Printer Printing Strange Symbols - How to Fix It

Seeing a printer printing weird symbols instead of normal text can be confusing, especially when the document looks perfectly fine on your computer. Your printer may produce random characters, unusual symbols, unreadable text, lines of code, or several pages containing meaningless information. This problem can occur with different printer brands and may affect USB, Wi-Fi, or network-connected printers.

If you're using a shared or network-connected printer, see How to Configure Printer on Network for guidance on setting up the connection correctly.

In many cases, printer printing symbols instead of text does not mean that the printer itself is physically damaged. The problem may come from an incorrect printer driver, corrupted print job, communication issue, incompatible document, or incorrect printer settings. This guide explains the most common causes and practical ways to Fix printer printing weird symbols, starting with simple checks before moving on to drivers, connections, and printer settings.

Why Is My Printer Printing Weird Symbols?

When you notice your printer printing strange pages, the printer may be receiving information that it cannot interpret correctly. For example, an incompatible driver can send commands in a format that the printer does not understand. A damaged print job or communication problem can also cause normal text and graphics to appear as random characters. Identifying the likely cause first can make troubleshooting much easier.

Common Causes of Strange Printer Output

1. Incorrect printer driver: A driver designed for another model may send incompatible printing instructions. A Printer driver printing weird symbols problem is therefore one of the first things worth checking.

2. Corrupted print job: A damaged or stuck print job can cause the printer to produce unusual characters or continue printing unwanted pages.

3. Wrong printer language or driver type: A Printer language error may occur when the computer sends PCL, PostScript, or another printer language that the device or selected driver does not handle correctly.

4. USB or network communication problem: An unreliable USB cable, Wi-Fi connection, or network connection may interfere with communication between your computer and printer.

5. Damaged document: If the problem occurs with only one PDF, document, or webpage, the file itself or its formatting may be responsible.

6. Outdated software or firmware: Older printer software, drivers, or firmware may occasionally cause compatibility problems with your computer or applications.

7. Incorrect printer selected: Sending a print job through the wrong installed printer or driver can result in unexpected output.

8. Windows Print Spooler problem: A stuck or corrupted print queue can interfere with print jobs and cause unusual printing behaviour.

Checking these common causes first can help you narrow down whether the problem comes from the document, computer, connection, driver, or printer configuration.

How to Fix a Printer Printing Weird Symbols

If you are dealing with a printer printing weird symbols, begin with the simplest troubleshooting steps before changing drivers or advanced printer settings. A corrupted print job can remain in the Windows print queue and continue sending incorrect information to the printer. Clearing pending jobs and restarting your devices can often resolve temporary printing problems without requiring major configuration changes.

Cancel All Print Jobs and Restart the Printer

When you notice the printer printing strange pages, stop the current print job before more unwanted pages are produced. Clearing the queue gives you a clean starting point and helps determine whether a particular print job caused the problem.

1. Open Settings on your Windows PC.

2. Go to Printers & scanners and select the affected printer.

3. Open the print queue and cancel all pending documents.

4. Switch off the printer and allow it to stop completely.

5. Restart your computer.

6. Switch the printer back on and wait until it is ready.

7. Print a simple text document to check whether normal printing has returned.

If the printer printing symbols instead of text problem disappears when you print a new document, the previous print job or file may have been corrupted. If strange characters continue to appear, check the Windows Print Spooler next.

Restart the Windows Print Spooler

The Print Spooler is a Windows service that manages print jobs before they are sent to your printer. If this service becomes stuck or encounters corrupted data, it can contribute to unusual printing behaviour. Restarting it can help Fix printer printing weird symbols caused by a temporary print queue problem.

Restart the Print Spooler Service

1. Press Windows key + R to open the Run box.

2. Type services.msc and press Enter.

3. Find Print Spooler in the list of services.

4. Right-click Print Spooler and select Restart.

5. Wait for the service to restart completely.

6. Return to your printer and try printing a simple test document.

If the test document prints normally, the issue was likely related to the previous print queue or spooler session. If the problem continues, the next step is to check whether an incorrect or incompatible printer driver is causing the strange output.

Check and Reinstall the Printer Driver

If clearing the print queue does not solve the printer printing weird symbols problem, the next area to check is the printer driver. A driver acts as the communication link between Windows, your applications, and the printer. If the wrong driver is installed, the computer may send instructions that the printer cannot interpret correctly, resulting in random characters, code, or unreadable pages.

Make Sure the Correct Printer Driver Is Installed

A Printer driver printing weird symbols issue can happen when Windows is using a generic or incompatible driver rather than the appropriate driver for your exact printer model. Check the printer name and model carefully before making changes, particularly if you have several printers installed on the same computer.

1. Open Settings and go to Printers & scanners.

2. Check that the correct printer is installed and selected.

3. Confirm the exact model number of your physical printer.

4. Review the installed printer driver where available.

5. Make sure the driver is intended for your printer model and Windows version.

6. Avoid selecting a driver designed for a different printer simply because its model name looks similar.

An incompatible driver can also cause a Printer language error, especially if the driver sends print data using a language or format that the printer does not support correctly.

Reinstall or Update the Printer Driver

If the correct printer is selected but the printer printing symbols instead of text problem continues, reinstalling or updating its driver may resolve damaged or incompatible software. Use the printer manufacturer's official support source when obtaining drivers rather than downloading printer software from an unknown third-party website.

1. Remove the affected printer from Windows if necessary.

2. Identify the exact printer model.

3. Download the appropriate driver from the manufacturer's official support source.

4. Make sure the driver supports your Windows version and system type.

5. Install the driver and follow the on-screen instructions.

6. Reconnect or re-add the printer when prompted.

7. Print a Windows test page or a simple document.

If the test page prints correctly but a particular document still produces strange characters, the driver may no longer be the main problem. The next step is to check the USB, Wi-Fi, or network connection and test whether the issue occurs with different documents and applications.

Check the Printer Connection and Document

If reinstalling the driver does not resolve the printer printing weird symbols issue, check how the printer communicates with your computer. A poor USB connection or unstable network connection can interfere with print data. It is also important to determine whether the problem affects every document or only one particular file, as this can help identify whether the printer or document is responsible.

Test USB, Wi-Fi or Network Connection

When you notice the printer printing strange pages, inspect the connection before changing advanced settings. A simple connection check can help rule out communication problems between the computer and printer. If your network connection is working but print jobs take too long to start, see delay in printing to a network printer for additional troubleshooting steps.

1. Disconnect and securely reconnect the USB cable if you use a wired connection.

2. Try another suitable USB port or cable where appropriate.

3. For wireless printers, check that the Wi-Fi connection is active and stable.

4. Make sure the printer and computer are connected to the correct network.

5. Restart the router if a network printer is repeatedly losing its connection.

6. Print a test page after checking the connection.

Try Printing a Different Document

If your printer printing symbols instead of text happens only with one document, the file or application may be causing the problem. Testing several file types can help you determine whether the issue affects the entire printer setup.

If your printer produces no text or images at all, see printer printing blank pages only for troubleshooting steps specific to blank printouts.

1. Create and print a simple text document.

2. Try printing a different PDF, image, or webpage.

3. Check whether strange symbols appear with every file.

4. Re-download or recreate the affected document if it may be damaged.

5. Open the document in another compatible application and try printing again.

Check Printer Settings and Print Language

Incorrect printer preferences or incompatible print-language settings can sometimes produce random characters. This is particularly relevant when a driver sends instructions that the printer cannot interpret correctly.

Review Advanced Printer Settings

Check that the correct printer is selected and review its printing preferences. If settings have been changed recently, restoring appropriate defaults may help. Also confirm that the paper size and document settings match your intended print job.

Some printers and drivers use languages such as PCL or PostScript to communicate print instructions. Using an incompatible driver or printer language can cause a Printer language error and result in unreadable output. If you are unsure, use the appropriate driver recommended by the printer manufacturer for your exact model rather than manually changing technical print-language settings.

What to Do If the Printer Still Prints Random Characters

If the printer printing weird symbols problem continues after checking the print queue, driver, connection, and documents, a few additional troubleshooting steps may help. At this stage, it is useful to determine whether the issue affects every programme and computer or only one particular setup. This can help you identify whether the problem is related to Windows, printer software, network communication, or the printer itself. If the issue involves incorrect or missing colours rather than random characters, see epson printer not printing colour properly for further guidance.

Additional Troubleshooting Steps

1. Restart both the printer and computer completely.

2. Check for appropriate Windows updates.

3. Check whether the printer manufacturer provides a suitable firmware update.

4. Remove and reinstall the appropriate printer software.

5. Test the printer from another computer if one is available.

6. Restore appropriate printer settings if they were recently changed.

7. Check whether strange characters appear when printing from every application.

8. If the problem continues, consider the printer manufacturer's support or professional troubleshooting.

Need Help with a Printer Printing Weird Symbols?

Still dealing with a printer printing weird symbols or random characters instead of normal text? Technofy New Zealand can help with printer driver issues, strange print output, connection problems, and common printer errors.

Conclusion

A printer printing weird symbols usually points to a problem with the print job, printer driver, document, connection, or printer-language compatibility. Start by cancelling pending jobs and restarting the printer and computer, then check that the correct driver is installed. Testing another document can also quickly reveal whether the issue is limited to one file.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is my printer printing weird symbols instead of text?

A printer printing symbols instead of text may have an incorrect driver, corrupted print job, communication problem, or incompatible document. Clear the print queue, restart the printer, and check the driver first.

2. Why is my printer printing random characters?

Random characters can appear when the printer receives data it cannot interpret correctly. An incompatible driver, damaged file, or Printer language error may be responsible.

3. Can a wrong printer driver cause strange symbols?

Yes. A Printer driver printing weird symbols problem can occur when the installed driver is not appropriate for the exact printer model. Installing the manufacturer's suitable driver may resolve the issue.

4. How do I clear a corrupted printer queue?

Open your printer's queue in Windows and cancel pending print jobs. If necessary, restart the Print Spooler service and try printing a simple test document again.

5. Why does my printer print symbols only from PDFs?

If other documents print correctly, the PDF or the application used to open it may be causing the issue. Try another PDF, re-download the affected file, or print it from another compatible application.