🖨️ Print Test Page
🔄 Drivers cluster

Printer stopped working after Windows update

🔍
Different driver problem? Driver installed but not printing · Reinstall still fails · Not detected after install · Wrong driver selected. If the printer is also showing offline, check the offline guide too.
Quick answer
Windows updates commonly replace manufacturer printer drivers with a generic Microsoft IPP Class Driver. This generic driver lacks features and often sends print data incorrectly — the printer appears installed, the test page may even work, but document printing fails or produces wrong output. The fix is a complete driver reinstall: remove from both Printers & Scanners and Device Manager, then download the full OEM driver from the brand's official support page using your exact model number.
⚡ Quick checks
  • Check the installed driver: Printers & Scanners → click printer → Printer properties → Advanced tab → Driver field
  • If Driver says "Microsoft IPP Class Driver", "WSD", or anything without your brand name — reinstall with the OEM driver
  • Run the built-in troubleshooter first: Windows 11 → Settings → System → Troubleshoot → Other troubleshooters → Printer → Run
  • Windows 11: Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → turn off "Let Windows manage my default printer"
  • Check the port: Printer properties → Ports tab — if the port changed from TCP/IP to WSD after the update, that's a separate issue (see Works USB not Wi-Fi)

What Windows updates change

  • Replace OEM driver with generic Microsoft IPP Class Driver — affects all brands, more common after major feature updates
  • Change the printer port from a static TCP/IP address port to a WSD (Web Services for Devices) discovery port — WSD is unreliable when the printer's IP changes
  • Reset Windows 11's "Let Windows manage my default printer" to enabled — silently switches the default printer to the most recently used one
  • Update Windows Defender Firewall rules — sometimes blocks printer discovery ports (mDNS port 5353, printer port 9100)
  • Change driver signing policy — occasionally causes previously working unsigned or older drivers to stop loading

Complete driver reinstall — step by step

  • Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → click your printer → Remove
  • Press Win+X → Device Manager → expand Printers → right-click the printer → Uninstall device → check "Delete the driver software for this device" if shown → confirm
  • Find your exact printer model number — it's on a label on the printer itself (front, bottom, or inside cartridge door)
  • Go to the brand's official driver page (links below), enter the exact model number, select your OS, download the Full Feature Software and Driver
  • Right-click the downloaded installer → Run as administrator → complete the full setup including the network/USB detection step
  • After installation: Printer properties → General → Print Test Page to confirm before trying any document
💡
Why Device Manager matters: Removing from Printers & Scanners only removes the printer's queue and icon. The driver files remain installed in Device Manager. If you reinstall without clearing Device Manager, the new installer may detect the old driver and skip the installation, leaving the generic driver in place. Always remove from both locations.

Official driver download pages

HP
Canon
Epson
Brother
Related
Driver installed but not printing — port and version fixes
→
OS context
Windows 11 printer troubleshooting — full update recovery guide
→
⚙️ Driver installed, not printing

Printer driver installed but not printing

🔍
This covers cases where setup completed successfully but printing fails. If the driver is failing after a Windows update specifically, see after Windows update. If reinstalling doesn't fix it, see reinstall still fails.
Quick answer
When a driver installs successfully but nothing prints, the driver setup completed but the wrong port is configured, or the installer used an existing generic driver entry instead of a fresh OEM one. Check the driver and port: Printer properties → Advanced tab shows the driver, Ports tab shows the connection method. A port mismatch (USB printer pointing to a network port, or vice versa) is the most common cause of a "successfully installed but not printing" failure.
⚡ Quick checks
  • Printer properties → Advanced tab → Driver: should show the brand name (e.g., "HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e"), not "Microsoft IPP" or "WSD"
  • Printer properties → Ports tab → the checked port should match the connection: USB00X for USB, printer IP address for Wi-Fi
  • Print a Windows test page: Printer properties → General → Print Test Page — different from the printer's own test page, this tests the driver path
  • Try printing from Notepad — if Notepad prints but Word doesn't, the problem is Word, not the driver (see test page paradox)

Why installation succeeds but printing fails

Wrong port configured during installation

During driver installation, the installer detects the printer's connection method and sets up a port accordingly. If the printer wasn't connected via the same method it will be used with — for example, it was connected via USB during install but will be used via Wi-Fi — the port is wrong for normal operation. The driver is installed correctly, but it's pointing to the wrong connection path.

Installer reused an existing generic driver

If a generic Microsoft driver was already present, some OEM installers detect it and register the new printer against the existing generic driver files rather than installing fresh OEM files. The printer appears installed with the correct name, but the underlying driver is still the generic one. This is why Device Manager removal is essential — it clears the existing driver files so the OEM installer must install fresh ones.

Printer not detected during installer

If the printer wasn't powered on or connected during the installer's detection phase, the installer may complete without fully configuring the port. The driver installs but has no valid port. Try running the installer again with the printer powered on and connected before launching.

Check and fix the port

  • Printers & Scanners → click printer → Printer properties → Ports tab
  • Note which port is checked — USB connections should show USB00X or similar; network connections should show the printer's IP address
  • If wrong: for network printer, click Add Port → Standard TCP/IP Port → enter the printer's current IP address
  • Check the new port → Apply — send a test print
  • If USB and the USB port isn't appearing: disconnect and reconnect the USB cable → the port should appear in the list

Driver type comparison

Driver typeWhat it isUse it?
Full Feature SoftwareComplete OEM driver with all features, utilities, ink level monitoring✓ Use this
Basic DriverOEM driver, printing only — no status monitoring or maintenance tools✓ Acceptable
Microsoft IPP Class DriverGeneric Microsoft driver installed by Windows Update✗ Avoid
WSD DriverGeneric discovery-based driver — unreliable✗ Avoid
Universal Print DriverBrand-provided but covers all models — less reliable than model-specific~ Use only if model-specific unavailable
If reinstall still fails
Reinstall printer driver still not working — deeper fixes
→
If driver is fine but docs fail
Test page works but documents don't print
→
🔃 Reinstall still failing

Reinstall printer driver still not working

🔍
This covers cases where standard removal and reinstall haven't fixed the problem. Start with the standard driver fix first if you haven't tried it.
Quick answer
When reinstalling fails, residual driver files in the Print Management utility or the driver store are being reused instead of replaced. Standard Printers & Scanners removal leaves these behind. A full driver package removal using Print Management or pnputil removes every trace, forcing a genuinely clean install. This resolves most cases where repeated reinstalls seem to do nothing.
⚡ Quick checks
  • After removing from Printers & Scanners, also remove from Device Manager → Printers (check "delete driver software")
  • Open Print Management (type it in Start search) → Driver Store → remove all entries for this printer brand/model
  • Restart the computer completely before reinstalling — fresh start ensures no driver files are locked
  • Temporarily disable antivirus during the reinstall — security software sometimes blocks driver file writes

Full driver package removal

  • Remove from Printers & Scanners (Settings → Bluetooth & devices)
  • Remove from Device Manager: Win+X → Device Manager → Printers → right-click → Uninstall → check "Delete driver software"
  • Open Print Management (search in Start): expand Drivers → find all entries for your printer → right-click each → Remove Driver Package
  • If Print Management isn't available: open an elevated Command Prompt → run printui /s /t2 → remove driver packages from the list
  • Restart the computer
  • Temporarily disable Windows Defender real-time protection (Settings → Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → toggle off, remember to re-enable after)
  • Run the OEM installer as Administrator → complete the full setup → re-enable Defender
# PowerShell: list all installed printer drivers
Get-PrinterDriver | Format-Table Name, Manufacturer

# Remove a specific driver (replace with exact name from above)
Remove-PrinterDriver -Name "HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e"

# List driver packages in the store
pnputil /enum-drivers | findstr /i "printer"
💡
32-bit vs 64-bit driver conflict: On Windows 11 64-bit systems, older drivers may install 32-bit components that conflict with the 64-bit print system. If you're on an ARM64 device (Surface Pro X, Snapdragon-based laptops), ensure you're downloading the ARM64 driver specifically — most manufacturers now provide one. The Intel/AMD 64-bit driver will not work on ARM64 Windows.
Related
Printer not detected after install — connection and discovery fixes
→
Windows context
Windows 11 printer driver recovery guide
→
🔍 Printer not detected

Printer not detected after driver installation

🔍
This covers the printer not appearing in Printers & Scanners or Device Manager after installation. For a printer that appears installed but doesn't print, see installed but not printing.
Quick answer
If the printer isn't detected after installing the driver, the connection wasn't established during the installer's detection phase — the installer completed without a valid printer to connect to. For USB: reconnect the cable while Windows is running (not during the installer). For Wi-Fi: ensure the printer is on the same network before running the installer, and try adding it manually by IP address if auto-discovery fails.
⚡ Quick checks
  • For USB: disconnect and reconnect the USB cable — Windows should detect the printer and show a notification
  • For Wi-Fi: print a network config page from the printer's control panel to confirm it's on the correct network and has an IP
  • In Device Manager: View → Show hidden devices — the printer may appear under Printers with an error icon
  • Try adding manually: Printers & Scanners → Add device → "The printer I want isn't listed" → add by IP or TCP/IP address

Fix by connection type

  • Unplug the USB cable from both the printer and the computer
  • Restart the computer with the cable unplugged
  • After restart, reconnect the USB cable to the computer first, then to the printer, then power the printer on
  • Windows should show a "Setting up device" notification — wait for it to complete
  • If Windows doesn't detect it: open Device Manager → Action → Scan for hardware changes
  • Try a different USB port on the computer, and if possible, a different USB cable
  • Print a network configuration page from the printer's control panel to confirm it's on the correct Wi-Fi network
  • Confirm the computer is on the same Wi-Fi network as the printer (same SSID, same band)
  • Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → Add device — wait 30 seconds for the printer to appear
  • If it doesn't appear: click "The printer I want isn't listed" → "Add a printer using a TCP/IP address" → enter the IP from the network config page
  • Select the correct driver from the list — choose the brand's model-specific option, not Generic PostScript or WSD
Next step
Driver installed but not printing — port and driver checks
→
❌ Wrong driver selected

Wrong driver selected — printer model mismatch

🔍
This covers model mismatch, universal driver failures, and 32/64-bit issues. For driver problems after a Windows update, see after Windows update.
Quick answer
A wrong driver selected during installation — wrong model variant, universal instead of model-specific, or 32-bit on a 64-bit system — installs cleanly but produces incorrect output, missing features, or no output at all. The printer may even print a test page correctly (because the basic hardware communication works) but fail on specific document types or features. The fix is to identify your exact model number and reinstall using that specific driver.
⚡ Quick checks
  • Find the exact model number on the printer's label (front, bottom, or inside cartridge door) — model names like "OfficeJet Pro 9015e" not just "OfficeJet Pro"
  • Check installed driver: Printer properties → Advanced → Driver — confirm it matches the exact model
  • On the brand's driver page, select "Windows 11 (64-bit)" or your exact OS — don't use the auto-detect option which sometimes selects the wrong architecture
  • If you're on an ARM64 Windows device (Surface Pro X, etc.) — specifically download the ARM64 driver, not the x64 one

How to identify your exact printer model

Printer model numbers are more specific than the marketing names. "HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e" and "HP OfficeJet Pro 9025e" are different printers requiring different drivers. The full model number is always on a label on the printer itself — typically on the front panel, the bottom, or inside the cartridge access door. It includes the full alphanumeric string including the "e" suffix (HP+) or region code if present.

Universal vs model-specific driver

Universal Print Drivers cover entire product families with a single driver. They work for basic printing but often lack features and are less reliable than model-specific drivers. If a universal driver is installed, replace it with the model-specific version from the brand's support page.

Garbled output as a wrong-driver symptom

One distinctive symptom of a completely wrong driver — particularly a PCL driver on a PostScript printer or vice versa — is garbled output: random symbols, gibberish, or pages of strange characters. This means the printer is receiving print language commands it can't interpret. See the garbled text guide for the specific fix.

Related symptom
Printer prints garbled text — driver language mismatch guide
→
After identifying correct driver
Reinstall still fails — full driver package removal
→
🔌 Port-specific failure

Printer works via USB but not Wi-Fi — or Wi-Fi but not USB

🔍
This covers connection-specific driver failures where one method works and the other doesn't. For the printer being completely offline on Wi-Fi, see the offline guide.
Quick answer
When a printer works via USB but not Wi-Fi (or vice versa), the driver has a valid port for one connection method but not the other. The driver was installed or configured for one connection type and hasn't been updated to support both. Adding the missing connection as a second port — without removing the existing one — gives the driver both paths to the printer.
⚡ Quick checks
  • For "works USB not Wi-Fi": printer needs a network port added — find its IP, then add a Standard TCP/IP port pointing to that IP
  • For "works Wi-Fi not USB": check if Windows is using the Wi-Fi driver entry for USB jobs — add a USB port explicitly
  • Some printers require separate installations for USB and Wi-Fi — run the brand's installer again and select "Add this printer to an additional computer" or "Change connection type"
  • Printer properties → Ports tab — a correctly configured dual-connection printer should show both a USB port and a TCP/IP port, with the appropriate one checked for the current connection method

Adding the missing port

Add a Wi-Fi port (printer works USB, not Wi-Fi)
  • Print a network configuration page from the printer's control panel — note the IP address
  • Printer properties → Ports tab → Add Port → Standard TCP/IP Port → New Port
  • Enter the printer's IP address → complete the wizard → the new port appears
  • Check the new TCP/IP port → Apply → test print via Wi-Fi
  • For permanent reliability: also assign a static IP to the printer via your router's DHCP reservation (see the offline guide)
Add a USB port (printer works Wi-Fi, not USB)
  • Connect the USB cable to both printer and computer
  • Printer properties → Ports tab → check whether a USB00X port appears — if it does, check it and test
  • If USB port isn't visible: disconnect and reconnect the cable → Device Manager → Action → Scan for hardware changes → the USB port should now appear in the Ports list
Related
Printer offline — static IP and port fixes
→
Back to cluster
Driver installed but not printing — all port and driver checks
→
Next cluster
Color problems
🎨 Missing one color 🔀 Wrong color 🌫️ Faded / washed out 〰️ Banding & streaks 🖼️ Test page wrong
🎨 Color cluster

Printer missing one color

🔍
Different color problem? Wrong color output (pink instead of blue) · All colors faded · Banding lines and streaks · Color test page looks wrong. Print the FixMyPrinter color test page first to see exactly which channels are affected.
Quick answer
When a specific color is missing from printed output, print the printer's built-in nozzle check pattern from its control panel first — this tells you in under two minutes whether the channel is physically blocked (nozzle issue) or whether the hardware is fine and the problem is in software. If the nozzle check shows the missing channel, run one cleaning cycle. If the nozzle check looks complete and correct, the problem is a color mode setting in the app or driver — not the ink.
⚡ Quick checks
  • Print the nozzle check from the printer's control panel: Setup → Maintenance → Nozzle Check (or equivalent for your brand)
  • Run one cleaning cycle if the nozzle check shows a missing channel — then nozzle check again
  • Check cartridge levels — a nearly empty cartridge often drops out silently before showing a low-ink warning
  • In the print dialog: confirm Color Mode is not set to Grayscale, Black only, or an unusual profile
  • Try printing from a different application — if the color works in one app but not another, the problem is that app's color settings

The nozzle check — what it tells you

The nozzle check prints a pattern directly from the printer's firmware — no computer, no driver, no application involved. Each color channel prints a row of fine lines or dots. Any gap, streak, or missing section in a row identifies exactly which nozzle rows are blocked in that channel.

If the nozzle check shows all channels complete and even — including the color that's "missing" from your documents — the ink hardware is working. The problem is that an app, driver setting, or color profile is overriding the color. Skip cleaning cycles entirely and check the software layer.

If the nozzle check shows the missing channel — gaps or missing rows where that color should be — nozzle blockage is confirmed. Proceed with cleaning cycles.

Cleaning cycle strategy

  • Run one Standard Cleaning cycle from the printer's maintenance menu
  • Wait 5 minutes — then print the nozzle check again to compare
  • If partially improved: run one more standard cleaning — then nozzle check
  • If still blocked after two standard cycles: run Deep Cleaning or Power Cleaning (available on Epson EcoTank models) — then rest the printer for 4+ hours
  • After resting: run one standard cleaning — then nozzle check
  • If the channel hasn't recovered after this sequence: the cartridge is likely depleted even if the level indicator shows some remaining — replace it
💡
Most commonly missed colors: Yellow is the most frequently missed because it's nearly invisible on white paper. A missing yellow channel causes blue documents to print correctly (cyan + black) but makes green turn blue and orange turn red. Cyan and magenta missing are easier to spot. Run the FixMyPrinter color test page to see all channels side by side.

Brand-specific nozzle check access

  • Control panel → Setup → Printer Maintenance → Print Quality Diagnostics
  • Or: HP Smart app → open printer → Printer Maintenance → Print Quality Diagnostics
  • The diagnostics page shows each channel as a band — any gap or missing section identifies the blocked channel
  • From the same menu: Clean Printheads to run a cleaning cycle
  • Control panel → Menu → Setup → Maintenance → Nozzle Check → OK
  • Review the printed pattern for any gaps in any color row
  • If gaps: Maintenance → Cleaning (standard) → wait → nozzle check again
  • If still blocked: Maintenance → Deep Cleaning → rest 4 hours → nozzle check
  • Canon reminder: all cartridges must have ink — Canon stops all color printing when any single cartridge is empty
  • Control panel → Setup → Maintenance → Print Head Nozzle Check
  • Or: Epson Smart Panel app → Maintenance → Nozzle Check
  • If gaps: Maintenance → Print Head Cleaning → wait 5 minutes → nozzle check
  • For persistent blockage: Power Cleaning (EcoTank models) → rest printer 4+ hours → nozzle check
  • Control panel → Menu → Ink → Test Print → Print Quality → OK
  • Review the color patches for any missing or incomplete sections
  • If issues: Menu → Ink → Cleaning → select the affected color or All → OK
  • Reprint the test page after cleaning to compare

Official support

HP
Canon
Epson
Brother
🔀 Wrong color output

Printer prints wrong colors — pink instead of blue, green instead of black

🔍
This covers incorrect color substitution. For a color that's completely absent, see missing one color. For all-over fading, see faded colors.
Quick answer
Wrong color output — pink instead of blue, green instead of black, orange instead of red — is almost always caused by one missing channel that forces the printer to mix the remaining colors differently. When cyan is missing, blue prints as red (only magenta and yellow remain). When magenta is missing, red prints as yellow. Identify the missing channel using the nozzle check, restore it, and the colors correct themselves automatically.
⚡ Quick checks
  • Print the nozzle check — the wrong color output will point directly to a missing channel
  • Use the color substitution guide below to identify which channel is missing
  • Check that channel's cartridge level specifically
  • Run a cleaning cycle targeting that channel, then nozzle check

Color substitution guide — read backwards to find the missing channel

You seeExpected colorMissing channelWhy
Pink / redBlue or purpleCyan (C)Blue = C+M. Without C, only M remains = pink/red
YellowRed or orangeMagenta (M)Red = M+Y. Without M, only Y remains = yellow
BlueGreenYellow (Y)Green = C+Y. Without Y, only C remains = blue
Cyan/tealBlackBlack (K) — inkjetSome printers use CMY to approximate black without K
Color tones in blackPure black textBlack (K) — laserLaser uses all four toners for black text; missing K shifts to color mix
Green instead of redRedMagenta (M)Without M, printer uses C+Y for the red area = green
💡
ICC profile mismatch (not nozzle related): If the nozzle check looks correct but colors are still wrong in specific applications, the issue is color management — not ink. The application may be using an embedded ICC color profile that conflicts with the printer's expected color space. In the print dialog, look for Color Management → set to "Printer manages colors" to bypass the app's profile.

Fix the missing channel

Once you've identified the missing channel using the table above, the fix follows the same path as the missing color guide: nozzle check to confirm, cleaning cycle, then replacement if cleaning doesn't restore output.

Main fix
Printer missing one color — nozzle check and cleaning guide
→
Diagnose
Print the CMYK test page — see all four channels side by side
→
🌫️ Faded / washed out

Printer colors faded or washed out

🔍
This covers all-over fading across all colors. For a single missing color, see missing one color. For horizontal lines/bands, see banding and streaks.
Quick answer
Faded or washed-out color across the whole page — not just one channel — points to low ink levels across multiple cartridges, print quality set to Draft or Economy mode, or wrong paper type settings causing the driver to reduce ink density. Check ink levels first, then check the print quality setting in the driver. Washed-out photos specifically often point to incorrect paper type selection — using "Plain paper" when printing a photo reduces ink density significantly.
⚡ Quick checks
  • Check all cartridge levels from the printer's control panel or utility software — multiple low levels produce overall fading
  • Print dialog → Printer Properties → Quality → switch from Draft or Economy to Normal or High
  • Print dialog → Printer Properties → Paper/Media → confirm paper type matches what's loaded (Plain, Glossy Photo, etc.)
  • Print the color test page to compare — if colors look strong on the test page but washed out in your document, the issue is app color settings

Causes of all-over fading

  • Multiple cartridges low simultaneously — very common when a printer hasn't been monitored and several channels deplete at similar rates
  • Print quality set to Draft or Economy mode — reduces ink density to save ink, producing visibly lighter output
  • Wrong paper type selected — the driver adjusts ink density based on paper type; selecting Plain for a photo print dramatically reduces color saturation
  • Nozzle partial blockage affecting all channels equally — less common but possible after extended non-use
  • Color profile set to reduce saturation — some accessibility or color management settings reduce color intensity
  • Laser printer: toner running low across multiple cartridges, or fuser temperature set too low for the paper weight

Fix for faded output

  • Check all cartridge levels: printer control panel → Ink/Toner levels → replace any that are below 20%
  • Print dialog → Printer Properties → Quality → set to Normal or High (not Draft)
  • Print dialog → Paper/Media → select the correct paper type for what's loaded — this single change often completely resolves washed-out photo printing
  • Run one cleaning cycle from the printer's maintenance menu — even partial nozzle blockage across channels contributes to overall fading
  • Print the color test page to confirm all channels are at full density after cleaning
Related
Printer missing one color — single-channel nozzle fix
→
Diagnose
Print the color test page to see actual channel density
→
〰️ Banding and streaks

Printer color banding lines and streaks

🔍
This covers horizontal banding (regular stripes across the page), vertical streaks (lines running top to bottom), and smudging. These have different causes — the pattern of the defect tells you which.
Quick answer
Horizontal banding (regular stripes or bands repeating across the page at consistent intervals) is a nozzle problem in inkjet printers — specific nozzle rows are blocked while adjacent ones work. Vertical streaks (lines running from top to bottom) in laser printers are almost always a scratched drum or dirty corona wire. In inkjet printers, vertical streaks usually mean dirty paper feed rollers picking up residual ink and transferring it to the page.
⚡ Quick checks
  • Print the nozzle check — horizontal banding in the nozzle check confirms blocked nozzle rows
  • For vertical streaks (laser): open the printer and gently clean the corona wire with a dry cotton swab or the built-in corona wire cleaner if present
  • For horizontal banding: run one cleaning cycle → print the nozzle check again to compare
  • For smearing: check that paper type setting matches the paper loaded — ink smears on glossy paper when the driver is set to Plain

Horizontal banding — nozzle blockage pattern

Inkjet printheads contain thousands of tiny nozzles arranged in rows. When a group of adjacent nozzles in one row is blocked, those nozzle positions produce no ink while the others do. As the printhead makes repeated passes across the page, the blocked positions leave white gaps or lighter bands at regular intervals. The width and spacing of the bands corresponds to the size and spacing of the nozzle groups affected.

This is distinct from a completely missing color (where the entire color is absent) — banding means partial blockage of specific nozzle rows within a channel. One to two cleaning cycles almost always resolves it. If the banding is in one color specifically, refer to the missing color cleaning guide.

Vertical streaks — drum and roller causes

Laser printers: A vertical black streak running from top to bottom of every page is almost always a drum scratch or debris on the drum surface. A scratch on the drum's photosensitive coating attracts toner regardless of the image content — producing a consistent black line in the same position on every page. If the streak appears at regular intervals (not continuous), the drum has a spot of contamination that appears once per drum revolution.

Inkjet printers: Vertical smears or streaks on inkjet output are usually caused by dirty paper feed rollers that picked up ink from a previous print and are transferring it to subsequent sheets. Clean the rollers with a lint-free cloth lightly dampened with distilled water — do not use tap water (mineral deposits) or any chemical cleaner.

Fix by defect type

  • Print nozzle check from the printer's control panel to confirm which channels have blocked rows
  • Run one standard cleaning cycle → nozzle check again
  • If improving but not resolved: one more standard cleaning → nozzle check
  • If still banding after two cycles: run deep cleaning (or Power Cleaning on Epson EcoTank) → rest printer 4 hours → nozzle check
  • If banding persists after full cleaning sequence: the printhead may need professional cleaning or replacement — contact brand support
  • Laser printer: open the front cover → locate the corona wire (a thin wire running the length of the drum unit, usually with a small cleaning tab)
  • Slide the cleaning tab from one end to the other 2–3 times — this removes toner buildup on the wire
  • Check the drum surface for visible scratches, debris, or toner spots — wipe gently with a dry lint-free cloth
  • If the streak persists after cleaning: the drum unit needs replacement
  • Inkjet printer: identify the paper feed rollers (rubber rollers visible through the paper path) → clean with a lint-free cloth dampened with distilled water
  • Check the paper type setting: print dialog → Printer Properties → Paper/Media → select the correct type
  • For inkjet: if output smears immediately when touched, the ink isn't drying — check the paper type setting is correct for the paper loaded
  • Reduce print density: Printer Properties → Advanced → reduce ink density if the option is available
  • For laser: toner smearing (rubs off easily) means the fuser isn't hot enough — check if "Thick paper" or "Heavy paper" mode is needed for the paper weight you're using
Related
Missing one color — nozzle check and cleaning guide
→
Brand guides
HP, Canon, Epson, Brother — brand-specific maintenance guides
→
🖼️ Color test page wrong

Color test page looks wrong — how to read and act on it

🔍
This guide helps you interpret a color test page result. To print a free color test page, use FixMyPrinter's color test page. For specific color problems, use the guides above.
Quick answer
A color test page that looks wrong tells you something specific about where the color system is failing. The key is reading the result correctly: missing color blocks point to ink/nozzle issues, consistent color shifts point to calibration, and correct-looking test page with wrong documents points to a software or ICC profile issue. Each has a different fix path.

How to read a color test page result

What you see on the test pageWhat it meansFix path
One color block absent or very faintThat ink channel is blocked or emptyMissing color guide
A color block is the wrong colorAn adjacent channel is missing, causing color substitutionWrong color guide
All blocks are present but look paleMultiple channels low, or print quality set to DraftFaded color guide
Horizontal bands within a color blockPartial nozzle blockage in that channelBanding guide
Test page looks correct, documents don'tApp color settings or ICC profile mismatch — not a hardware issueSee software fix below
Colors slightly off compared to screenNormal — screen and printer use different color spaces (RGB vs CMYK)Color profile calibration
Test page looks completely correctPrinter hardware and ink are working correctlyCheck document color settings

Test page correct but document colors wrong — software fix

When the color test page looks accurate and vibrant but specific documents print with wrong colors, the printer hardware is confirmed working. The failure is in how the application or document is sending color data to the driver.

  • In the print dialog: look for Color Management → set to "Printer manages colors" (not application manages)
  • In the app (Photoshop, Word, etc.): check if a specific ICC profile is embedded or selected in the print settings — try switching to the printer's default profile
  • For photos: if printing from Photoshop, disable Photoshop's color management and let the printer driver handle it, or vice versa — having both active conflicts
  • Try printing from a different application — if the color is correct in one app but not another, the problem is that specific app's color management settings
💡
Screen vs print color difference (this is normal): Computer screens use RGB (Red Green Blue additive color), while printers use CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow Black subtractive color). Saturated colors — especially vivid blues, bright greens, and neon colors — often look different printed than on screen because the printer's gamut doesn't cover the full screen gamut. This is expected behavior, not a printer problem.
Print the test
Print a free color test page from FixMyPrinter.org
→
Back to cluster
Color problems — all guides
→

Related problems

Printer prints blank pages with ink
Nozzle, cartridge, and document rendering causes.
Test page works but documents don't print
Queue, driver, port, and app-specific fix guide.
Printer offline and print queue stuck
IP address, Spooler reset, and sleep/wake fixes.
Works on phone but not laptop
Driver, network path, or permission issue.
HP, Canon, Epson, Brother guides
Brand-specific setup, ink, driver, and maintenance fixes.
Windows 11 / macOS printer guides
OS-specific troubleshooting with exact navigation paths.
Get printer help
1
🖨️