How To Get Rid Of Printer Lines – Step By Step Guideline In 2023

Tired of getting printer lines while printing? 

Well, you are not the only one. Because getting horizontal or vertical lines while printing is a pretty common issue among printer users. No matter what your printer brand or model is, if you use an inkjet or laser printer then you can be a victim of this. But how to get rid of printer lines? 

In this article, I am going to provide an in-depth step-by-step guideline on How To Get Rid Of Printer Lines. In this guideline, I am going to discuss all the possible ways to solve this issue in detail. So, stick here till the end. 

To understand this problem fully first you need to understand why the lines appear in the first place. 

Why Am I Getting Lines When Printing?

You can get 2 types of lines while printing and there can be many reasons behind this. However, the reason lies with what type of lines you are getting. The two types of lines are 

1. Horizontal Lines

In most cases, users get horizontal lines while printing with inkjet printers. Usually,  these white lines are caused by clogged printheads. But what are printheads? 

To know about it, check out our article on printheads. Now let’s get back to our issue. Printheads are a crucial part of an inkjet printer. However, these printheads can get clogged or dirty due to debris, dried ink, etc. 

If these printheads get clogged then your printer starts to print horizontal lines. Moreover, dried inks can be another reason behind getting horizontal lines while printing. 

2. Vertical Lines

If you are getting vertical lines then you are probably using a laser printer. Because laser printers use ink toner instead of liquid ink. These toner powders can get out of the cartridge and get on rollers or transfer belts. 

So, when you see black vertical lines on your printed copies, there might be excess toner powders on the rollers or transfer belts. As the paper is moved along by the rollers and transfer belt, any excess powder left on them can leave black vertical lines on your printer.

However, there can be other reasons. But it mostly happens because of excess toner inside the printer. 

Now, what about photos?

Why Does My Printer Print Photos With Lines?

The reason behind printing photos with lines is pretty similar to printing paper sheets. However, when printing photos a different type of paper is used.  As a result, the reason might be related to the paper. So, check if your printer supports the type of paper you are using. 

Moreover, if you are getting any colorful lines instead of black then you are getting these lines because of toner shortage. 

Lastly, when a printer prints photos with visible white or black lines, the cause is usually due to a clogged nozzle or the printhead not dispensing ink properly. Also, it can be related to the type of software used. 

Moreover, both inkjet and laser printers can print with lines because of internal loose cable connections. So, you need to check that too. 

By this time we have learned why your printer is printing with horizontal or vertical lines.  Now, let’s see how to solve these issues. 

How To Get Rid Of Printer Lines

The solutions described here will work for almost all the printer brands and models. So, you can apply all of these without worrying. Let’s see the solutions one by one. 

1.  Loose Cable Connections 

This can happen in both inkjet and laser printers. Static interference with the printer or loose

cable connections can result in bands, lines in the copy, or scan output. So, In this step, we will check the printer’s connections and reset the printer.

• First, press the power button to turn on the printer.
• Then turn to the back of the printer.
• With the printer powered on, disconnect the power cord from the printer.
• After that, unplug the other end of the power cord from the wall outlet.
• Now, wait for at least 15 seconds. It is important to wait a full 15 seconds to allow the print mechanism to reset.
• Then, plug the power cord back into the wall outlet and reconnect the power cord to the printer.

• Make sure the power cord is securely connected to the back of the printer and to the wall outlet.
• If the printer connects to a computer with a USB connection, make sure that the USB cable is securely connected to the printer and to the computer.

• Then return to the front of the printer.
• If the printer does not automatically turn on, press the power button to turn the printer on.
• Now to test if it’s ok, copy or scan any document. If the output quality is good, the issue is resolved.

However, if you are still experiencing issues after trying the above method then loose

cable connections are not the problem here. So, let’s continue on to the second step.

2. Cleaning The Scanner 

If your printer has a scanner then fingerprints, smudges, and other debris can be the reason behind printer lines. So, In this step, you will clean the scanner glass and backing. Before you begin, gather the following materials

Instruments Needed

1. A clean, lint-free cloth.
2. A mild glass cleaner.

Only the above 2 instruments are enough. However, you might find many videos using cleaners. 

Never use cleaners that contain abrasives, acetone, benzene, or carbon tetrachloride. These substances can damage the printer. Moreover, avoid using isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol, because these can leave streaks on the scanner glass. So, be very careful. 

If you have got all the instruments then follow the below steps carefully. 

• Firstly, press the power button to turn the printer off.
• Turn to the back of the printer and disconnect the power cord.
• After that, return to the front of the printer and lift the scanner lid.
• Then spray a clean, lint-free cloth with mild glass cleaner. However, do not spray glass cleaner directly on the scanner glass. Doing so can damage the printer.
• Now thoroughly clean the scanner glass with a damp cloth.
• Then dry the scanner glass with a dry lint-free cloth to prevent spotting.
• Next, clean the scanner backing with a damp cloth.
• Dry the scanner backing with a dry lint-free cloth and close the scanner lid.
• Then turn to the back of the printer and reconnect the power cord.
• Return to the front of the printer and press the power button to turn the printer back on.
• Lastly, print a blank copy to see if the issue is resolved.

To test follow the below steps. 

• First, pull out the paper input tray. Align a stack of paper by tapping it on a flat surface.
• Load the paper into the input tray until it stops and slide the paper width guides inward until they stop at the edge of the paper.
• Do not push the guides in so tightly that they start to bend the paper.

• Close the paper input tray and go to the printer’s control panel, 
• Now touch the Copy icon>Touch Color> Touch Start.
• The printer will print a blank copy.

Examine the copy properly. If the copy is clean, the issue is resolved. Otherwise, continue on to the next step.

3. Clean The Printhead 

Cleaning the printhead is a lengthy process. So, it will require its own article. However, we already covered this topic. So, check out our article on cleaning the printhead. 

Follow everything mentioned in the article carefully. However, if you are still getting vertical or horizontal lines after cleaning the printhead then try the next step. 

4. Clean The Extra Toner And transfer belts

If your problem is not solved by now then you are probably using a laser printer.  Your printer might have extra toner powder inside the roller or transfer belt. Now let’s see how to clean these. 

Instruments Needed

• A clean piece of cloth.
• Cotton swabs.
• Compressed air.
• Rubbing alcohol.
• Safety Goggles 
• Latex gloves.
• Surgical mask.

Remember the extra toner particles can be toxic to your health. It can cause mild irritation if you accidentally inhale them or touch them with bearskin. So, while cleaning please use a safety goggle, latex gloves, and a surgical mask.

Now let’s follow the below steps. 

• Firstly, turn off your device and unplug it from all power sources. 
• Then If you have used your printer recently then cool it down naturally.  
• A laser printer can run really hot during operation. So, cooling it down first is a wise thing to do.
• Now open the front/back panel and remove the toner cartridge from it. 
• Please put the toner drum in a dark and dry place as it is a very heat-sensitive component. 
• After that take a clean piece of cloth and wipe out the excess toner from the toner cartridges. 
• Put another piece of clean cloth under the toner cartridge so that the excess toner does not spread around your house. 
• Now clean off the excess toner from the roller and transfer belt using compressed air and cloth. Be very careful while doing so as the internal components are very sensitive. 

• Use cotton swabs for the tricky areas that are hard to reach. 
• After that clean the toner housing properly as excess toners are most likely to build up there.

• Then put a little rubbing alcohol on the piece of cloth and wipe off the internal housing properly. 
• Up next take out the corona wire carefully and blow out excess toner particles from it using compressed air. Be very careful while doing so as it is a sensitive and expensive component.

• If you don’t have compressed air then save your worries. Just dip a cotton swab in the rubbing alcohol and gently clean the corona wire with it. 
• Lastly, dry every component and put it back together. 

Now print a blank document to see if the problem is solved or not. 

By now your printer line issue should be solved. If you have tried everything described here

and you still have issues then your printer likely needs some type of service. So, contact the support of your printer brand immediately. 

Final words

I hope our article on How To Get Rid Of Printer Lines in 2023 has solved your issue. Let us know your opinion in the comments. 

Lastly, a little maintenance can prohibit printer lines from ever happening.  So, if you don’t want all these hassles then regular cleaning is a must. 

So that’s it for now. Have a great day!