Printing blank pages

[Poppy1710]

On a printing request, my HP DeskJet runs the paper through as though it's printing, but it comes out blank. It then wants another sheet of paper and actually does print the document. It does this every time. No paper blocks, ink is fine etc. I have my inks on subscription from HP, which means the number of pages I print counts, but half are blank! It counts those as having printed and charges me extra if I'm over my allowance. Why does the printer do this and how do I stop it, please? Thank you.

[Kuroi_Kenshi]

Hi @Poppy1710,

Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.

I understand your HP DeskJet is feeding blank pages before printing your documents, which is causing extra pages to be counted on your HP Instant Ink subscription. Let’s go through a few steps to check what could be causing this.

Check for old print jobs in the queue
Sometimes stuck or corrupted print jobs cause the printer to feed blank pages first.
Open the print queue on your computer or HP Smart app and cancel all pending jobs, then try printing again.

Verify paper type and size settings
Make sure the printer settings match the paper you are using (e.g., plain paper, 80–90 gsm).
Incorrect settings can cause the printer to “pre-feed” blank pages to align the print.

Update the printer firmware
Outdated firmware can cause printing glitches.
Go to Setup → Printer Maintenance → Update to make sure your printer is up to date.

Clean the print heads
Even if ink is full, partially clogged nozzles can cause initial blank pages.
Use the printer menu or HP Smart app to run a Print Head Cleaning cycle.

Check for duplicate or hidden drivers
If you have multiple printer drivers installed, your computer may send jobs twice.
Remove any old or duplicate DeskJet drivers and keep only the latest version.

Try printing directly from another device
Print a test page from HP Smart, a different computer, or your phone.
If the issue doesn’t happen, the problem is likely with your original device’s print driver or app.

Reset the printer
Power off → unplug the printer for 60 seconds → plug it back in and power on.
This clears temporary internal errors that may trigger blank page pre-feeds.

Check HP Instant Ink settings
Make sure the printer is not set to “Print Page Count” tests automatically.
Some settings may run a calibration page before every job, which counts as a page printed.

I hope this helps.

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Best regards,