Prints are faded or too light
Pages coming out pale, grey or washed out? Check ink or toner, turn off draft and saver modes, set the right paper type and clear clogged nozzles.
Quick fix
Check your ink or toner levels first. Then open your printer's Printing preferences and make sure quality isn't set to Draft and that no economy or toner-save option is on. If levels and settings are fine, print a nozzle check on an inkjet, or gently rock the toner cartridge side to side on a laser.
Didn’t work? Go to the full stepsYou might see
- Black text looks grey instead of solid black
- Whole pages come out pale or washed out
- Some areas print fine while others fade, often toward one side
- Colors look weak compared with the screen
Usually caused by
- Ink or toner running low
- Draft, economy or toner-save mode turned on
- Wrong paper type selected in the print settings
- Partly clogged inkjet nozzles
- Toner settled to one side of the cartridge, or a worn drum
Safety first. Turn the printer off and unplug it before reaching inside, and on laser printers keep your hands away from the fuser at the back, which stays hot for a while after printing.
Step-by-step fix
Work through the steps in order and check each one off. Most people are printing again before the last step.
Any inkjet or laser printer
0 of 5 steps tried
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Check the ink or toner level
Check levels on the printer's screen, in the maker's app, or on a status page printed from the printer's menu. Levels are estimates, so if a cartridge is nearly empty and prints are fading, replace it.
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Rock the toner cartridge (laser)
Lift out the toner cartridge and rock it gently side to side five or six times to spread the toner. Keep it level, don't touch the roller underneath, and push it back in until it clicks.
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Print a nozzle check (inkjet)
Run a nozzle check from the printer's maintenance, tools or setup menu, or from the maker's app. Broken or missing lines mean clogged nozzles: run one cleaning cycle, then print the check again.
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Check the paper
Photo paper has one coated, printable side, and printing on the back gives a pale, blotchy result. Damp paper makes laser prints faint and patchy, so try sheets from a freshly opened ream.
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Consider the drum (laser)
If the toner is new and pages are still light all over, the drum may be worn. Printers with a separate drum unit usually show a drum warning when it's due.
Windows 11 / 10
0 of 3 steps tried
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Turn off draft and saver modes
Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select your printer and click Printing preferences (Windows 10: Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners > your printer > Manage). Set quality to Normal or Standard, turn off any economy or toner-save option, and click OK.
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Match the paper type
In the same window, set the paper type to what's actually loaded. A mismatch changes how much ink is used, or how hot a laser's fuser runs, and can leave pages pale.
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Print a test page
Click Printer properties on the printer's settings page and choose Print Test Page. If the test page is dark and crisp, check the app instead; Microsoft Word, for example, has a Use draft quality option under File > Options > Advanced.
macOS
0 of 3 steps tried
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Raise the quality in the print dialog
Press Command + P and open Media & Quality, or the maker's equivalent such as Paper Type/Quality (click Show Details first on older macOS versions). Choose Normal or Best and turn off any draft or toner-save option.
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Set the right paper type
In the same section, set the media type to match the paper in the tray. Save your choices with Presets > Save Current Settings as Preset.
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Check supply levels
Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners, click your printer, then click Options & Supplies and look at Supply Levels. If nothing is shown, check the printer's screen or the maker's app.
Did this fix it?
Good. To confirm everything is healthy, print a test page. It takes a minute and shows any quality problems early.
Try these next
Still stuck? Our printer assistant can walk you through it by live chat, free. . Or the The troubleshooter asks a few questions and narrows it down. If your printer is under warranty, the manufacturer can repair or replace it at no cost. Find their official support site on our brand pages.
Common questions
Why is black text grey when colors look fine?
Usually the black cartridge is low or its nozzles are partly clogged. Check the black level, then look at the black pattern in a nozzle check.
Do refilled or compatible cartridges print lighter?
Quality varies between suppliers, and many work well. If fading began right after switching, try a cartridge from another supplier or an original to see whether the cartridge is the cause.