HP's print quality article sets the order for faded or streaked prints. Clean the printhead from the control panel: Setup, then Printer Maintenance or Tools, Clean Printhead, Continue, inspect the test page, and if it is poor choose Clean Again for the next level and a third if needed; a badly blocked head may need a 30 minute wait and another full set. Check for ink smears on the back of printouts with Clean Page Smears. Check the cartridges: low ink, non-HP or refilled cartridges and clogged vents cause quality faults.
Replace empty cartridges, remove the cartridge, take off any orange tab, clear the vent on top with a pin or paper clip, reseat it and repeat for the others; if one color stays bad, replace that cartridge, which may be under warranty.
The checks in more detail
Then check the paper and settings: paper that does not absorb ink well causes faded or smeared prints, plain paper with ColorLok works well for documents, HP Advanced Photo Paper suits photos, and wrinkled or curled paper causes dark horizontal marks. Load the printable side correctly, smoother or glossy side usually, face up for rear-load inkjets and face down for front-load. Check the print settings for paper type and quality, and improve poor source files with editing tools. On a laser, streaks often point to a low toner cartridge or a dirty drum.
Print a test page before and after each fix so you can compare, and keep them. If three cleaning cycles do not help, stop cleaning, since each cycle uses ink, and wait before trying again as HP advises.
Differential
Likely causes of “HP printers prints faded, streaked, banded or with missing colors”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
A clogged printhead
What separates it Prints show faded or missing lines because the printhead is clogged
How to confirm Clean the printhead, and print a test page to check the result
- 2
Low ink
What separates it Prints are faded because the ink is running low
How to confirm Replace the cartridge that is running low with a new one
- 3
A blocked vent
What separates it One color looks weak because a vent is blocked
How to confirm Clear the blocked vent, taking care not to damage it
- 4
Unsuitable paper
What separates it Prints are faded or smeared because the paper is unsuitable
How to confirm Use ColorLok paper or photo paper, which suit the printer
- 5
Wrong settings
What separates it The quality looks like a draft because the settings are wrong
How to confirm Set the paper type and the print quality correctly, in the print dialog
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- A test page that shows the fault
- The paper type and the settings that you chose
- Which color is affected by the fading
Try in this order
0 of 7 completedPrint a test page
ReversiblePrint a test page, and note exactly what the fault looks like, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Clean the printhead
ReversibleClean the printhead, working through levels one to three, and print a test page, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Check ink levels
ReversibleCheck the ink levels, and replace any cartridge that is low, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Clean the vents
ReversibleClean the vents with a pin, taking care not to bend the contacts, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Check paper and settings
ReversibleCheck the paper and the settings, and use ColorLok or photo paper, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Align if offered
ReversibleAlign the printhead if the printer offers it, from the maintenance menu, and then test again to see whether it helped.
Wait and repeat
ReversibleWait and repeat the clean if the head is badly clogged, since it may need a second pass.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Tank models
- Smart Tank printers use refillable ink tanks, so check tank levels and the printhead status.
- Laser
- LaserJet streaks often point to toner or the drum.
- Other models this page answers
- These steps also fit models OfficeJet Pro 9125e, OfficeJet Pro 9015e, OfficeJet Pro 8025e, ENVY Inspire 7955e, ENVY 6455e, DeskJet 4155e, Color LaserJet Pro 4301fdw, LaserJet Pro 4101fdw, LaserJet M234sdwe, Smart Tank 7602, Smart Tank 5101.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !If quality stays poor after three cleaning levels and a 30 minute wait, repeat the cycle
- !If one color stays bad, replace that cartridge
- !If the printhead is damaged, replace the printer
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Clean printhead, smears, vents and paper.
Color quality guidance.
Laser quality guidance.
Cartridge error topics.
The company and its products.
Exact questions
Common questions
Why is my print faded?+
A clogged head, low ink, wrong paper or settings.
What paper suits documents?+
Use plain paper with ColorLok for documents, since it keeps the ink on the surface.
What suits photos?+
HP Advanced Photo Paper suits photos, and you should select it in the settings.
Which side do I print on?+
Usually the smoother or glossy side.
Do refilled cartridges matter?+
HP cannot guarantee the quality of refilled cartridges, so try a genuine one.
Can wrinkled paper cause streaks?+
Yes, wrinkled paper can cause dark horizontal streaks, so use flat paper.
How do I clean smears?+
Use the Clean Page Smears option, which you find in the printer's menu.
Should I clean the head often?+
Clean the head only when needed, since each clean uses ink.