To fix printer streaks, first identify your printer type. On an inkjet, run a nozzle check, clean the print head, and align it. On a laser printer, remove the toner cartridge and drum, clean the corona wire if your model has one, wipe the inside, and replace the drum or toner if the lines remain. Most streaks clear in under 15 minutes.
This guide covers inkjet and laser printers, including HP, Brother, Canon, and Epson. Start with the diagnosis table, then jump to the section that matches your printer.
Why Is My Printer Printing With Streaks?
Streaks happen when something interrupts the way ink or toner reaches the page. The cause depends on the technology:
- Inkjet printers spray liquid ink through microscopic nozzles. When ink dries and clogs a nozzle, you get gaps or white lines. Low ink and a misaligned print head can also cause streaks.
- Laser printers use a drum, toner, and a heated fuser. A dirty or damaged part leaves vertical or repeating lines, and worn toner can cause faint streaks.
A few causes apply to both types:
- Low or nearly empty cartridges
- Poor-quality or mismatched paper
- Dust, paper debris, or leaked toner inside the printer
- Outdated firmware or wrong print settings
Quick Diagnosis: What Do Your Streaks Mean?
Match what you see on the page to the most likely cause.
| What you see | Printer type | Most likely cause | Jump to |
|---|---|---|---|
| White horizontal lines or gaps | Inkjet | Clogged nozzles | Step 3 |
| Jagged lines or doubled text | Inkjet | Misaligned print head | Step 4 |
| Thin vertical lines in color or black | Laser | Dirty corona wire, worn drum or toner | Laser section |
| White vertical lines | Laser | Dirty laser scanner window or LED heads | Brother tips |
| Lines repeating at regular intervals | Laser | Damaged drum, roller, or toner cartridge | Laser section |
| Streaks only in shaded areas | Laser | Cartridge near end of life | Laser section |
Step 1: Rule Out the Easy Causes First
Check these before you open the printer.
- Check ink or toner levels. HP lists low ink levels, non-HP cartridges, and rough handling as common causes of streaks and lines, so start here.
- Check your print settings. Make sure the paper type and quality settings match what you loaded. Draft or toner-saving modes can cause thin or missing lines. Brother’s troubleshooting guide specifically says to turn off Toner Save mode when thin lines go missing from images.
- Try different paper. Damp, dusty, or wrong-type paper can cause streaks. Load a fresh sheet of plain white paper from a sealed ream.
- Restart the printer. Turn it off, unplug it for a minute, and plug it back in directly to a wall outlet.
- Update the firmware. HP community experts recommend installing the latest firmware from HP’s software and drivers page when streaks appear, and it takes only a few minutes.
Step 2: Print a Test Page
A test page shows whether the problem is the printer or your document.
- HP inkjet: Print a Print Quality Diagnostic report. On many models, go to Tools or Setup, then Print Quality Report. HP says the report shows whether the printheads need cleaning or alignment.
- Epson and Canon: Print a nozzle check pattern (see the sections below).
- Laser printers: Print a cleaning page or a demo page from the control panel menu.
If the streaks show up on the test page, the problem is inside the printer. If the test page looks perfect, check your document, file, or driver instead.
How to Fix Inkjet Printer Streaks
Inkjet streaks are almost always a nozzle problem. Work through the steps in order.
Step 3: Run a Nozzle Check and Clean the Print Head
A nozzle check prints a grid of lines. Broken or missing segments mean clogged nozzles.
Epson
Epson’s guide says to run the nozzle check first, and clean the print head only if the pattern shows broken lines or missing segments. Epson also lists a few cautions:
- Don’t open the ink cover or turn the printer off during head cleaning, because an incomplete cleaning can leave you unable to print.
- Head cleaning uses ink, so don’t repeat it more than necessary.
- If three rounds of nozzle check and cleaning don’t help, wait at least 12 hours without printing, then check again.
On some Epson models, if most or all of the nozzle check lines are missing, Epson recommends a Power Cleaning. It uses more ink than a standard cleaning, so use it as a second step. If gaps remain after a Power Cleaning, Epson says to turn the printer off for at least 12 hours before trying again.
Sources: Epson print head cleaning guide, Epson Power Cleaning FAQ
Canon
Canon says to clean the print head if the nozzle check pattern shows horizontal streaks. If two cleanings don’t fix it, run a Deep Cleaning. Deep cleaning uses more ink, and Canon says to wait for the cleaning to finish before doing anything else. On some models, Canon suggests turning the printer off and trying again after 24 hours. If the problem remains after that, Canon says the print head itself may be damaged.
Sources: Canon: Cleaning the Print Head, Canon: Cleaning the Print Head Deeply
HP
HP says cleaning the printheads resolves many print quality issues, and you may need to run the cleaning more than once. On a touchscreen model, go to Tools, then Clean Printhead. On models without a screen, use the HP Smart app under Print Quality Tools.
Sources: HP print quality troubleshooting, HP cleaning and alignment steps
Step 4: Align the Print Head
If your lines look jagged or your text looks doubled, the problem is probably alignment, not clogging. Run the alignment utility from the printer’s control panel or from its software. On HP printers, use Align Printer from the Tools menu, and note that HP’s alignment page shouldn’t have missing lines. If it does, clean the printhead first.
Step 5: Reseat the Cartridges and Clean the Contacts
If cleaning doesn’t help, poor contact between the cartridge and the print head may be to blame. An HP community expert recommends cleaning the contacts with a lint-free cloth lightly dampened with distilled water. Let everything dry fully before you reinstall.
Step 6: Let the Printer Rest
Dried ink can take time to soften. Epson and Canon both suggest waiting 12 to 24 hours after repeated cleanings before you try again. This also saves ink, since every cleaning cycle uses some.
When Inkjet Streaks Won’t Go Away
If the nozzle check still fails after several cleanings and a rest period, the print head or cartridge may be defective. Canon notes that a persistent problem can mean damaged print head hardware, and HP suggests contacting support for repair or replacement. Keep a printout that shows the problem, since HP says a support agent might ask for it under warranty.
How to Fix Laser Printer Streaks (Including Vertical Streaks)
Laser printer streaks usually come from a part in the toner path. You’ll want to know your streak’s direction and color.
Vertical lines run down the page in the direction of paper travel. Horizontal lines cross the page. Repeating patterns point to a roller or drum with damage at a fixed spot.
Step 3: Clean the Inside of the Printer
- Turn the printer off and unplug it. Let it cool, because the fuser gets very hot.
- Remove the toner cartridge and drum unit. Place them on a sheet of paper so spilled toner doesn’t spread.
- Wipe away loose toner and dust using a dry, lint-free cloth.
- Don’t blast the inside with compressed air. HP community experts caution against canned air in laser printers, because it can blow toner into the mechanism. Use a vacuum made for toner if you need one.
Step 4: Print a Cleaning Page
Many laser printers can run a cleaning cycle from the control panel. An HP community expert gives the menu path as Calibration/Cleaning, then Cleaning page. On some models, HP says this option is only available through Windows software, so check your manual if you use a Mac.
Step 5: Check the Cartridge and Drum
Toner can build up unevenly toward the end of a cartridge’s life. HP’s print quality guide for LaserJet printers says thin streaks in shaded areas often appear when a cartridge is nearly used up, and the fix is to replace the cartridge of the affected color.
For color printers, identify which color is streaking and replace only that cartridge. HP notes you don’t need to replace the others.
Before you replace anything, gently rock the toner cartridge from side to side a few times to redistribute the toner, then reinstall it and print a test page.
Source: HP LaserJet fine vertical lines troubleshooting
Step 6: Use the Repeat Interval to Find the Culprit
If lines repeat at a steady distance down the page, measure the gap. For example, Brother’s guidance for the HL-2035 series suggests replacing the toner if colored lines appear at about 30 mm intervals, and replacing the drum if they appear at about 94 mm intervals. These intervals vary by model, so check your manual or the manufacturer’s troubleshooting tool for your exact printer.
Source: CartridgeSave: Brother HL-2035 guide
Brother Printer Streaks
Brother’s own troubleshooting pages separate the fixes by streak type:
- Vertical colored streaks or bands: Clean the corona wires inside the drum unit by sliding the green tab back and forth. Return the tab to its home position afterward.
- Vertical white streaks or bands: Wipe the laser scanner windows (or the LED heads, depending on your model) with a dry, soft, lint-free cloth.
- Missing thin lines: Turn off Toner Save mode.
- Streaks that remain: Clean the drum unit, then install a new drum if needed.
Sources: Brother HL-L9410CDN guide, Brother HL-L8245CDW guide
HP Laser Printer Streaks
For HP LaserJet printers, follow this order:
- Update the firmware.
- Print a cleaning page from the control panel.
- Remove and inspect the toner cartridge, then clean away any spilled toner.
- Replace the cartridge of the streaking color if lines remain.
- If a dark streak appears on every page, the fuser or another internal part may be at fault. An HP community expert describes a simple test: print a streaked page, then open the cartridge door as the page edge reaches the output tray. If that page looks clean, the fuser is a likely suspect.
Sources: HP Community: M553 black streaks, HP Community: Color LaserJet lines and streaks
Fuser repairs are best left to a technician, because the part is hot and delicate.
Canon and Epson Printer Streaks
Canon and Epson streaks are mostly an inkjet issue. Follow the nozzle check, cleaning, and Deep or Power Cleaning steps above. If you use a Canon printer with two black inks, Canon says to pick the cleaning group that matches the missing lines in the nozzle check pattern.
How to Prevent Printer Streaks
- Print regularly. Printing at least a page or two each week keeps inkjet nozzles from drying out.
- Turn the printer off with its power button. Epson advises against unplugging an inkjet printer while it’s on, since that can leave the print head dry.
- Use quality ink, toner, and paper. Off-brand or mismatched supplies are a common source of buildup.
- Store paper flat in a dry place.
- Clean the inside every few months. Remove dust and loose toner before it spreads.
- Don’t over-clean. Each cycle uses ink, so clean only when a nozzle check shows a problem.
FAQs
Why is my printer printing with streaks even after I replaced the ink or toner?
A new cartridge doesn’t clean a clogged print head or a dirty drum. On an inkjet, run a head cleaning and alignment. On a laser printer, clean the corona wire (if your model has one) and the drum. A new cartridge can also be defective, so test with the diagnostic page.
How do I clean laser printer streaks?
Turn off and unplug the printer, remove the toner and drum, and wipe away loose toner with a dry lint-free cloth. Slide the corona wire’s cleaning tab back and forth if your printer has one, then print a cleaning page. Skip compressed air.
What causes vertical streaks on a laser printer?
Common causes are a dirty corona wire, a worn drum, a toner cartridge near the end of its life, or toner buildup inside the printer. White vertical lines on some Brother models point to dirty laser scanner windows or LED heads.
How do I fix Epson printer streaks?
Run a nozzle check, then a print head cleaning if the pattern has gaps. If three cleanings fail, let the printer sit for at least 12 hours and try again. Use Power Cleaning on supported models if most lines are missing.
How do I fix Canon printer streaks in printing?
Print the nozzle check pattern, clean the print head, and repeat once. If streaks remain, run a Deep Cleaning. If that fails, Canon says the print head may be damaged.
How many times can I clean the print head?
There’s no strict limit, but each cleaning uses ink. Epson and Canon both recommend waiting before repeating the process after two or three tries.
Final Thoughts
Printer streaks look alarming, but the fix is usually simple: a nozzle cleaning on an inkjet or a clean drum and corona wire on a laser. Start with the easy checks, print a diagnostic page, and work through the steps for your printer type. If the streaks survive every step, a replacement part or a service call is more sensible than endless cleaning cycles.
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