What's a normal amount of dot variation in the halftone patches?

Some natural variation in dot edge softness is normal, especially at higher coverage where dots begin to merge. What's not normal is visibly irregular dot placement, missing dots in a regular pattern, or dots that merge unevenly across the patch.

My printed page has faint vertical lines - what does that mean?

Consistent vertical streaking, especially visible in the solid black fill, usually points to a scratch or defect on the drum rather than a toner-level or settings issue - it typically won't clear up with a cartridge shake or reseat.

Is this test relevant to color laser printers?

The solid-fill and halftone concepts apply to color laser printers too, though this particular chart uses only black. For per-channel color diagnostics on a color laser printer, use the CMYK ink chart instead.

Laser Printer Test Image (Halftone & Toner)

A test sheet aimed at the failure modes specific to laser printers: three AM-halftone dot patches at 25%, 50%, and 75% coverage for checking dot consistency and moire, plus a large solid black fill and a 50% gray fill to check toner fusing, streaking, and even coverage across a full page width.

What these files actually are

The halftone patches are built from real vector circles (one per simulated dot), sized to approximate genuine AM-screen dot growth at each coverage level, not a bitmap texture standing in for one. Both the PDF and PNG are generated fresh with pdf-lib and Sharp.

halftone-toner-test-a4.pdf

PDF · 29 KB VirusTotal report

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halftone-toner-test.png

PNG · 140 KB VirusTotal report

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How to print this test sheet

Print at 100% scale on plain paper - toner fusing issues show up regardless of paper stock, so a specialty paper isn't necessary here.
Check the three halftone patches for consistent dot size and spacing within each patch - irregular or merging dots can indicate a drum or fuser problem.
Look at the solid black fill for streaking, especially vertical lines running the length of the page, which often points to a scratched or worn drum.
Run a fingernail lightly over the solid fill after it's cooled - toner that flakes or smears easily suggests a fuser temperature or timing problem.
For fine-detail sharpness beyond toner coverage, see the printer sharpness test image.

Common use cases

Streaking and banding diagnosis

Use the solid fill and halftone patches together to distinguish a drum-related streaking problem from a toner-density or fuser issue.

Toner cartridge replacement check

Print this sheet after swapping a toner cartridge or drum unit to confirm even coverage before running a real job.

Moire and dot-gain inspection

Check the halftone patches for moire patterns or excessive dot gain, which matter most for reproducing scanned or halftoned source material.

Fuser performance check

The reverse-text and solid-fill areas reveal whether toner is fully fused to the page or prone to smearing and flaking.

Frequently asked questions

What's a normal amount of dot variation in the halftone patches?: Some natural variation in dot edge softness is normal, especially at higher coverage where dots begin to merge. What's not normal is visibly irregular dot placement, missing dots in a regular pattern, or dots that merge unevenly across the patch.
My printed page has faint vertical lines - what does that mean?: Consistent vertical streaking, especially visible in the solid black fill, usually points to a scratch or defect on the drum rather than a toner-level or settings issue - it typically won't clear up with a cartridge shake or reseat.
Is this test relevant to color laser printers?: The solid-fill and halftone concepts apply to color laser printers too, though this particular chart uses only black. For per-channel color diagnostics on a color laser printer, use the CMYK ink chart instead.