Laser printers: fixes and guides

Laser printers use toner powder, a drum and a heated fuser instead of ink. They rarely clog, but they have their own patterns: drum and toner warnings, ghost images, gray backgrounds, repeating marks, and paper that jams or curls in the fuser.

Common problems (17)

• Toner low message after replacing the cartridgeStill seeing toner low or replace toner after fitting a new cartridge? Remove seals, reseat it, reset the counter and check the drum to clear it.
• Drum error on a laser printerSeeing replace drum, drum end soon or a drum error on your laser printer? Reseat it, clean the corona wire, reset the counter or replace the drum.
• Ghost images or faint repeats on laser printsFaint copies of text or images repeating down your laser prints? Learn what causes ghosting and fix it with paper settings, power, drum and fuser checks.
• Gray background or shading on laser printsLaser pages coming out with a light gray haze or shading? Check the drum and toner, use dry paper, reset the density and run the printer's cleaning routine.
• Spots or repeating marks on printsDots or smudges that repeat down every page? Measure the gap to find the roller at fault on a laser, or clear ink build-up from an inkjet's paper path.
• Prints are faded or too lightPages 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.
• Prints are smudged or smearedInk that smears, toner that rubs off, or marks on the back of pages? Fix the paper type setting, drying time, dirty rollers and fuser problems.
• Paper jam: how to clear it safelyPaper stuck inside your printer? Learn where jams hide, how to pull paper out without tearing it, and how to stop jams from coming back.
• Printer says paper jam but nothing is stuckPaper jam error but no jammed paper in sight? Check for hidden scraps, a blocked carriage, open doors and dirty rollers, then reset the printer.
• Pages come out wrinkled, creased or curledPrints coming out wavy, creased or curled at the edges? Fix paper storage, the paper type setting and output path, and check rollers and the fuser.
• Printer pulls in several sheets at onceTwo or more sheets going through together, causing blank pages or jams? Fan the paper, fix the guides and stack height, and clean the separation pad.
• Double-sided printing not workingTwo-sided option missing, greyed out or printing the back upside down? Check your printer supports it, enable the duplex unit and fix flip settings.
• Printer uses the wrong tray or asks for manual feedPrinter pulling from the wrong tray or asking you to feed paper by hand? Match tray settings on the printer, set the paper source and fix your Windows and Mac defaults.
• Envelopes jam or print in the wrong placeEnvelopes jamming, creasing or printing upside down or off-center? Load them the right way, set the envelope size, use the right slot and any envelope lever.
• Labels print misaligned on the sheetLabel text drifting off the labels or shifting down the sheet? Pick the matching template, print at 100%, set Letter or A4 correctly and feed the sheet straight.
• Printer prints gibberish or random symbolsPages come out covered in strange characters, code or random symbols. Clear the bad job and make sure the correct driver is installed.
• Printing is very slowPages take minutes to start or creep out one at a time. Speed things up with the right quality setting, a better connection and spooling options.

Guides for laser printers

• How to replace an ink or toner cartridgeReplace an inkjet or laser toner cartridge step by step: remove the tape and seals, seat it firmly, handle drum units and fix a cartridge that isn't recognized.
• How to check ink and toner levelsCheck ink or toner levels on the printer, in Windows, on a Mac or from your phone, and learn why the estimated levels aren't always accurate.
• How to print double-sidedPrint on both sides of the page from Windows, a Mac, Word, PDF readers and phones, using automatic or manual duplex and the right flip edge.
• How to choose the right printer paperPick the right paper for your printer by type, size, weight and finish, with plain-English explanations of gsm, pound weights, Letter and A4.
• How to update printer firmware safelyCheck your printer's firmware version, update it from the printer's own menu or the maker's official website, and avoid the mistakes that cause failures.
• How to secure a network printerProtect a home or office network printer: change the admin password, update firmware, turn off unused services, keep it off the internet and wipe it when done.
• Inkjet vs laser: which printer should you buyDecide between an inkjet and a laser printer by comparing how much and what you print, cost per page, photo quality, speed and running costs.

Error codes you may see

• PCL XL error printed on the pageA page that says "PCL XL error" means the printer couldn't process the job your driver sent. Changing driver, font or print settings usually fixes it.
• HP LaserJet 49 Service error: firmware or data errorA 49 Service error on an HP LaserJet is a firmware error, often set off by a bad print job or network data. Restart, clear the queue and update firmware.
• HP LaserJet 79 Service error: firmware or print job errorA 79 Service error on an HP LaserJet means the firmware hit a critical error, often from a print job, driver or memory module. Here are the safe steps.
• Printer in error state: how to clear it"Printer in error state" means Windows got an error signal from the printer, such as a jam, open cover or lost connection. Here is how to clear it.
• Paper size mismatch errorA paper size mismatch error means the size in your document or driver doesn't match what the printer thinks is in the tray. Here is how to match them.

Problems with connections, drivers and print queues are the same on every type of printer. See connection fixes and driver fixes.