Printer won’t print a test page?
If even the built-in test page does not come out, the problem is in the printer, the link to it, or the print queue, not in your document.
What happens when you send the test page?
Step 1 of 2Likely cause
Likely cause: the printer is off, asleep or not connected, so it never receives the job.
- 1Check that the printer is on and its screen or lights are active. Wake it by pressing a button.
- 2Check the cable, or confirm the printer and computer are on the same network if it is wireless.
- 3Open your system’s printer settings and see whether the printer shows as offline. If it does, follow our printer offline guide.
- 4Turn the printer off and on, then send the test page again.
Likely cause
Likely cause: a stuck or paused job in the queue, or the job went to a different printer.
- 1Open the printer’s queue from your system’s printer settings and cancel every job.
- 2Make sure the test page was sent to your printer by name, not to a PDF or fax entry.
- 3Turn the printer off and on, then send one test page.
- 4If jobs keep stalling, follow our print queue guide.
Likely cause
Likely cause: a paper jam, an open cover, no paper, or an ink or toner problem is stopping the printer.
- 1Read the message on the printer’s screen, or look up what the light pattern means in the manual.
- 2Close every cover and check for paper that is stuck or loaded crookedly.
- 3Check ink or toner levels and make sure cartridges are fitted and recognized.
- 4Clear the error, then send the test page again.
Likely cause
Likely cause: the printer is feeding paper but not laying down ink or toner.
- 1Check for empty or unrecognized cartridges, and remove any protective tape or cap on new inkjet cartridges.
- 2Make sure the paper type and size in the settings match the paper loaded.
- 3On an inkjet that has sat unused, print our nozzle check and clean the print head if lines are missing.
- 4See our blank pages guide for the full list.
Most likely causes
The printer is off, asleep or offline
A printer that is not receiving the job cannot print anything. Sleep modes, a dropped Wi-Fi connection and a loose cable are common reasons.
A stuck job or the wrong printer
One failed job can block everything behind it, and some apps send jobs to a PDF or fax printer without saying so.
A printer error
A jam, an open cover, an empty tray, or an empty or unrecognized cartridge can stop the printer even though the connection is fine.
A driver or connection problem
A damaged or outdated driver, or a printer added with the wrong connection, can make every job fail, including the test page.
What to try, in order
- 1Check power, screen and lightsMake sure the printer is on and awake and shows no error. Fix any message first.
- 2Check the connectionUse the cable or the same network as the computer, and confirm the printer is not shown as offline.
- 3Clear the print queueCancel all waiting jobs from the printer’s queue, then restart the printer and send one test page.
- 4Remove and re-add the printerIf nothing prints, remove the printer in your system’s printer settings, restart, and add it again with the maker’s current driver.
Fix any error shown on the printer before you reinstall anything. A reinstall will not clear a paper jam or an empty cartridge.
When to stop and replace
If the test page will not print after the queue is cleared, the printer is online and shows no error, and the printer has been re-added, contact the manufacturer’s support. The printer or its mainboard may need service.
Inkjet or laser?
Inkjet printers
A blank or very faint test page from an inkjet can mean empty, unrecognized or dried-out cartridges. Print our nozzle check once the printer is feeding paper, and clean the print head only if lines are missing.
Print a nozzle checkLaser printers
On a laser printer, also check the display for a toner or drum message and make sure every cover is closed. Then try one simple test page again.
Download a test PDFWhy even the test page fails
A printer’s built-in test page is the simplest job you can send. If it does not print, the problem is almost never your document. Either the job is not reaching the printer, the job is stuck on the way, or the printer is stopped by something on its own side. Work through those three in order and most cases are solved without reinstalling anything.
Start with the printer itself
Look at the printer’s screen and lights. A jam, an open cover, an empty tray or a cartridge message stops the printer no matter what you send. Fix the message first, then try again. Printers also go to sleep, so press a button and wait a few seconds for the screen to wake.
Check the connection
For a cable, check both ends. For a wireless printer, the printer and the computer must be on the same network. If your computer lists the printer as offline, follow printer offline: how to get it back online.
Clear the queue
One stuck job holds up all that follow. Open the printer’s queue from your system’s printer settings, cancel every job, turn the printer off and on, and send one test page. Our guide to a print job stuck in the queue has the steps.
If it still fails
Remove the printer in your system’s printer settings, restart, and add it again with the driver from the manufacturer’s website. See driver or connection issue. For the steps to print a test page itself, see our Windows and Mac guides, or browse all printer problems.
Good questions
Why isn’t my Windows 11 printer printing a test page?
Why can’t I print a test page?
What if the test page prints but my documents don’t?
Should I reinstall the printer driver first?
Is there another way to test the printer?
What does “failed to print: access is denied” mean on a test page?
What if the test page says “operation could not be completed”?
What does “the arguments are invalid” mean when I print a test page?
Related problems
- Printer is offlineYour computer says the printer is offline.
- Print job stuck in queueJobs sit in the queue and never print.
- Driver or connection issueThe printer is not found or will not connect.
- Print spooler not runningWindows says the print spooler has stopped.
