A printed page with streaks and banding caused by a printing problem
Artículo · Printing Blog | Startoner

Printer Prints with Streaks or Lines: Causes and Solution

Actualizado 18 julio 2026

Summary: Streaks or lines when printing have two origins depending on the type of printer. On inkjet they're almost always clogged head nozzles and are resolved with a cleaning cycle. On laser they usually come from low toner, a worn drum or dirt in the paper path. The key is identifying the exact pattern of the streaks: we explain it step by step so you aim at the right cause and don't change parts blindly.

A printer that printed perfectly yesterday and today puts out bands is one of the most frustrating faults, and also one of the easiest to resolve if you diagnose it well. The common mistake is buying a new cartridge before knowing whether the cartridge was the problem. This guide saves you that expense.

Key points

  • On inkjet, horizontal white bands are almost always dry nozzles; a head cleaning resolves them in most cases.
  • On laser, a mark that repeats at fixed intervals gives away the part: on many HP and Canon engines the drum measures about 94 mm in circumference (HP, Repetitive Image Defects, 2024).
  • Don't overdo the cleanings: Epson recommends not exceeding 6 cycles in a row before letting it rest or calling for service (Epson Support, 2024).
  • Printing regularly is the best prevention against blockages.

How do I identify the streak pattern?

Before touching anything, look at the sheet: the pattern almost always tells you what's wrong. Not all streaks mean the same thing, and confusing them is what leads to changing expensive parts for no reason. Take a document with text and some colour, print it and compare it with this table. In seconds you'll know whether the problem is in the head, the drum or the consumable.

Pattern you see Most likely cause Printer type
Horizontal white bands, as if lines were missing Clogged nozzles in the head Inkjet
A colour is completely missing (everything comes out without magenta, without cyan…) That colour cartridge is empty or clogged Inkjet
A light or faint vertical band that repeats on every sheet Dirty head or badly distributed toner Both
Dark lines or marks that repeat at exact intervals Scratched drum or damaged roller Laser
Greyish or generally smudged background Low toner, exhausted drum or toner leak Laser

With the pattern identified, go straight to your section. If you're unsure between inkjet and laser, look at the consumable: if your printer uses liquid cartridges it's inkjet; if it uses a powder cartridge (toner), it's laser. We break down the difference in parts in toner or drum: what each one is and when it's changed.

Why do streaks appear on an inkjet printer?

On an inkjet printer, streaks are, in the vast majority of cases, clogged nozzles. The head ejects the ink through hundreds of micro-nozzles; when the printer sits idle for days or weeks, the ink dries inside and blocks them. White bands appear: the areas the nozzle can no longer paint. HP's own support describes these streaks as the typical symptom of a head that needs cleaning (HP Support Community, 2024).

A nozzle is each of the microscopic openings through which the head fires drops of ink; a domestic head has from several hundred to thousands.

The solution is the head cleaning cycle, a function every inkjet printer includes. It purges ink under pressure to break up the blockage:

  1. First print a nozzle check (also called a "nozzle test") from the printer software or its app. It tells you which colour is failing.
  2. Run a standard head cleaning.
  3. Print the test again. If it improves but not completely, repeat the cleaning once or twice more.
  4. If after three attempts it's still the same, switch off the printer and let it rest for 6 hours. Time softens the dried ink blockage and a later cleaning usually ejects it.

The exact procedure varies by brand and we detail it in our guide how to clean the print heads step by step, including the manual cleaning when the automatic one isn't enough. And if the nozzle check comes out clean but the printer still doesn't print well, the problem may be something else: we cover it in my printer won't print even though it has ink.

The limit is set by the manufacturer. Epson warns in its official documentation that you shouldn't run more than 6 cleaning cycles in a row: if after that point the nozzle check doesn't improve, you must replace the cartridge or take the printer to service, because each cycle uses ink and won't break up a very hardened blockage (Epson Support, 2024).

Careful: don't overdo the cleaning

Each cleaning cycle consumes an appreciable amount of ink. Launching ten cleanings in a row empties the cartridge without resolving anything. Three attempts, a 6-hour rest, and another three. If after that there's no improvement, the problem is no longer fixed with cleanings and it's time to check the cartridge or the head itself.

When we test our own compatible cartridges before selling them, the fault we most often see "out of the box" on returned inkjet printers isn't a bad cartridge: it's a printer that had been switched off for weeks and has dry nozzles. In almost all those cases, two or three cleanings and an overnight rest return the sheet to normal without changing anything.

What causes streaks on a laser printer?

A laser has no nozzles, so here the streaks come from other parts. The good news is that you can almost always order the suspects from cheapest and most likely to most expensive, and attack in that order. The bad news is that confusing a drum with a fuser can cost you an unnecessary repair. These are the culprits, in order:

  • Low toner. When the toner runs out, light bands or an irregular smudge appear. Take out the cartridge, shake it gently horizontally several times to redistribute the powder and put it back. This gives you a few dozen pages of margin back, but it's a sign it's time to restock.
  • Worn or scratched drum. If you see dark or light marks that repeat at exact intervals, it's the drum: that distance is its circumference. On many Brother and HP models the drum is a separate part from the toner and is replaced separately.
  • Dirt on the corona wire or the rollers. Built-up toner residue creates streaks. A clean with the brush the printer includes or a dry, lint-free cloth usually resolves it.
  • Faulty fuser. If the toner comes out smudged or smears when you rub it with your finger, the fuser isn't fixing it properly. It's the most expensive repair; weigh up whether it's worth it against a new printer.

The drum is the photosensitive cylinder that receives the image from the laser and transfers it to the paper; it wears with use and, on many brands, lasts several toner cartridges before it's exhausted.

What does a mark that always repeats at the same distance mean?

This is the golden clue of laser diagnosis. Any defect in a rotating part repeats on the sheet every time that part completes a full turn, so the distance between marks equals the circumference of the damaged part (Metrofuser, 2023). Measure the gap between two identical marks with a ruler and compare it with the parts of your print engine.

The 94-millimetre rule. On many HP and Canon laser engines, a defect that repeats every 94–96 mm corresponds to the circumference of the OPC drum: it points to a scratched drum or a nicked cleaning blade, not the toner (HP, Repetitive Image Defects, 2024). Shorter repetitions are usually developer or transfer rollers. Measuring the "pitch" of the defect before buying anything saves you changing the wrong cartridge.

Service centres use exactly this method — they call it "repeat distance" or defect pitch — to point out the guilty part without dismantling the machine (Whizz-Tech, 2024). If your marks repeat at that long distance and the pattern matches turn after turn, the drum is suspect number one.

Are the drum and the toner the same part?

No, and this confuses a lot of people. On most Brother printers — and quite a few HP ones — the toner (the powder) and the drum (the cylinder) are separate consumables. Brother's support confirms that the drum usually lasts several toner cartridges before needing replacement, and that faint pages or ones with repeated lines are the typical sign of a worn drum (Brother Support, 2024). That's why, before buying, it's worth knowing whether your machine has the two parts separately: we explain it in toner or drum: differences and when to change each one.

When printing our own compatible toner tests side by side with originals, we confirm that a vertical black streak that appears "from the first page" with a freshly fitted toner is almost never the powder's fault: it's usually the machine's drum, which was already scratched from the previous cartridge. Changing only the toner in that case fixes nothing.

And what if the cartridge is to blame?

Sometimes the pattern points straight at the consumable: a whole colour missing, leaks, or streaks from the first page freshly installed. A quality certified compatible cartridge doesn't cause streaks — it yields the same as an original — but a faulty, badly sealed or low-quality cartridge can. We take apart the difference between a legitimate compatible and a counterfeit in counterfeit cartridges vs compatibles.

If the cartridge failed out of the box or yields below what was promised, you're covered: you have three years of legal guarantee and the right to replacement at no cost. And if the printer simply doesn't recognise the cartridge, that's a different problem, which we cover in my printer doesn't recognise the compatible toner.

When it's time to restock, in compatible laser toner for all brands and in compatible drums you'll find the exact part for your model, certified and with a guarantee.

How do I stop the streaks coming back?

Prevention is almost free and attacks the root cause: ink and toner that don't move dry out or cake. The most effective measure, according to Epson itself, is simple: print a few pages at least once a month to keep the ink flowing and stop dust and dried ink clogging the nozzles (Epson Support, 2024). Four habits that make the difference:

  • Print regularly. On inkjet printers, one colour page a week keeps the nozzles moist and avoids most blockages.
  • Use quality consumables. Ink and toner certified to ISO standards; cheap uncertified cartridges are the most common cause of recurring streaks. How to buy them without being ripped off, in cheap toner: how to buy without being conned.
  • Store spare cartridges well. In their sealed packaging, horizontal, away from heat and direct light. More tips in how to extend the life of your cartridges.
  • Switch off the printer with its own button, not by cutting the power: that way it seals the head in the rest position.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my printer print with white streaks?

On inkjet printers, horizontal white streaks are almost always head nozzles clogged by dried ink; they're resolved with a head cleaning cycle, according to HP's own support (2024). On laser printers, a light band usually indicates low toner or a worn drum.

How many times can I clean the head in a row?

Epson recommends not exceeding 6 cleaning cycles in a row (2024). In practice, try three, and if it doesn't improve switch off the printer and let it rest for 6 hours before trying again: time softens the dried ink. Each cleaning uses ink, so it's not worth insisting heavy-handedly.

The streaks always repeat in the same place, what does it mean?

On a laser printer, a mark that repeats at exact intervals indicates a defect in a rotating part: the distance between marks is its circumference. On many HP and Canon engines, a pitch of about 94 mm points to the drum (2024). Measure the gap and it's most likely the drum needs replacing.

Does a compatible cartridge cause streaks?

A quality certified compatible cartridge doesn't cause streaks: it yields the same as an original. Streaks are caused by a clogged head, worn parts or, where applicable, a faulty cartridge, be it original or compatible. If a certified compatible fails, you have 3 years of legal guarantee in Spain and the right to replacement at no cost.

A whole colour is missing when printing, is that streaks?

It's an extreme case of the same problem: that colour cartridge is empty or completely clogged. Check the ink level and, if it has some, run a head cleaning focused on that colour. If after several cleanings (never more than six, according to Epson) it still won't come out, replace the cartridge.

The toner comes out smudged and smears when touched, what is it?

That isn't exactly a streak: it indicates the laser printer's fuser isn't fixing the toner to the paper properly. It's an expensive repair; on budget printers it's usually more worthwhile to replace the machine than to repair the fuser, whose cost can approach that of a new one.

Keep reading at Star Toner

Sources

  • HP Support — Banding, Streaks, or Lines in the Printout — https://support.hp.com/hr-en/document/c01624050
  • HP Support Community — White lines when printing (inkjet printhead) — https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printing-Errors-or-Lights-Stuck-Print-Jobs/white-lines-when-printing/td-p/6850416
  • HP LaserJet — Repetitive Image Defects (repeat distances / drum circumference) — https://arbikas.com/pub/media/storage/service/repetitive_defects.html
  • Epson Support — Clean the Print Head Nozzles (maximum cleaning cycles) — https://files.support.epson.com/htmldocs/nx210_/nx210_00ug/adjust.14.4.html
  • Epson Support — Checking for Clogged Print Head Nozzles (print regularly) — https://files.support.epson.com/docid/cpd4/cpd43460/source/pro_graphics/source/maintenance/tasks/scf9200_7200/checking_nozzles_scf9200.html
  • Brother Support — Black vertical lines or streaks on printed pages (drum vs toner) — https://help.brother-usa.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/153021/~/black-vertical-lines-or-streaks-on-printed-pages
  • Metrofuser — Introduction To Laser Printer Image Defect Problems — https://www.metrofuser.com/post/introduction-to-laser-printer-image-problems
  • Whizz-Tech — OPC drum repeating defects: measure repeat distance & fix — https://whizz-tech.com/support/printers/opc-drum-repeating-defects-measure-repeat-distance-fix/

Last updated: July 2026. Star Toner, Central Warehouse, Calle Océano Atlántico 38, 11379 Los Barrios, Cádiz. CHICTRATEC S.L. (NIF B72834534), part of the Recycop Group founded in 1998.

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