary to take the printer to a service center. Our specialists can always come to you and determine the breakdown locally. The company has its own warehouse of branded spare parts for all printers, so repairs will not take much time.

One of the problems with printers is when the device does not want to use black or another specific color, although the ink is installed correctly, or it happens that the user prints something and receives blank, white pages.

Today we will look at this situation for HP deskjet 5525 printers.
We see that the printer is working, but the printouts are missing black or any other colors, or the page comes out blank or with little ink. NOTE. Some of the suggested solutions require full HP software. This video shows you how to troubleshoot a Deskjet printer that is printing a blank page or not using black or color ink.

HP 5525 does not print black

Low ink levels can result in poor print quality. To check the estimated ink levels and replace any low or empty ink cartridges, follow these steps.

Step 1: Check the estimated ink levels

Follow these steps to check the estimated ink levels.
If your HP deskjet 5525 does not print in black, open the printer software.
Click the Estimated Ink Levels tab. A graph displays the approximate printer ink levels.

An example of an approximate ink level graph showing fully refilled cartridges.

Step two: Replace empty or low ink cartridges
When the HP deskjet ink advantage 5525 printer does not print in black, follow these steps to replace the empty or low ink cartridges.
Press the power button to turn on the printer if it is not already on.

Open the cartridge door and wait until the carriage moves toward the center of the printer. Wait until the carriage comes to a complete stop before continuing.

Press down on the cartridge to release it, and then pull the cartridge toward you to remove it from its slot.
Do not touch the copper contacts or nozzles. This may cause clogged nozzles, limited ink distribution, and poor electrical connections. Also, don't try to put the tape back on. Touching these parts may cause them to become clogged and cause problems with ink flow and electrical contacts.
Save a printout showing signs of the problem. If the cartridges, printhead, or printer are being replaced under warranty, this sample printout must be provided to your technical support representative. If the printer is returned to HP, a sample printout must be included in the shipping box with the printer being returned. When packing the printer to ship to HP, place a sample printout in the output tray.

Many users have encountered a situation where the printer prints blank sheets. This behavior of the device causes bewilderment and sometimes even panic if you urgently need to print a document, but the equipment refuses to work normally. A malfunction of the device can be caused by many reasons. The most common of them will need to be considered in more detail.

Before looking for the reasons for the malfunction of the device, you should Printing a test page without a PC. To do this, different models of devices have their own methods: starting with a special button that needs to be held for a while, a combination of buttons, selecting from the unit’s service menu, etc. You need to take the instructions for your printer or MFP and study the information on this matter.

So, you found how to print a test page, started the process and saw that the sheet is not empty, but has text. This means that there is ink in the ink tanks and that the problem is not with the unit. The reason for this may lie in the incorrect interaction of the device with the PC or in the absent-mindedness of the user himself.

Incorrect connection

Sometimes, while cleaning, you may snag the USB cable connecting your PC to the printer, thereby breaking the contact in the connector. It is necessary to insert and move the cable plug well to ensure that it is firmly seated in the socket.

It is not recommended to use different cable extension cords, since the resulting electromagnetic interference may cause problems with the operation of the device. In addition, a good cable should have ferrite filters that smooth out interference.


Ferrite ring cable

Protective film

If the cartridge is new or refilled at a special service center, then a protective film will be stuck on it, which protects it from drying out or from leaking ink. If this film is not removed, then the device simply will not “see” the ink tank, or the ink will not be able to flow to the print head (PG), or will not be sprayed from the PG nozzles themselves. The problem is being solved removing the sticker from chips, nozzles (if they are located on the cartridge) or from the hole on the ink tank into which the PG pipe is inserted (if it is located on the carriage).

Wrong paper selection

You need to check the printer settings to see what the default paper size is. If the tray contains paper of a different size (different from what is configured in the machine), the device will output blank sheets.

To correct the settings, do the following:

  • go to the “Control Panel” of your PC;
  • select “Printers and Faxes” or “Devices and Printers”, depending on the OS on your computer;

  • select the device (if there are several of them in the system) that is not working correctly and right-click on it (RMB);
  • select either “Properties” or “Printer Settings” from the “Printing Settings” menu (depending on the machine model and the OS used);

  • A window will open where you need to select a default paper size that matches what is in the printer tray.

To test printing without leaving the machine properties menu by going to the “General” tab, you can print a test page by clicking “Print Test Page”.

Software glitches

Often white sheets come out when incorrectly executed document in a text or graphics editor (there may be blank pages). To find out, open the “File” menu and select the “Preview” line. A window will open where you can view all the pages prepared for printing. If you find any blank pages, delete them.

Incorrect settings

All modern printers connect to a computer via a USB port. But there are software failures when the previously set settings of the device “fly”, and it begins to either produce blank sheets or stand and do nothing, although it is written on the computer screen in the device program window that printing is in progress.

This problem can be solved as follows: in the device properties window, go to to the “Ports” tab. After a failure, the line of ports through which the printer should work is usually LPT1. Select “USB Virtual printer port for USB” from the drop-down list.

Also, in the device settings, you need to see if the checkbox next to “Print text only” or “Print image only” is unchecked. If this is the case, then depending on which file was sent for processing (text or graphics), the printer will print blank pages.

Print file corruption

When sending a document for printing, a special file is created in the system, which contains information about the print queue. Sometimes, due to software glitches, this file becomes damaged and the correct operation of the unit may be disrupted. Therefore, first you need to try just clear print queue: go to “Control Panel” → “Devices and Printers” and right-click on the desired device, then select the line “View print queue”.

A window will open where you will need to delete all lines.

In most cases, it is possible to clear the queue. If this cannot be done, you will need stop the Print Spooler service:

  • right-click on the “My Computer” icon, for example, in Explorer;
  • select “Management”;

  • Find “Services and applications” on the left and double-click on this item with the left mouse button (LMB);
  • select “Services” and find “Print Spooler” on the right side of the window;
  • after right-clicking on this line, a menu will appear where you select “Stop”;

  • Next, you will need to enter “C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\PRINTERS” (without quotes) into the address bar of Explorer and delete all files in the found folder;
  • go to “Services” again, and selecting “Print Manager”, click on “Start”.

This way, all errors related to the print queue will be eliminated.

Driver problem

Lost drivers may interfere with the correct interaction between the PC and the printer. Therefore it is recommended update hardware software. To do this, you need to download the driver from the website of the manufacturer of your unit, or install it from the disk that came with the device. But before updating, it is recommended to remove the old driver.


Antivirus or virus interference

If the antivirus program interferes with the operation of the device, you need to change the settings in it.

Typically, printing problems occur in network printers (connected by a local network).

To get rid of the impact of the antivirus on your equipment, you need to go to the program settings using the following path: “Settings” → “Firewall Settings” → “Network Properties”. After this, you should select your network, right-click on it and select “Trusted”. After these steps, the unit will work without problems.

If malfunctions in the device began after the PC was damaged by a virus, you will have to reinstall the driver using the method discussed above. Of course, before installing the driver, your PC needs to be cleaned of viruses using special programs.

Software conflict with hardware

What should you do if you have an old-style printer, and the OS on your computer is the latest version or newer than that required in the instructions for the equipment, and despite the driver not being installed, it does not work correctly, producing blank pages? In this case, you can use a special program (emulator) that allows you to install an older OS on your operating system. In this case, the outdated OS will run on a virtual machine and will not in any way affect the operation of the main system.

This program is called VirtualBox), and you can download it freely from the Internet. Next, you will have to download the distribution kit of the outdated OS with which your printer can work, and install it on a virtual machine created by the VirtualBox program. All instructions on how to install this shell and configure the equipment can be found in its description.

technical issues

Technical malfunctions of the device include problems with the cartridge or print head, as well as failure or clogging of some units of the unit.

Ink has run out or dried out

Running out of ink in the cartridge may cause blank pages to appear. In this case, you need to replace the cartridge or refill it (if it is refillable).

If the printer is not used for a long time, the ink in the print head nozzles may dry out. If this happens, you will need washing or soaking the cartridge(if the PG is located on the ink tank, for example, as in Canon or HP cartridges) or the same actions, but with a separate head.

Due to the user's carelessness, the ink in the print head can dry out, for example, if the power is turned off while the device is operating and the carriage does not enter the parking space, but stops in another place of the device. In this case, the ink located in the PG nozzles is exposed to air for a long time, drying it out. After the paint dries, it clogs the capillaries of the head.

To avoid the ink drying out, you will need to manually move the carriage slightly to the right, place a gauze pad on the bottom of the device, previously moistened with distilled water or water for injection (not to be confused with saline), and “run” the carriage onto it. The thickness of the napkin should be sufficient for the PG to come into contact with it. After turning on the power, remove the napkin and plug the device into a power outlet, then turn on the printer and wait until it performs self-diagnosis and parks the PG.

Malfunctions of unit components

The appearance of blank sheets may be due to an overheated print head during prolonged operation of the device (at large print volumes). In this case, the malfunction is eliminated by simply cooling the SG, if you turn off the device for a while.


It also cannot be ruled out print head failure or the microcircuit in it burns out. If the device does not print a test page without using a PC, then suspicions arise that the problem is in the head (if everything is in order with the ink and nozzles).

It is not practical to replace a burnt-out print head, if it is separate from the ink tanks, since its cost is almost equal to the cost of a new device. If the head installed on the ink tank is faulty, then you will need to replace the cartridge with a new one, although the price for it is also considerable.

If a laser printer prints white sheets, then this indicates photodrum malfunction or about a problem with contacts.

And suddenly, at one “wonderful” moment, it starts producing empty sheets. Nobody understands what happened, what is the reason and what to do. Failure of a device to perform its functions can be caused by various reasons. So why does the printer print blank sheets?

User absent-mindedness

Often it is your own inattention that causes the printer to print blank sheets.

  • If the white paper slips through 1-2 pages, then you need to double-check that the document is formatted correctly. Maybe there are extra page breaks, blank lines, leaves, etc.
  • When not removed, it prevents ink from being sprayed onto the sheet.
  • Incorrect or loose cable connection. You need to check yourself, tighten the wire in the sockets so that the contact is complete. It is possible that the wrong cable is being used.
  • Often in offices where large amounts of documentation need to be printed, different types of paper are used. Some printers refuse to print if the wrong sheets are used.

Cartridge problems

If the printer prints blank sheets, then in some cases the reason is the complete consumption of ink or toner. True, before this, the print will become more and more pale, appear in stripes, etc. So the user, as a rule, learns about ink consumption in advance. In this case, the problem can be solved simply by replacing the cartridge or refilling it. With a laser device, you can shake the cartridge to distribute the toner evenly.

Another problem is typical: clogged nozzles through which paint sprays. If the device has been idle for a long time, then you need to run the cleaning system before printing.

Also, ink in an inkjet cartridge may simply dry out. In this case, it is enough to replace it.

A very common problem is breakdown. In this case, you need to take the device to a service center.

Printer problems

The simplest reason is that the printer is “tired”. Print heads operate at high temperatures, so it is possible that the device simply overheated, which was the cause of the failure. If you let the device rest, it will return to normal after a few hours.

The photoconductor may break. Often there is a problem with contacts. If they are damaged, the image will not be transferred from the laser unit.

One of the common reasons why an HP printer prints blank sheets is a broken magnetic roller. It stops rotating and the image is not transferred to the paper.

If the laser unit does not work, then the image does not arrive at the photodrum. If there is no picture on the latter, the printer prints blank sheets.

A malfunction of the high-voltage unit leads to the fact that no charges are created, therefore, there are no “carriers” of the image.

In any of these cases, there is only one way out - contact the service center and replace the relevant parts.

Software failure

First of all, you need to check your printer settings. They can be viewed in the corresponding section of the menu. Or make it even simpler: print a test page. In this case, all settings are reset. If all else fails, then the problem may be with the drivers. They can be reinstalled or updated.

It is possible that the printer is printing blank sheets due to incompatibility with the operating system. This usually happens when using old devices.

Another option is that a virus, antivirus or other software is blocking printing. It happens. A disabled firewall can also cause problems.

The most common problem is a damaged print file. In this case, you just need to resave it and send it to the printer from another document.

Any technique can have its own effects, especially at the most inopportune moments. One of these problems is that the HP 2130 printer or other models produce blank sheets when printing documents. Some jokingly call this type of printing “invisible ink,” but we will still look into the problem of why the printer produces blank sheets when there is ink in the cartridge.

What will we talk about:

Where to begin?

The first thing you should try in case of any technical malfunction is rebooting the device. Therefore, first of all, reboot the printer in several stages - first turn it off using the main button, and then disconnect the device from the network. At the same time, try rebooting the media device on which the Word documents necessary for printing are located.

Often, incorrect operation occurs due to software or system errors, which are corrected by a regular reboot, since in this way you start all programs from scratch. Plus, at this moment, some temporary files are deleted and settings that could reduce system performance are reset.

Leave the printer turned off for 15-30 minutes, but ideally at least one hour. This will cool the print head, which overheating during continuous printing can also cause blank sheets to be produced. After the time has passed, turn on the Epson printer and try to print a test file or Word document.

Troubleshooting your computer

Before you wonder why the printer prints blank sheets, check the basic printer settings on your computer. A system failure can spontaneously change some device operating parameters - light saturation, print format, ink saving mode, etc. Carefully review all the settings and select the ones you need. If you are a novice user, we recommend using the “restore default settings” button.

It can also be caused by one of the most common problems - lack of memory on a computer or laptop. Free space on the hard drive is used to process information, and memory is the main resource required for this. The hard drive must have at least 2 gigabytes of free memory. It’s easy to check the amount of unused memory you have - through “My Computer” and the “General” tab of the hard drive.

PC viruses may be the reason why your HP printer prints blank sheets. To exclude this option, print a test page. If it is issued in standard mode and the ink appears, the problem must be looked for where the file is located. Scan the device with an antivirus program using the “fast” mode, as this will allow you to quickly identify the presence of a virus threat to the system. If the program does find malicious software, you will be prompted to quarantine or delete it. After completing these steps, try printing your file again.

Troubleshooting the driver

One of the reasons for incorrect output may be incorrect operation of the printer driver, which is outdated or simply “crashed” during a system failure. So, you need:

  1. Print a test page to make sure that the problem affects the operation of the computer and the driver in particular.
  2. Download the appropriate driver from the website of the official manufacturer (HP, Canon, Epson, etc.) of your printer.

Please note that for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10 you need to download different drivers that are suitable for your operating system.

  1. Update/install the driver using the downloaded file.
  2. To restart a computer.
  3. Try again to print the required file (not the test page!).

Troubleshooting the cartridge

If you are firmly convinced that there is ink in the cartridge, then remember the last date it was refilled or the date of purchase of the printer itself with the cartridge. The ink inside the cartridge dries naturally, causing the Epson printer to print blank sheets. One solution to this problem is to remove the cartridge and shake it lightly to mix the ink.

If you are confident in the quality and condition of the paint, then most likely the issue is a malfunction of the replacement unit itself. This can happen due to prolonged use or improper operation. In this case, you need to purchase a new cartridge or send the old one for repair.

User errors: what to look out for

  • Before sending files for printing, it is necessary to carefully check their structure, since when formatting, some users inadvertently leave “blank” sheets consisting of repeated spaces, and forget about them at the end of the work. As a result, during printing, the HP printer produces empty sheets between filled pages, and the user immediately thinks that the printing machine is faulty.
  • When changing the cartridge themselves, users do not remove the protective film from it. It was originally designed to protect and preserve ink, but during the printing process it will not allow the device to use ink. Due to this film, some Epson printers may not recognize the cartridge at all. The solution to the problem is the simplest - remove the cartridge and remove the bright protective film located near the print head.
  • When purchasing a cartridge, the user did not take into account its compatibility with the device, as a result of which the printer does not recognize the new element. In order to avoid this malfunction, consult with the seller before purchasing or on the website of the official printer manufacturer (HP, Canon, Epson, etc.) find a list of cartridges compatible with it.
  • There may be paper incompatibility, since some printers (HP 2130 or Canon, for example) print only on paper of a certain size and thickness.

If, after using all the methods described above, the printer continues to print blank sheets, you should contact a specialist, since the breakdown turned out to be more serious than you might have expected and can only be fixed by qualified technicians.