Troubleshooting
Printer printing streaks or lines?
Which way the lines run, and what color they are, tells you where to look first.
What do the lines look like?
1 of 2Likely cause
Likely cause on an inkjet: clogged or partly blocked nozzles in the print head.
- 1Print the nozzle check sheet and look for gaps in the line blocks.
- 2Run one head cleaning cycle from the printer’s maintenance menu or driver.
- 3Print the nozzle check again. If it improved, stop. If not, rest the printer for a few hours and recheck.
Likely cause
Likely cause on a laser: a scratched or dirty drum, a worn toner cartridge, or debris on a roller or scanner glass if you are copying.
- 1Print a black-and-white test page and note whether the line is in the same spot every time.
- 2Open the printer and gently check the toner cartridge and drum for visible damage or toner buildup, following your manual.
- 3Reseat or replace the toner cartridge or drum unit if the line stays in the same place.
Likely cause
Likely cause: dirty paper rollers, loose toner, or a leaking cartridge. Repeating marks at regular spacing point to a roller.
- 1Turn the printer off and unplug it, then wipe visible roller and paper path dust with a dry lint-free cloth.
- 2Print a few plain pages to clear loose toner or ink from the path.
- 3If marks repeat at the same spacing, replace the part your manual lists for that roller or drum.
Likely cause
Likely cause: one color nozzle row is partly clogged, or that color is running low.
- 1Print the nozzle check sheet and find which color has the gaps.
- 2Check that color’s ink level in the printer software.
- 3Run one cleaning cycle, then recheck the nozzle sheet.
Most likely causes
- 1
Clogged nozzles (inkjet)
Dried ink blocks tiny nozzles, so some lines of the image never get ink. This shows as thin white or light lines running across the page, in the direction the print head travels.
- 2
Low or empty ink (inkjet)
A cartridge that is nearly empty, or has air in the feed line, can give streaky coverage before it stops printing a color completely.
- 3
Dirty or damaged drum, toner or rollers (laser)
A scratch on the drum prints as a line in the same spot on every page. Loose toner, a worn cartridge or a dirty roller can leave streaks or repeating marks.
- 4
Wrong paper or quality setting
Fast or draft mode, or paper that does not suit the printer, can leave visible lines even when the hardware is healthy.
What to try, in order
- 1Print a diagnostic sheetPrint the nozzle check page for inkjets, or the black-and-white page for lasers. Note the direction, color and position of every line.
- 2Check ink or toner level and installMake sure cartridges are fully seated, protective tape is removed, and nothing is close to empty. Replace any that are very low.
- 3Clean the printerInkjet: run one cleaning cycle from the maintenance menu. Laser: with the power off, wipe visible dust from the paper path with a dry lint-free cloth.
- 4Reprint and comparePrint the same sheet at normal or best quality on plain paper. If the lines are the same as before, repeat step 3 once, then rest the printer and recheck later.
Cleaning cycles use ink. Try at most two, then let the printer rest for a few hours and recheck before running another.
When to stop and replace
If the nozzle check looks the same after two cleaning cycles and a rest, the print head may be worn or permanently blocked. On a laser, a line in exactly the same spot on every page after reseating the cartridge usually means the drum or cartridge needs replacing. At that point, compare the replacement part cost with the price of a new printer before spending more.
Inkjet or laser?
Inkjet printers
White streaks across the page almost always start with clogged nozzles. Print the nozzle check, run a cleaning cycle if you see gaps, and check ink levels.
Open the nozzle checkLaser printers
Lasers do not have nozzles. Streaks come from toner, the drum, the fuser or a dirty roller. A line in the same place on every page points to the drum or cartridge.
Print the black-and-white test pageStreaks and lines are the most common print quality complaint, and the fix depends on the direction, the color and whether the line is in the same place on every page. Guessing wastes ink, so start by printing a sheet built for the job.
Start with the right sheet
On an inkjet, print the nozzle check. It has separate line blocks for cyan, magenta, yellow and black, so you can see exactly which color is dropping out. If one block has gaps, that nozzle row is the problem. Our guide to reading a nozzle check shows what healthy and blocked patterns look like.
On a laser, print the black-and-white test page. Its solid steps and fine line sets make drum and toner problems easy to spot, and you can print it twice to see whether a mark stays put.
Direction tells you a lot
- Thin white lines across the page: usually inkjet nozzles. Cleaning is the first step.
- A dark or light line down the page in the same place every time: usually a laser drum or cartridge issue.
- Repeating marks at even spacing: a roller or drum with something stuck to it.
- Lines in one color: that ink or color is low or its nozzles are blocked. See missing color.
Software settings matter too
Before you blame hardware, make sure you are not printing in draft or fast mode on plain paper. Those modes use less ink and can show lines that normal mode would hide. Our Windows and Mac guides show where the quality setting lives.
Where to go next
If the lines are wide, evenly spaced bands rather than thin lines, read about banding. If the page looks pale overall, see faded print. If marks smear when touched, see smudges. For printer-specific cleaning menus, check the official page for your brand from our Epson, Canon, HP or Brother pages.
