The issue of the HP printer missing lines when printing may show up because of the dried-up ink nozzle. The error may also come up due to other reasons. These reasons include direct contact of the ink nozzle with the plastic covering, colour mixing, incorrect paper thickness in the printer’s settings, etc. The fixes to rectify this error of missing lines when printing in HP printers include replacing the ink cartridges, cleaning the dirty metal and electrical contacts, and using the Clean Print Cartridge tool.
In this reading, we have tried to cover all the causes and fixes for the missing lines error in the HP printers. Please keep on reading to have a broader understanding of this printing error.
Why Is My HP Printer Missing Lines When Printing?
The causes for the HP devices missing lines while printing is given in the list here:
- One or more than one nozzle of your printer may be blocked, thus, resulting in the issue of the ink not flowing on the printing paper smoothly.
- A particular colour of the ink may have been emptied in the ink tank that is why you see blank spaces whenever your HP device tries to use that ink.
- Another possible cause for this error may be the colour mixing of the printer’s ink. The nozzle may have come in direct contact with the plastic covering which then resulted in colour mixing.
- The printhead may not be properly aligned with your device. This may also lead to the HP Printer 3755 missing lines when printing.
- The paper thickness in the printer’s settings that you have entered may be incorrect.
- The ink may have been dried up in the nozzle, due to which the nozzle has been blocked.
After going through the causes section, we hope that now you know why you are facing this problem with your HP printer machine.
How Can I Fix the HP Printer Missing Lines Error?
The fixes that you can implement to rectify the missing lines error in the HP printer include cleaning the metal and electrical contacts, removing the black ink cartridge for a few hours, running the Clean Print Cartridges Utility Tool, and replacing the old expended ink cartridges with the new ones. You can administer any of the above fixes to clear this issue.
To get a better idea of all the steps that are involved in the above-mentioned fixes, you can continue reading.
Fix 1:
Cleaning the Metal Contacts
The missing lines that your HP printer is printing might be fixed by cleaning the copper-colored contacts in your device. Before pulling out the cartridges, make sure that the carriage has completely stopped moving. Open the cartridge door and remove the cartridges. Keep the cartridges in a way that the nozzle is facing upwards. Clean the contacts with a cloth. After the contacts have dried, insert them back carefully.
Here, we have written all the steps involved in this fix:
- Lift up the lid of the ink cartridge door.
- Wait for the carriage to stop moving.
- Shut down your HP device. Also, remove the power cord from the main power supply.
- Take out the toner cartridges and keep them on a dry surface where the nozzle’s face is upwards.
- Use a lint-free piece of cloth dipped in distilled water to clean the copper contacts.
- Similarly, clean the contacts in the carriage.
- Let the carriage contacts and the ink cartridge contacts dry off completely.
- Insert the cartridges back into the printer.
- Close the access door of the cartridges.
You can take out a sample print job to check the print quality and configuration. If everything works fine, then your problem has been fixed.
Fix 2:
Take out the Black Cartridge for Some Time
The missing lines error reported in the HP printers can be resolved by removing the black toner cartridge from the device and keeping it idle with the nozzle facing up. This will help in clearing the nozzle clogging in the cartridge.
To remove the black ink cartridge from your HP printer you can follow the instructions given below:
- Open the access door of your device.
- Gently, remove the black ink cartridge.
- Close the lid for the access door.
- Keep the cartridge on a paper sheet. Make sure that the nozzle is kept upward-facing.
- Leave the cartridge for 2-3 hours in the same position.
- Now, again insert the black cartridge and try printing a test job.
Important: The paper sheet that you are using must be dry and clean unless the cartridge will get dirty and clogged.
Fix 3:
Use the Clean Print Cartridge Tool
The Clean Print Cartridge Utility tool can fix this issue and you will not encounter this problem again in your HP device. For using this tool, go to the Start Menu and then in the Control Panel of your computer. Here you will see the section of Devices and Printers. Click on it and then move to the Preferences option.
To know more about this method, you can refer to the steps written here:
- Make sure the HP printer is connected to your system and is turned on.
- Open the “Start” menu and go to the “Control Panel”.
- Click on the “Devices and Printers” option. There you will see all the connected printers to your computer.
- Choose the “Printing Preferences” option by clicking on the icon of your HP printer.
- You will see a “Services” tab there. Right-click on it.
- Select the option of “Service this Device”. The “Printer Toolbox” will open.
- In the “Device Services” section, choose the “Clean the Print Cartridge”.
- A new dialogue box will pop up after you have clicked on the “Clean the Print Cartridge”. Then follow the prompts that you see on your screen.
Fix 4:
Replace the Ink Cartridges
A possible fix for the missing lines error can be replacing the ink cartridges of your printer. The missing lines may be occurring because of an issue in the printer’s cartridges. The old cartridges may be damaged or expended due to overuse. Hence, you are encountering missing lines while printing.
You can follow the below-listed instructions to replace the cartridges:
- Open the printer’s access door.
- Gently pull out the old cartridges from the HP device.
- Take out the new ink cartridges from the packaging.
- Make sure you have removed the plastic packing using the pink tape.
- Insert the new cartridges into its slot.
- After the cartridges are properly inserted you will hear a “Snap” sound.
- Close the lid of the ink cartridge’s access door.
We suggest that you take out a sample print job so that you are sure that there are no more errors in your HP printer.
Summary
HP printers are used across the globe for both personal and official purposes. In an instance, your printer starts missing lines and you may see blank spaces on your page. Usually, when the nozzles of your device get clogged, such an error can be seen. Also, if the cartridges of your machine are too old or damaged, you can consider replacing or fixing them. By doing so, you will be able to prevent such an error from occurring again in the future. We hope that you were able to find the fix for your problem and you would refer to this article again in the future if the error comes back. Here, you can also find here a detailed guide to fix HP Printer Filter Failed Error.