printer banding
Printer Banding Test - Measure Horizontal Bands
Banding can be more visible in midtones than in fully saturated areas, so Printer Vitals includes 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% fields.
Fast path: print the standardized sheet, photograph the complete page, and let the browser measure the known test zones.
How banding is measured
The analyzer builds an intensity profile along the paper-feed direction, removes slow lighting gradients and looks for repeatable higher-frequency variation.
Why the photo matters
Uneven room lighting can imitate a broad brightness gradient. White reference regions around the test fields help normalize illumination before the banding score is calculated.
Severity is provisional
None, Light, Moderate and Severe are conservative software thresholds. Borderline findings should be confirmed with a like-for-like retest before escalating maintenance.
How to run the test
- Print the official sheet at 100% / Actual Size, Color, Plain Paper, Normal quality.
- Place the full sheet on a dark surface in even light.
- Take a sharp photo with all four paper edges visible.
- Upload it to the browser analyzer.
- Make one conservative change, then retest using the same settings.
Scope: Printer Vitals is optimized for color inkjet output. Results are measurements plus probable causes, not a guarantee of the exact failed component.