Print Quality

How to Fix Printer Streaks and Lines on Printed Pages

A streak is a clue, not just an annoyance. Whether the line runs across the page or down it, whether it is pale or dark, and whether it appears on every printout or only on photocopies tells you which part of the machine is responsible. Guessing tends to waste ink, toner and time; reading the pattern usually narrows the problem to one or two parts in a few minutes.

This guide starts with diagnosis, then splits into inkjet fixes, laser fixes and scanner fixes. You do not need to work through all of it. Find the row in the diagnosis table that matches your page, jump to that section, and stop as soon as your prints look right.

Quick answer

  1. Print a page of plain text and a page with a solid color block so the defect is easy to see.
  2. If only copies or scans show lines, clean the scanner glass and the narrow document-feeder strip.
  3. On an inkjet, run a nozzle check, then one cleaning cycle and an alignment.
  4. On a laser, redistribute the toner, then inspect and clean the drum unit as your manual describes.
  5. Replace the cartridge, drum or other part your manual points to if the line persists.

Symptoms and possible causes

This guide applies if:

  • Thin white or pale bands run across the page on an inkjet printer
  • A dark or light line runs from the top of the page to the bottom on a laser printer
  • Smears, gray haze or a mark that repeats at regular intervals down the page
  • Lines appear on photocopies or scans but not on documents printed from a computer
  • One color is streaky while the others look solid
Possible causes, how to recognize them and where this guide covers them
Possible causeHow to recognize itCovered in
Clogged or partly dried inkjet nozzlesHorizontal white bands or gaps; broken lines on the nozzle check patternStep 2
Low ink or tonerStreaks grow paler or wider with each page; low-supply warningStep 2 or 3
Misaligned inkjet printheadDoubled or jagged vertical lines, slight banding between print passesStep 2
Wrong paper type or quality settingBanding mostly on glossy or photo prints; uneven ink coverageStep 2
Toner unevenly spread, dirty or worn drum unitVertical light or dark lines on a laser; marks repeating down the pageStep 3
Fuser problemSmeared or shadowed lines; toner that wipes off with a fingerStep 4
Dirty scanner glass or document-feeder stripLines only on copies or scans; often only when using the feederStep 1

Safety precautions

  • Turn the printer off and unplug it before reaching inside, unless a maintenance step says the power must stay on.
  • The fuser area inside a laser printer can be very hot. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes and never touch the fuser rollers.
  • Avoid breathing toner dust, never use a household vacuum on spilled toner, and wash it off skin with cold water.
  • Keep fingers clear of the print carriage while an inkjet is powered on, and do not touch the shiny surface of a laser drum.
  • Do not open panels that need tools to remove; those areas are meant for trained technicians.
Two nozzle check patterns side by side: a complete grid of lines, and a grid with gaps and missing lines
A nozzle check pattern. Left: all lines complete. Right: gaps and missing segments, a sign of clogged or dry nozzles.

1 Read the streak and rule out the scanner

Before cleaning anything, print a test page and make a photocopy. Comparing them separates printing problems from scanning problems.

  1. Print a revealing test page

    Print a page with text plus a large solid color or gray block, which makes even faint lines obvious. Many printers also have a built-in quality report; its name and location vary by model.

  2. Note the direction of the line

    Hold the page the way it came out of the printer. Lines running across the page, side to side, usually point to an inkjet printhead that is missing nozzles. Lines running down the page, the way the paper travels, are typical of laser printers, where one spot on a roller touches every sheet in the same place.

  3. Check whether copies differ from prints

    If a document printed from your computer looks clean but a photocopy of it shows a line, the printer is fine and the scanner is not. A line that appears only when you use the automatic document feeder (ADF) usually comes from a speck on the feeder’s scanning strip.

  4. Clean the glass and the feeder strip

    With the printer off, lift the lid. Machines with a feeder have a narrow glass strip beside the main flatbed glass. Wipe both with a lint-free cloth lightly dampened with water or a cleaner your manual approves, applied to the cloth rather than the glass, then dry them. Check the white backing under the lid for dried correction fluid or glue too.

What you seePrinter typeMost likely sourceWhere to start
White or pale horizontal bandsInkjetMissing or clogged nozzles, low inkNozzle check (Step 2)
Jagged or doubled vertical lines, blurry edgesInkjetPrinthead alignmentAlignment (Step 2)
Thin dark vertical lineLaserDirt on drum, corona wire or a rollerDrum inspection (Step 3)
Light or white vertical stripeLaserToner low or unevenly spread; something blocking the laser pathToner (Step 3)
A mark repeating at regular intervalsLaserDamaged or dirty roller or drumRepeat spacing (Step 3)
Smeared lines, toner rubs offLaserFuser or paper settingsFuser (Step 4)
Lines on copies or scans onlyAnyScanner glass or ADF stripThis step

2 Fix horizontal banding on an inkjet printer

Inkjet printheads build an image from hundreds of tiny nozzles firing in passes across the page. When some dry out or are blocked by an air bubble, each pass leaves narrow gaps.

  1. Check the ink levels first

    Check the ink levels on the control panel, in the companion app or in the driver. A nearly empty cartridge or tank causes streaks no cleaning will fix, so replace or refill it first; the article on ink and toner explains why levels can read inaccurately on some models.

  2. Run a nozzle check

    The nozzle check prints a small pattern for each color. Start it from the maintenance or setup menu on the control panel, or from the printer software on your computer. Compare the result with the diagram below: a complete pattern means the nozzles are firing, while gaps in one color show which channel needs attention.

  3. Run one cleaning cycle, then check again

    If the pattern has gaps, run a single cleaning cycle and print another nozzle check. Cleaning uses ink, so judge each result before running another, and let the printer rest between attempts if a cycle helps only partly. Our printhead cleaning guide covers deeper cleaning options and when to stop.

  4. Align the printhead

    Once the nozzle check is complete, run the alignment utility, which fixes faint banding between passes and jagged vertical lines. See printhead alignment for how to run it and which paper to load.

  5. Match the paper type and quality setting

    In the print dialog, set the paper type to what is loaded and try a higher quality mode. Draft modes use fewer passes and band more easily, and a wrong paper setting puts down the wrong amount of ink.

Inkjets left unused for weeks are most prone to dried nozzles; a small color print every week or so helps.

3 Laser printer stripes: fix vertical lines and repeating marks

A laser printer places powdered toner on a light-sensitive drum, transfers it to paper and melts it in place with the fuser. Because the drum and rollers span the page and keep rotating, one flaw produces a full-length line or a repeating mark.

  1. Redistribute the toner

    Faint or white vertical stripes often mean toner has settled unevenly. If your manual recommends it, remove the cartridge and gently rock it side to side, keeping it level, without touching the drum or rollers. If the printer reports toner low, this only buys a little time.

  2. Inspect the drum unit

    The drum is either built into the toner cartridge or a separate unit, depending on the model. Under good light, look for scratches or stuck-on debris without touching it; visible damage usually means replacement. Check any drum life reading too, and see drum and toner cartridges for how the two parts differ.

  3. Clean the corona wire if your model has one

    Some separate drum units contain a thin corona wire with a small sliding tab for cleaning it. On those models, the manual describes sliding the tab back and forth along the length of the drum unit several times and then returning it to its home position. A dirty corona wire is a classic cause of a single dark vertical line. If your drum unit has no such tab, do not try to reach the wire another way.

  4. Measure the spacing of repeating marks

    If a mark repeats down the page, measure the distance between repeats. Each roller has its own circumference, so the spacing points to a part such as the drum or fuser. Some manufacturers publish a repeating-defect chart for each model; compare against that, since spacing differs between models.

  5. Wipe the paper path gently

    With the printer off and cool, remove the cartridge and look for paper scraps, labels or spilled toner. Wipe accessible plastic surfaces with a dry, lint-free cloth, and clean any laser window only as the manual describes.

4 Check the fuser, paper and settings for smeared lines

If lines look smeared or shadowed, or if toner wipes off when you rub the page, the problem is usually in how the toner is being fused rather than how it is being placed.

  1. Match the paper setting to the paper

    Set the paper type and weight to what you are using. Heavy or textured paper may need a different fuser setting, and a mismatch can leave toner under-fused. Our article on smudged prints covers rub-off problems in more depth.

  2. Try fresh, dry paper

    Paper that has absorbed humidity can curl and smear as it passes through the fuser. Load paper from a newly opened ream that has been stored flat and dry, and see whether the lines change.

  3. Look for a fuser warning

    Some printers warn when the fuser nears end of life; others show faint repeated “ghost” images. The fuser runs extremely hot, so do not touch or clean it unless your manual describes a user procedure.

  4. Decide when to stop

    If the line survives new toner and a new drum, or the printer reports a fuser fault, internal parts are likely involved. Consult the manufacturer’s official support resources or a qualified technician.

Additional troubleshooting methods

Reseat or swap the cartridges

Reinstall each cartridge so it seats fully, checking new ones for leftover tape or tabs. Swapping in a spare quickly tells a faulty cartridge from a printer problem.

Update firmware and drivers from official sources

Updates occasionally adjust calibration routines. Get them only through the printer’s control panel, the manufacturer’s official website or your device’s official app store. Be wary of lookalike “printer support” websites, pop-ups or callers who ask for remote access to your computer or for payment to fix print quality.

Model and operating-system considerations

If you useWhat to know
Inkjet printersHorizontal banding is typical. Nozzle check, cleaning and alignment tools are standard, though menu names vary by model.
Ink tank printersAir in the ink lines after refilling can cause streaks. Some models offer a stronger “ink flush” or power cleaning that uses a lot of ink; use it only as the manual advises.
Laser printers (mono and color)Vertical lines and repeating marks are typical. Whether the drum is separate from the toner, and whether a corona wire slider exists, depends on the model.
Color laser printersLines in only one color usually point to that color’s toner or drum. Some models have a color calibration or registration routine in the maintenance menu.
All-in-one printersAlways compare a printed page with a copy. Lines only on copies or scans come from the scanner glass, the ADF strip or the lid’s white backing.
Windows, macOS and ChromeOSMaintenance tools usually live in the printer’s own software or control panel (Windows 11: Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners; macOS Ventura and later: System Settings > Printers & Scanners). On ChromeOS, use the control panel.

Frequently asked questions

What causes streaky print on an inkjet compared with a laser printer?

On an inkjet, streaky print is usually horizontal banding from clogged or dry nozzles, low ink or a misaligned printhead. Laser printer stripes usually run down the page and point to the toner cartridge, drum unit or, on some models, a dirty corona wire. Section 1 shows how to tell which one you have.

Why does my printer print lines only when I make copies?

If printed documents look clean, the printer itself is working. Lines that appear only on copies come from the scanner, usually a speck on the flatbed glass or the narrow strip the document feeder uses. Clean both with a lightly dampened lint-free cloth and dry them fully.

How many cleaning cycles should I run on an inkjet?

Run one, print a nozzle check, and judge the result before running another. Back-to-back cleaning wastes ink and rarely clears a stubborn clog. If a few spaced-out cycles fail, follow your manual or consider replacing the cartridge or printhead.

Can a new toner cartridge cause streaks?

Yes. A new cartridge may still have a protective strip or packing material attached, may have been knocked during shipping, or may simply be defective. Remove it, check for any tape or tabs, rock it gently if your manual allows, and reinstall it. If the line continues, contact the seller about a replacement.