PrinterTestPage
⬛ Black & White Test Page

B&W Printer Test Page

Check your black ink or toner, text sharpness, grayscale gradient, and line quality — free, no signup needed.

Works with HP LaserJet, Brother HL, Canon imageCLASS, Epson, and all monochrome printers.

Black & White Printer Test Pageprintertestpagepdf.com · Free · No Signup RequiredGrayscale Steps0%11%22%33%44%55%66%77%88%99%Continuous GradientFont Size & Weight Test8pt Regular — The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. 01234567898pt Bold — The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. 012345678910pt Regular — The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog10pt Bold — The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog12pt Regular — The quick brown fox jumps over12pt Bold — The quick brown fox jumps over16pt Regular — The quick brown fox16pt Bold — The quick brown fox20pt — ABCDEFGH abcdefgh24pt Bold — Test 1234Line Quality0.5px1px2px3px4pxPattern TestHorizontalVerticalCheckerboardSharp text and smooth gradients indicate a healthy black cartridge or toner.Faded or streaky output means the cartridge may need replacement.

Live preview — this is what will print

What to look for

Text should be crisp and sharp at all sizes. The grayscale gradient should transition smoothly from pure black to pure white. Streaks or uneven shading indicate a problem with the black ink or toner cartridge.

Black & White Printer Test Pageprintertestpagepdf.com · Free · No Signup RequiredGrayscale Steps0%11%22%33%44%55%66%77%88%99%Continuous GradientFont Size & Weight Test8pt Regular — The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. 01234567898pt Bold — The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. 012345678910pt Regular — The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog10pt Bold — The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog12pt Regular — The quick brown fox jumps over12pt Bold — The quick brown fox jumps over16pt Regular — The quick brown fox16pt Bold — The quick brown fox20pt — ABCDEFGH abcdefgh24pt Bold — Test 1234Line Quality0.5px1px2px3px4pxPattern TestHorizontalVerticalCheckerboardSharp text and smooth gradients indicate a healthy black cartridge or toner.Faded or streaky output means the cartridge may need replacement.

Full-size preview of the test page you will print

What This Page Tests

  • ✓10-step grayscale from black to white
  • ✓Continuous grayscale gradient
  • ✓Text at 8pt, 10pt, 12pt, 14pt, 16pt, 20pt, 24pt
  • ✓Regular and bold font weights
  • ✓Fine line quality (0.5px to 4px)
  • ✓Horizontal, vertical and pattern tests
  • ✓Numbers and special characters

How to Interpret Results

  • Text looks faded or light: Black cartridge or toner may be low
  • Horizontal streaks across page: Printhead may be clogged — run cleaning
  • Grayscale looks uneven or blotchy: Try shaking the toner cartridge
  • All text is crisp and dark: Your black ink/toner is working great! ✓

About This Black & White Print Test Page

A black and white print test is the most reliable way to diagnose problems with your black ink or toner. This B&W printer test page prints a 10-step grayscale chart, a continuous gradient, fine lines at multiple weights, and text from 8pt to 24pt — all on one sheet. By comparing the printout to the on-screen preview you instantly know whether your black cartridge is low, clogged, or failing.

This test is especially valuable for monochrome laser printers like the HP LaserJet, Brother HL series, and Canon imageCLASS. On laser printers, banding in the grayscale gradient often signals a worn drum unit rather than an empty toner cartridge. On inkjet printers, horizontal white streaks across the page are the classic symptom of clogged nozzles in the black printhead.

How to Fix Black Print Quality Issues

  1. Print this B&W test page and note the specific defect: fading, streaks, banding, or missing text.
  2. For inkjet printers: run the head-cleaning utility from your printer app 1–3 times, then reprint.
  3. For laser printers: remove the toner cartridge, gently shake it side to side to redistribute toner, then reinsert.
  4. Check ink or toner levels and replace the cartridge if it is below 10%.
  5. If banding persists on a laser printer, the drum unit likely needs replacement.

Download a free PDF version of this B&W test page for offline printing on A4 or Letter paper. For granular shade-by-shade analysis, see our dedicated grayscale test page.