Print Head Alignment: How to Align Epson, HP, Canon, and Brother Printers (and Read the Pattern)
Last Updated:Published September 27, 2026. Written by William Elward, founder of Castle Ink.
Quick answer
Print head alignment lines up the printer's nozzles so text is sharp and straight lines don't look doubled or jagged. Run it from the printer's Maintenance (or Tools) menu, or from the printer software on your computer. The printer prints a pattern; you pick the most solid or least streaky pattern (or the printer scans it for you), and it saves the correction. Align after installing a new printhead or cartridges, after moving the printer, or when text looks blurry or lines look broken.
Alignment or cleaning: which do I need?
| What you see | Likely fix |
|---|---|
| Blurry text, doubled or jagged vertical lines | Alignment |
| Evenly spaced horizontal bands | Horizontal (paper-feed) alignment, then cleaning |
| Missing lines, gaps, or a missing color | Nozzle check and head cleaning (alignment won't fix clogs) |
| Wrong colors overall | Check ink and settings first |
Always print a nozzle check first. If it has gaps, clean the head before aligning, because alignment on clogged nozzles gives poor results. Cleaning guides: How to clean print heads and How to clean Canon printer heads.
How to align the print head on an Epson printer
- Load plain letter or A4 paper.
- On the control panel go to Settings (or Setup) > Maintenance > Print Head Alignment. On a computer, use the Maintenance tab of the Epson printer driver or Epson Printer Utility.
- Pick the type: Vertical Alignment for blurry prints, Ruled Line Alignment for misaligned vertical lines, Horizontal Alignment for horizontal banding.
- Print the sheet and don't cancel while it prints.
- Choose the best pattern in each group and select Done.
How to read an Epson alignment sheet
- Vertical: choose the most solid pattern in each set, with no visible white gaps or lines.
- Ruled line: choose the pattern where the vertical line looks the least misaligned.
- Horizontal: choose the pattern with the least separation or overlap.
What if the Epson pattern has no numbers?
Newer Epsons with touchscreens print unnumbered patterns and show matching pictures on screen. Compare the printed squares, find the most solid one, and tap the picture in the same position on the screen. Hold the page under good light and look from a slight angle; faint lines are easier to spot. If every pattern looks bad, the nozzles are probably clogged. Clean first, then align again.
How to align an HP printer
- Control panel: look for Setup or Tools > Printer Maintenance > Align Printhead (or Align Cartridges).
- HP Smart app: open your printer > Printer Settings > Print Quality Tools > Align Printheads.
- Windows: HP Printer Assistant > Maintain Your Printer > Align Printheads.
- On many HP all-in-ones, the alignment page must then be placed face down on the scanner glass and scanned to finish. Follow the on-screen prompt.
More HP print-quality fixes: HP printer not printing correctly.
How to align a Canon PIXMA printer
- From the printer: Maintenance (or Setup) > Print Head Alignment - Auto. Many models then ask you to scan the printed page on the glass.
- If results are still off, run Print Head Alignment - Manual. Load about three sheets of plain paper. For each group, pick the pattern with the least noticeable vertical streaks, horizontal streaks, or stripes.
- From Windows: printer driver > Maintenance tab > Print Head Alignment.
How to align a Brother inkjet
On most Brother inkjets, go to Ink or Maintenance > Improve Print Quality > Alignment, print the check sheet, and enter the number of the pattern with the fewest visible lines for each group.
Common questions
How often should I align my print head?
Only when you see a problem, or after installing a new printhead or cartridges, moving or shipping the printer, or clearing a serious jam. Many printers align automatically when you install new cartridges.
Does alignment use a lot of ink?
No. It prints one to three pages of patterns, far less than a head cleaning.
Why did alignment make my prints worse?
Usually because a clogged nozzle made the wrong pattern look best, or a pattern was misread. Run a nozzle check, clean if needed, then align again under good light.
Alignment failed or the printer can't read the page. Why?
Wipe the scanner glass, place the page face down in the correct corner, and use plain white paper. If the scan still fails, there may be a clog; clean and retry.
Can a new cartridge fix alignment problems?
On printers where the printhead is built into the cartridge (many HP and Canon models), a new cartridge brings a new printhead, so you should align after installing it. On printers with a permanent head (Epson, Brother, some Canon), a new cartridge doesn't change alignment. See Why is my printer printing streaks? and Printer printing the wrong colors.
Is there a test page I can print to check quality?
Yes. Use our Free printable printer test page before and after aligning to compare.
Ink for your printer
Related guides
- How to clean print heads
- How to clean Canon printer heads
- Printhead still clogged?
- Why is my printer printing streaks?
- HP printer not printing correctly
- Free printable printer test page
About the author: William Elward is the founder of Castle Ink and has written about printers, ink cartridges, and printing technology for more than 20 years.
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