An assembly for testing an infrared (IR) ink print quality of an IR ink print area on an optical component includes a light source including an illuminated periphery and a dark interior, an IR camera having a field of view positioned to image the dark interior without imaging at least a portion of the illuminated periphery, and a component holder configured to hold the optical component between the IR camera and the light source such that IR light emitted from the portion of the illuminated periphery that illuminates the IR ink print area on the optical component is deflected into the field of view of the IR camera if the IR ink print area has defects but is not deflected into the field of view of the IR camera if the IR ink print area does not have defects.
