Printers guides
Inkjet and laser printers — offline errors, paper jams, print quality and connection faults.
21 guides
Printer says offline
Fix a printer stuck offline: a self-test page from the printer’s own panel proves whether the machine is even involved, then check Use Printer Offline, the stuck queue and spooler, and the IP address that changed when the DHCP lease expired.
Paper jam with no paper
Fix a phantom paper jam: printers detect jams with plastic sensor flags, not by seeing paper. Covers the 60-second power cycle that clears a latched error, where torn fragments actually hide, and the PE actuator nobody checks.
Printer printing blank pages
Fix a printer producing blank pages: a nozzle check from the printer’s own panel separates clogged nozzles from a page that genuinely had nothing on it. Covers cleaning limits, cartridge tape, page setup, and laser toner seals.
Printer printing lines
Fix lines and streaks in printouts: light lines mean something is missing and cleaning helps, dark lines mean something is being added and cleaning only wastes ink. Covers nozzle checks, alignment, Power Cleaning and drum marks.
Printer won’t print black
Fix a printer that prints colour but not black: the nozzle check separates a clogged black channel from a driver set to colour ink only. Covers the empty colour cartridge that stops black printing entirely.
Canon G3010 E05
On the Canon G3010 series, E05 maps to four printhead support codes. Match the computer's code first: damaged, improperly installed and incompatible heads need different responses.
Epson E-01 / E-02
Epson's WF-2930/2950 table distinguishes E-01 printer trouble from E-02 scanner trouble. Restart first; its E-01 branch then checks for a paper jam.
Canon error B200
Canon publishes two different answers for B200. On printers with two cartridges the print head is inside the cartridge and replacing them can fix it; on printers with individual ink tanks, Canon says the printer requires service.
Canon error 5100
Canon's cause for 5100 is only “printer error has occurred”, but its actions are specific: the cartridge holder cannot move. Clearing what is obstructing it is the fix, and there is one part you must not touch.
Canon error 5B00
5B00 means the ink absorber is full. Canon's instruction is to have it replaced and to contact service as soon as possible — this is a physical part that has filled up, not a counter that has miscounted.
Canon error 1700
1700 is the warning that comes before the printer stops. Canon says to press OK to continue printing and to contact service — the printer still works, but it is telling you how this ends.
Canon error 6000
Canon's cause for 6000 is the generic “printer error has occurred”, and its actions are short: clear any jammed paper, then power the printer fully off and on. If that fails, Canon sends you to service.
Canon error 1403
Canon's TS3700 manual identifies a FINE cartridge error. Reinstall the cartridge, replace it if the code remains, then request repair if replacement does not help.
HP error 0x6100004a
HP documents 0x6100004a as a printer failure that appears after a paper jam message. Its fix is an unusual power sequence performed with the cartridge access door open, which HP says to repeat up to three times.
HP supply memory error
HP's 10.x supplies codes report a communication failure with a cartridge or the imaging drum, and the last digit names which one. Several neighbouring codes are not faults at all — they are the printer refusing a non-HP or refilled cartridge.
HP 49 error
A 49 error on an HP LaserJet is a firmware communication error, usually cleared by turning the printer off and on. What matters is whether it returns — an intermittent 49 and a constant one are different problems.
HP DeskJet E1 / E2
HP documents E1/E2 on DeskJet 2900, 4300, 5100 and 5800 as paper-width or length mismatches. Match the job and tray settings to the loaded paper before reviewing firmware.
HP DeskJet error E0
On DeskJet 2900, 4300, 5100 and 5800 printers, HP identifies E0 with a blinking ink-level icon as a cartridge connection problem. Reseat the cartridges, then test each separately to identify a faulty cartridge.
Print queue stuck
How the queue answers Cancel tells you which fault you have. The job disappearing means a bad document, sticking on Deleting means the spooler is wedged, and apps freezing on Ctrl + P means the spooler is not running at all.
Printer not connecting to Wi-Fi
Setting a printer up for the first time and reconnecting one that lost its network are different faults with different fixes. HP documents them separately, and following the wrong one wastes an evening.
Printer printing faded
On an inkjet, faded print means clogged nozzles and the nozzle check shows which. On a laser there are no nozzles: it means low toner, a low density setting, or paper that will not take toner. Neither set of fixes helps the other.