Canon 100s Smudges and Prevent Paper Abrasion Setting

[Roberto Smith]

My Canon Pixma Pro 100s suddenly started leaving a black smudge on the trailing edge of the page when printing, always in the middle and always about the same size / amount of ink. I've tried running the bottom plate cleaning and roller cleaning cycles several times but it didn't solve the problem (made no difference basically).

I've turned on the the Prevent Paper Abrasion option in Custom Settings, and this seems to have solved the problem. In the settings though it says that this option can affect the print quality, but to be honest I've put printouts with and without this option activated next to each other and I can't see any difference in quality.

My understanding of the Prevent Paper Abrasion option is that it moves the print head slightly further away from the paper. So I'm wondering if there's a downside to this that I'm not seeing? If the print quality looks the same and it seems to have solved the problem, is there any reason not to use it? Am I doing some long-term damage to my printer by leaving it on?

TIA

 

[The Hat]

is there any reason not to use it? Am I doing some long-term damage to my printer by leaving it on?

To start with. The Prevent Paper Abrasion is a good way of solving your current issue and it won’t damage your printer nor will it affect your print quality, it’s mostly used for printing on soft or thick matte paper and envelopes..

The normal way to clean the underside of the head is with the bottom plate cleaning but that’s mostly for cleaning the platen area and rollers cause by over spray..

The other way is to move the print carriage to the left side of the printer and clean the parking area with window cleaner by spraying everything and then clean up the damp areas with paper towels, (pat dry), try giving the wiper blade a clean with cotton buds too.

This is an area that seldom get cleaned by the user and needs a clean every six months or so, depending on your print volume, it will help to keep your printer in good working condition..

P.S. cleaning of the parking area on the new Pro 200/300 printers is near next to impossible because of where they put the new LED screens..

 

[Roberto Smith]

Thanks for the reply. I don't think I'd want to risk cleaning it myself but there are any number of printer maintenance companies near where I live so I'll contact them and ask about it.

 

[The Hat]

I don't think I'd want to risk cleaning it myself

If you wish to be cautious then that’s ok, but it’s a simple job and all you need is a flash light, window cleaner and paper cloths, the parking area of your printer is fairly robust, just remember to pull the power plug if you decide to do it yourself..

 

[Roberto Smith]

Ah okay I didn't want to risk breaking it but it sounds less risky than I thought. I will investigate, thanks!