HP printers have made their mark as one of the best-performing printing devices. However, being a technical appliance, issues with it are common. One of the widely reported ones is the HP printer missing lines while printing. The most common reason behind this issue is the dried ink nozzle. But you cannot discount the possibility of other causes. Since many things can trigger this problem, it’s important to find the right cause.

Users of HP Envy 4500 particularly face this problem. They find that their printer is unable to print an entire page properly as it is missing some lines. If you, too, want to fix this glitch in your HP printer, read this article to learn about the various causes and resolutions.

 

Why Is HP Printer Missing Lines?

Checking the ink nozzle of your HP printer is the very first thing you must do when facing this issue. Apart from that, other reasons for this error are as follows:

1. Color mixing, which is a result of the nozzle contacting the plastic covering, leads to this problem.
2. The ink of a specific color isn’t present in the ink tank. So, when the printer uses that ink, blank spaces show up.
3. For HP Desk Jet 3755 users, an improper alignment of the print head with the computer causes this problem.
4. One or a few ink nozzles are blocked, which hinders proper ink flow.
5. You have inputted the wrong paper thickness in the settings of your HP printer.

 

Fix HP Printer Missing Lines when Printing

There are many fixes to rectify this technical error in your printer. All of them are easy to understand and follow along.

Remove the Protective Vent Tape.

It is an extremely simple yet often overlooked solution. Many people forget that it’s essential to dispose of the plastic film strip on the end of the print head cartridges. The vent tape seals and protects the HP printer print head while it is being shipped. It also hinders ink from coming into the print head so that ink clogs do not form.

You must ensure that this shipping tape is fully removed from the cartridge. After that, employ the Head Cleaning utility of the printer to prime the cartridge. Print a page to see if there are missing lines.

Clean the Cartridge and Printhead Thoroughly

The next technique to troubleshoot HP printer skipping lines is to thoroughly clean the HP printhead and cartridge. Use these steps to get a perfect output from your printer.

1. Navigate to the ‘Settings’ option present on the panel of your HP printer.
2. Hit the ‘Clean Printhead’ You can also tap ‘Clean cartridge.’
3. If your printer doesn’t have a screen, head to the ‘Devices and Printers’
4. Here, tight-tap on ‘Printer.’ Then click ‘Printing Properties.’
5. Find the option to clean your print head and tap it.
6. Run the print command and find if missing lines are still there on the output.

Align the Print Heads.

If you’ve come to this measure but still complain, why is my printer skipping lines, try aligning the print heads. This process also enhances print quality.

1. Load your input tray with white paper.
2. Launch the HP Smart app.
3. Once there, tap your printer’s photo. It will let you access the management tools and settings.
4. Go to ‘Advanced Settings’ followed by ‘Tools.’
5. Now, tap the ‘Utilities’ option followed by ‘Print quality toolbox.’
6. Choose the ‘Align print heads’ option to begin the alignment.

Clear the Blocked Nozzles.

Blocked nozzles in your HP printing device can cause the print output to have missing lines. This problem typically arises if your printer hasn’t been in use for quite some time. With the passage of time, the ink deteriorates and converts to sludge. Many new HP printer models allow you to clean the cartridges automatically. But you have the option to clean them as well manually.

• Clean Cartridges Automatically 

1. Go to the Windows icon on your system.
2. Choose ‘All Programs’ followed by ‘HP.’
3. Now tap ‘HP Solution Center.’
4. From here, choose ‘Settings.’
5. Now, from the ‘Print Settings,’ tap ‘Printer toolbox.’
6. On the tab of ‘Device Services,’ tap ‘Clean the print cartridge(s).’
7. To start cleaning, tap ‘Clean.’

• Clean Cartridges Manually

1. Switch on your HP printer and take away the ink cartridges.
2. Heat up some water, so it covers half of the cartridge.
3. Let these cartridges sit in the water for some time.
4. The water will loosen the thick ink.
5. Now take out the cartridges and allow them to dry.
6. Dip cotton in ammonia or alcohol and wipe the back and bottom portions of the cartridge.
7. Wipe the printer nozzles with cotton soaked in alcohol to clear dry ink.
8. Let the cartridges dry. After that, insert them properly in place.

Examine Paper Specifications

It’s common for people to enter incorrect paper specifications in the settings and complain about their HP printer skipping lines. This issue can be easily fixed if you enter the correct specifications. You only need to check if they correspond with those in the settings panel. Rectify the specifications if you find any of them incorrect.

 In addition, use paper that’s supported by your HP printer model. If it isn’t, purchase those papers that meet all the printer paper stipulations. After that, take out a test print and see if the missing lines are there.

Reset your HP Printing Device

A simple printer reset is enough to eliminate various printer errors. So, whenever you notice missing lines or gaps in your print output, reset your device.

1. Firstly, remove the rechargeable battery if your printer has one.
2. Switch on the printer and disconnect the power cord.
3. Take out the power cord from its source and wait for a minute.
4. Link the power cord to the outlet and your printing device.
5. Turn on your printing device to finish the reset.

 

The Bottom Line

Cleaning the nozzles, aligning the print head, and examining paper specifications are easy methods to fix HP printer missing lines. You can go through the causes and then use the troubleshooting in this article to get the needed output. If you need additional help, contact the team of email technical support experts.