If you have a HP LaserJet Printer, then you must have the appropriate HP LaserJet Drivers installed for it to work properly.

What does the HP Printer LaserJet Driver Do?

Like all Device Drivers, HP LaserJet Drivers facilitate communication between your PC and the HP Printer itself. Without these Drivers the Operating System and device have no way to communicate with each other. Similarly, if you instal the incorrect Drivers, this communication will be affected.

My HP LaserJet Printer is printing random characters

If your HP printer appears to be printing random characters on the page, then you most likely have the incorrect Drivers installed.

The Printer Driver specifies various characteristics of the printer including the PDL or Page Description Language. There are two popular Page Description Languages used by most LaserJet printers, these are:

1. Adobe PostScript (PS) and
2. Hewlett-Packard Printer Control Language (PCL)

If you have installed an incorrect Printer Driver, your PC will send print commands in the wrong Page Description Language. This will appear as jumbled letters but it is actually the commands from the PC to the Printer being printed without the necessary translation they would get if using the correct Page Description Language.

It is important to use the right Driver for the right Printer. If you are unsure of the exact HP Printer Driver you require, you can click here to view a list of driver update tools . Most of these tools will allow you to run a free drivers scan of your PC, this scan will tell you the exact Drivers you require based on your system and devices (plug in your printer while running the scan).

Error Code 20 – Insufficient Memory

This error code can be the result of attempting to print a document that is too complex (in terms of graphics, fonts etc.) for the memory available in the printer. It can also however, result from incorrect Printer Drivers which can incorrectly over-inflate the size of the document, resulting in an insufficient memory error. In the case of the latter you will need to update your LaserJet Printer Drivers.

Error Code 21 – Page Too Complex

As with error code 20, error code 21 can result from memory deficiency or inappropriate Printer Drivers.

If you are unsure of whether or not the fault is with your Printer Drivers, you should run a Drivers Scan to check if you have the correct Drivers installed, if you do have the appropriate Drivers then your problem is most likely with the printer itself. Take note of any error codes as these will help you track down the problem and possible solutions.