Unclogging Canon Printheads

[inkoholic]

Install a new printhead. The nozzles are worn out.

Wayne

I'm considering it... and it darn well had better solve the problem

 

[turbguy]

Print heads just wear out...see post below:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=13835#p13835

This shows enlargements from a service test print from an i960, which appears to show all the nozzles are "working", BUT ARE DEPOSITING INK IN THE WRONG PLACES (look at the annotations on the black matrix)! The droplets are apparently mis-deposited on the paper, probably from erosive wear of the nozzle geometry. This caused similar streaking in photo-quality prints to that which you posted.

The only fix is to restore the nozzle geometry, which means a new print head. Worked for me....

Wayne

 

[turbguy]

Here's what the streaked photo's looked like before changing the print head.

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/uploads/2540_dscn8743_1.jpg

 

[inkoholic]

Print heads just wear out...see post below:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=13835#p13835

This shows enlargements from a service test print from an i960, which appears to show all the nozzles are "working", BUT ARE DEPOSITING INK IN THE WRONG PLACES (look at the annotations on the black matrix)! The droplets are apparently mis-deposited on the paper, probably from erosive wear of the nozzle geometry. This caused similar streaking in photo-quality prints to that which you posted.

The only fix is to restore the nozzle geometry, which means a new print head. Worked for me....

Wayne

Looks similar indeed! But what does this mean: by printing a lot the printhead just wears down? I've printed the EEPROM information in the service mode, and found out I've printed 4861 pages. So that's about 5000 pages in the 3 years I've got this MP610. I wonder, enough to melt the nozzles?

 

[inkoholic]

Inkoholic,...I finally got a look at your Service Test print. The truth is it is not that bad. The black section only 2 nozzles missing, and I'm sure those should come clean with normal clean process. The Cyan head shows unbalanced printing in both directions which shows that while ALL nozzles are working, some are weaker than others. It is also a little out of head alignment,..but there are NO burnt out nozzles or totally missing nozzles in the Cyan. There are only 3 nozzles missing in the Magenta. There are 4 missing nozzles in the Photo Cyan and 2 missing in the Photo Magenta. The Photo black is missing 3. None of this is serious if you are printing everyday paper. If you want to print photographs, then use some manual setting and put the quality number to 4 or 5.

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/uploads/1854_9hnsr50-enh.jpg

I've tried printing with the maximum quality for photo paper. This was indeed a manual quality setting which I've never used before! On maximum quality the prints are a knockout compared to what I'm used to. But the weird lines are still noticeable to the trained eye.Standard quality gives ugly prints, fast quality is satisfactory. I wonder if different quality settings use different nozzles? Maybe my "normal quality" binge printing (5000 pages) has worn down the nozzles.

 

[turbguy]

Print heads just wear out...see post below:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=13835#p13835

This shows enlargements from a service test print from an i960, which appears to show all the nozzles are "working", BUT ARE DEPOSITING INK IN THE WRONG PLACES (look at the annotations on the black matrix)! The droplets are apparently mis-deposited on the paper, probably from erosive wear of the nozzle geometry. This caused similar streaking in photo-quality prints to that which you posted.

The only fix is to restore the nozzle geometry, which means a new print head. Worked for me....

Wayne

Looks similar indeed! But what does this mean: by printing a lot the printhead just wears down? I've printed the EEPROM information in the service mode, and found out I've printed 4861 pages. So that's about 5000 pages in the 3 years I've got this MP610. I wonder, enough to melt the nozzles?

YES! Print heads wear out! When you consider the violence that occurs in the confines of the nozzle (extremely rapid and repeated boiling), erosion (wastage) of the nozzle face and sidewall occurs, and ink gets directed where it otherwise shouldn't be. In effect, small pieces of the nozzle literally get blasted away with repeated use. Same thing happens to the best metals and materials in similar high energy steam environments, PARTICULARLY in two-phase flow (gas and liquid) situations!

I believe all the nozzles are used in all quality settings of printing, but at higher quality settings, the sheet advances in smaller increments so the print head makes more overlapping passes, and perhaps the print head traverse speed is slowed, which tends to obscure some inking "errors".

Wayne

 

[inkoholic]

Print heads just wear out...see post below:

http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=13835#p13835

This shows enlargements from a service test print from an i960, which appears to show all the nozzles are "working", BUT ARE DEPOSITING INK IN THE WRONG PLACES (look at the annotations on the black matrix)! The droplets are apparently mis-deposited on the paper, probably from erosive wear of the nozzle geometry. This caused similar streaking in photo-quality prints to that which you posted.

The only fix is to restore the nozzle geometry, which means a new print head. Worked for me....

Wayne

I believe all the nozzles are used in all quality settings of printing, but at higher quality settings, the sheet advances in smaller increments so the print head makes more overlapping passes, and perhaps the print head traverse speed is slowed, which tends to obscure some inking "errors".

Wayne

I had a feeling something like that was going on. Printing with the quality slider all the way to the right takes absolute ages while the sheet just crawls forward. But does printing in higher quality also use (a lot) more ink? Or is it just slower?

 

[inkoholic]

Maybe I'll try a little more cleaning. I know chances are slim... but I just want to try. What fluids are good for cleaning?
-Windex
-alcohol
-dishwater detergent
-something else?

 

[turbguy]

Windex (old formula with Ammonia) is the most popular. Hot water is probably more effective.

Hint, the cheapest supplier of new Canon print heads in the USA is Canon, USA parts department.

Wayne

 

[inkoholic]

Windex (old formula with Ammonia) is the most popular. Hot water is probably more effective.

Hint, the cheapest supplier of new Canon print heads in the USA is Canon, USA parts department.

Wayne

I live in the Netherlands, I don't think Canon USA will help me. Canon's official repair centre in Holland is charging 70 for a new printhead. I don't know how much Canon USA is asking? I've seen USA shops sell the MP610 printhead for as little as $70, which equates to 50. Shipping is about $20 .

I've been looking around the web for months in search of a cheap printhead but it seems impossible. The official Canon centres are the cheapest. Even Eastern European electronics stores are much more expensive when it comes to printheads :/