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There are plenty of printing errors that might occur during a print job. Still, they tend to happen after printing on the whole page. So, why would a printer not print on half a page?
Start troubleshooting your print settings when a printer is only printing on half a page. The paper size and orientation settings must match the paper you’re using in your printer. Besides that, check that the paper is completely blank before printing. Low ink levels and a problematic printer driver or connection can cause the same problems, as the printer can’t complete the job after finishing half a page.
Check out the sections below to understand why your printer produces only half-page printouts. Then, as you continue reading, you’ll discover steps to fix the problem yourself.
Why Is My Printer Only Printing On Half A Page?
Here are the reasons your printer is only printing on half a page and what you can do to fix them:
Incorrect Paper Size Or Layout Settings
What it is: Your printer has one clear purpose: to recreate the documents or images you see on your computer screen exactly as instructed. That’s why you must always check your print settings on your application to print the document.
Some of the most important print settings to check are the paper size and layout settings. Those settings should match the type of paper your printer has and how you want the printout to appear on each sheet.
How it happens: When troubleshooting a printer that only prints on half a page, you must first check the paper size and layout settings. Unfortunately, it’s very likely that the paper size or layout settings are incorrect, which is why only half the printing paper is being used.
For example, your printer might have A4-sized paper, but the paper size setting is set for A5-sized paper. That difference in settings will cause the printer to only print on half of the A4 paper sheet.
What to do: You can solve this problem with just a few clicks of your mouse. Firstly, open the application that you’re using to print your documents. Then, access its print settings.
Check that each setting is accurate, particularly regarding paper size and layout. The settings must match your printer and its paper supply to ensure that the device prints on the whole page, not just half.
Read: Why Does My Printer Say No Paper When There Is Paper? – Troubleshooting Guide
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Printing Paper Isn’t Blank
What it is: You should only use new, blank sheets of paper when printing. That way, the document or image you’ll print will appear clearly on that paper without anything else affecting it.
Accidentally printing on a sheet that already has words or images on it will be a waste of ink. As a result, you’ll have to reprint the same document on another sheet of paper.
Thankfully, some printer models are equipped with sensors that check the paper as it’s being fed into the printer. Those sensors are there to prevent wastage by detecting paper that’s already been printed.
How it happens: The second reason your printer is only printing on half a page is the paper it’s using isn’t blank.
As you read explained above, some printers can detect when the paper being fed isn’t new. When that happens, the printer will stop printing halfway to avoid wasting ink.
What to do: Of course, the feature described above isn’t available on all printers. So, check the user manual to confirm that your printer can sense used paper and stop halfway.
Then, you can choose different solutions. For example, you can choose to print on new, blank sheets of paper instead. Alternatively, you can also attempt to disable the feature if you must print on paper that already has markings.
Read: Why Brother Printer Keeps Dropping Off The Wifi Network? – Troubleshooting Guide
Low Ink Cartridge
What it is: Printer ink cartridges gradually empty over an extended period. You can monitor their ink levels on the printer’s display or through the printer management app on your computer.
How it happens: Your printer should alert you when the ink cartridges start running low. Unfortunately, those alerts might have been overlooked for an extended period.
So, as you continue with your printing tasks, your printer might only print half of a page before stopping entirely as it completely runs out of ink.
That will produce a printout with only half or less of a page completed. You will also likely find other accompanying symptoms like faded printing or the appearance of vertical and horizontal lines.
What to do: The only way to fix a cartridge without ink is to replace it with a new one. Be sure to choose genuine ink cartridges compatible with your printer model.
Read: How To Fix Printer That Is Making Noises? – Troubleshooting Guide
Printer Driver Or Connectivity Problems
What it is: The quality of your printouts relies on two things: the printer’s driver and the printer’s connectivity to your computer or other devices.
The printer driver is software that converts documents into data that your printer can understand. Once the printer receives that data, it can begin recreating the document on paper using ink.
That data is sent from the computer to the printer over a cable (like a USB cable) or wirelessly (like through a WiFi connection).
An updated driver and a strong connection ensure that your printer can do its job effectively.
How it happens: The final reason your printer only prints on half a page is a problem with the driver or the printer’s connectivity.
Firstly, a corrupted or outdated driver could cause problems with the data sent to your printer. That is because the printer only receives enough information to print half a page instead of a complete document.
Besides that, a damaged USB cable or WiFi signal that’s receiving interference could also affect the data that your printer receives.
Overall, that will result in your printer receiving incomplete printing instructions from your computer.
What to do: Firstly, check that your printer cable is free from any damage. The cable should also be free from any kinks or excessive bending that will damage it on the inside.
If you’re using a wireless or WiFi connection, remove any devices that might interfere with the signal. For example, a microwave oven near your printer or computer will cause signal interference.
Lastly, you can also try deleting the wireless connection from your printer and computer to reestablish it later. Starting a new connection could help clear any communication errors.
Read: Why Printer Not Printing In Color? – Troubleshooting Guide
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Below are a few more questions and answers you’ll find helpful when troubleshooting your printer:
Why Is My Paper Not Printing Properly?
Check for an outdated printer driver, connectivity issues, or dirty printer parts when your printer isn’t printing correctly. These are three common reasons that printers don’t work correctly as they should.
Read: How To Fix Problem “Printer Offline”? – Troubleshooting Guide
Why Is My Printer Printing Smudges?
Smudges on your printouts come from dirty printheads or rollers inside your printer. Excess ink sometimes gets on those parts and transfers onto the paper sheets, causing smudges.
Why Is The Printer Cutting Off Lines?
The printer is cutting off lines on your document because the ink levels are low. Besides that, a dirty printhead can also cause the same problem. However, you can solve it by replacing your ink cartridges and cleaning the dirty printhead by rubbing it with isopropyl alcohol and water.
How Do I Make My Print Quality Higher?
To increase print quality, check the print settings on your application to print your document. You can adjust the print quality settings as high as your printer can support.
How Do I Fix Faded Printing?
Faded printing is a typical sign of damp paper or low ink levels. Firstly, ensure that you’re printing with good quality, dry printing paper. Then, check that your ink cartridges have enough ink to complete your print job.
