Fix: Printer Printing Blank Pages (Windows)

Printers have been an integral part of our day-to-day workflow. Having our printers not function the way they should is a big problem for our work. One of the most common problems many users usually encounter is printing out blank pages. In this article, we will talk about fixing the printer printing blank pages in Windows. We’ll be going over almost all possible error fixes, so ensure that you read this article until the end.

How To Fix Printer Printing Blank Pages?

There can be many causes for the error, and you may have to check through them to get to the one causing the issue eventually. We’ve made sure to cover all of them. Let’s look at the possible causes of blank pages from the printer.

Perform Basic Checks
Select Skip Blank Page While Printing
Unclog Printer Head Using Automatic Or Manual Cleaning
Align The Printer
Restart Printer Spooler Service
Turn Off Printer Separator Feature
Reinstall Printer

Let us now look at the detailed steps for all these fixes.

1] Perform Basic Checks

One of the primary reasons for a printer printing blank pages is low ink or depleting cartridge levels. Different printer manufacturers have different ways by which you can check the estimated ink and cartridge levels.

Most printer manufacturers supply a dedicated application or utility which will allow you to view and modify information related to the printer. You can look for the estimated ink and cartridge levels in the same. For more info, you can also refer to the manufacturer’s website, which in most cases will present a detailed guide.

2] Select Skip Blank Page While Printing

Sometimes, the document you’ll be printing may contain some blank pages. Since there is no printable data on these pages, the same will reflect on the pages from the printer tray. To avoid printing blank pages, Windows provides an option to skip printing blank pages. This option may only be available to certain printers. Here’s how to skip blank pages while printing:

Open Windows settings by pressing the Windows+I key on your keyboard. Then, head over to the Bluetooth and Devices section from the left pane.
Now in the Bluetooth and Devices, open the Printer And Scanners option and head over to the printer you wish to enable the option.
Now, open the Printer Preferences option, and then in the printer preferences, select the Skip Blank Page option from the Layout tab to enable the option.

3] Unclog Printer Head Using Automatic Or Manual Cleaning

Inkjet printers allow you to automatically clean the printer head and unclog it for efficient and precise printing. This can be done with the control application supplied for the printer by its manufacturer. What the printer does in the process is that it automatically releases any additional ink that is left in it, which softens the clogs and helps dissolve them.

If you have a Laserjet printer, proceeding with manual cleaning is the only option. First, detach the cartridge from the printer and carefully separate the print head from it. Now, take a wet, lint-free microfiber cloth. And then, clean off any dried ink from the cartridge tube. Please ensure that the cloth you use for cleaning is specifically lint-free, as any residue from the cloth may cause complications with the printer.

4] Align The Printer

Sometimes, issues with the printer’s internal components can get misaligned and give out bad or no prints at all. To solve this issue. You can again use the printer utility application supplied by the manufacturer to align and maintain the printer. If you have aligned the printer from the utility application, then try printing a test page by following these steps:

Open Windows Settings (Win + I) and head to the Bluetooth and Devices section from the left pane.
In the Bluetooth And Devices section, open Printers and Scanners, and then select and open the printer you wish to print the alignment test page from.
Now, you’ll see an option to Print Test Page. Click on it, and a print job will be automatically sent to the printer, and you’ll get the print.

If the test page turns out to be fine, then there will possibly be no error at the printer’s end. You can try other fixes from this article.

5] Restart Printer Spooler Service

Now that we have ruled out the possibility of a fault with your printer, let’s look at some issues that could’ve arisen at your computer’s end. The printer spooler service is responsible for all the data transmission to and from your printer.

If the service malfunctions for unknown reasons, your printer may print out blank pages. Restarting the printer spooler service can also solve several other issues with your printer. Here’s how to restart the printer spooler service:

Open the Run Dialog box by pressing the Windows+R keys on your keyboard. Then type in Services.msc and hit enter to open the services window.
In the services window, scroll down to find the Printer Spooler Service and right-click on it.
From the right-click menu, click Restart to restart the Printer spooler service.

6] Turn Off Printer Separator Feature

The printer separator feature allows you to print a blank or customized print before each document is printed on a printer to distinguish the documents easily from the tray. Sometimes, you may have the feature turned on and not want to use it. Here’s how to turn off the Printer separator feature:

Open Windows settings and the Bluetooth and Devices section from the left pane. From there, select the Printer and scanners.
In the Printers and scanners, select the Printer you wish to modify the settings for, open it and then click on the Printer properties option.
In the Printer properties, go to the advanced tab and click on the Separator page button at the bottom.
Now, there must be a separator page selected for your printer. Unselect it to turn the feature off for your printer.

7] Reinstall the Printer

Sometimes, incorrect installation of the printer or corruption in the installation files can lead to issues such as printer printing blank pages. You can try reinstalling the printer to get around these issues; here are the steps to do that:

Open Windows settings and head over to the Bluetooth And Devices settings from the left pane. In the Bluetooth and devices, open the Printers and Scanners section.
Now open the printer you wish to reinstall and click the remove button next to the printer name to remove the printer and its driver.
Once removed, open the Printers and scanners section again and then click on Add device option.
Now, Windows will look for any devices connected to your computer. If it identifies them, you must select the device and proceed with a few easy steps to install the printer. You will have to do it manually if the printer is fairly older.
If Windows cannot find your printer, you’ll eventually get an option saying Add Manually.
In the new window that opens, you can either let Windows find the older printer for you, or you can add any wireless or networked printer. You can also choose to add a printer with manual settings.

Conclusion

Anytime you encounter an error with a peripheral device, ensure that there are no issues with the device itself. Once that possibility is ruled out, there is a greater chance that the problem is with the installation or drivers of the device. We hope you found the article helpful; please make sure you share it with everyone.

Why Does The Printer Print Blank Pages?

The printer may print blank pages for numerous reasons, from insufficient ink levels, clogged cartridges, outdated drivers, installation issues, connectivity disruptions, and many others. To solve the issue, run a diagnostic from the printer utility software. Or try checking the printer for all the issues stated above.

Is It Safe To Turn Off Printer Spooler Service?

Yes, it is entirely safe to turn off the printer spooler service. It will cut off any data currently being transmitted to the connected printers. The printer spooler service is automatically restarted when you print anything.

How To Download The Latest Update Drivers For My Printer?

To download the latest updated drivers for your printer. You can head over to the manufacturer’s website or perform a google search with the Manufacturer’s name and printer model for the updated drivers. Windows also keeps looking for the latest drivers for all the devices connected to a computer and downloads them for you.