Strange behavior when printing

Try reducing the job complexity, especially on base SKUs of these older HP printers, and see if you have the same issue. Some of these are beginning to struggle today with overly complex jobs, especially the models with the 64-128MB formatters. The issue with this (and quite a few others) is that this isn't like the much nicer units where it can be upgraded via SODIMM memory to combat the problem, so you will need to account for job complexity with a 64MB formatter somewhat.

The fact it prints fine with single pages tells me it's potentially a memory limit issue that isn't reporting an error. My M401n did the same thing, where it would just take time to process the file and drop elements from the job silently. I have since put a used M401dne into service, and it has been fine, so it was the limited formatter board RAM.

If you're in a Windows environment, try using the HP UPD and see if that also helps. I'm beginning to find the original HP drivers for the old models are aging in subtle ways like this, and I have had to replace the print queue multiple times with the stock driver multiple times when you aren't using the HP UPD.

NOTE: You will need to add the printer manually and have the IP address to do this if it isn't done over USB, but if you setup the printer manually in control panel and select "Add a printer using an IP address or hostname". Make sure the option to select the driver automatically is unchecked, otherwise you may have issues overriding the model specific driver.

If you choose to buy something newer, AVOID NEW HP hardware. It's a DRM-ridden mess. Find a pre-2017 model like the CP2025 or the Pro 400 version (M451) for another HP. Anything newer has the HP DS firmware and is a nightmare. The "easy" go-to these days for me is Canon since Canon used to make the base printers for HP because they used the same engines Canon packaged into an AIO, whereas HP readily offered it in single-function or AIO flavors. As soon as HP blew what they had going for them with the 2017+ HP DS firmware, Canon re-released the machines we loved years prior without BS toner DRM; same hardware, different chip IDs, and no BS toner DRM with the Canon hardware :-). Once HP bought Samsung (which has always been known more for cheaper upfront pricing at the expense of being bulletproof like the Canon engines HP regularly used; if it's mostly plastic, entry-level with a lot of plastic or 11x17+, it tends to use the garbage Samsung engines). These new machines were ruined once the Samsung sale was final, and HP ditched the beloved Canon engines that made them so good :-(.

Canon's 2017+ single-function lineup took what HP used to sell, changed the chip ID lock, and released it without the garbage from 2017+, like the HP DS firmware. I've tried them, so when I can FINALLY take that dumb M426 out to be scrapped, I know they're as good as the old HPs like my bulletproof M401dne. At this point, you either choose to deal with HP's crap (and in many cases now, a cheap print engine worth more dead), Canon, or business class lasers like Lexmark, Xerox (read: unsure if the rebadged Lexmarks from Xerox can have the replace toner stop overridden; not worth finding out when the Lexmark variants are easier to come by as surplus) or Ricoh. HP lost its way, so it let them burn in the fire they created with the HP DS firmware on the Canon engine machines. Now, you get to add garbage Samsung engines/firmware+previous Samsung 3rd party toner DRM nonense+HP DS.