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- HP Community
- Printers
- Printing Errors or Lights & Stuck Print Jobs
- printing blank pages

Create an account on the HP Community to personalize your profile and ask a question
09-30-2024 05:52 AM
Hi @MikeC131,
Welcome to HP Support Community.
Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.
If your HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 is printing blank pages despite having new cartridges and cleaned printheads, here are some steps to troubleshoot the issue:
1. Check Ink Levels
- Even if the cartridges are new, double-check the ink levels through the printer's control panel or the HP Smart app to ensure they are recognized correctly.
2. Perform a Printhead Cleaning
- Sometimes, the printheads might still be clogged:
- Open the HP Smart app on your computer or mobile device.
- Go to the Printer section and select Clean Printheads.
- Follow the prompts to complete the cleaning process.
3. Print a Test Page
- Print a test page to see if it produces any output:
- From the printer control panel, go to Setup > Printer Maintenance > Print Quality Report.
4. Check Print Settings
- Ensure that your print settings are not set to print in grayscale or draft mode:
- In the print dialog on your computer, check that color printing is selected.
5. Run Printer Troubleshooter (Windows)
- If you're using Windows, run the built-in printer troubleshooter:
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
- Select Printer and follow the prompts.
6. Update Printer Drivers
- Make sure you have the latest printer drivers installed:
- Visit the HP website, search for your printer model, and download the latest drivers.
7. Check for Firmware Updates
- Sometimes firmware updates can resolve printing issues:
- Use the HP Smart app or the HP website to check for and install any firmware updates.
8. Perform a Factory Reset
- If all else fails, consider resetting your printer to factory settings. This can often resolve persistent issues:
- On the printer's control panel, go to Setup > Printer Maintenance > Restore Factory Defaults.
9. Check for Paper Issues
- Make sure you are using the correct type of paper and that it is loaded properly. Sometimes paper issues can cause printing anomalies.
I hope this helps.
Take care and have a good day.
Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.
Rachel571
HP Support
Sneha_01- HP support
10-03-2024 09:23 AM
Hi Rachel571,
I tried all the steps, some several times. This is my mother's printer and last time I worked on it I turned it off when done. Yesterday I turned it on to try the steps on the list and the first thing was to try to clean the print heads which is something I hadn't tried previously. I received an error message that paper was jammed and checked it completely and there was no paper jammed so turned it off again and when it came back on the message was gone. Tried all the steps suggested and still pages come out blank. spent enough time on this and am concluding there must be something internally wrong. Since these are pretty much designed to be disposable we will replace it
Thanks for trying
10-03-2024 02:15 PM
Hi @MikeC131,
Thank you so much for your response.
Is there anything else that I can help you with today?
Please mark this post as “Accepted Solution” if the issue is resolved and if you feel this reply was helpful click “Yes”.Take care and have a great day ahead!
Rachel571
HP Support
Sneha_01- HP support