Troubleshooting

The Power light does not come on when you press the Power button

Is the power supply pushed all the way into the printer?

Disconnect the power supply from the wall outlet, and then from the printer. Reconnect the power supply by pushing it all the way into the connector on the printer.

Is the printer connected to a working electrical outlet?

Connect the printer to an electrical outlet that other electrical devices have been using.

Software will not install

Is there anti-virus software installed on your computer?

Disable all anti-virus and firewall protection, and then try installing the software again. To disable anti-virus and firewall protection:

1. Close all open programs.
2. Temporarily disable all protection and security programs, such as antivirus software. For help, refer to your program documentation or contact the software manufacturer.
3. Click Cancel on all New Hardware windows.

Note:  After installation is complete, remember to re-enable your protection and security programs.

Software will not install

Does the software launch automatically when you insert the CD?

If nothing happens, follow these steps:

1. From the desktop, double-click the My Computer icon.

In Windows XP, click Start to access the My Computer icon.

2. Double-click the CD-ROM drive icon.
3. If necessary, double-click setup.exe, and then follow the instructions on the screen to install the software.

Is your operating system compatible with the printer?

The printer supports these operating systems:

Windows 98
Windows Me
Windows 2000
Windows XP
Mac OS X version 10.1.5
Mac OS X versions 10.2.3-10.2.8, 10.3.0-10.3.4

Alignment page or test page will not print

Is the printer on?

Press the Power button. If the Power light does not come on, see "The Power light does not come on when you press the Power button" symptom at the beginning of this table.

Do you see an error message?

See Error messages troubleshooting.

Is your printer connected to your computer through another device, such as a USB hub or switch box?

Disconnect the USB cable from any other devices and directly connect it from the printer to your computer.

Did you remove the transparent tape from the bottom of each print cartridge?

Are the print cartridges installed properly?

Remove the print cartridges, check for the transparent tape and then reinsert them. See Replacing the print cartridges.

Is the paper loaded correctly?

See Loading paper.

The printer is displaying the wrong language

1. If a memory card is inserted, remove it.
2. Turn the printer off and back on.
3. Press the Menu button.
4. Press the down arrow button until you reach the last item.
5. Press the up arrow button twice.
6. Press the right arrow until your language is displayed.
7. Press Select.

Note:  Press the Menu button to see the new language displayed.

Poor text and graphic quality, including:

Blank page
Incorrect colors
Missing characters
Faded print
Dark print
Skewed lines
Smudges
Streaks
Unexpected characters
White lines in print

Did the ink completely dry on the print media before you removed it from the exit tray?

Allow the ink some time to dry completely before handling the paper.

Is the paper wrinkled?

Use a new piece of paper that is straight and unwrinkled.

Are the printer settings adjusted to the correct paper type and size?

Select the correct paper type and size in Print Preferences, Properties, or from the printer software.

Are the printer settings adjusted to the appropriate quality for the paper type?

Select the highest appropriate quality for the paper type in Print Preferences, Properties, or from the printer software.

Are the print cartridges aligned properly?

See Aligning the cartridges.

Have the print cartridges been properly maintained?

See Improving print quality and Cleaning the print cartridge nozzles.

Poor text and graphic quality

Is the printer out of ink?

Replace the print cartridge with a new cartridge. See Replacing the print cartridges.

Poor quality at the edges of the page

Are you printing beyond the minimum print margins for the printer?

Use these minimum settings:

Left and right margins:

Top margin:

Bottom margin:

Printer does not print or respond

Do you see an error message?

See Error messages troubleshooting.

Is the printer installed properly on your computer?

If you are not sure, uninstall the printer software and reinstall it. See Removing and reinstalling the software.

Has the document been held or paused?

See How to check the printer status.

Is the printer set as the default printer?

See How to check the printer status.

Slow print speed

Are there other programs running on your computer?

Close all programs not in use.

Are you using the highest print quality resolution?

Reduce the print quality resolution.

Quick and Normal print more quickly than Photo.

Note:  Photos or documents containing graphics may take longer to print than regular text.

Does your computer meet the minimum memory requirements for the printer?

Consider purchasing more Random Access Memory (RAM) for your computer.

Paper jams

Did the jam occur in the paper support?

Firmly grasp the paper and gently pull it from the printer. Press the Select button. Resend your print job to print the missing pages.

Are you printing a banner?

Make sure you select A4 Banner or Letter Banner in Print Properties.

Paper misfeeds, skews, or multiple sheets feed

Is the paper loaded correctly?

See Loading paper.

Are you using paper recommended for your printer?

See Loading paper.

Are you printing more than one page at a time?

Try loading a smaller amount of paper into the printer. See Loading paper.

Is the paper wrinkled?

Use a new piece of paper that is straight and unwrinkled.

Paper and specialty media stick together

Are you printing more than one page at a time?

Try loading a smaller amount of paper into the printer. See Loading paper.

Are the pages sticking together on the paper exit tray?

Remove each page as it exits the printer and let it dry completely before stacking.

Are you using paper or specialty media recommended for your printer?

See Loading paper.

Ink Low

The print cartridge is running out of ink. The Ink Low warning occurs when your cartridges are about 25 percent full, 15 percent full, and 5 percent full.

Replace the print cartridge. See Replacing the print cartridges.

Paper Jam

There is paper jammed in the printer.

Clear the paper jam. See Jams and misfeeds troubleshooting.

Paper Out

The printer is out of paper.

Load more paper into the printer.

See Loading paper.

Error 1203

The cartridge has a short.

Follow the instructions on the display located on the front of the printer.

Nothing happens when you insert a memory card into the printer

Is the card in the correct slot?

See Matching your card to the printer.

Was the card inserted upside down?

See Memory card orientation.

Is the light next to the card slots on?

If the light is not on, remove the card and reinsert it.

Lexmark Fast Pics does not appear on your computer screen when you insert a memory card

Is your printer connected to your computer through another device, such as a USB hub or switch box?

Disconnect the USB cable from any other devices and directly connect it from the printer to your computer.

Is the printer software installed properly on your computer?

If you are not sure, uninstall the printer software and reinstall it. See Removing and reinstalling the software.

A "device is not supported" message appears on your computer screen when you attach your digital camera to the PictBridge port on the front of the printer.

Does the camera support PictBridge?

Only Pictbridge-enabled cameras are supported.

If the camera supports PictBridge, has the camera been set to the correct mode?

Consult your camera's documentation to change the USB setting to the correct mode.