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CMYK Printer Test Page
Separating the four process channels makes it obvious which ink is underperforming — and by how much.
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 CMYK Printer Test Page
- Print at Actual Size, Best quality, colour mode.
- Read each channel row from 100% down to 25%. The first missing step tells you how far gone that ink is.
- Check that overprint swatches show no contamination from an unintended channel.
- Examine the solid coverage blocks for streaks — that is mechanical, not tonal.
- Compare the K block against the C/M/Y blocks: K should be the darkest and completely neutral.
- Reprint after any change to confirm the difference is real rather than a one-off.
Reading the result
| All four channels print their tint steps cleanly | Ink delivery and ratio are correct across the range. |
| A tint step is missing at 25% but present at 100% | The channel is low. Light tints need the smallest ink volume, so they fail first — this is an early warning before the solid block visibly degrades. |
| Overprints show a colour cast | One channel in the mix is over- or under-delivering. Compare the same hue against the individual channel blocks to identify it. |
| Solid blocks show streaks or light bands | Mechanical rather than ink: a blocked nozzle row, a dirty drum on laser, or a failing roller. The nozzle check distinguishes inkjet from laser causes. |
| K prints as a dark colour rather than neutral black | The driver is building black from CMY instead of using the black ink. Check the print mode — photo modes often do this deliberately. |
Also check
- Colour test page — Adds a rainbow and a mixing grid on top of the separations, showing how channels interact once they are balanced individually.
- Nozzle check — A channel that fades through the tint steps is running low. One that disappears everywhere is blocked. The nozzle check tells you which before you buy ink.
- Black and white page — Confirms the K channel stands on its own rather than the driver quietly assembling black from the three colour inks.
Related test pages
- Colour printer test page — One sheet that exercises every colour channel at once: bars, a smooth gradient, a mixing grid and a type scale.
- Banding printer test page — Solid bars hide banding. Gradients expose it. This page prints both, side by side, for each channel.
- B&W printer test page — Removing colour from the equation isolates density, toner coverage and fine detail problems.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CMYK and RGB test pages?
RGB pages test how the printer interprets screen colours. CMYK pages test the four physical inks directly, so a fault maps to a specific cartridge rather than to a general colour complaint.
Why does black print as brownish?
The driver is mixing C+M+Y to make black, usually in a photo or draft mode. Select standard text/document mode, or enable "black ink only" in the printer preferences.
Do laser printers print CMYK?
Yes — a colour laser lays down cyan, magenta, yellow and black toner. The same page is valid, though the tint steps reveal fuser and drum issues rather than clogged nozzles.
What does the 25% tint actually measure?
The smallest ink volume the printer can reliably place. Low cartridges and early clogs show up here first, because a light tint needs far fewer working nozzles than a solid block. The 25% step fails while 100% still looks acceptable.
Why do my overprints differ from the swatches on screen?
Screen overprints add light; printed overprints stack inks that absorb light through each other. Compare the printed swatch against the printed channel blocks, which is a fair comparison, rather than against a rendering of them.
Do I need a colour laser to get useful results from this page?
No. Inkjet and colour laser both lay down four channels, and the tint steps expose different weaknesses: clogging on inkjet, drum and fuser wear on laser. A monochrome printer simply omits the colour rows, which is itself a useful confirmation that only black is installed.