How-to · Device
Print a test page on a Mac
macOS may or may not offer a built-in test page. Either way, you can print a real test sheet in a minute.
Step by step
Some printers and drivers add a Print Test Page command. Not every printer does, so do not worry if you do not see it.
- 1Open System SettingsChoose the Apple menu, then System Settings (System Preferences on older macOS).
- 2Open Printers & ScannersSelect Printers & Scanners in the sidebar and select your printer.
- 3Open the print queueIf you see an option to open the print queue, choose it. A window for that printer appears.
- 4Look for Print Test PageOpen the Printer menu in the menu bar and look for Print Test Page. If it is there, choose it. If not, use the PDF method on the next tab.
This works with any printer and tells you more than a plain connection test.
- 1Download a sheetGet a PDF from the print test page hub and open it in Preview or your browser.
- 2Press Command+PThe Print dialog opens. Choose your printer and the paper size that is loaded (Letter or A4).
- 3Print at actual sizeIn the dialog, make sure scaling is 100%. Click Show Details if you only see a short dialog, then check the scale or fit options.
- 4Click PrintThen compare the result with the sheet’s read-your-result page.
What a test page tells you
- A built-in test page only proves the Mac can reach the printer. It does not show whether colors, heads or alignment are healthy.
- Printer brands add their own maintenance utilities on the Mac. Nozzle checks and head cleaning usually live there, not in the standard print dialog.
- In the print dialog, choose actual size or 100%. “Fit to page” changes the size of the test sheet.
- Pick the PDF that matches your paper: Letter in the US, A4 in most other countries.
Official sources
Steps follow these pages. Menu names can change with updates.
macOS handles printing through Printers & Scanners in System Settings. Whether you also get a one-click “Print Test Page” depends on your printer and its driver, so this page covers both paths.
Try the built-in option first
Open System Settings, choose Printers & Scanners, select your printer, and open its print queue. If the Printer menu in the menu bar offers Print Test Page, use it. If it does not, that is normal and nothing is wrong with your Mac.
The reliable method: print a test PDF
A real test sheet is more useful than a connection test anyway. Open one of our files from the PDF hub, press Command+P, choose the printer and the paper size you loaded, and print at 100%. Then open the matching result page by scanning the QR code on the sheet.
What a test page can and cannot prove
- It proves the Mac, the driver and the printer can exchange a job.
- It does not prove that every nozzle is firing. Use the nozzle check for that.
- It does not prove accurate color. Use the color test page and read CMYK vs RGB if screens and prints disagree.
- It does not prove correct size. Use the scale check.
Maintenance tools
Head cleaning and nozzle checks are usually part of the printer brand’s utility, not macOS. Epson, for example, documents a printer utility reached from the printer’s Options & Supplies screen. See our brand pages for Epson, Canon, HP and Brother.
If it still does not print
Check that the printer is on the same network or connected by cable, then read printer offline and driver or connection issue.
Good habits
Print on plain white paper, let the page dry for a moment, and look at it in good daylight. Keep a printed copy from when the printer was working well, so you have something to compare against later. Repeat the same sheet after any driver update or ink change.