How to Fix the HP Printer Skipping Lines Issue? Instant Solutions

Is your HP printer skipping lines? Your HP printer may be missing lines while printing your document. It is normally caused by a dirty, blocked, or damaged ink cartridge or printhead. Dried or blocked ink cartridge or nozzle, low ink levels in the cartridge, incorrect paper thickness, color mixing issues, or not removing protective seals correctly while installing a new ink cartridge are some other reasons why HP printer skipping lines when printing.

Moreover, if your HP printer keeps printing lines while reproducing documents, it is a clear indication that your printer needs maintenance. Therefore, you need to understand the problem and find a suitable fix. By acknowledging its real cause and executing the necessary solutions, you should be able to get back to successful printing right away.  

If you are looking for a way to fix skipping lines on printers, we advise you to read this article to the end. This guide will take you through the most common causes of printer skipping lines, how to fix HP Envy 6000 skipping lines when printing, and tips for avoiding this annoying situation in the future.  

Why is my printer skipping lines?

There are multiple potential causes for HP printers skipping lines when printing, but the cartridge and printhead are the main culprits. Other possible reasons that can lead to this problem are:

• Clogged ink on the nozzles
• Dirty or damaged printhead
• Incorrect color mixing in the printhead
• Misaligned printhead
• Defective printhead needs replacement
• Protective seal on the cartridge were not properly removed
• Cartridge needs replacement
• Empty or low ink levels
• Wrong paper thickness is selected in the settings

All the above factors are responsible for the missing lines issue with your HP printer. In the event that your HP printer skips lines in text when printing, we have a solution for that. 

If you too want to troubleshoot this issue, you need these fixes!

HP Printer Printing Skipping Lines – Solved

One of the most widely reported issues is the HP printer skipping lines while printing. This issue can be extremely frustrating. To learn how to stop my printer from skipping lines, apply these solutions as explained below:

1. Clean the Ink Cartridges or the Nozzles  

The first solution to this problem is to clean your printer’s ink cartridges. The HP printer skipping lines problem occurs when the printer’s nozzles are clogged due to dried ink or debris. This could happen when the printer hasn’t been used for a long time, or in inaccurate temperature conditions. As a result, it prevents the nozzles from supplying the right amount of ink needed for a high-quality print. Cleaning the printer’s internal components may fix this issue. So, follow the steps below for cleaning:

How to Clean the HP Printer Cartridges/ Nozzles

Follow the steps below to clean your HP printer’s ink cartridge:

1. Print a test page to determine which color is missing.
2. Open the cartridge access door and remove the ink cartridge that is not working.
3. Use a damp paper to wipe any debris from the nozzles.

Note: You can also run a cleaning tool for the nozzles or use a microfiber cloth and isopropyl alcohol to clean the interior of the printer.

4. Reinstall the ink cartridge in its proper place.
5. Close the cartridge door and try printing document.

If there are no missing lines on the document, keep printing with your printer. 

Or if, after this cleaning process, your HP printer is still printing faded lines, do the next solution.

2. Clean Your Printer’s Printhead Thoroughly

The next step in solving a printer problem involving skipping lines is cleaning the printhead. A dirty and clogged printhead might be the reason why your HP printer skips lines when printing. Therefore, you can use different ways to clean your dirty printhead as a solution for this problem.  

Step 1: Clean The HP Printhead Via the Printer’s Control Panel (Automated Clean Printhead Tool)

Here’s how to clean the printhead using the printer’s control panel:

1. First, turn on your HP printer and load sufficient papers into the input tray.
2. Now, tap on the “Settings” option on the printer control panel.
3. Choose the right navigation button to select “Tools.”
4. Press “Ok.”
5. Choose the right navigation and hit on the “Clean Printhead” option.
6. Press “Ok.”
7. At this point, the printhead cleaning process in your HP printer will start.

Once the cleaning is completed, print a document. If the document prints correctly, then the issue has been fixed. 

If the problem persists, implement the next solution.

Step 2: Clean The HP Printhead Via the Computer

If your printer doesn’t have a screen, use this method to clean your printer’s printhead. 

1. Ensure your HP printer is turned on.
2. Navigate to “Devices and Printers.”
3. Then, tap on “Printer” and then on “Printing Properties.”
4. Find the option to clean your print head and tap it.
5. Run the print command to see if the missing lines are still present.

You might need to do multiple printhead cleaning cycles to clear any clogged nozzles. If this process is difficult, you should seek the assistance of a technician. 

3. Check the Paper Specifications

You can also face this problem if you have entered an incorrect paper specification in the settings option. Therefore, to troubleshoot this problem, you need to check if the paper specifications correspond with the settings panel. And, if you find them incorrect, rectify them immediately. Additionally, make sure you are using papers that are supported by your HP printer model.  

And, if the above solutions don’t resolve the issue, you will need to replace the ink cartridges.

4. Replace the Ink Cartridge

Faded lines are a sign that the ink or toner levels in the cartridge are low. Therefore, to fix the problem, you need to replace the cartridge. Try replacing all of the printer’s ink cartridges at once. Ensure you are ordering compatible and genuine HP cartridges when purchasing the replacement cartridge.

How to Replace HP Printer Ink Cartridge

Follow the steps below to replace your HP Inkjet printer’s ink cartridge:

1. Turn on your HP printer.
2. Load some white paper into the input tray.
3. Then, open your printer’s cartridge access door.
4. Before continuing, wait for the printer to get silent and idle.
5. Gently press down on the cartridge to remove it from its slot.
6. Remove the cartridge from the slot.
7. Pull the fresh ink cartridge out of its packing.
8. Avoid touching the ink nozzles or the copper contacts.
9. Pull the tab to remove the protective plastic tape.
10. Now, install the cartridge properly into its appropriate slot.
11. Ensure you are holding the cartridge by the sides.
12. Insert the ink cartridge into the appropriate slot until you hear it snap in place.
13. Finally, close the printer’s cartridge door.

Check to see if the problem is fixed after replacing the cartridge. If not, jump to next one.

5. Uninstall and then Reinstall your HP Printer

Many printer issues can be fixed with a quick reset of the printer. So, whenever, you see your printer skipping lines, reset your device.

How to Reset HP Printer

Let’s see how to reinstall your HP printer: 

1. Remove the rechargeable battery.
2. Turn on the printer and remove the power supply.
3. Plug out the power cord from the socket and wait for a minute.
4. Now, link the power cord to the outlet and your printer.
5. Turn on your printer and finish the reset.

The above steps will help resolve your issue. If not, call us immediately!

Tips to Avoid Your HP Printer Skipping Lines Problem in Future

Here are some important tips to prevent your printer from producing skipping lines in the future. These are as follows:

Tip 1: Don’t leave your printer idle for too long as it likely to cause chances if ink drying. To avoid blocked ink nozzles, use your printer frequently, or at least once a week.

Tip 2: Continuing to use ink cartridges even after receiving a low ink warning may increase the risk of nozzles becoming clogged. Therefore, replacing ink cartridges promptly when getting a low ink warning will push out any trapped air in the printer and help in the removal of dried ink.

Tip 3: Using compatible or remanufactured ink cartridges will reduce your printer’s performance and is more likely to cause clogged nozzles. So, always prefer genuine OEM ink cartridges that are designed to make your printer work at its best.

Tip 4: Power cycling your printer will run a short cleaning cycle that helps prevent blockages in the printhead.

The above preventive measures will surely help you prevent skipping lines on your printer. 

Contact HP 123printersupport Assistance

If none of the solutions above resolve your problem, don’t go anywhere and contact the 123PrinterSupport team immediately for further assistance. With the experts at your facility, you should be able to get back to successful printing in no time. The printer keeps printing skipping lines, which could be indicative of a number of issues. Therefore, we recommend following HP experts advice to fix skipping lines on your printer effortlessly!