Common symptoms
- Horizontal bands repeat down the page.
- Vertical streaks appear in the same place on each sheet.
- Only one color has lines or gaps.
- Photos and gradients look striped instead of smooth.
Likely causes
- Clogged inkjet nozzles or a partially blocked print head.
- Low toner, uneven toner distribution, or a worn drum on a laser printer.
- Dirty rollers, paper dust, or debris in the paper path.
- Draft mode, incompatible paper, or low-quality print settings.
What to try next
- Print a color or grayscale test page and note whether the lines affect all colors or only one channel.
- Run the printer’s cleaning or nozzle-check utility.
- Check ink or toner levels and reseat the affected cartridge if your printer allows it.
- Try a fresh sheet of standard copy paper and switch from draft mode to normal or high quality.
- If vertical lines repeat in the same position, inspect rollers, toner drum, or the paper path for debris.
How to reduce repeat problems
- Print occasionally so inkjet nozzles do not dry out.
- Store paper flat and away from humidity.
- Use paper settings that match the actual paper type.