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Printer Prints a Test Page but Not Documents

If the printer prints its own test page, the hardware works and the problem sits between your computer and the printer. It is usually a stuck queue, a broken driver, an app setting or a changed network address. Answer two questions to see which, then follow the steps for your system below.

By Online Printer Test PageLast updated

Find where the problem is

Which test page prints?

The printer’s own page comes from its buttons or menu. The computer test page comes from Windows printer properties or Print Center on a Mac.

Steps for your printer brand

Exact menu steps from each maker’s manuals, by model, with sources.

Driver and print queue

Use these when only the printer’s own page prints, or when jobs sit in the queue.

Windows 11

Open the print queue and cancel jobs (Windows 11)

  1. Open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
  2. Choose your printer, then choose Open print queue.
  3. Click the ... (more) menu and choose Cancel all, or right-click each job and choose Cancel.

Source: Troubleshooting offline printer problems in Windows | Microsoft Support (support.microsoft.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Restart the Print Spooler service

  1. Press Windows key + R, type services.msc and press Enter.
  2. Scroll down to Print Spooler.
  3. Right-click Print Spooler and choose Restart.

Source: Fix print spooler service not running errors in Windows | Microsoft Support (support.microsoft.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Clear and reset the print spooler (stuck jobs)

  1. Type services in the taskbar search box and open Services.
  2. Double-click Print Spooler, click Stop, then OK.
  3. Open the folder %WINDIR%\system32\spool\PRINTERS and delete every file in it.
  4. Back in Services, double-click Print Spooler, click Start, set Startup type to Automatic, then click OK.

Source: Fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows | Microsoft Support (support.microsoft.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Update or reinstall the printer driver

  1. Open Start > Device Manager.
  2. Expand Printers.
  3. Right-click your printer and choose Update driver.
  4. If no update is found, choose Uninstall device, then restart the PC so Windows can reinstall the driver.

Source: Fix printing problems in Word, Excel, or other apps | Microsoft Support (support.microsoft.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Remove and re-add a printer (Windows 11)

  1. Open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
  2. Choose the printer, click Remove, then confirm with Yes.
  3. Make sure the printer is on and connected, then click Add device (or Refresh).
  4. If Windows doesn't find it, choose Add manually and pick an option under Find a printer by other options (for a local printer: Add a local printer or network printer with manual settings).
  5. At the end of the manual wizard, choose Print a test page to confirm it works, then Finish.

Source: Fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows | Microsoft Support (support.microsoft.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Run the printer troubleshooter in Get Help

  1. Open the Get Help app.
  2. In the search bar, type printer troubleshooter.
  3. Follow the prompts so it can find your printer and check its setup; it runs diagnostics and tries to fix common problems automatically.

Source: Windows troubleshooters | Microsoft Support (support.microsoft.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

macOS

View and clear the print queue on Mac

  1. Click the Print Center icon in the Dock (or open Print Center from Applications > Utilities).
  2. Select the printer in the sidebar to see its jobs.
  3. To remove a stuck job, select it and click Delete Job.
  4. To pause or resume one job, use Hold Job or Resume Job; to pause/resume the whole printer, use Pause or Resume in the toolbar.

Source: Solve printing problems on Mac - Apple Support (support.apple.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Check the printer driver version on Mac

  1. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Click your printer and note the driver version shown.
  3. Ask the printer manufacturer whether it is the latest driver.

Source: Solve printing problems on Mac - Apple Support (support.apple.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Remove and re-add a printer on Mac

  1. Open System Settings and click Printers & Scanners in the sidebar.
  2. Control-click the printer in the Printers list, choose Remove Printer, then confirm with Remove Printer.
  3. Click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax, select the printer and click Add (or click IP to add it by IP address/host name with AirPrint, IPP, LPD or HP Jetdirect - Socket).
  4. Wait a minute or two for it to appear and install any software it asks for.

Source: Add and manage printers on Mac - Apple Support (support.apple.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Reset the printing system (last resort)

  1. Choose Apple menu > System Settings, then click Printers & Scanners in the sidebar (scroll down if needed).
  2. Control-click a printer in the Printers list (or the empty list if none) and choose Reset Printing System.
  3. Add your printers again afterwards.

Source: Reset the printing system on your Mac to solve a problem - Apple Support (support.apple.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

ChromeOS

Fix printer setup problems on a Chromebook

  1. Open the printer's Edit option in Printers and scanners and check the details for typos.
  2. If the details are right, choose Remove and set the printer up again.
  3. If it still won't print, update the printer's firmware from the manufacturer's site.
  4. If it won't join Wi-Fi, turn the printer off and on and try again.

Source: Set up your printer - Chromebook Help (support.google.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

App and browser settings

When the computer test page prints but one program does not, check its print dialog for these, in order:

  • Scale: 100% or Actual size. “Fit to page” shrinks everything. Check the exact scale.
  • Paper size: the size in the tray. A Letter document sent to A4, or the reverse, can stall some printers waiting for paper.
  • Color mode: Color, unless you meant to print in black only.
  • Quality: Standard. Draft can print so lightly it looks blank.
  • PDF viewer: try another viewer or “Print as image” for PDFs that fail.

Edge / Windows

Print at actual size with headers/footers controlled (Edge)

  1. Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Command + P (Mac), or use Settings and more (...) > Print.
  2. Open More settings.
  3. Under Scale, choose Actual size (prints without scaling) instead of Fit to printable area.
  4. Under Margins, pick Default, None, Minimum or Custom.
  5. Tick More settings > Headers and footers to add the date header and page-number footer, or leave it unticked to omit them; More settings > Background graphics controls page backgrounds.

Source: Print in Microsoft Edge | Microsoft Support (support.microsoft.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Chrome

Open Chrome's print dialog

  1. Open the page, image or file in Chrome.
  2. Click File > Print, or press Ctrl + P (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + P (Mac).
  3. Pick the destination and adjust print settings in the window that appears, then click Print.

Source: Print from Chrome - Computer - Google Chrome Help (support.google.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Firefox

Firefox print preview settings

  1. Click the menu button, then Print... to open print preview.
  2. Choose Destination, Copies, Orientation, Pages and Color mode.
  3. Expand More settings for Paper size, Scale, Pages per sheet, Margins, Format, Two-sided printing, Print headers and footers and Print backgrounds.
  4. Click Print.

Source: How to print web pages in Firefox | Firefox Help (support.mozilla.org), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Mac and Safari

Print at 100% / control scaling in the Mac Print dialog

  1. Choose File > Print.
  2. Set Scaling to 100% (below 100 shrinks, above 100 enlarges).
  3. In Paper Handling, leave Scale to fit paper size off for true size; if you need it, Scale Down Only shrinks only pages too big for the paper.

Source: Print settings on Mac - Apple Support (support.apple.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Safari webpage print options

  1. In Safari, open the webpage and choose File > Print.
  2. If the options aren't visible, click Show Details at the bottom of the Print dialog.
  3. Open the options pop-up menu (in the separator bar), choose Safari, then set the webpage options (backgrounds; web address and date in headers and footers).

Source: Print or create a PDF of a webpage in Safari on Mac - Apple Support (support.apple.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Turn off print dialog extensions (Use Generic Printer Features)

  1. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Click your printer, then click Options & Supplies.
  3. Tick Use Generic Printer Features, then click OK.

Source: Solve printing problems on Mac - Apple Support (support.apple.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Connection

Use these after a new router, a Wi-Fi reset or a big system update.

Windows 11

Basic connection checks before deeper fixes

  1. Turn the printer off and unplug it, wait 30 seconds, plug it back in and turn it on.
  2. USB: check the cable at both ends and try a different USB port.
  3. Wi-Fi: make sure the PC and printer are on the same network; use the printer's own wireless test if it has one.
  4. Printer in error state: check paper, ink/toner, covers and paper jams.

Source: Fix printer connection and printing problems in Windows | Microsoft Support (support.microsoft.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Add a printer (Windows 11)

  1. Turn the printer on and connect it (USB, or the same network as the PC).
  2. Open Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
  3. If it isn't listed, click Add a printer & scanner, then Add device.
  4. Wait for nearby printers to appear, then click Add device next to yours.
  5. If it still isn't listed, choose Add a new device manually next to The printer that I want isn't listed and follow the prompts.

Source: Add or install a printer in Windows | Microsoft Support (support.microsoft.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

macOS

Remove and re-add a printer on Mac

  1. Open System Settings and click Printers & Scanners in the sidebar.
  2. Control-click the printer in the Printers list, choose Remove Printer, then confirm with Remove Printer.
  3. Click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax, select the printer and click Add (or click IP to add it by IP address/host name with AirPrint, IPP, LPD or HP Jetdirect - Socket).
  4. Wait a minute or two for it to appear and install any software it asks for.

Source: Add and manage printers on Mac - Apple Support (support.apple.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

ChromeOS

Set up and save a printer on a Chromebook

  1. Make sure the printer and Chromebook are on the same network (or connect by USB; Bluetooth printing isn't supported).
  2. Select the time at the bottom right, then Settings.
  3. Under Device, scroll to Printers and scanners, then choose Print.
  4. Under Other available printers, click Save next to your printer; it should now show under Your saved printers.
  5. To add by IP: Print > Other available printers > + Add printer manually; enter a name, IP address, protocol (usually IPP) and queue (usually ipp/print), then Add.

Source: Set up your printer - Chromebook Help (support.google.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

Hardware

If even the printer’s own page fails, start with the printer. Read any error on its screen, check paper and cartridges, and turn it off and on with its power button. The brand pages list how to print the self-test for each model: HP, Epson, Canon, Brother.

Windows

Isolate print-quality problems with the printer's own test page

  1. Print a test page straight from the printer's control panel (no Windows involved).
  2. If that page also looks bad (blurry, faded, streaked), clean or service the printer hardware.
  3. If that page looks fine, the problem is on the Windows side: check printer settings, run the troubleshooter, update the driver.

Source: Fix poor print quality in Windows (Blurry, faded, or streaked prints) | Microsoft Support (support.microsoft.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

What the Windows test page tells you

  1. A Windows test page that prints means Windows can talk to the printer (Microsoft: it helps confirm that Windows can communicate with the printer).
  2. If the Windows test page prints but one app fails, check that app's printer selection and print settings (page size, orientation, layout, Print to PDF/Print to file not selected, pages to print).

Source: Fix printing problems in Word, Excel, or other apps | Microsoft Support (support.microsoft.com), checked Oct 12, 2026.

What the computer test page proves

Microsoft’s support page says the Windows test page helps confirm that Windows can communicate with the printer. It does not judge print quality. For that, print one of our test pages.

Questions people ask

Why will my printer print a test page but nothing else?

Because the test page and your documents take different routes. The printer’s own test page never touches your computer, so it only proves the hardware works. Documents depend on the driver, the print queue, the app’s settings and the connection, and the fault is in one of those.

My HP printer prints a test page but not documents. What should I do?

Work through the same steps: clear the queue, restart the print spooler, and reinstall the driver or HP software. Then check the app’s print settings. The HP page lists how to print the printer’s status and quality reports for your model.

What does the Windows test page prove?

Microsoft describes it as a way to confirm that Windows can communicate with the printer. If it prints, the driver and connection work, and the problem is likely the app or document. It does not check print quality.

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