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Canon Printer Test Page
PIXMA inkjets and imageCLASS lasers share a badge and almost nothing else, and they reach a self-test by completely different routes. Both are covered here, including the Canon button combination that prints a nozzle check with the computer switched off.
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 Canon Printer Test Page
- Load plain white paper and set the media type in the driver to match it.
- Print this sheet at Actual Size or 100% in Best or High quality.
- Print the built-in test from the table above so you also hold a manufacturer reference.
- On a PIXMA, hold the button nozzle check beside the rows printed here — both exercise the same head from different sources.
- On an imageCLASS, judge solid blocks and text edges rather than rows: a laser has no nozzles to check.
- If rows stay gapped after one clean and a five-minute wait, stop and leave the printer powered on overnight.
Built-in test page by model series
| PIXMA with an LCD | Setup → Maintenance → Nozzle Check → Yes |
| PIXMA with buttons and no display | Hold Stop or Resume until the power lamp flashes twice, then release |
| imageCLASS with a display | Menu → Reports → User Data List |
| imageCLASS with no display | Hold the Go key for about three seconds until the list prints |
| Quick Menu and IJ Printer Assistant | Maintenance → Nozzle Check |
Reading the result
| The nozzle rows are complete | Every channel is firing and the head is delivering ink correctly. Anything still wrong is paper, profile or quality mode rather than delivery. |
| One row has gaps after the button test | A clog in that channel. Run one cleaning from IJ Printer Assistant, wait five minutes, then reprint the same sheet rather than a fresh one. |
| Colour is even but text edges look furry | Ink is wicking sideways into the fibres. The media type in the driver does not match the stock loaded, so set it correctly and reprint before adjusting anything else. |
| A grey or banded background behind text | Too much ink for the media, or the quality mode is set to Draft. Standard or High clears it; if the banding survives that on plain paper, run one deep clean. |
| imageCLASS output looks patchy across solid blocks | Toner rather than nozzles. Read the remaining-life figure from the User Data List, and if the cartridge is healthy, run the density correction from the device menu. |
Also check
- Nozzle check — The same reading drawn as a standalone sheet, useful when you want to reprint it weeks later without reopening a brand page.
- Colour test page — Once the rows are clean, this confirms the channels still blend correctly on a PIXMA rather than just firing individually.
- Alignment page — Doubled text after a cartridge change is a tracking fault rather than a clog, and no amount of cleaning will correct it.
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.
- Colour printer test page — One sheet that exercises every colour channel at once: bars, a smooth gradient, a mixing grid and a type scale.
- Inkjet printer test page — Inkjet faults happen at the nozzle, not in the driver. This sheet puts every channel side by side so a single clogged row cannot hide behind a busy document.
Frequently asked questions
How do I print a nozzle check on a Canon printer without a computer?
On a PIXMA with buttons and no display, hold the Stop or Resume button until the power lamp flashes twice, then release it and the pattern prints. On a model with a screen, open Setup, then Maintenance, then Nozzle Check.
What does the imageCLASS User Data List show?
Toner levels, page counts, firmware version and configuration settings. It is a status page, not an image test, so it will not reveal a worn drum or a weak fuser. Use this sheet for the image and the User Data List for consumables.
Where is Print Test Page for a Canon printer on Windows?
Open Devices and Printers, right-click the Canon queue and choose Printer properties — not the plain Properties entry — then Print Test Page on the General tab. On macOS the same check runs from Options & Supplies in the print dialog.
Why is my Canon printing blank pages after a cartridge change?
Either the protective tape is still fitted to the cartridge, or air has entered the line during the change. One nozzle check answers it immediately: all rows missing means nothing is reaching the paper at all, which points at the cartridge rather than a partial clog.
Is it safe to run the Canon cleaning cycle repeatedly?
No. Each cycle draws a measurable amount of ink and repeated runs can overheat the head on smaller PIXMA models. One clean, five minutes of rest, one retest — at most three rounds before replacing a suspect cartridge instead.
What do Canon error codes 5B00, B200 and 1403 mean?
5B00 is the waste ink absorber reporting full, which Canon treats as a service fault; the 1700 warning precedes it once the absorber is nearly there. B200 and its B201 to B207 relatives mean the print head has failed to communicate or has overheated — try new cartridges first, then service. 1403 belongs to the 1401, 1403 and 1405 group: the print head is missing or the wrong type, or an ink tank is not seated or recognised. None of the three is a clog, so no cleaning cycle clears them, and the rows printed here will still come out solid while the machine refuses to work.