Why is my printer producing streaky or faded pages?
Blocked nozzles, low toner and the wrong paper setting — what the pattern of the streaks tells you.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 20 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Run the printer's head cleaning cycle two or three times for an inkjet. Regular horizontal gaps almost always mean blocked nozzles, and cleaning usually clears them.
The pattern of the defect identifies the cause. Horizontal bands point at nozzles, vertical lines at the drum or a scratch, and overall fading at supply. Reading the page saves a lot of guessing.
Step by step
- Print the nozzle check or test page.Almost every printer has one. It shows exactly which colours and nozzles are failing, which is far more informative than a document.
- Run the head cleaning cycle.For inkjets. Run it, print a test page, repeat up to three times. It uses ink, so do not run it endlessly — if three cycles do not fix it, cleaning is not the answer.
- Check the ink or toner level.Overall fading usually just means low supply. Shaking a toner cartridte gently side to side redistributes the remaining powder and buys more pages.
- Read the pattern of the defect.Horizontal bands: nozzles. Vertical lines down every page: drum or fuser. One missing colour: that cartridge or its nozzles. Random smudges: a dirty roller.
- Check the paper type setting.Printing photo settings onto plain paper, or vice versa, produces poor results that look like a fault.
- Clean the print head manually if cleaning cycles fail.On many inkjets the head can be lifted out and dabbed on damp kitchen paper. Check whether yours allows this before trying.
- Try genuine cartridges if using third-party ones.Cheap compatible cartridges are a common cause of streaking and clogging. Worth ruling out before assuming hardware failure.
- Consider whether it is worth repairing.A failed drum or fuser often costs more than a new printer. Get the part price before committing.
Tips
- Print a colour page weekly even if you only need black. Unused inkjet nozzles dry out and clog within weeks.
- Store spare cartridges upright and sealed. Heat and air dry them out before they are ever used.
- For occasional printing, a laser printer is far less trouble than an inkjet — toner does not dry out.
Questions people ask
How many times should I run head cleaning?
Two or three, checking with a test page between. It consumes ink, so if three cycles do not help, the problem is not blocked nozzles.
Why are there lines down every page?
Usually the drum or fuser rather than the ink — particularly on a laser printer. Check the price of the part before deciding to repair.