My Lexmark Printer Is Not Printing? A Step-by-Step Checklist Before You Call Support

When I took over office purchasing in 2020, I assumed a printer that isn't printing was always a hardware problem. It took three years and a lot of wasted service calls to learn that the opposite is true. The machine is typically fine. The problem is somewhere between the keyboard and the power cord.

Let me be clear about what I do: I'm an office administrator for a 300-person company. I manage all office supply ordering—roughly $200,000 annually across 8 vendors. In other words, I've restocked more highlighters than I care to count, and I've owned every factoring calculator a finance department can throw at me. But nothing creates chaos like a Lexmark printer that won't print.

If you're searching "my Lexmark printer is not printing," you're in the same spot I've been in dozens of times. Here's the exact checklist I now use before picking up the phone to Lexmark printer technical support. It covers 80% of the issues that come up in a normal office.

Step 1: Check the printer's status screen

Look at the physical printer first. Does it say "Ready"? If not, what does it say? "Offline" and "Paused" mean the printer is accepting the job but not printing it, usually because of a flag in the driver or a spooler issue. If it displays an error code, write it down—you'll need that later.

Some models show "Paper Jam" even if there's no paper stuck. Open every hatch and look. I've seen a paper clip block a sensor and trigger a false jam message.

Step 2: Restart the print spooler

This is the single most effective fix for "not printing" problems. On a Windows PC, open the Services app (search "services.msc"), find "Print Spooler", right-click and restart. Do the same on the print server if you have one.

On a Mac, open System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the Lexmark printer, and check the queue. Cancel all pending jobs, then restart the printer and try again.

Why this works: the spooler can get stuck on a corrupted job. Restarting it clears the jam. It's cheap, it's fast, and it works more often than you'd think. (Note to self: I really should teach our remote admins how to do this.)

Step 3: Verify the network connection—especially WiFi

If your Lexmark printer connects through WiFi, the most common cause of "not printing" is the printer dropped off the network. This happens after a router restart, a password change, or even a DHCP lease expiration.

On the printer's touchscreen, go to Settings > Network > Wireless Setup. Confirm it shows an IP address. If it says not connected, re-enter your network credentials. The procedure is basically the same as how to change wifi on HP printer—the menus differ, but the idea is identical. If you have a separate guide for HP printers, the steps translate.

Also check whether your computer is on the same subnet. A common mistake: someone moves the printer to a guest network during a meeting and forgets to switch it back.

Step 4: Check the driver's "Use Printer Offline" setting

Windows has a hidden trap. In Printers & Scanners, right-click your Lexmark printer and look at the option "Use Printer Offline". If it has a checkmark, that's your problem. Uncheck it and try again.

Similarly, make sure the correct printer is set as default. With multiple drivers installed, your computer might be sending jobs to an old port. This one is easy to miss, and it drives people crazy.

Step 5: Power-cycle the printer and your router

Sometimes the printer and the network just need a moment to recalibrate. Turn off the Lexmark printer, unplug it from power for 30 seconds, do the same with your router, then plug both back in. Wait until the printer finishes its startup routine, then print a test page.

This sounds too simple to work, but it fixes a surprising amount of connectivity issues—including IP address conflicts and expired ARP tables. Not ideal, but workable.

Step 6: Decide if it's a time-to-call-support problem

If none of the above worked, you're probably looking at a genuine hardware issue or a driver conflict that needs a deeper look. Before you call Lexmark printer technical support, let me offer a procurement perspective: time matters.

I've learned not to assume the cheapest path is the best path. Once, we saved $80 by skipping a service contract, then paid $450 in repairs plus a week of downtime. Now I use a factoring calculator to evaluate the financial impact of downtime. It might sound odd, but a factoring calculator—the same one finance uses for invoice factoring—helps me estimate the real cost of a printer failure, including lost productivity, replacement parts, and expedited shipping. Use what works for you, but do the math.

If the print job is truly urgent and you can't wait for a fix, consider outsourcing it. Online printing rates for flyers, for example, are around $80-150 for 1,000 copies (based on major online printer quotes, January 2025). That's not a solution for internal printing, but it's a stopgap that keeps your workflow alive.

Also check: is this a common issue with a known fix? Lexmark's website has a strong library of troubleshooting articles. According to their official support documentation (support.lexmark.com), you should have the exact error message, printer model, and a list of attempted steps ready before you call. It will save you at least 15 minutes on the phone.

Step 7: Call Lexmark printer technical support (with your facts ready)

When you've exhausted every option, it's time for the experts. Call the number in your service contract. If you don't have a service contract, use Lexmark's online chat—it's often faster than a phone queue.

Before you dial, write down:

• The exact Lexmark model number (look for the label inside the toner access door)
• The message on the printer display
• Which steps you've already tried
• Your network configuration (IP address, wireless vs. Ethernet)

Why does this matter? Because the support team will ask you to run through the same steps again. If you've already done them, you'll skip the boring parts and get to the actual fix faster. I've never regretted having this information ready.

Common mistakes to avoid

When you're in the middle of a printer crisis, it's easy to make things worse. A few things I've learned the hard way:

• Don't immediately assume hardware failure. Software and network issues cause most "not printing" cases.
• Don't restart the printer while a large job is spooling. Clear the queue first.
• Don't ignore the "Print to file" checkbox. An errant setting can send jobs to a file instead of the printer.
• Don't forget basic supplies. A low-toner warning can look like a jam. And hey, if your printer is down, the highlighters in the supply closet will at least keep people occupied while you sort it out.

A final thought: when you solve the issue, document it. Keep the steps in your office manual. The next time someone tells you "my Lexmark printer is not printing," you'll be the hero who fixes it before the IT ticket is even written.