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Print quality problems

Blank pages, lines, streaks, banding and smears on inkjet and laser printers: how to read the page and fix the cause.

Laser printer drum with toner on its surface, where background shading starts

Print quality Laser printer grey background: why pages look dirty and how to fix it Laser printer printing a grey background or haze over the whole page? Rule out the document, density and paper, then check the drum and toner, step by step. October 17, 2026

Laptop opened on a work bench, where most missing-picture print settings live

Print quality Printer not printing images: how to fix pages that print text but no pictures Printer not printing images, only text? Fix missing pictures, logos and backgrounds in Word, browsers, Excel and PDFs, then check ink, draft mode and memory. October 17, 2026

Inkjet ink cartridges, the supplies behind prints that come out too dark

Print quality Printer printing too dark: how to fix dark photos, muddy colours and heavy text Printer printing too dark, with muddy photos or heavy, bleeding text? Check screen brightness, paper type, density and colour management, then the hardware. October 17, 2026

Close-up of the electrical contacts on an ink cartridge

Print quality Printer only printing in black and white: how to get color back Printer only printing in black and white? Check grayscale settings in the app, driver and printer, the color cartridges, the driver type and any office policy. October 16, 2026

Office laser printer with its paper path and trays visible

Print quality Printer printing only half the page: how to find the cause Printer printing half a page and stopping, or leaving one side blank? Check paper size and scaling, the job data, printer memory, the driver and ink or toner. October 16, 2026

Close-up of toner powder on a laser printer photosensitive drum

Print quality Laser printer ghosting: why faint copies repeat down the page and how to stop it Laser printer ghosting puts faint copies of text further down the page. Check paper type, humidity, drum and fuser in order, and learn which part to replace. October 15, 2026

Inside of a laser printer cartridge showing toner on the drum

Print quality Laser printer printing all-black pages: how to find the cause Laser printer printing black pages? Rule out a dark document or copy setting, reseat the toner and drum, check the contacts, and know when it is a repair. October 15, 2026

Printer paper tray with adjustable paper guides set against a stack of paper

Print quality Printer cutting off edges: how to fix text and images missing at the margins Printer cutting off edges of the page? Match A4 or Letter paper size, set scaling to fit, respect the printable area, adjust tray guides and fix skewed feeding. October 15, 2026

Underside of an inkjet cartridge showing the print head and contacts

Print quality Printer head alignment: how to fix jagged lines and blurry text Printer head alignment fixes jagged vertical lines, doubled or blurry text and colour fringes. Learn when to align, how to run it and what to do if it fails. October 15, 2026

Several inkjet cartridges laid out side by side

Print quality Printer ink dried out: how to revive an inkjet after it sat unused Printer ink dried out after weeks unused? Run nozzle checks and head cleaning the right way, let the ink settle, clean a cartridge head gently and prevent it. October 15, 2026

Several ink cartridges lined up next to each other

Print quality Printer leaking ink: how to find where it comes from and stop it Printer leaking ink inside or onto the desk? Check cartridges and seals, refillable tanks and tubes, the waste ink pad and transport, then clean up safely. October 15, 2026

Close-up of the metal electrical contacts on an inkjet ink cartridge

Print quality Printer not printing black: how to find the cause and fix it Printer not printing black but colour works? Check the cartridge and settings, clean blocked nozzles and contacts, and learn when a head or drum must go. October 15, 2026

Inkjet ink cartridges in different colours laid out side by side

Print quality Printer printing faded: why prints come out pale and how to fix it Printer printing faded or pale? Check ink and toner, switch off economy mode, match paper type, clean the print head and know when a drum or cartridge is due. October 15, 2026

Paper tray with adjustable paper guides

Print quality Printer printing too small: how to get your pages back to full size Printer printing too small or shrinking the page? Check scaling, pages per sheet, paper size, browser zoom, PDF fit options and the printer's copy settings. October 15, 2026

Cyan, magenta, yellow and black inkjet cartridges laid out side by side

Print quality Printer printing wrong colors: how to find the cause and fix it Printer printing wrong colors? Read the colour cast, run a nozzle check, fix grayscale and colour management settings, calibrate a laser, know what to replace. October 15, 2026

Sheets of paper feeding into the input tray of a desktop printer

Print quality Printer smudging ink: why prints smear and how to stop it Printer smudging ink or toner? Match the paper setting, clean rollers and platen, fix curled paper and spot a worn fuser, with separate inkjet and laser steps. October 15, 2026

Inside of a laser printer cartridge showing toner on the drum

Print quality Toner low message after installing a new cartridge: what to check Printer still says toner low after a new cartridge? Remove the seal, reseat it, clean the chip contacts, tell toner from drum and handle the counter or chip. October 15, 2026

Two used inkjet cartridges with ink visible through the casing

Print quality Printer printing blank pages: causes and fixes Printer printing blank pages? Check for protective tape, empty or dried ink, clogged nozzles, toner seals and wrong settings, in order, for inkjet and laser. October 14, 2026

Close-up of toner powder on a laser printer photosensitive drum

Print quality Printer printing lines or streaks: what causes them and how to fix it Printer printing lines or streaks? Tell inkjet banding from laser drum marks, run the right cleaning, align the head and know which part to replace and when. October 14, 2026