Prints are smudged or smeared

Find where the smudges are

Lay a few smudged pages side by side. Marks on the back of each page point to dirty rollers or ink on the paper path. Smears on the front near the leading edge or along the sides point to the head brushing the paper. Toner that wipes off evenly points to the fuser not bonding it.

You should see: You should know which of the steps below fits your pages.

Run the paper path cleaning routine

Many inkjets have a maintenance option that feeds plain sheets through to pick up stray ink, with a name like bottom plate cleaning, paper guide cleaning or roller cleaning. Run it once or twice with plain paper, following the prompts on screen.

You should see: The cleaning sheets should come out cleaner each time.

Wipe stray ink inside an inkjet

Turn off and unplug the printer. With a cotton swab barely damp with water, wipe away ink you can see on the ribbed surface under the head and on the plastic parts the paper slides over. Don’t press on the small toothed wheels near the exit, which bend easily. Dry with a clean swab and leave the cover open for 10 minutes.

Stop the head from brushing the paper

If smears run along the edges or the leading edge, flatten curled paper or use a fresh ream, and look in the printer’s settings for a thick-paper or paper-abrasion option that gives the head more clearance. Use it for heavy paper and envelopes, then switch it off again.

You should see: Edges should print cleanly once the head clears the paper.

Do the rub test on a laser print

Print a page of solid text, let it cool for a minute, and rub your thumb firmly across it. If toner comes off, make sure the paper type setting matches the paper, especially for heavy or glossy stock, and try ordinary 75–90 gsm (20–24 lb) paper from a sealed ream.

You should see: On the right paper and setting, toner should stay put under a firm rub.

Measure repeating smudges on a laser

If a dark smudge repeats down the page, measure the spacing and compare it with the repeating-defect table in your printer’s manual or support pages. A match with the drum means replacing the drum or toner unit; a match with the fuser means a service job.

Match the paper type in printing preferences

Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select the printer, then Printing preferences, and set the paper or media type to what is loaded. On Windows 10 you reach the same window through Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners and Manage.

You should see: The next print should come out drier on inkjet paper, or better bonded on a laser.

Add drying time for heavy ink coverage

Some inkjet drivers have an ink drying time option, often under advanced or extended settings. Increase it for photos and dense graphics, especially when printing on both sides of the page.

You should see: Each sheet should pause briefly before it is ejected or turned over.

Lower ink density on plain paper

If dense graphics on plain paper stay wet, switch from best or photo quality to standard, or reduce ink density if your driver offers it. Plain paper can only absorb so much ink before it smears and ripples.

Set the paper type in the print dialog

In File > Print, expand the options and open Media & Quality or your printer’s own section. Choose the paper type that matches the paper loaded.

Avoid two-sided printing for heavy coverage

If smudges appear on the back of two-sided prints, turn off two-sided printing for that job, or look in the printer’s own section of the dialog for a drying time setting.

Test with a printer-generated page

Print a nozzle check or configuration page from the printer’s control panel. If that page is clean and only Mac prints smudge, the settings in the print dialog are the likely cause rather than the hardware.