CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201)HardwareMedium
A technician is troubleshooting a receipt printer that feeds paper and cycles normally but produces completely blank output. The printer's self-test page also prints blank. What is the MOST likely cause?
- AThe print driver is corrupted
- BThe USB cable is damaged
- CThe thermal paper roll is loaded with the heat-sensitive side facing the wrong direction
- DThe toner cartridge is empty
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: C. The thermal paper roll is loaded with the heat-sensitive side facing the wrong direction
Thermal printers use heat applied to a chemically treated side of the paper to create an image. If the roll is loaded backward, the heating element contacts the wrong side and no image appears, even though the printer mechanically operates normally.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. A corrupted driver typically causes garbled text or errors, not a blank self-test page.
- B. A damaged cable would prevent communication, but the self-test page (printed without a data connection) is also blank.
- D. Thermal printers do not use toner cartridges.
Thermal Printer Paper Orientation
Thermal printers require paper with a heat-sensitive coating facing the thermal print head; loading it backward results in blank prints.
- No ink or toner is used—image is created by heat
- Paper has one heat-sensitive coated side
- Self-test blank pages point to paper orientation, not driver issues
Memory trick: Flip the roll if the receipt shows nothing at all