HP printer test page

HP printers can print their own test pages without a computer. The two you need are the Printer Status Report, which shows the printer works and lists ink and connection details, and the Print Quality Report (also called the Print Quality Diagnostic page), which shows each ink and the head alignment. Here is where to find them, how to read them, and what to do next.

Which HP test page to print

Printer Status Report: proves the printer can feed paper and print, and lists the serial number, estimated ink levels, cartridge numbers, usage and connection settings.
Print Quality Report (Print Quality Diagnostic Report): colour bars and line patterns for each ink. This is the HP page for missing colours, streaks and misaligned lines. HP notes it takes about two minutes to print.
Network Configuration or Wireless Test Report: only for connection problems, not print quality.

Load plain white A4 or Letter paper first. The reports print on whatever is in the tray.

From the printer control panel

On HP models with a display (for example OfficeJet Pro 9010/9020 and OfficeJet Pro 9730, and many ENVY and DeskJet models with a screen), the reports are in a settings menu. HP's pages for these families use paths such as Setup or Settings > Reports > Printer Status Report or Print Quality Report. On some models the quality report sits under Tools or Print Quality Tools instead.

Models without a display use buttons. On the DeskJet 2900, 4300, 5100 and 5800 families, HP says to press and hold the Cancel button for three seconds to print a Printer Status Report; on those models the Print Quality Report is printed from the HP app. Button combinations are not the same across HP models, so look up the self-test page for yours on HP's support site before pressing anything.

From HP Smart, Windows and macOS

HP Smart app (Windows, macOS, Android, iOS): select your printer, then Print Quality Tools (on some models under Printer Settings, Tools or Diagnostics). From there you can print the quality report, align the printheads or clean them.
HP Printer Assistant (older Windows software): Print, Scan & Fax > Maintain Your Printer, then the align or clean option.
HP Utility (older macOS software): choose the align or Clean Printheads option in the first panel.
Embedded Web Server: type the printer's IP address in a browser on the same network; HP lists a Print Quality Toolbox under Tools on supported models.

The Windows Print Test Page button in printer properties is a different thing: it tests the driver and connection, not the ink.

Reading the Print Quality Report

HP's own instructions for the Print Quality Diagnostic Report run in this order:

If the lines in the alignment pattern (Test Pattern 1) are not straight and connected, align the printhead.
If the coloured blocks (Test Pattern 2) show white lines, streaks or fading, clean the printhead.
If a colour is still bad after cleaning, replace the cartridge for that colour, and on models with a separate printhead, then the printhead.

Compare like with like: print the report again after each step, rather than judging from a photo or a document.

Aligning and cleaning without wasting ink

Alignment prints a page; some models then ask you to place it on the scanner glass to finish. Follow the prompt on the screen or in the app.
Cleaning uses ink. HP's tools offer a first-level cleaning and then ask whether to run a second- and third-level one. HP advises waiting a while between cycles (one HP page says at least 30 minutes) rather than running them back to back.
If a colour is completely missing after the cleaning levels, the cartridge or tank supply is more likely than the head. Check the ink level and that the cartridge or tank valve is seated as the manual describes.

Then print a real page from your computer

A built-in HP report proves that the printer, ink and print head work on their own. It does not prove that your computer, driver and connection can send a job. Once the report looks clean, print the printer test page or the colour test page from your browser: if the report is fine but the page from your computer is not, the problem is in the settings, the driver or the connection rather than the hardware.

Print at 100% / Actual size, on plain paper, with Background graphics turned on, so each result can be compared with the next. For general steps on Windows, macOS and phones, see how to print a test page; to check the edges and scale of the print, use the alignment test page.

About this guide

TestDock is an independent site and is not affiliated with HP. Menu names are quoted from HP's own support pages for the model families named above; they change between models and firmware, so check the manual for your printer.

Questions

Can I print an HP test page without a computer?

Yes. The Printer Status Report and, on models with a display, the Print Quality Report print from the control panel. Models without a display use a button press (on DeskJet 2900, 4300, 5100 and 5800, hold Cancel for three seconds) or the HP Smart app on a phone.

What is the HP nozzle check?

HP calls it the Print Quality Report or Print Quality Diagnostic page. It prints solid blocks of each ink and line patterns; gaps or streaks in a block point to that ink.

The report is perfect but my documents print badly. Why?

Then the printer hardware is working and the problem is in what the computer sends: paper type, quality mode, scaling, the driver or the app. Print the TestDock test page from the same computer and compare.

How often should I clean an HP printhead?

Only when the quality report shows a problem. Cleaning uses ink, and HP suggests waiting between cleaning cycles.