If Your Printer Is Slow, Here's 10 Common Causes And How To Fix them

You hit “Print,” and… you wait.

And wait.

And wait.

...

Whether you’re printing a simple PDF or a multi-page document, slow printing is one of the most frustrating everyday printer issues. Fortunately, most causes are easy to fix.

Here’s why your printer might be dragging its feet — and what you can do about it.

High-quality settings use:

• more ink
• slower printhead passes
• heavier data processing

They’re great for photos but terrible for everyday documents.

Switch to Normal or Draft mode for text.

Printers are notoriously bad at handling weak or fluctuating Wi-Fi.

Slow Wi-Fi = slow printing.

• Move the printer closer to the router
• Connect via 2.4GHz (better range than 5GHz)
• Avoid printing large files on weak wireless connections

If you’re printing:

• big PDFs
• high-resolution images
• scanned documents
• files with embedded fonts

…your printer has to work harder to process them.

Try exporting as a flattened PDF or printing from a simpler app (like Preview on macOS or Adobe Reader).

Duplex printing is slower because the printer:

prints the first side

sucks the page back in

flips it

prints the second side

Turn off duplex printing unless you need it.

A slow or frozen spooler adds major delays.

Press Win + R → services.msc

Find Print Spooler

Right-click → Restart

Over time, printers slow down due to:

• dirty or worn rollers
• dust buildup
• printhead alignment issues
• aging internal components

Run your printer’s built-in maintenance tools:

• Roller cleaning
• Printhead alignment
• Calibration routines

Some printers throttle performance with non-OEM ink, especially after firmware updates.

You’ll notice:

• slow warm-up
• slow page processing
• extra cleaning cycles

Seems like a ploy by the big printer manufacturers to get you to buy their overpriced cartridges, but it’s a documented behavior in certain brands.

Old or damaged USB cables can cause:

• slow communication
• delayed print starts
• intermittent pauses

Try a newer cable and plug directly into your computer.

Outdated firmware can cause slowdowns, especially after OS updates.

Download the latest:

• firmware
• drivers
• printer utility software

from the manufacturer’s website.

Older printers slow down as:

• rollers wear out
• printheads degrade
• motors weaken
• firmware struggles with modern file formats

If you’ve tried everything else, the slowdown may be mechanical... and not worth repairing.

Consumer printers slow down as they age the Have It Printed online platform does not.

With Have It Printed , you upload a file and we print, package, and mail it fast — no driver issues, no spooler delays, no slowdowns.