An HP Printer PCL XL error can look complicated, but the fix is often straightforward. Start by restarting the printer and computer, clearing stuck print jobs, and restarting the Print Spooler. If the problem continues, focus on the printer driver, because an outdated or corrupted driver is a common source of PCL XL problems.
If only one document causes the error, test another file before changing major printer settings. That simple test can tell you whether you’re dealing with a printer-wide problem or a document-specific issue.
For persistent errors, update the printer’s firmware, reinstall the printer completely, or test a compatible standard driver.
Let’s learn every step in detail!
HP Printer Error PCL XL [Fix]
A PCL XL error generally means the printer received print instructions that it could not process correctly. PCL XL is part of the Printer Command Language used to communicate formatted print information to compatible printers. To fix an HP PCL XL error,
- Restart the printer and computer, then cancel any stuck print jobs from the Windows print queue.
- Update or reinstall the HP printer driver because an outdated or corrupted driver is one of the most common causes of PCL XL errors.
- Change the printer’s advanced driver settings, especially options related to TrueType fonts, PostScript, or optimized printing.
- Clear the Windows Print Spooler by stopping the service, deleting stuck files from the spooler folder, and starting the service again.
- Try printing a different document or application to determine whether the error affects the printer or only a particular file.
- Use a standard printer driver, such as the Microsoft IPP Class Driver, when the HP-specific driver continues producing PCL XL errors.
- Remove and reinstall the HP printer if the existing printer installation or driver configuration has become corrupted.
Before making major changes, try printing a simple document such as a few lines from Notepad. If that prints normally, the problem could be related to the original document, fonts, graphics, or application.
Now, let’s work through the fixes.
Step 1: Restart Your HP Printer and Computer
Start with the simplest solution. Turn off your HP printer using its power button and wait about 30 seconds. If your printer has a removable power cable, disconnect it from the outlet after turning it off. Wait briefly, reconnect the cable, and turn the printer back on.
Next, restart your Windows computer.
Once both devices are running again, open the document that caused the problem and try printing it. A temporary communication problem or corrupted print process can sometimes trigger a PCL XL error, and a complete restart can clear it.
If the same error appears, move to the next step.
Step 2: Cancel Stuck Print Jobs
A damaged print job can remain in the Windows queue and repeatedly cause problems.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Select your HP printer, then open the print queue. Look for documents that are stuck on Printing, Deleting, or Error.
Cancel the pending jobs and wait until the queue is empty. After that, send a fresh print job.
If Windows refuses to remove a document, you may need to restart the Print Spooler service, which is covered in the next step.
Step 3: Restart the Print Spooler
The Print Spooler manages print jobs between Windows and your printer. If its data becomes corrupted, printing errors can occur.
Press Windows + R, type services.msc, and press Enter. Find Print Spooler in the list. Right-click it and select Restart.
Try printing again.
If the queue remains stuck, right-click Print Spooler, select Stop, and open File Explorer. Go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS. Delete the files inside this folder, but do not delete the folder itself.
Return to the Services window, right-click Print Spooler, and choose Start.
Now restart the printer and test another print job.
Step 4: Update the HP Printer Driver
An outdated, incompatible, or damaged printer driver is one of the most important things to check when dealing with PCL XL errors.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and select your HP printer. Check the printer information to identify the installed driver and printer model.
You can then obtain the latest driver for your exact HP printer model from HP’s official support resources.
After downloading the correct driver, install it and restart Windows. Make sure you select the driver intended for your specific printer model and Windows version.
Try printing again after the installation finishes.
Step 5: Reinstall the Printer Driver
If updating the driver does not solve the problem, the current driver installation may be corrupted. In that situation, a clean reinstall can be more effective than simply updating it.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Select the HP printer and choose Remove.
After removing the printer, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting Device Manager. Expand Print queues or Printers, locate the related HP printer entry, right-click it, and choose Uninstall device if the option is available.
Restart your computer.
Then go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Add device and reinstall the printer. If you are using a USB printer, reconnect the USB cable when Windows asks you to do so.
Test printing once the printer has been installed again.
Step 6: Change Advanced Printer Settings
Sometimes the PCL XL problem comes from how the printer driver processes fonts, graphics, or print commands.
Open Control Panel > Hardware and Sound > Devices and Printers. Find your HP printer, right-click it, and select Printer properties.
Look through the Advanced and Device Settings tabs. Depending on your HP model and driver version, you may see options related to TrueType fonts, print optimization, or graphics handling.
If you see an option that sends TrueType fonts as graphics, try enabling it. Some HP drivers also provide options for optimizing printing or changing the way fonts are downloaded to the printer.
The exact options vary by HP printer model, so avoid changing unrelated settings. Make one change at a time, click Apply, and test printing.
Step 7: Print a Simple Document
Now determine whether the problem is with the printer or a particular document.
Open Notepad, type a short sentence, and print it using your HP printer.
If the simple document prints successfully, your printer is probably communicating correctly with Windows. The original file could contain a problematic font, image, PDF element, or formatting command.
Try opening the troublesome document in another application and printing it again. For example, if a PDF produces the error, try printing a different PDF.
You can also save the document as a new file and test the new copy.
Step 8: Try a Different Printer Driver
If the HP-specific driver continues generating the PCL XL error, try using a different compatible driver.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Add device and follow the manual printer installation options if Windows does not automatically find a suitable driver.
Depending on your printer and Windows version, you may be able to use a Microsoft IPP Class Driver or another compatible standard driver.
This can be a useful workaround when the manufacturer’s driver has a compatibility problem. However, some advanced printer features may not be available with a generic driver.
Step 9: Update Printer Firmware
Your printer’s firmware controls important internal functions, including how it handles print commands.
If the printer manufacturer provides a firmware update for your exact HP model, check the available update and follow HP’s installation instructions carefully.
Do not turn off the printer or disconnect its power while firmware is being updated unless the instructions specifically tell you to do so.
After the firmware update completes, restart the printer and computer and test the problematic print job again.
Step 10: Reset the Printer Installation
If none of the previous solutions works, completely remove the printer from Windows and install it again from scratch.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select the HP printer, and choose Remove. Restart your computer.
Reconnect the printer only after Windows has fully loaded. Then select Add device and allow Windows to detect it.
If you use a network printer, make sure the printer and computer are connected to the same network. For a USB printer, try another USB port if Windows has trouble detecting it.
Once the printer is installed, print a Windows test page before trying the document that originally produced the PCL XL error.
Faqs
What causes an HP PCL XL error?
The most common causes include corrupted printer drivers, outdated drivers, problematic print jobs, incompatible fonts, graphics processing issues, print spooler problems, and printer firmware issues.
Is a PCL XL error a hardware problem?
Not necessarily. A PCL XL error is often software or driver-related. Try updating or reinstalling the printer driver before assuming the printer itself is damaged.
Why does my HP printer print some documents but not others?
If simple documents print correctly while one particular file fails, the problem may be related to document formatting, fonts, images, or the application used to create the file.
Should I reinstall my HP printer driver?
Yes. If updating the driver does not fix the issue, removing and reinstalling the printer driver can clear corrupted driver files and incorrect configurations.
Can changing the printer driver fix PCL XL errors?
Yes. If the current HP driver is generating incompatible print commands, switching to a compatible standard Windows driver may resolve the problem.
Why does restarting the Print Spooler help?
The Print Spooler temporarily manages print jobs. Restarting it can clear stuck or corrupted print data that prevents Windows from sending new jobs correctly.