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HP Printer Test Page
HP splits into two very different machines: inkjet heads on DeskJet, ENVY and OfficeJet that can clog, and LaserJet toner engines that cannot. This sheet works on both, and the report table below prints the machine’s own page alongside it.
Set scaling to 100%. Choose Actual Size in the print dialog, never Fit to page — scaling distorts every measurement on this sheet. The Download PDF button hands you that same sheet as a ready-made file, so there is no scaling decision to get wrong.
How to print the HP Printer Test Page
- Load plain white paper and set the tray media type to match it.
- Choose Best or High quality with colour mode on. Draft on HP deliberately skips nozzles and will imitate a clog.
- Set scaling to Actual Size or 100% — never Fit to page.
- Print this sheet, then print the HP report from the table above so you hold both.
- Compare them side by side: the report says the machine is healthy, this sheet says whether the image is correct.
- If gaps remain after one clean and a five-minute wait, stop cleaning and leave the printer powered on overnight instead.
Built-in test page by model series
| LaserJet M and MFP, touchscreen | Setup → Reports → Printer Status Report |
| OfficeJet Pro, DeskJet, ENVY, touchscreen | Setup → Reports → Print Quality Diagnostic Report |
| HP Smart on Windows, macOS or phone | Print & Scan → open a job → Print Quality and diagnostics tools |
| Inkjet with buttons and no display | Hold Power, press Resume — the press count varies by model, so check the manual |
| Any HP, through the Windows driver | Printer properties → General → Print Test Page |
Reading the result
| Every row is solid and colour is even | The engine is delivering correctly. Anything still wrong with a document is therefore the driver: media type, quality mode or colour management. |
| Rows show gaps on an ENVY or DeskJet | A clogged channel, or a cartridge close to empty. Run one cleaning from the HP utility, wait five minutes and reprint. HP cleaning cycles pull more ink than most, so never run them back to back. |
| Black is grey and washed out on a LaserJet | The black cartridge is low or the density setting has been turned down. The status report gives the remaining-life figure; this sheet tells you whether the figure is honest. |
| Colour carries an overall cast | Usually the paper-type setting. HP drivers assume the tray still holds whatever paper was loaded when the printer was installed. Select the stock actually in the tray and the cast normally clears. |
| The sheet prints, but at the wrong size | The driver is fitting the job to the page. Set the paper size to match the tray and scaling to Actual Size — both settings, not one. Fixing only one still rescales the job. |
Also check
- Nozzle check — On DeskJet, ENVY and OfficeJet this is the fastest confirmation of a clog, since gaps in a row are visible without magnification.
- Black and white page — The right first sheet for a LaserJet, where density and text sharpness matter more than colour channels that are not present.
- Gradient and banding page — A nozzle check proves the head fires; this proves it fires consistently across densities, which is where HP banding shows up.
Related test pages
- Nozzle Check printer test page — A nozzle check is the fastest way to find out whether an inkjet printhead has clogged nozzles. Print this page and read the gaps.
- B&W printer test page — Removing colour from the equation isolates density, toner coverage and fine detail problems.
- Laser printer test page — Laser faults live in density, fusing and geometry, and none of them involve nozzles. This sheet measures how evenly toner is laid down and whether it stays on the paper.
Frequently asked questions
How do I print a self-test page on an HP printer without a computer?
On a model with a touchscreen, open Setup, then Reports, and choose Printer Status Report or Print Quality Diagnostic. On a button-only inkjet, hold the Power button and tap Resume while powering on; the number of taps differs by model, so the manual for your exact series is the authority.
What is the difference between an HP status report and a test page?
The status report lists settings, ink or toner levels, page counts, network details and firmware version. It confirms the machine is working. It does not exercise every nozzle, gradient or line pair, so it cannot tell you whether the print quality is good.
Where is Print Test Page in Windows 11 for my HP?
Open Devices and Printers, right-click the queue and select Printer properties — not the plain Properties entry, which hides the button. On the General tab, Print Test Page is at the bottom. The same path works on Windows 10.
Why does my HP print a built-in test page but nothing from my computer?
That separates the engine from the queue. If the printer’s own report and this sheet both come out clean, the fault is the driver, the port or the spooler. Clear the queue, remove and re-add the printer, and reinstall the driver before touching the machine.
Does HP have a nozzle check like Epson and Canon?
Partly. The Print Quality Diagnostic Report and HP Print and Scan Doctor cover it, but not every model exposes a row-by-row view of individual nozzles. Printing the patterned sheet here gives that view on any HP, whatever the firmware provides.