HP Printer Printing Slowly? Troubleshoot the Problem
If your HP printer is printing slowly, don’t assume that the printer itself is failing. Print quality settings, paper type, complex documents, network traffic and the connection between the computer and printer can all affect printing speed.
The first thing to determine is whether every document is slow or only certain documents.
A simple one-page text document is a useful test.
Quick Diagnosis: Start Here
| What you’re seeing | Start here |
|---|---|
| Every print job is slow | Go to Fix 1 |
| Photos take a long time | Go to Fix 2 |
| Only Wi-Fi printing is slow | Go to Fix 3 |
| Large documents are slow | Go to Fix 4 |
| Printer pauses between pages | Go to Fix 5 |
| Problem started recently | Go to Fix 6 |
| Printer remains slow after troubleshooting | Go to Fix 7 |
Why This Happens
Printing speed can be affected by:
- High-quality or maximum-detail settings
- Photo or heavy paper
- Complex documents
- Large images
- Slow Wi-Fi
- Network congestion
- A large print queue
- Printer software or driver problems
- Printer processing limitations
Some slowdown is completely normal. A photo on specialized paper can take considerably longer than a basic black-and-white text page.
Fix 1: Check Print Quality Settings
Look at the print settings before sending the document.
If Best, Maximum Quality or a similar high-quality mode is selected, the printer may take longer.
For everyday documents, try a normal or standard quality setting.
Then print the same document again.
If the speed improves significantly, the printer wasn’t necessarily malfunctioning—the previous settings were simply asking it to do more processing.
Fix 2: Check the Paper Type
Paper settings matter.
If you’ve selected photo paper, glossy paper or another specialized type while actually using ordinary paper, the printer may use a slower print process.
Select the paper type that matches what you’re actually using.
Specialized paper may also require additional drying time.
Fix 3: Test the Network
If the printer is connected over Wi-Fi, network conditions can affect print jobs.
Try printing a small document while your network isn’t heavily loaded.
If printing is slow only when many devices are using the network, congestion may be contributing.
Temporarily move the printer closer to the router as another test.
If the speed improves, Wi-Fi signal quality or interference may be involved.
Fix 4: Test a Simple Document
Print a basic one-page text document.
Then print the document that normally takes a long time.
Simple document is fast
The printer is probably capable of normal speed.
The slow document may contain:
- High-resolution images
- Large graphics
- Many pages
- Complex fonts
- Detailed layouts
Everything is slow
Continue troubleshooting the printer, network or software.
Fix 5: Check the Print Queue
A large or stuck queue can make a new print job appear slow even when the printer itself is operating normally.
Open the print queue and remove jobs you no longer need.
If the queue repeatedly becomes stuck, investigate the Windows Print Spooler or macOS printing system.
HP’s current app also provides Diagnose & Fix for supported systems.
Fix 6: Restart the Printer and Router
Restart the printer.
If it uses Wi-Fi, restart the router as well.
Then restart your computer.
Try the same simple document again.
If the printer returns to normal speed, the previous slowdown was likely related to a temporary communication or processing problem.
Fix 7: Check for Software or Driver Problems
If the printer remains unusually slow with every document, check whether the correct HP software is installed.
Generic or incorrect drivers can cause communication and printing problems on some systems.
Use HP’s official software for the exact printer model and operating system.
Also check whether the problem began after a Windows or macOS update.
How to Prevent Slow Printing
Use standard quality settings for ordinary documents.
Select the correct paper type.
Keep the printer within reliable Wi-Fi coverage.
And avoid sending very large print jobs over an unstable wireless connection when a more reliable connection is available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my HP printer suddenly printing slowly?
A change in print quality, paper settings, network conditions, software or print queue can cause a sudden slowdown.
Does Wi-Fi make HP printers slower?
An unstable or congested wireless connection can delay print jobs, particularly when sending large documents or images.
Why do photos take longer to print?
Photos contain considerably more information than simple text and may use higher-quality print settings and specialized paper.
Does print quality affect HP printer speed?
Yes. Higher-quality settings generally require more processing and can increase printing time.
Why does my HP printer pause between pages?
The printer may be processing the document, waiting for data from the computer, handling a specialized paper setting or communicating over a slow network.
