Rough move across country - Pixma Pro 100 alignment issues?

[timdafweak]

I moved across the country about six months ago. Living in an apartment I didn't have room for my Pro 100, so I put it in storage for the duration. It was transported on a 24' truck, and I know for a fact it was bounced around and moved quite roughly (I'd like to forget the nightmare move). I had stupidly left the ink and the printhead in the printer.

I recently moved again, and have my own "lab", and so, I was able to bring the pro 100 out of storage and put it back into commission. Although some small parts of the chassis had come loose, they could be pushed right back in. The printhead seemed out of place, and I pushed it back in. Same for the paper intake. It would not detect any paper in there, till I finagled and pushed things into the "rails".

With all this done, I tried a nozzle test, which was perfect (to my utter surprise). I called it a great bit of luck and forgot about it. Till yesterday when I tried to print our family's Christmas photos on borderless 4x6 Glossy II paper.

It seems like the printer has alignment issues. I used Photoshop and Print Studio (Canon's own), but it would always leave a white seam or border up top, and crop the bottom by the same amount. Yes I know that this is expected for Borderless printing - the amount of overspray etc. But it never had such problems in the past.

The only way I was able to make it work was to increase the expansion settings to the MAX - which of course cut the bottom of the image by 4-5mm and fit the top just fine.

So my questions:-

a) Is 4-5mm expansion just to get borderless OK?
b) Are there alignment issues? Did the move cause that?
c) Are the issues correctable?
d) Should I just use my backup Pro100 unit?
e) If (c) can I use the printhead from the curren Pro100?

Thanks all!

 

[lowell374]

I moved across the country about six months ago.

a) Is 4-5mm expansion just to get borderless OK?
b) Are there alignment issues? Did the move cause that?
c) Are the issues correctable?
d) Should I just use my backup Pro100 unit?
e) If (c) can I use the printhead from the curren Pro100?

Thanks all!

As to b) and c). Why not just try an alignment? There is, as I'm sure you know, an alignment test the printer can perform. See what do the results show you? I would run as many different tests as I could on you current printer be for I'd go to the trouble of setting up a new printer. As to e), doubtful that the printhead itself is damaged, so yes, the printhead from the current should be usable. As to the plastic printhead holder and its alignment, that's another story and must be tested.

 

[timdafweak]

Ah ok. I thought the alignment only fixes issues where there are lines in the print. The photos themselves print fine, but the borderless is about 4-5mm off the top edge. I will try the alignment, it seems like the firts thing I should try in any case.

I will try this evening and report back.

 

[timdafweak]

Well, no go. I ran alignment a few times, everything looked good. But there is still a sizable gap at the top of a borderless print. The poor printer rattles when it prints too. Might be best to recycle it I think.

Lucky that I have three more waiting in the wings.

 

[timdafweak]

Well, just updating this for posterity - should someone else ever have the same issues. I switched out the printer with one with one waiting in the wings, and we are back in action! Perfect prints all over the place. Shame about the printer, and I hate creating a mess for the environment. Hopefully Staples/Best Buy will recycle properly.

 

[mikling]

Hope you retained the old printhead as it appears that it was a mechanical transport problem. Also you could also remove the logic boards and Power Supply as well as if a B200 strikes, it could save a machine.

 

[timdafweak]

Hope you retained the old printhead as it appears that it was a mechanical transport problem. Also you could also remove the logic boards and Power Supply as well as if a B200 strikes, it could save a machine.

Thanks Mike, yes I did retain the printhead and put it in the new printer. I did not know about the logic board/power supply but I will salvage that! Thanks for the heads up.