vallejoboy
Getting Fingers Dirty
Hi, Can you please look at this test print. It looks like the cyan is empty but what about the printed section, where it looks like there is an empty spot?
Help with troubleshooting MP990 (empty cyan missing test print)
- Thread starter vallejoboy
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OK lets deal with your nozzle check first.
It just looks like you have ink starvation cause by a near empty or clogged cyan cartridge.
Your LED screen does show that you have no cyan cartridge in your printer at all.
But the simplest explanation for that is you must have disabled the ink monitoring on the cyan cartridge
deliberatey or by accident thats why it is missing from the screen.
Anyway your printer most definitely wouldnt allow you to print with one of its cartridge missing..
Hi vallejoboy, a clog for nozzles that deliver dye ink (here in your case is cyan ink) and a clog for nozzles that deliver pigment ink is slightly different? Typically a clog for dye ink nozzles are streaks. The streaks can appear as a thin line or a thicker streaks for more nozzles that are clogged. A stuffed up ink channel at the nozzles, and a deformed nozzles, the nozzles check pattern also have another look.
If you are telling me if a nozzles check pattern for pigment ink that looks like similar as your cyan nozzles check, well it maybe be clog or there is something more to it. But here in your picture the cyan nozzles check pattern (for which cyan is filled with dye ink) depicted a big blob of missing color. It's a sign that you have overfilled or oversaturated sponge so there is excessive pressure on the printhead, and any excessive ink will leak out from nozzles. So basically the excessive ink cover some parts/or all of the nozzles (depending on the pressure or how excessive the amount of ink). So during printing, those nozzles are not spray out evenly or the way it should. In your case, the nozzles are partially covered by the ink. But Of course, it could also be because your ink channel at that color, the nozzles are deprived of ink as to why, only you could tell what you have done previously to the printhead. So this is something you will have to determine yourself.
You can ask a fellow member here by the name Tin Ho who had ever mentioned about oversaturated sponge. I think he can do the explanation better than I.
Out of curiosity what kind of cartridge did you used? Did you refilled? And was it refilled into Original canon cartridge or refilled into 3rd party refillable cartridges or using 3rd party compatible cartridges? Would you be able to put up a picture of your cartridge as I am curious what cartridge you are using.
Below is a picture for you to visualized what happened when nozzles are being covered up by ink. This was captured long time ago when I was dismantling the printer and the printhead was left at the center for sometime. Had it been parked at the on top of the purge unit pad, I won't have noticed it.
If you are telling me if a nozzles check pattern for pigment ink that looks like similar as your cyan nozzles check, well it maybe be clog or there is something more to it. But here in your picture the cyan nozzles check pattern (for which cyan is filled with dye ink) depicted a big blob of missing color. It's a sign that you have overfilled or oversaturated sponge so there is excessive pressure on the printhead, and any excessive ink will leak out from nozzles. So basically the excessive ink cover some parts/or all of the nozzles (depending on the pressure or how excessive the amount of ink). So during printing, those nozzles are not spray out evenly or the way it should. In your case, the nozzles are partially covered by the ink. But Of course, it could also be because your ink channel at that color, the nozzles are deprived of ink as to why, only you could tell what you have done previously to the printhead. So this is something you will have to determine yourself.
You can ask a fellow member here by the name Tin Ho who had ever mentioned about oversaturated sponge. I think he can do the explanation better than I.
Out of curiosity what kind of cartridge did you used? Did you refilled? And was it refilled into Original canon cartridge or refilled into 3rd party refillable cartridges or using 3rd party compatible cartridges? Would you be able to put up a picture of your cartridge as I am curious what cartridge you are using.
Below is a picture for you to visualized what happened when nozzles are being covered up by ink. This was captured long time ago when I was dismantling the printer and the printhead was left at the center for sometime. Had it been parked at the on top of the purge unit pad, I won't have noticed it.
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Looks like at least 2 different colors are affected: Cyan and Pigment Black. Because of the strange orientation you took the image of the nozzle check, I cannot be sure there aren't other issues involved.
The Cyan looks like ink starvation as The Hat said. Did you look at the cartridge to determine fill? The first suggestion is to try a new OEM Canon Cyan cartridge. If the problem resolves then flush the Cyan cartridge that failed then refill, reset and try it again. If a new OEM Canon Cyan cartridge does not resolve the issue then you hopefully only have a clog and not a malfunction of the print head. Soaks and flushes are the next step in this instance.
The Pigment Black nozzle check appears to show some missing lattice lines, indicating several clogged nozzles. This may not raise to a level of importance if the pigment black text output still looks OK to you. If you notice and are concerned by imperfections in text then you can follow Canon's recommendations on deep cleanings for the Pigment Black cartridge only. If these fail then soaks/flushes of the print head should resolve the issue.
Recently I've read a number of recommendations to apply Windex, alcohol, or whatever solution of your choice directly to the screen on the print head and on the ink outlet sponge of the cartridge and then letting the print head park over the purge pads. Some will also flood the purge pad as well. The reasoning is concentrating the de-clogging solution directly where it may best work. Since there is no consensus borne from scientific research, it is your choice what method you choice. The only common denominator required is patience - it could take many hours or even a few days and several applications to resolve the problem.
The Cyan looks like ink starvation as The Hat said. Did you look at the cartridge to determine fill? The first suggestion is to try a new OEM Canon Cyan cartridge. If the problem resolves then flush the Cyan cartridge that failed then refill, reset and try it again. If a new OEM Canon Cyan cartridge does not resolve the issue then you hopefully only have a clog and not a malfunction of the print head. Soaks and flushes are the next step in this instance.
The Pigment Black nozzle check appears to show some missing lattice lines, indicating several clogged nozzles. This may not raise to a level of importance if the pigment black text output still looks OK to you. If you notice and are concerned by imperfections in text then you can follow Canon's recommendations on deep cleanings for the Pigment Black cartridge only. If these fail then soaks/flushes of the print head should resolve the issue.
Recently I've read a number of recommendations to apply Windex, alcohol, or whatever solution of your choice directly to the screen on the print head and on the ink outlet sponge of the cartridge and then letting the print head park over the purge pads. Some will also flood the purge pad as well. The reasoning is concentrating the de-clogging solution directly where it may best work. Since there is no consensus borne from scientific research, it is your choice what method you choice. The only common denominator required is patience - it could take many hours or even a few days and several applications to resolve the problem.
