A nozzle check prints a simple pattern of fine lines in each ink color so you can spot clogged or misfiring nozzles on an inkjet printer. If the printout has gaps, faint bands, or a missing color, one or more nozzles are blocked and the printhead needs cleaning. Print the free pattern below, look it over, and you will know in seconds whether your printer needs attention.
Print the nozzle check pattern
Opens a clean, printer-ready page. Use plain white paper and 100% scale (no “fit to page”).
How to run a nozzle check
- Load a sheet of plain white paper and make sure the printer has ink or toner.
- Click the button above, then print at 100% scale with no shrinking or “fit to page”.
- Look closely at each colored block in good light.
- If any lines are missing or broken, run your printer’s head-cleaning routine and print the pattern again.
What the nozzle check tells you
Each block is made of very thin lines fed by different nozzles. On a healthy printer every line prints solid and evenly spaced. When a nozzle is clogged, the line it prints is missing or faint, so you will see white gaps, a striped look, or a whole color that comes out weak. The horizontal and vertical blocks help you catch nozzles that only misfire in one direction.
How to fix clogged nozzles
- Run the printer’s built-in head cleaning (usually under Maintenance or Tools in the printer software), then reprint the nozzle check.
- If gaps remain, run a second cleaning cycle. Leave the printer on for a few minutes between cycles.
- Still clogged after two or three tries? Let the printer rest overnight so the cleaning fluid can soften dried ink, then try once more.
- Low or empty cartridges cause the same symptoms, so check ink levels before assuming a clog.
Frequently asked questions
What is a printer nozzle check?
It is a test pattern of fine colored lines that shows whether each of your inkjet’s nozzles is firing. Gaps in the pattern reveal clogged nozzles before you waste ink on a real print job.
How often should I print one?
Any time prints look faint, streaky, or off-color, and after a printer has sat unused for a few weeks, which is when nozzles are most likely to dry out.
Does this work for laser printers?
Nozzle checks are for inkjets. Laser printers have no nozzles, so for those use a full print test page to check toner coverage and streaks instead.
More free printer tools
Check overall quality with the free print test page, or browse all of our free online tools.