How to print a test page

Which test page to print first

• Printer self-test or configuration page, printed from the printer's own buttons or screen: proves the printer, its ink or toner and the paper path work, with no computer involved.
• Windows or macOS test page: proves the computer can reach the printer through the installed driver and queue.
• PDF or browser test page, such as the TestDock printer test page: shows colour patches, grey steps, fine lines and a ruler, so you can judge print quality and scaling, not just whether something comes out.
• Your actual document: if every test prints and the document does not, the problem is in that file or app.

All of these need a printer that is already connected and set up on your device, except the self-test, which needs no computer at all.

Print a test page in Windows 11 and Windows 10

1. Windows 11: open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, select your printer, then Printer properties.
2. Windows 10: open Start > Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, select your printer, then Manage > Printer properties.
3. On the General tab, select Print Test Page.

Choose Printer properties, not plain Properties: only the printer properties window has the test page button. The Windows test page is mostly text and a small graphic. It confirms the driver and connection work, but says little about missing colours or streaks.

Print a test page on a Mac

1. Open Print Center. It opens by itself when you send a print job, or you can find it in Applications > Utilities. On recent macOS versions you can also go to System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the printer and open its print queue.
2. Select your printer in the sidebar.
3. Choose Printer > Print Test Page from the menu bar.

Menu names have shifted between macOS versions, so if you do not see Print Center, look for the print queue window of your printer instead. Clear any stuck jobs from the queue first: an old job at the front blocks everything behind it.

Print a test page on a Chromebook or from a browser

ChromeOS has no separate test page button. Check the printer is saved under Settings > Device > Printers and scanners > Print, then print a short page: open the printer test page, press Ctrl + P, open Destination, choose See more, pick your printer and select Print. Chromebooks print to network and USB printers, not over Bluetooth.

The same route works in Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari on any computer. In the print dialog set scale to 100% / Actual size and switch on Background graphics (sometimes called Print backgrounds), or the colour patches may come out blank. If the browser dialog misbehaves, download the PDF and print it from a PDF viewer instead.

Print a test page without a computer

Almost every printer can print a report from its own control panel: a self-test, configuration page, print quality report or nozzle check. The button sequence depends on the model. Look in the menus named Reports, Tools, Maintenance or Setup on printers with a screen; on printers without one, the manual describes a button combination. The brand guides for HP, Epson, Canon and Brother point to the right report.

If the self-test prints well but nothing prints from the computer, the printer is fine and the fault is in the connection, driver or queue.

What the result tells you

• Nothing prints from any route: check power, paper, error lights and the queue; see printer printing blank pages if paper comes out empty.
• Self-test works, computer test fails: reconnect the printer or re-add it in your system settings.
• Test pages print but colours are missing or pale: see printer missing colors and run the nozzle check.
• Lines, streaks or faded areas: see printer printing lines.
• The page is cut off or the wrong size: see printer cuts off edges.