Xerox Error 016-720 — What It Means & How to Fix It
By Ryan Green · Updated August 2026 · Independent guide · PrinterCare USA LLC (not affiliated with any printer manufacturer)
The Xerox 016-720 error is frustrating because your printer seems to work fine until a specific document hits it, then everything stops. This error fires when the printer's internal processor struggles to interpret PostScript or PCL commands from your file, which can happen due to firmware hiccups, corrupted print jobs, driver miscommunication, or rarely, a hardware issue developing in the formatter board.
Good news: most users fix this in under five minutes with basic troubleshooting. We'll walk you through the exact steps Xerox technicians use, starting with the simplest fixes and moving to deeper diagnostics if needed.
How to fix it — step by step
- Perform a hard power cycle. Turn off the printer using the physical power button on the front panel. Wait exactly two minutes while the printer is off—this clears the processor's temporary memory. Turn the printer back on and wait for all lights to stabilize before proceeding.
- Clear the print queue on Windows or Mac. On Windows 11, open Settings, go to Devices, then Printers & Scanners, select your Xerox printer, and click Open queue. Delete all pending jobs by right-clicking each one and selecting Cancel. On macOS, go to System Settings, Printers & Scanners, select your printer, and click the Open Print Queue button, then delete all jobs.
- Test with a simple document. Try printing a plain text file or basic Word document with no images or special formatting. If this prints successfully, the issue was likely a corrupted large file or PDF. If error 016-720 returns immediately, proceed to the next step.
- Reinstall or update the printer driver. Visit the Xerox support website and download the latest driver for your exact printer model and your Windows or macOS version. Uninstall the current driver through Settings (Windows) or System Settings (Mac), restart your computer, then install the fresh driver. Restart again before testing.
- Check the printer's web interface for firmware updates. Open a web browser and type your printer's IP address into the address bar (usually printed on a network configuration page from the printer itself, or check your router's connected devices). Log in with admin credentials (often admin/admin or admin/xerox by default). Navigate to the Settings or Administration section and check for available firmware updates, then install if found.
- Reset the printer to factory defaults. On the printer's touchscreen or control panel, navigate to Settings or Administration, then look for Reset or Restore Factory Defaults. Select this option—this will erase custom settings but resolves deep software conflicts. The printer will restart automatically and reconfigure from scratch.
- Run diagnostics through the printer menu. Access the printer's main menu or settings screen, then locate Diagnostics or Self-Test. Run the PostScript or PCL test print if available—this sends native code directly to the processor. If diagnostics print correctly but your regular files still error, the issue is driver or file-related, not hardware.
- Contact Xerox support or use remote assistance. If error 016-720 persists after all steps above, the formatter board or processor may be failing. Xerox offers remote diagnostics for $49 where a technician connects to your printer and runs advanced tests you cannot access. If hardware failure is confirmed, parts replacement typically costs $250 to $500 depending on your printer model.
Still stuck? A technician can fix it remotely today.
Independent remote support — you watch every step, and you pay the flat $49 only after your printer is working. $0 if we can't fix it.
Frequently asked questions
Does error 016-720 mean my printer is broken?
Not necessarily. This error is often temporary and caused by software confusion, not hardware failure. About eighty percent of users resolve it with a restart and driver update. Only if diagnostics fail or the error returns daily after fixes would you suspect actual hardware damage.
Why does one file cause 016-720 but others print fine?
The error happens when your specific file contains PostScript or PCL code that the printer's current firmware interprets incorrectly. Large PDFs, files with unusual fonts, or documents from older software are common culprits. Converting the problem file to PDF through a different method, or printing to a different printer model, often works around the issue.
Will factory reset delete my saved settings like finishing options or paper sizes?
Yes, factory reset removes all custom configurations and returns the printer to default settings. You will need to reconfigure paper trays, finishing options, network settings, and any saved shortcuts after the reset completes. Write down important settings before you reset so you can restore them afterward.
Can I fix error 016-720 just by using a different driver language—PostScript versus PCL?
Sometimes, yes. If your printer driver is set to PostScript mode, try switching to PCL mode through printer properties on Windows, or System Settings on Mac, then test printing. If PCL mode works but PostScript fails, or vice versa, you have isolated whether the processor struggles with one specific language, which helps technicians pinpoint the issue.