Printer Not Printing: Basic Checks

Most printing problems can be solved in a few minutes with some basic checks. Work through these steps in order and test after each one.

1. Check the printer itself

• Is it turned on and fully awake (not in sleep mode)?
• Is there paper in the right tray, and is the tray pushed all the way in?
• Does the screen show an error, such as a paper jam, low toner or ink, or an open door? Follow the instructions on the screen.
• Is the network cable connected, or does the Wi-Fi light show it is connected?

2. Make sure you picked the right printer

In the Print window, look at the printer name. It is easy to send a job to an old printer, a "PDF" printer or a copy of the printer with "(Copy 1)" in its name. Choose the correct one and try again.

3. Clear the print queue

One stuck job can block everything behind it.

Windows:

1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and select your printer.
2. Click Open print queue.
3. Right-click each stuck job and choose Cancel.

Mac:

1. Click the printer icon in the Dock while printing, or go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the printer and click Printer Queue.
2. Select the stuck jobs and click the X to delete them.
3. If the queue shows Paused, click Resume.

4. Restart

1. Turn the printer off, wait 30 seconds and turn it back on.
2. Restart the computer.
3. Try printing a simple test page.

5. Wi-Fi printer shows "Offline"

Network printers can get a new address (IP address) from the router, for example after a power outage. The computer keeps looking at the old address and shows the printer as offline.

• Print a network configuration page from the printer's menu to see its current address and Wi-Fi status.
• Make sure the printer is on the same Wi-Fi network as your computer, not the guest network.
• Remove the printer from your computer and add it again so it finds the new address.

If this keeps happening, we can set the printer to always use the same address.

6. Update the driver

If printing fails after a Windows or macOS update, the printer software (driver) may need an update. Download it only from the printer manufacturer's official website, using your exact model number. Avoid "driver update" tools and download sites that are not the manufacturer.

A note on scan-to-email

If printing works but scan to email stopped, the cause is usually different: an email password was changed, or the email provider (such as Microsoft 365) no longer accepts the older sign-in method the scanner uses. This needs to be reconfigured on the printer, so send us the printer model and the error shown.

What to send us

• Printer brand and model.
• Whether it affects one computer or everyone.
• Any error message, on the printer screen or the computer (a photo is great).