Among various embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods for diagnosing printhead status are shown. The printhead status can be diagnosed by detecting which of a number of nozzles in a first printhead fire ink; and printing with visible ink a diagnostic plot using a second printhead that maps which nozzles fire ink in the first printhead. The number of nozzles in the first printhead which fire ink is determined by visually identifying the nozzles that fire ink in the second printhead as indicated by the placement of the visible ink on the diagnostic plot.