HP Officejet Pro 8020 not printing

[evafinlay]

I have been having an issue with my HP Officejet Pro 8020 not printing. I can look at it in the print center on my Mac and when I do it says "idle." However, whenever I send a print job to the printer, it'll quickly go from "idle" to "offline" and then back to "idle" when I cancel the print job. I don't know what to do and I am getting tired of having to try several different methods when I need to print something.

For reference, I have already tired turning the printer on and off, resetting the router, and restarting the device that I am printing from. I have also tried using the HP Smart and all it tells me to do are the same things listed above. I have also put in new color ink and that seemed to get it to kick back online (for a moment) to print something but that was a few days ago. 

I need help before I really start considering tossing the whole thing. 

[VikramTheGreat]

Hi @evafinlay,

Welcome to the HP Support Community.
 

Thank you for posting your query. I will be glad to help you.

I can imagine how frustrating this is, especially when you’ve tried all the usual fixes and the HP Officejet Pro 8020 printer still flips between “idle” and “offline.” Let’s go deeper and tackle the root cause.

Why This Happens

On macOS, HP printers often show “offline” due to:

• Driver mismatch (macOS defaults to AirPrint instead of the HP driver)
• Network instability or IP address changes
• HP Smart app is not fully syncing with the printer

Steps to Fix It

1. Verify Printer Connection

• Print a Network Configuration Page from the printer’s control panel.
• Confirm the printer has a valid IP address and is connected to the same Wi-Fi as your Mac.
   

2. Remove and Re-Add Printer Using HP Driver

• Go to System Settings → Printers & Scanners.
• Remove the HP OfficeJet Pro 8020.
• Click + to add it back.
• In the “Use” dropdown, do not select AirPrint; choose HP OfficeJet Pro 8020 Series or HP driver.
• If the HP driver isn’t listed, download it from HP’s official site:
  🔗 HP OfficeJet Pro 8020 All-in-One Printer series | HP® Support
   

3. Install HP Easy Start

• Run HP Easy Start from the link above to install full-feature drivers and scanning support.
   

4. Assign a Static IP

• In the printer’s Embedded Web Server (EWS): 
  • Enter the printer’s IP in a browser.
  • Go to Network Settings → Advanced → IP Settings.
  • Set a Manual IP so the printer doesn’t go offline when the router changes addresses.
     

5. Reset Printing System (Last Resort)

• In Printers & Scanners, click Reset Printing System.
• Re-add the printer using HP Easy Start.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have an amazing day!
 

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Regards,

VikramTheGreat