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- HP Community
- Printers
- Printer Ink Cartridges & Print Quality
- Why is my printer only printing dashes and dots or partial p...

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Check some of the most frequent questions about Instant Ink: HP INSTANT INK, HP+ PLANS: INK AND TONER.
Check out our Black or Color Ink Not Printing, Other Print Quality Issues info about: Print quality and Cartridge Issues.
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1 REPLY 1
07-23-2024 12:05 PM
Hi @Alex8412,
Welcome to HP Support Community.
Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.
If your HP printer is only printing dashes, dots, or partial pages, it could be due to a few possible issues.
- Ink Cartridges: Ensure that your ink cartridges are properly installed and have enough ink. Low or empty cartridges can cause incomplete prints. Try replacing any cartridges that are low or empty.
- Print Head Issues: The print head may be clogged or dirty. Perform a print head cleaning through the printer's maintenance options. This can usually be done from the printer’s control panel or the printer software on your computer.
- Driver Issues: Outdated or corrupted printer drivers can cause printing issues. Ensure that you have the latest driver for your printer model installed. You can download the latest driver from the HP website.
- Print Settings: Check your print settings. Sometimes incorrect settings can lead to incomplete printing. Make sure the correct paper size and type are selected.
- Network Issues: Since your printer is on the same network as your computer, ensure that there are no network issues causing communication problems. Try restarting your printer and router.
- Printer Firmware: Outdated printer firmware can also cause issues. Check if there is a firmware update available for your printer model and install it if needed.
- Paper Jam: A paper jam or obstruction in the printer can lead to incomplete prints. Check for any paper jams and remove any obstructions.
- Print Queue: Sometimes, documents in the print queue can get stuck or corrupted. Clear the print queue and try printing again.
I hope this helps.
Take care and have a good day.
Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!
Alden4
HP Support
Raj_05
HP Support Community Moderator
HP Support Community Moderator
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