If your printer is rated for 20+ pages per minute but takes a minute per page in real use, the cause is almost always print settings or network — not the hardware. Here are the five tweaks that make the biggest difference.
1. Switch from "Best" to "Normal" print quality
Best/High quality can be 3–5x slower than Normal and uses more ink. For most documents you can't tell the difference.
- When printing, click Preferences or Properties.
- Find Print Quality and set it to Normal or Standard.
- Save as default if your printer driver allows it.
2. Print in grayscale (black only)
Color processing is much slower than black-only on inkjets. If your document doesn't need color, turn it off.
In Print → Properties → Color, choose Black & White or Print in Grayscale.
3. Disable "Print as Image" or PostScript on PDFs
Slow PDF printing is often caused by Acrobat falling back to "Print as Image" mode. Open Acrobat preferences → Print, and make sure Print As Image is unchecked unless you actually need it.
4. Check your Wi-Fi signal at the printer
A weak Wi-Fi signal means the printer waits for re-sends. Print a Wireless Network Test from the printer's menu. If signal strength is Weak or Fair, move the printer closer to the router or use a wired Ethernet connection if available.
5. Update the printer's firmware
Manufacturers regularly ship firmware updates that improve print speed. Check your printer's menu for a Firmware Update option, or visit our Drivers page for direct links to each manufacturer's support site.
Still slow after all this?
If printing is still painfully slow, the cause is usually a memory limit on the printer (large photo files), a driver bug, or a PC-side spool issue. Book a 30-minute remote session — flat $29, no fix no fee.