How to Fix HP Printer Not Printing From Specific Apps

HP printers are widely used for home and office printing due to their reliability and high-quality output. However, there are times when your HP printer may not print from specific applications, even though it works fine with others. This issue can occur due to driver conflicts, app settings, or connectivity problems.

What Causes HP Printer Not Printing From Specific Apps?

Several factors can prevent an HP printer from printing from certain applications:

Outdated or incompatible printer drivers
Incorrect app printing settings
Firewall or antivirus software blocking printing requests
Corrupted print spooler or print queue
Connection issues (USB or network printer)

Identifying the root cause is essential for resolving the issue efficiently.

Check Printer Connection and Status

Before diving into troubleshooting steps, ensure that your printer is:

Properly connected to your PC via USB or network (Wi-Fi/Ethernet).
Powered on and showing “Ready” in the HP printer status.
Set as the default printer in Windows or macOS.

Update HP Printer Drivers

Outdated or incompatible drivers are a common reason for printing issues.

Steps to update HP printer drivers:

Go to HP Support and locate your printer model.
Download the latest driver compatible with your OS.
Install the driver and restart your computer.
Test printing from the problematic app.

Updating the driver often resolves compatibility issues with specific apps.

Verify App Printing Settings

Some apps have unique print settings that may prevent the HP printer from responding.

Open the application you are trying to print from.
Go to File > Print or Print Settings.
Ensure your HP printer is selected.
Check the paper size, print quality, and orientation settings.
Click Print and see if the document prints correctly.

Clear Print Spooler and Queue

A stuck print queue can cause printing problems in certain apps.

Steps to clear print queue on Windows:

Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
Scroll to Print Spooler, right-click, and select Stop.
Go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS and delete all files in the folder.
Go back to Services, right-click Print Spooler, and select Start.
Retry printing from the app.

Disable Antivirus or Firewall Temporarily

Sometimes, security software may block print commands from certain apps.

Temporarily disable your antivirus or firewall.
Try printing again from the app.
Re-enable security software once testing is complete.

Use HP Print and Scan Doctor

HP provides a diagnostic tool called HP Print and Scan Doctor that can automatically detect and fix printing issues:

Download and run HP Print and Scan Doctor.
Select your HP printer and click Next.
Follow the on-screen instructions to detect issues.
Apply suggested fixes and test printing from the app.

Reinstall the Application or HP Printer

If the issue persists, reinstalling either the app or printer may help:

Uninstall the problematic app and reinstall it.
Remove the HP printer from your system and reinstall it using the latest drivers.
Test printing again from the app.

Troubleshooting Tips for HP Printer Not Printing from Apps

Restart your computer and printer before testing.
Check for Windows or macOS updates that may affect printing.
Ensure the app and printer are on the same network (for network printers).
Try printing from another app to identify if the issue is app-specific.
If printing works in other apps, consider updating or repairing the specific application.

Contact HP Customer Support

If none of the above solutions work, HP customer support can help troubleshoot and provide advanced solutions. They can guide you through:

Firmware updates
Network printer configuration
Application-specific printing issues
Advanced error code troubleshooting

Conclusion

HP printers not printing from specific apps is a common issue caused by driver incompatibility, app settings, or connection problems. By updating drivers, checking app settings, clearing print queues, and using tools like HP Print and Scan Doctor, you can resolve most printing issues quickly. Regular maintenance and proper printer configuration can prevent future problems, ensuring smooth printing from all applications.