An HP LaserJet Pro MFP M234sdwe that prints slowly is a monochrome laser multifunction with a rated speed of around thirty pages a minute, and the slowness you see is normally due to the job, the connection or the settings, not the engine. First print a simple text page: if the first page comes out after a short wait and the rest follow at a good pace, the printer is working, and the slow jobs are the complex ones. A document with large images, many fonts or a high-resolution graphic takes longer to process, and two-sided printing adds time as the sheet is reversed. Check the driver settings for a high-quality or a Fine Lines mode, and use the standard mode for office work.
The checks in more detail
Check the connection. A printer on weak Wi-Fi takes a long time to receive a job, so you see a long delay before it starts; print a network configuration page from the control panel and check the signal and address, move the printer closer to the router or use an Ethernet cable, which this model has. Update the driver from HP's site, because the generic Windows driver can be slow, and the HP Smart app helps. Clear the print queue of old jobs, which block new ones, and restart the print spooler. If the delay is when the printer wakes from sleep, the printer needs a few seconds to warm up; change the sleep settings to a longer time if you print often.
The printer may also slow itself for protection. If the paper is thick, labels or envelopes, the printer slows the engine to fuse properly, so set the paper type in the tray and the driver to match. A printer that is hot after a long job slows. Check the firmware: HP provides updates through HP Smart or the support page. If the printer is slow with simple text pages over a good connection and with the current driver, run the printer's diagnostic report and contact HP with the serial number. With the M234sdwe, compare how long a page takes from the first click to the first sheet, and how long the printer takes once it starts.
A long wait before the first page is usually the computer preparing a heavy file or the printer waking from sleep; a printer that prints slowly page after page is limited by its own speed, the quality setting or a cooling pause. In a LaserJet, a thick or glossy paper type selected in the driver makes the fuser run slower, so check that the paper type matches the paper in the tray and is not set to Heavy or Labels. Duplex printing takes longer than single-sided printing because each sheet is drawn back in.
A wireless link with a weak signal makes the job transfer slowly, so place the printer closer to the router or connect by USB to check. Update the driver from HP and print a plain text page as a comparison.
Differential
Likely causes of “HP LaserJet M234sdwe is slow when printing”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A complex document
What separates it Long processing
How to confirm Compare with a simple text page
- 2
A high-quality mode or duplex
What separates it Slower pages
How to confirm Use standard mode when quality is not needed
- 3
A weak Wi-Fi link
What separates it A long delay before printing
How to confirm Improve the signal or use Ethernet
- 4
A generic or old driver
What separates it Slow processing
How to confirm Install HP's driver or HP Smart
- 5
A queue of stuck jobs
What separates it New jobs wait
How to confirm Clear the queue
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- The exact symptom and when it began
- The ink or toner state
- The paper type used
- The model number
Try in this order
0 of 6 completedPrint a simple text page
ReversibleTo compare.
Use standard quality
ReversibleFor office work.
Check the connection
ReversibleSignal or Ethernet.
Update the driver
ReversibleAnd firmware.
Clear the queue
ReversibleRestart the spooler.
Contact HP
ReversibleIf simple pages are slow.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Warm-up
- The first page takes a few seconds.
- Paper type
- Thick media slows the engine.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If the problem persists after these steps, contact the maker with the model and serial number
- !Do not keep running cleaning cycles
- !Keep the receipt for warranty
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
How fast is the M234sdwe?+
About thirty pages a minute.
Why is the first page slow?+
The printer warms up.
Does duplex slow it?+
Yes.
Does the driver matter?+
Yes.