MX892 - White, tapering bands in black areas

[Photog]

White, tapering bands in black areas
Problem started about a month ago
Canon MX892
Owned about 2 years
Moderate home use
Refilling OEM cartridges with Hobbicolors ink. Top fill.

Problem is only in the black areas. It improves when I print in highest quality, but doesn't go away. If I print a color pic in grayscale, bands are through entire pic.

Using Photoshop, I removed the color, then printed in standard and grayscale. In standard print mode bands went through original black, but not through what were the color, now b&w, areas. In grayscale printing, bands were throughout.

Nozzle check looks OK.

I'm guessing the problem is with the PGBK, not the BK, but have no idea what would make these patterns of missing black.

Several deep cleaning cycles were attempted. Next step I presume is a good Windex soaking for the printhead, but I wanted to check with you guys first. Am I on the right path? Thanks

 

[stratman]

You've given some good information, so let's get down to business.

The images of the flower are less helpful than the nozzle check though it appears there is ink starvation occurring. Have you tried a different Black dye-based cartridge? A new OEM Black cartridge is best for troubleshooting but a KNOWN working NEW aftermarket or an OEM refill can be substituted. Additionally, printing nozzle checks pose much less risk of permanently damaging your print head due to the nature of Canon print heads which require the cooling effect of liquid ink to prevent burn out. At this time, you should only print nozzle checks and nothing else unless an experienced forum member advises otherwise.

The nozzle check image you posted is too small to make more definitive observations and you need to upload this again in a larger format. At this time, there appears to be something going on - banding - with the dye-based PG nozzle check. There may be more but it could also be JPG/Scanner artifact. A larger image would be more useful.

Do not do anymore cleanings yet either. Let's see the larger nozzle check before you pull the print head and perform any cleaning/flushing/soaking.

The most likely worst case scenario is you need a new print head. The image of the flower, though, makes me think ink starvation and a new cartridges, or flushing the old cartridge, will resolve you issue. Of course this analysis may change after I can see the entire nozzle check better.

Keep hope and post a better, larger nozzle check image.

 

[Photog]

Wow! Thanks for the great reply. Here's a better quality pic of the latest nozzle check.

And I had a feeling there was one more bit of info I forgot to add. Before the tests I replaced the PGBK and BK cartridges with others I'd refilled. OEM refills, same Hobbicolors inks. I'll get a new OEM PGBK if that'll help. Thanks again.

 

[turbguy]

Your nozzle check appears very good to my eye. I agree that the ink is not flowing, probably from the dye-black cart, as individual colors don't seem to be banding. I agree with trying a new OEM cart first, before head cleaning. The black dye cart could also have vent-blocking problems with the serpentine vent passage, not allowing air into the cart to replace the ink drawn out...

In any event, bear in mind that a nozzle check does not "challenge" ink flow as much a printing solid blocks of color (or black).

Envision this... if the ink flow from the cart to the nozzle plate cannot keep up with demand, AIR MAY/WILL ACTUALLY BE DRAW INTO SOME NOZZLES AS OTHERS ARE EVACUATED BY FIRING! That's what appears to be happening here.

And yes, you may have a clog in the ink passageways in the print head itself. If you have not cleaned a print head before, be aware they are VERY fragile, and are subject to shorting out if not adequately dry.

 

[stratman]

Thanks for the larger nozzle check. I see one nozzle that is bad in the PGBK - 7th column from the right. Also, you can see a whitish horizontal bar on the black vertical bars for PGBK on the left side. This is a clogged nozzle that may be able to be unclogged.

The more important issue though appears to be the ink starvation that appears with the flower picture. The nozzle check does not print long enough for the loss of ink to occur and so you only see it with the flower picture. The next step for you is to try a new Canon OEM Black (BK) dye based ink cartridge (NOT the pigment black PGBK ink cartridge).

I do not know if there are other issues from the nozzle check. The balance of the nozzle check looks good, though there may be some artifact I see and not an actual problem such as with the checked pattern with the BK cartridge and potential light line showing in the bottom left of the darkest Magenta stripe.

FYI -- My Canon MP830 ink usage is as follows. Your printer is most likely similar or same when it comes to what Pigment PGBK and the other dye-based inks are used for when printing. Based on this, the PGBK Pigment ink may or may not be the cause of your ink starvation. If a new OEM BK dye-based black ink cartridge does not fix the issue then try a new OEM PGBK Pigment Black ink cartridge.

PGI-5 Pigment Black Ink is used ONLY For:
- Plain Paper Test (monochrome and grey scale)
- Envelopes
- Transparencies
- Duplex Printing On Plain Paper
- Camera Direct Printing on Plain Paper

CLI-8 Dye-Based Color Inks are used anytime color is printed and is used exclusively for:
- All Photo Paper types (including when Duplex printing)
- High Resolution Paper
- T-shirt Transfers
- CD-R's
- All Borderless Printing, on both PhotoPaper and Plain Paper

 

[stratman]

Two other areas to examine:

1) One is the refilling ink you are using. Hobbicolors has a faithful following. Still, if the ink is old - more than two years under best storage environment - then get new ink. A few years ago a forum member did some testing with Hobbicolors inks and a few other manufacturers and found the Hobbicolors Pigment ink could be more clog prone over time.

2) Additionally, no matter what ink you use for refilling, there comes a time for many that you need to purge the cartridge due to clogging in the sponge(s) resulting in ink starvation like you have. This involves flushing water through the cartridges, drying (not necessary to be bone dry), and then refilling again.

Just some food for thought as we tackle your printing problem.

 

[PeterBJ]

I have also experienced a similar problem: http://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/canon-mp540-strange-magenta-inkflow-problem.6904/

In my case it was a cartridge problem, but it could also be caused by the fine passages in the upper plastic part of the print head being clogged. Hopefully it is a cartridge problem.

To determine if the problems are caused by the pigment or dye black: If the flower is printed on plain paper using plain paper settings, the pigment black is most likely the cause of the problems. If it is printed on photo paper using photo paper setting the problem is caused by dye black. Pigment black is only used in plain paper document printing. Printing photos uses the dye black instead.

You can do some simple tests to determine if there is an ink flow problem with a cartridge. The best, but also expensive test is to replace it with a new OEM cartridge and see if the problem disappears. If it does, the old cartridge is the problem. If it doesn't disappear, the problem is in the print head.

Another and free test is to compare the suspect cartridge to a known good one of any colour. Hold the working cartridge over a sink or hold a piece of paper towel under the ink outlet and blow gently into the vent and note how little effort it takes to expel a drop of ink or two. Now repeat the test with the suspect cartridge, if it takes more effort to expel a drop of ink, then some thing is wrong with that cartridge, and it will likely need purging and drying before refill.

Whether you use top filling for your cartridges or any other method, overfilling can cause ink to enter the vent and block it totally or partially, so could you describe your method of top filling?

 

[turbguy]

I honestly don't see how overfilling via top fill can clog the vent, unless the refiller is just not watching what he's doing. After all, ink will spill out the refill hole before it enters the vent, no?

 

[The Hat]

If a refiller over fills their cartridge then capillary action can cause the ink to migrate into the serpentine path where it can then reduce the air flow sufficiently enough to cause poor ink flow..

 

[turbguy]

That means you have to almost completely fill the sponge compartment, above the sponge, while injecting into the ink compartment. It will spill out the ink compartment refill hole first, no?