What a nozzle check does
An inkjet printhead has many tiny nozzles for each ink. A nozzle check prints a pattern that uses those nozzles so that any which are blocked or weak show up as a visible flaw. It is the quickest way to tell whether poor print quality comes from the printhead or from something else, such as paper, settings or the file itself.
You can print our nozzle check sheet from any printer, or use the built-in nozzle check that many printers offer through their own menu or software. The pattern on our sheet is laid out per ink: cyan, magenta, yellow and black each have their own block of fine lines.
What a healthy pattern looks like
In a good result, every line in every block is continuous. Lines are evenly spaced, equally dark from end to end, and sharp. Within each ink, the lines look like a uniform set with no breaks, no thin areas and no missing lines. The four inks should each look complete.
If the print matches that description, the printhead is almost certainly fine and you do not need to clean it. Any problem you saw earlier more likely comes from the paper type, the print quality setting or the source file.
What problems look like
- Gaps. A line that stops partway and then restarts, or a line that is missing entirely. A gap suggests a nozzle that is not firing, often because of dried or trapped ink.
- Faded or thin lines. A line that is lighter than its neighbors suggests a partly blocked nozzle that is delivering less ink than it should.
- A missing block. If one whole ink’s block is blank or very faint, that ink may be empty, the cartridge may not be seated correctly, or that group of nozzles is heavily blocked.
- Wavy or doubled lines. Lines that waver or look doubled can point to alignment trouble rather than clogging.
Read each ink separately. A problem in one ink produces a specific color cast in prints. For example, trouble in one color often shows up as lines or tints of the wrong color across a photo. For help matching what you see to a likely cause, see streaks or lines, faded print and missing color.
Viewing tips
- Look under bright, even light, such as daylight or a daylight-type lamp.
- Hold the page at arm’s length, then closer. Gaps are easiest to see up close.
- Use a magnifier or your phone’s camera zoom if the lines are fine.
- Compare the four inks against each other. The cleanest block is your reference.
The camera nozzle check tool is in beta. It looks at a photo of your print in your browser and gives a rough second opinion. Treat it as a hint and always trust what you can see on the paper.
What to do next
If the pattern is clean, stop there. If it shows gaps or faded lines, work through this order.
- Run one cleaning cycle using your printer’s own maintenance function. The exact menu depends on the model, so use your maker’s guide. See Epson, Canon, HP or Brother for starting points.
- Print the nozzle check again and compare.
- If it is still not clean, run a second cleaning cycle and print again.
- If it is still not clean, stop cleaning. Wait and recheck. Leaving the printer alone for a while, can let softened ink dissolve more fully.
- Check consumables. Make sure the cartridge or tank for the failing ink is not empty and is installed correctly.
The reason for a limit of two cleaning cycles is that each cycle uses ink and may fill the waste ink area. Repeating it many times in a row is rarely more effective than waiting and trying again later.
When to look for other help
If gaps remain after waiting and a recheck, consult the manufacturer’s support page for your model. They can tell you about additional maintenance steps or whether the printhead needs service or replacement. Some printers have a replaceable printhead and some have one built in, so the answer differs by model.
It also helps to know that not every flaw is a nozzle problem. Smears, marks on the page or wrong colors have other causes. Our fix a problem index lists them by symptom.
Checking again later
After a successful cleaning, keep the printout. Next time you run a check, you can compare it to the clean one and judge whether the pattern is changing. For ideas on how often to check, read how often to print a test page.