Refer to the examples below to see correct and incorrect nozzle patterns. Examine the nozzle check pattern output.Press and hold the Resume / Cancel (3) button until the Power light (2) blinks twice, then release the button. The Power light (2) blinks, the printer initializes, and the nozzle check pattern prints.Load Letter size plain paper in the cassette.This allows you to see if ink ejects normally from the print head nozzles. All ancillary text is grey to make the pure tested black stand out.The article below details how to print the nozzle check pattern directly from the printer. Each tested color’s total surface area is 285.84mm² (which would be about a 16.9mm square, so roughly equal to one of the colors’ individual squares). The lines are shown horizontal, vertical and at 45 degree angles. The one I designed is specifically for a weekly test, and will point out ink/toner problems while not using much ink/toner.įor each tested color (cyan, magenta, yellow, black, magenta/yellow, cyan/yellow and cyan/magenta), it shows a series of 15mm lines at 2.0, 1.0, 0.75, 0.5 and 0.25 points. It’s not comprehensive there are better tests out there for when you suspect something is wrong, for example it doesn’t test gradients. But with the new printer, I decided to design my own test page.

This was a cropped test print I found online, and mostly did the job.

I use to have a weekly test print sent to the Canon, to prevent the nozzles from seizing and to notice when the ink cartridges were empty. It’s replacing my old laser printer (Brother HL-2270DW) and inkjet (Canon MX922), the latter I got sick of being, well, an inkjet printer.

This week I bought a new color laser printer, a Brother HL-3170CDW.

Ink test page