Updated 20/07/2023
You may be wondering ‘Why is my printer printing lines?’ When you need to print urgently, this issue can be extremely frustrating if there are missing lines or streaks on the page you’ve just printed.
A printer printing lines on the page are normally caused by a blocked, dirty, or damaged print head. Blocked ink cartridge nozzles, or not removing protective seals correctly when you installed a new ink cartridge can also cause missing lines of print.
Learn how to fix the printing lines issue, by first choosing from the following:
If you’re looking for a way to fix black lines, smudges or missing sections visit our page:
Black lines down the page – 4 causes and how to fix.
What causes an inkjet printer printing lines?
An inkjet printer printing lines or missing lines on printouts are caused when the printer cartridges or the cartridge carriage which contains the print head becomes dirty or damaged.
Over time, ink can dry and build up on the nozzles where the ink comes out, as the cartridge moves across the page and is transferred onto the paper.
This can also cause smudges, blurry print or the wrong colour to come out depending on which cartridge is blocked.
How to fix an inkjet printer printing or missing lines
Firstly, make sure that you are using the correct paper type for your printer. Unless you are using plain paper, an inkjet printer requires specific inkjet paper. If you have the incorrect paper type, the ink will not absorb correctly and can cause issues.
If you have recently installed a new cartridge, check that all protective seals have been correctly removed, then try the following steps:
Step 1 – Run the cartridge/print head cleaning process
The following steps will fix most issues…
- From the LCD panel on your printer go to settings and select the clean print head or clean cartridge option.
- Following that run the cartridge alignment option, to fix any colour alignment issues.
- If you don’t have a screen on your printer, on your PC select control panel > Devices & Printers > Right-click the printer in the list and select ‘Printing Properties’. You can normally find the option to clean from here, often in the services tab.
You may need to run the cleaning process up to 3 times to see an improvement. If you’re still experiencing issues move on to step 2…
Step 2 – Clean the cartridges/nozzles
- Print a test page to try to determine which colour is blocked.
- Open the printer door and remove the blocked cartridge(s)
- Use a damp paper towel to gently wipe any dry or blobs of ink away from the nozzles at the bottom or back of the cartridge.
- Place the cartridge on top of a damp paper towel with the nozzle/print head touching the damp part until the ink flows a little (being careful not to get ink on clothing, furniture or skin).
- Reinstall the ink cartridges and try them again.
Step 3 – Clean the ink cartridge carriage/print head.
Dirt or fluff can also build up in the ink cartridge holder where the print heads are located.
- Remove the ink cartridges from the cartridge holder
- Using a dampened cotton swab, gently wipe the underside of the ink holder where the print head is located until completely clean of ink.
- Re-install the inks and try again.
If the steps above don’t resolve the issue, you will need to replace the ink cartridges, as they may be running out of ink, be damaged or may have dried up.
How to fix a laser printer printing lines on the printout
If your laser printer is skipping or missing lines, this is normally caused when seals haven’t been removed correctly. It can also occur when there is damage to the toner, drum unit, or damage to the fuser unit. To fix the issue follow these steps:
- If available, run the drum/fuser cleaning process from the printer’s menu. Usually found in the print settings or maintenance section.
- If available Run the general clean process.
- Remove the toners/drums (often in one unit) and physically check the drum cylinder for dirt or damage whilst making sure not to touch it (the drum is a green metal cylinder).
- If the drum is damaged or dirty, try to clean it with an air duster (If this doesn’t remove dirt, the drums or toners will need to be replaced with new ones).
- Re-install the toner/drums and try again.
If the steps above don’t correct the issue, you may need to replace the fuser unit in the printer. It may have a build-up of dirt and cannot be cleaned manually.
The above steps will help resolve your issue. Let us know if they helped by commenting below!
About Stuart DeavallI have been working in the printing industry with TonerGiant for over 16 years, and I'm the resident technical printer expert, helping people fix their printer problems for over 14 years. I have taken part in many training courses with HP, Samsung, Brother, Canon and Xerox to further my knowledge, and I'm also the Digital Marketing Manager at TonerGiant.co.uk (degree qualified).
yes it helped me alot. thanks
My Name is Babu.P. I am also working for this Printer field. Many times i faced these problems. Now we got one printer Canon LBP2900b. we are facing the same problem. ( I had replaced- LSU,Controller Board,Transfer roller,Cartridge and cleaned the mainboard ‘s sensor condacts and all) now i will try to replace the fuser unit.
Thank you,
I have an Epson ecotank 15000 printing horizontal lines in all colors and it will print maroon for red. what do I need to do to fix this problem.
Hi, it sounds like you have a print head issue. It may need flushing and cleaning.
Hi, I got a Laserjet 500 color M551 and it print lines on the first 5 or 6 prints when turned on. After this it prints fine. What can it be?
Sounds like an issue with the fuser which is slow to heat up but once hot enough the problem stops.
Hi I volunteere for an autism charity we have a hp laserjet printer which in last 4 month on left side of a4 paper when we print things out there are marks which are pronounced darkness which leads to lighter patterns to just before middle of the sheet and we don’t know why we have very little funds so I just need advice thank you
Hi Debbie, try the advice on this page: https://www.tonergiant.co.uk/blog/2017/05/black-lines-down-the-page-4-causes-and-how-to-fix/
HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e
Printing “Color” Issues
Horizontal lines across the document and photos. The photos look like window blinds. I’ve changed the ink three times and I’ve cleaned the print heads with 90% alcohol, I’ve also checked for printer updates. I did an alignment twice. The problem is most severe at the top and bottom of the printed documents. The black text is very good, only color issues. Thank you for any help that you might provide.
That is strange, if the black was affected too I’d say it was possibly dirty rollers but it does sound like an issue with print heads. All you can do is try new colour inks or if the printhead is a separate unit, it may need replacing.
I have a brother laser printer. A horizontal black line appears on pages that becomes accentuated the more copies are printer. The toner is new. Any helps?
Brother laser printers normally have a separate drum, it could be an issue with the drum.
We have a brand new tr150 canon. When printing photos we have lines through the photo. We have done several clean ups and removed and cleaned everything manually but the problem still persists.
Any ideas?
It could be a blockage on the print head, try alternative cartridges or cleaning the underside of the print head.
I have an Hp deskjet 2722e, used it last week fine.
Now it’s printing with missing lines.
Tried restarting, cleaning online etc.
Unfortunately, it could be an issue with the cartridges, you may need to try replacement inks. If that doesn’t work, the print head could be damaged.
I have a Brother Laser Printer MFC-L3770CDW It worked fine for the first few years then I put in a new Brother toner cartridge and it started to print heavy black lines and smudges all over anything I tried to print. I took out the cartridges cleaned everything per their instructions, ran print cleaner papers through it several times, and recently purchased new Drums Units. It only got worse. I even used original brother cartridges but nothing works. Can you tell me if there is anything more I can do to fix the lines and smudges? I can’t print anything even in color because of the black lines
Hi there, if you’ve tried new toners / drums, it sounds like the fuser unit might have a fault. It’s the part that melts the toner on to the page. That part can be quite expensive and fiddly to replace but it’s the only thing left to try really.
Hi, I have a Canon G7020. I recently purchased this printer and all of my prints have these very thin faint black horizontal lines (that look like college-ruled paper lines). I have tried running all maintenance features and hand-cleaned the rollers but am still running into these issues. A lot of the troubleshooting advice I’m seeing online is for cartridge-based printers but mine has refillable tanks. Do you have any idea how to resolve this issue?
Hi Gabrielle, it’s likely to be a print head issue. I’m hearing that it’s becoming quite a common issue with these ink tank printers. I believe, the issue is that they need to be used every day or the ink builds up and dries on the print heads either blocking them up or causing issues like you have described. The only thing you can try is to check the part where the ink comes out and wipe with a lightly dampened cloth to try and remove any build up.
Hello & Help! My Epson EcoTank ET-16600 only has a little over 200 uses and prints colored lines over my paper but ONLY when using the rear feed (which I need to do for larger prints).
I have done all maintenance cleaning options. (Using with Photoshop & iMac ios12)
Hi Sally, it sounds like the rear feeder is temperamental on these printers. I’ve just been reading the instructions and there’s all kinds of warnings about not suing specific paper types / thicknesses on the rear feeder or it will cause issues like the one you described.
thank you, helped out alot..
Hi, l have a HP Photo-smart C4780 scanner, photo, printer,.
On printing a document it is okay until you get to the last few lines and not printing them. Leaving the document not complete.
I think if its only the very end of the document and always the same its something to do with printer drivers / the software rather than a fault with the printer cartridges etc…Try updating the printer firmware or drivers.