testpageforprinter

Inkjet printer test page

Free test sheets for inkjet printers in Letter and A4. Find missing colors, blocked nozzles, banding and blurry lines, then fix the cause.

Which sheet to print on an inkjet

Inkjets put down tiny drops from rows of nozzles, so most of their problems show up as gaps, faint bands or colors that do not line up. Print these sheets in this order and stop when you find the problem. Load plain paper and print at actual size (100%). Most of these sheets also come as pictures, so if your app only opens images, use the printer test images (PNG).

SheetWhat it shows on an inkjetLetterA4Page
Nozzle check
One band per ink. Gaps or faint lines in a band point to blocked nozzles.Letter PDFA4 PDFDetails for Nozzle check
Solid black test page
One full block of black. White lines in it point to blocked black nozzles.Letter PDFA4 PDFDetails for Solid black test page
CMYK test page
Each ink in solid blocks and tints, so a weak or missing color stands out.Letter PDFA4 PDFDetails for CMYK test page
Color test page
Solid color swatches, 10% ramps of each ink and skin tones for overall color balance.Letter PDFA4 PDFDetails for Color test page
Alignment & margins
Margins, skew and color registration across the page.Letter PDFA4 PDFDetails for Alignment & margins
Photo test page
Smooth color gradients for banding, plus skin tones, gray balance and shadow detail.Letter PDFA4 PDFDetails for Photo test page
Grayscale test page
A gray wedge and black-only versus mixed-color grays.Letter PDFA4 PDFDetails for Grayscale test page
Borderless test page
Edge stripes to see how far borderless printing reaches.Letter PDFA4 PDFDetails for Borderless test page

What the results mean on an inkjet

  • Gaps, white lines or a missing color in the nozzle check: Epson and Canon both use the nozzle check to find gaps, and tell you to clean the print head when it shows them. See how to read a nozzle check and how to clean a print head.
  • Blurry text, doubled or crooked vertical lines: Canon and Epson point to print head alignment. See how to align a print head.
  • Everything faint: check the ink first. Canon notes that its nozzle check will not print correctly when ink is low. See how to check printer ink levels, and remember the level shown is an estimate.
  • Colors look wrong but no ink is missing: compare the color test page with the CMYK test page, and see wrong colors.
  • Horizontal bands: look at the smooth gradients on the photo test page, and see banding. For white or dark lines, Epson’s steps start with a nozzle check and cleaning, then print head alignment.
  • A color cast in the grays: on the grayscale test page, the black-only row and the mixed-color row should both look neutral. A brown, green or blue cast means one ink is out of balance or the driver is mixing color into gray. Compare a print with the driver’s grayscale or black-only option, and run the nozzle check.
  • White edges on the borderless test page: borderless printing has to be turned on in the driver, and it may be offered only for some paper sizes or types. See the borderless test page.

Inkjet or laser?

Inkjets use liquid ink and a print head with nozzles, so a nozzle check is the most useful first test. Laser printers use toner and have no print head to clean or align. If you have a laser printer, use the laser printer test page instead.

Not sure what is wrong? Start at fix a problem, or see every sheet on the test pages list.

Sources checked: Epson, white or dark lines in printout (L1210), aligning the print head for grainy or blurry printouts (WorkForce 520) and checking ink levels (ET-4550). Canon, maintenance procedure (TS6300) and printing the nozzle check pattern. Last checked 2026-10-06.

Good questions

Which test page should I print on an inkjet?
Start with the nozzle check. It shows each ink on its own band, so you can see at once whether a color has gaps or is missing.
The ink level looks fine but a color is missing. Why?
Ink levels are estimates, and the makers say so. Gaps in a nozzle check with plenty of ink usually point to blocked nozzles. See how to clean a print head.
Should I print the printer’s own test page too?
Yes, if your printer has one. A nozzle check or print quality page printed from the control panel tests the printer without the computer, which helps separate a printer problem from a file or settings problem. Our Epson, Canon, HP and Brother guides show where to find it.
Text looks blurry or lines are doubled. What helps?
Canon and Epson point to print head alignment for that. See how to align a print head for Epson, Canon, HP and Brother.