In this article, we will provide you with solutions to fix the issue whenever your HP printer says out of paper.
Table of Contents
Why Does My HP Printer Say Out Of Paper? [Answered]
Your HP printer says out of paper for the following reasons:
i. The input trays of your printer are empty.
ii. The input trays of your printer are overloaded.
iii. You are using paper that is too glossy for your printer.
iv. The paper in use is curled.
v. The paper’s shiny or print side isn’t face down in the input tray. If you are using photo paper, it could be that you placed the irregular side face down in the input tray.
vi. The loaded paper isn’t in contact with your printer’s feed rollers.
vii. The input tray isn’t well inserted into your printer.
viii. The tray width guides are pressing too tightly on the loaded paper stack.
ix. Dusty rubber paper-feed rollers.
x. The loaded paper in the input tray doesn’t match the printer driver paper settings.
Now that you know why your HP printer says it is out of paper, you can avoid the above causes to prevent a recurrence.
How to Fix Out Of Paper Error on HP Printer
To fix the HP printer is out of paper error, do the solutions below in the given order. Do not move to the next solution if a previous solution resolves the error.
Reset your HP Printer – Solution 1
To reset your HP printer to fix HP printer out of paper error, do the steps below:
Step 1: While your printer is powered on, remove the printer’s power cable from your printer.
Step 2: Disconnect the printer’s power cable from the electric wall outlet.
Step 3: Wait for about 15 seconds.
Step 4: Connect the printer’s power cable into the electric wall outlet.
Step 5: Plug the printer’s power cable back into your printer.
Step 6: Turn on your HP printer.
If the above steps resolve the error, don’t troubleshoot further.
If the above steps do not resolve the error, move to the solution below.
You can also try out other types of HP printer reset by following the instructions in this article.
Check the Paper Condition and then Load it again – Solution 2
Do the following:
i. Inspect the paper stack in use if any sheet is bent, dusty, ripped, or wrinkled. If you find any of such, replace them immediately.
Important: Use plain white pristine paper only until the error is resolved.
ii. Ensure that the paper sheets in the stack are of the same type and size. Do not load mixed paper types and sizes in a stack.
iii. Hit the stack on an even surface to make the edges straight.
iv. The paper stack should have a minimum of 10 sheets while the maximum sheets per stack should be 25.
Important: Ensure that you don’t load excess paper into the tray.
v. Insert the paper stack fully into your printer’s input tray.
vi. Adjust the paper width guides to rest on the sides of the paper stack. Do not squeeze the stack with the guides.
vii. Try to print again.
viii. If the error is not fixed after doing the above, load another paper brand and different paper type. Ensure that you load one type per time; don’t mix paper types.
ix. Try to print again.
If the above steps resolve the error, don’t troubleshoot further.
If the above steps do not resolve the error, move to the solution below.
Change the Print Driver Paper Settings – Solution 3
One reason why your HP printer keeps saying out of paper is that the paper in the tray doesn’t match that in the print driver paper settings. Therefore, to fix this error, you need to change these settings.
Important: When the changes are made, the default settings are not changed. Hence, the default settings will be restored when you open the program another time.
How to Change Print Driver Paper Settings
To change print driver paper settings, do the steps below:
Step 1: Click-open the file you wanted to print before the error occurred.
Step 2: Click on “File”.
Step 3: Click on “Print”. This action will open a dialog box.
Step 4: Click on the button to open the dialog box for “Properties”. The button label might be “Printer Setup”, “Properties”, “Preferences”, “Printer”, or “Options” depending on the program you are printing from.
Step 5: Click on the tab that will show the settings for paper size and paper type. The tab label might be “Paper/Quality” or “Features”.
Step 6: Click on the drop-down for “Size” and then choose the size of paper that is the same as the size of the loaded paper in your printer’s input tray.
Step 7: Click on the drop-down for “Type” and then choose the type of paper that is the same as the type of the loaded paper in your printer’s input tray.
Step 8: Click on “OK”.
Step 9: Click on “OK” to print.
Important: If the error is fixed and you intend to print using a different type or size of paper, after loading the paper, follow the steps above for the newly loaded paper.
If the above steps resolve the error, don’t troubleshoot further.
If after doing the above steps your HP printer keeps saying out of paper, move to the solution below.
Clean your Printer’s Paper Rollers – Solution 4
Dirt on the printer’s paper rollers could be the reason why your HP printer always says out of paper. Therefore, the rollers need to be cleaned to resolve the error.
How to Clean HP Printer Paper Rollers
To clean HP printer paper rollers, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Turn off your HP printer by pressing the printer’s power button.
Step 2: Remove your printer’s power cable from your printer.
Step 3: Remove your printer’s rear access door.
The process of removing the rear access door of HP printers varies from model. Some printers have just a single release tab, others have double tabs that when pressed will free the rear door. Other models come with a turn knob, while others come with in-tray catches. Printers with duplexers, on the other hand, are a tab bit complex.
Therefore, we recommend that you consult your printer’s user manual to learn how to remove the rear access door of your HP printer.
Step 4: Clean each roller using a fluff-free fabric that is dampened lightly with either bottled or distilled water. While you clean the rollers move them carefully upward with your fingers to clean every point.
Step 5: Wait until the rollers are completely dry.
Step 6: Fix your printer’s rear access door (duplexer for some models) back in place. Ensure that it is locked firmly in place.
Step 7: Plug your printer’s power cable back into your printer.
Step 8: Try to print again.
If the above steps resolve the error, don’t troubleshoot further.
If after doing the above steps your HP printer still says out of paper, move to the solution below.
Service your HP Printer – Solution 5
If your HP wireless printer keeps saying out of paper even after doing all the above solutions, then you need to service your printer.
Therefore, Contact HP Customer Support to fix a date for the repair or replacement of your printer as the case may be.
Note that you might be required to pay for the repairs if your product is no longer under warranty. However, if your printer is still under warranty and you haven’t breached any warranty terms, the repair will be free and even the replacement if need be.
If your HP envy printer or HP Deskjet 2600 keeps saying out of paper, you can resolve the issue with the solutions we just shared.
Also, if the HP Smart app says the printer is out of paper, you can fix this problem with the solutions above.
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Why Does HP Printer Say out Of Paper When It’s not? [Answered]
The reasons why your HP printer says it’s out of paper when it’s not have been listed earlier in the article under the “Why Does My HP Printer Say out Of Paper? [Answered]” section. The only reason that is not responsible for your HP printer saying out of paper when there is paper in that list is the first reason.
Other reasons why your HP printer says out of paper when it’s not are listed below:
i. Outdate printer driver.
ii. Compatibility issues between your HP printer and your Windows computer.
iii. Pending print jobs in the print queue.
iv. Issue with your print spooler service.
HP Printer Says out Of Paper when it’s Not [How to Fix]
In addition to the solutions we provided in the “How to Fix out Of Paper Error on HP Printer” section, use the solutions below to fix the problem if your HP printer says out of paper but the paper is in there.
Make Sure Print Spooler is Functioning Normally – Solution 1
If your print spooler has stopped working, it could lead to your HP printer saying out of paper when it isn’t. If that is the case, you need to start the print spooler service again.
To start your print spooler service again, click on this link, and follow the instructions under the section of that article.
Alternatively, you can watch the video below for a visual explanation of the process of starting your print spooler service.
If your Windows 10 computer says HP printer is out of paper, the instructions in the link above should also fix this problem.
Clear Cached Print Jobs – Solution 2
Pending cached print jobs in the print queue might be the reason why your HP printer keeps saying out of paper when it’s not. Hence, you need to delete these print jobs to fix the problem.
How to Clear HP Printer Cached Print Jobs on Windows
To clear HP printer cached print jobs on Windows computer, do the steps below:
Step 1: On your Windows computer, open “Windows Explorer”.
Step 2: Click the “Address Bar” at the upper part of the window.
Step 3: Type this “c:\windows\system32\spool\printers” in the address bar.
Step 4: Press the “Enter” key on your keyboard.
Step 5: Click on the folder labeled “Printers”.
Step 6: Select all the files by pressing “Ctrl” + “A” on your keyboard.
Step 7: Check the toolbar and click on the tab labeled “Organize”.
Step 8: Press the “Delete” key on your keyboard.
Update your Printer Driver – Solution 3
If your printer driver is outdated, it could be the reason your HP printer says it’s out of paper when it isn’t. Therefore, the fix to this problem is to update the driver of your HP printer.
To learn how to update your HP printer driver, click here, and follow the instructions in that section of that article.
If your HP Photosmart printer or HP envy printer says out of paper but it’s not, you can use the solutions we just provided to fix the issue.
Why Does My HP Printer Say Paper Tray Empty? [How to Fix]
To fix this error which is common among Mac users, all you need to do is to reset your printing system.
To reset your HP printer’s printing system, click on this link, and follow the instructions.
HP Printer Says Out Of Paper in Photo Tray [How to Fix]
If your HP printer says “out of paper in photo tray”, it could due to any of the reasons below:
i. Overloaded photo tray.
ii. Curled photo paper.
iii. The paper’s shiny or print side is not face down in the photo tray.
iv. The photo paper stack is squeezed tightly by the printer’s paper width guide.
To fix this problem, do the solutions below in the given order.
Reload your Photo Paper – Solution 1
To reload your photo paper into your HP printer, do the following steps:
Step 1: Lift and then hold your printer’s photo tray lid. Ensure that it is in its open spot.
Step 2: Move the photo tray’s width guide outward completely.
Step 3: Take out the photo paper stack from your printer’s photo tray.
Step 4: Load the stack of paper again into your printer’s photo tray. Ensure that the shiny or print side of the paper is facing down.
Important: If you are using photo paper that has perforated tabs, ensure that you load the paper stack in a way that the perforated tabs are facing you.
Step 5: Alter the width guides to rest against the loaded paper stack.
Step 6: Lower your printer’s photo tray lid.
Step 7: Try to print again.
If the above steps fix the problem, then you shouldn’t troubleshoot further.
If the above steps fail to fix the problem, move to the solution below.
Update your HP Printer Firmware – Solution 2
An out-of-date printer firmware can cause your HP printer to say out of paper in the photo tray even though there is paper or you aren’t printing from the photo tray. Therefore, you need to confirm if your printer is up-to-date.
If your printer firmware needs to be updated, follow the instructions shared in the “How to Update HP Printer Firmware” subsection of this article.
If the problem is resolved after updating your printer firmware, then you shouldn’t troubleshoot further.
If the problem persists, move to the solution below.
Change your Printer Settings – Solution 3
How to Change HP Printer Settings on Windows Computer
To change your HP printer settings on a Windows computer, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Click-open the file you wanted to print before the error occurred.
Step 2: Click on “File”.
Step 3: Click on “Print”. This action will open a dialog box.
Step 4: Click on your HP printer (if it isn’t selected already) from the printer list.
Step 5: Click on the button that opens the dialog box for “Properties”. The button label might be “Printer Setup”, “Properties”, “Preferences”, “Printer”, or “Options” depending on the program you are printing from.
Step 6: Click on “Printing Shortcuts”.
Step 7: Click on the shortcut used to print photographs.
Step 8: Click on the drop-down for “Paper Source” and then click on the photo tray.
Step 6: Click on the drop-down for “Paper Size” and then choose the size of paper that matches the size of the loaded paper in your printer’s photo tray.
Step 7: Click on the drop-down for “Paper Type” and then choose the type of paper that matches the type of the loaded paper in your printer’s photo tray.
Step 8: Click on “OK”.
Step 9: Click on “OK” to print.
How to Change HP Printer Print Settings on Mac Computer
To change your HP printer settings on a Mac computer, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Click-open the file you wanted to print before the error occurred.
Step 2: Click on “File”.
Step 3: Click on “Page Setup”.
Step 4: Click on the drop-down list for “Format for” and then choose your HP printer.
Step 5: Click on the drop-down list for “Paper Size” and then select the right paper size.
Step 6: Click on “OK”.
Step 7: Click on “File”.
Step 8: Click on “Print”. This action will open a dialog box for “Print”.
Step 9: If need be, you can also change the “Paper Source” and “Paper Type” settings. Once you are done changing the settings, click on either “OK”. Alternatively, you can just click on “Print” to print the document.
Service your HP Printer – Solution 4
The final solution is to service your HP printer. Follow the instructions we shared in the “Service your HP Printer – Solution 5” section of this article to learn how to go about servicing your printer.
How to Fix HP LaserJet 1020 Is Out Of Paper or Misfeed
To fix the HP LaserJet 1020 is out of paper error, do the following solutions in the given order.
Examine the Paper before loading it again – Solution 1
Out of paper or paper misfeed error on HP LaserJet 1020 could be due to the use of bent, wrinkled, curled, or dusty paper.
Therefore, to examine the paper before loading it again, do the steps below:
Step 1: Take away the cover of your printer’s input tray.
Step 2: Take out the paper stack from your printer’s input tray.
Attention: If you find any paper jammed in the tray area, pull it carefully straight out of your printer using both hands.
To learn more about how to fix HP printer jams, we recommend that you read this detailed article.
Step 3: Examine the paper stack for any sheet of paper that is severely torn, wrinkled or bent. If you find any, remove that sheet from the paper stack.
Step 4: Hold the stack of paper with both hands, and then flex it in different directions to prevent the sheets of paper from sticking to one another.
Step 5: Insert the paper stack back into your printer’s input tray.
Important: The sheets in a stack that will be loaded into your printer should not be above 150 sheets per time.
Step 6: Move the tray’s paper guides to rest against the paper stack edges.
Step 7: Return the cover of your printer’s input tray to its original position.
Step 8: Lift your printer’s output tray extension.
Step 9: Try printing a document.
If the problem persists, move to the solution below.
Change Print Settings – Solution 2
Follow the instructions below to change the print settings depending on the program in use.
How to Change HP Printer Settings on HP Smart App
To change your HP printer settings on the HP Smart app, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Open the HP Smart app on the device you are printing from.
Step 2: Choose your HP printer.
Step 3: Click on the tile labeled “Printer Settings”.
Step 4: Click on “Tray and Paper” under “Preferences”. This action will cause the HP EWS (Embedded Web Server) to open.
Step 5: Click on the tab labeled “System”.
Step 6: Click on “Paper Setup”.
Step 7: If necessary, choose the settings for paper size and paper type that matches the loaded paper in your printer’s input tray.
Step 8: Try printing a document.
How to Change HP Printer Settings on Windows Computer
To change your HP printer settings on a Windows computer, follow the steps we shared earlier in this article under the “How to Change HP Printer Print Settings on Windows Computer” section.
How to Change HP Printer Print Settings on Mac Computer
To change your HP printer settings on a Mac computer, follow the steps we shared earlier in this article under the “How to Change HP Printer Print Settings on Mac Computer” section.
If the problem persists after doing the above, move to solution 3 below.
Examine and then Clean the Inside of your HP Printer – Solution 3
To examine and then clean the inside of your HP printer, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Turn your HP printer off.
Step 2: Remove the power cable from your printer.
Step 3: Wait for your printer to get cool before you continue.
Warning: Ensure that you unplug the power cable from your printer before reaching into your printer to prevent electric shock and injuries.
Step 4: Take away the cover of your printer’s input tray.
Step 5: Take out the paper from your printer’s input tray.
Step 6: Take out the paper from your printer’s output tray.
Step 7: Open your printer’s top cover.
Step 8: Pull out the imaging drum by its handle from your printer and keep it away.
Attention: Do not allow the imaging drum to be exposed to light. Also, the green roller should not be touched. Any of these actions can damage the drum. Therefore, it is recommended that you cover the drum with a sheet of paper.
Step 9: Look around the area for debris and jammed paper. If you find any, remove them.
Attention: If you find any paper jammed in the area, pull it carefully straight out of your printer using both hands. This is important as pulling a paper that is stuck in your printer at a bent angle can lead to printer damage.
Step 10: Slightly wet a fluff-free fabric with either distilled or bottled water. Ensure that you squeeze out excess water from the fabric.
Step 11: Clean the printer’s pickup roller with the fabric. It is okay to apply a bit of pressure to ensure that the roller is properly cleaned.
Step 12: Wait for the roller to completely dry off.
Step 13: Reinsert the imaging drum into your printer. Ensure that hold it only by its handle.
Step 14: Close your printer’s top cover.
Step 15: Connect the power cable to your printer.
Step 16: Turn your HP printer on.
Step 17: Lift the extension of your printer’s output tray.
Step 18: Try printing a document.
If the problem persists, move to the solution below.
Reset your HP Printer – Solution 4
To reset your HP printer, follow the steps we shared earlier in this article under the “Reset your HP Printer – Solution 1” section.
If the problem persists after resetting your printer, move to the solution below.
Service your HP Printer – Solution 5
To service your HP printer, follow the instructions we shared in the “Service your HP Printer – Solution 5” section of this article.
If your HP LaserJet 1022 is out of paper or misfeed, the solutions above will also solve this problem.
