This black and white printer test page prints in black and grays only: a solid black band, 21 gray steps from white to black, a smooth gray ramp, text from 4 to 14 pt in two typefaces, reversed white text, fine line and checker patterns, a resolution star, two barcodes and a QR code. It works as a black and white laser printer test page, where toner streaks, pale patches and ghost images show most clearly, and as a black printer test page that checks the black cartridge on an inkjet without using any color ink. Pick US Letter or A4 above, and the sheet prints at true size with rulers to prove it. To check the color inks as well, print the full test page instead.
How to print a black and white printer test page
- Choose Black and white page above and the paper size in the tray.
- Press Print this page and pick your printer.
- On an inkjet, set Color to Black and white in Chrome or Edge, or choose Grayscale or Black ink only in the printer's preferences. On a Mac, look for Black & White in the printer options.
- Keep the scale at 100%, then print.
HP drivers call the setting Print in Grayscale, with a Black Ink Only choice, and Canon drivers have a Grayscale Printing box on the Main tab. A mono laser printer always prints in black, so there is nothing to change. On a color laser, printing in grayscale uses only the black toner.
What the black and white page checks
| Part of the sheet | What it checks | A good result |
|---|---|---|
| Solid black band | How evenly toner or ink covers | Deep black with no white lines, specks or pale patches |
| Gray steps, 0 to 100% | Tone range | Every step looks different, including 5% and 95% |
| Gray ramp | Banding | One smooth fade with no stripes |
| Text from 4 to 14 pt | Sharpness | 5 pt text is readable |
| Reversed text | Toner spread | White letters stay open, not filled in |
| Lines 0.5 mm apart | Resolution | Each line is separate |
| Checkers of 1, 0.5 and 0.25 mm | Fine detail | Squares are crisp; 0.25 mm may look gray on older printers |
| Resolution star | Detail and focus | Spokes stay separate until close to the middle |
| Ghost check box | Ghost images | Plain light gray with nothing in it |
| Barcodes and QR code | Sharp edges for labels | A phone camera reads all three |
| Rulers | Scale | 100 mm and 4 in exactly |
Streaks or lines down the page
On a laser printer, faults run along the paper because the drum turns in that direction.
- Thin black or gray lines: a dirty corona wire or a scratch on the drum. On many Brother printers, slide the green tab on the drum unit from end to end a few times. A line that stays after cleaning needs a new drum, or a new toner cartridge on printers where the drum is built into it, as on most HP LaserJets.
- White lines or a pale stripe: toner running out along one part of the cartridge, or something blocking the laser. Take the toner out, rock it gently from side to side and refit it.
- Marks that repeat down the page: a damaged or dirty roller. The distance between repeats tells you which roller, using the repeating defect chart in the printer's manual.
On an inkjet, white lines run across the page instead, because the head moves side to side. They mean blocked black nozzles, so run a cleaning and print a nozzle check pattern.
Faint copies further down the page
Ghosting is a pale copy of part of the page, such as the black band or the text, printed again a little lower down. The ghost check box on this sheet sits below the band, so any copy lands on plain gray where it is easy to see. Measure the gap between the original and the copy: it matches the size of the part that caused it, usually the drum or the fuser.
- Set the paper type in the driver to match the paper. Thick paper on a plain paper setting is a common cause.
- Load paper from a fresh, sealed pack. Paper that has soaked up damp air causes ghosts and pale patches.
- If the ghost stays, replace the drum, or the toner cartridge on printers where the drum is part of it.
- A ghost that stays after a new drum points to the fuser, a part most home printers need a repair shop to replace.
Faded, gray or patchy prints
- Toner Save or EconoMode is on: turn it off in the printer menu or the driver's preferences.
- Toner is low: rock the cartridge gently to spread the remaining toner, which often gives a few more good pages.
- Print density is low: raise it one step in the printer menu, often called Print Density or Toner Density.
- New cartridge: check that every seal and packing piece came off.
Toner smears or rubs off
Toner is melted onto the paper by the fuser. If it smudges under your thumb, the fuser is not hot enough for that paper. Set the correct paper type, since heavier paper needs a heavier setting, and avoid paper or labels made for inkjets. If smearing continues on plain paper with the right setting, the fuser is wearing out.
Barcodes, QR codes and small text
Laser printers print most shipping labels and invoices, so the sheet includes a Code 128 barcode, a UPC-A barcode and a QR code. Scan them with a phone camera or run them past a scanner with the barcode scanner test. Codes that will not read usually mean spread out toner or a print density set too high, which also fills in the reversed text.
Built-in reports from laser printers
A browser cannot read toner levels, page counts or error logs. Laser printers print those on their own configuration or supplies page from the printer menu. The steps for each brand are in the samsung printer configuration page, lexmark printer configuration page and xerox printer configuration page guides. HP LaserJet and Brother HL models print a configuration page and a settings report the same way, and the hp print test page and brother print test page guides give the buttons. Compare that report with this sheet: the report shows what the printer thinks, and the sheet shows what actually lands on the paper.
Black and white test page questions
How do I print a test page in black and white only?
In Chrome or Edge, set Color to Black and white in the print window. In the printer's own settings on Windows, choose Grayscale or Black ink only, and on a Mac pick Black & White in the printer options. A black and white laser printer needs no change.
Why does my black and white print have a color tint?
Many inkjets build black and gray from all three color inks when they print in color mode, and any weak ink tints the result. Choose Grayscale with black ink only in the printer settings. A brown or green tint on gray steps also points to a blocked color nozzle.
What causes ghosting on a laser printer?
A faint copy of part of the page printed lower down comes from a worn drum, a fuser that is not fixing the toner fully, or a paper setting that does not match the paper. Damp paper makes it worse. Measure the gap between the original and the copy and compare it with the repeating defect chart in your printer's manual.
Why is my laser printer printing faded?
Toner Save or EconoMode is on, the toner is nearly empty, the print density is set low or the paper is damp. Turn off the saving mode, take out the toner cartridge and rock it gently from side to side, and load paper from a fresh pack.
Is there a black and white printer test page pdf?
Yes. Press Download PDF above, or open the black and white printer test page pdf list for US Letter and A4 versions that print at true size from any PDF viewer.
Can I use this page to check the black ink on an inkjet?
Yes. Print it with black ink only and look at the solid band and the text. Gray, streaked or missing black means the black cartridge is empty or its nozzles are blocked, which the guide for a printer not printing black covers.