Print heads put ink from cartridges onto printing paper from tubes, which are heated by an internal heating element that results in bubbles of ink that create the printed words or images. A clogged Canon print head can result in smeared ink, ruined prints due to ink appearing on non-printed areas and too-light or forgone text.
On the Computer
Try pulling up the selected printer and locating the "Properties" menu. Click on the "Maintenance" selection, then choose the "Cleaning" icon. The program will prompt the user to select the Ink Group (color or black and white) to be cleaned and will then provide further instruction. It should be noted that attempting this more than once will lead to the most improvement and may be required to achieve any measurable impact. If the "Cleaning" selection did not quite do the trick, there is another option named Deep Cleaning. The steps are similar: choosing an Ink Group and following the prompts to enact the Deep Cleaning system. Be warned that this procedure uses up a lot of costly ink. After this, print a nozzle check pattern, which will print a page testing every nozzle in the system.
Manual Procedure (Part One)
You might have to manually clean the print head if you have not seen any improvement. Check the owner's manual online to get any further instructions on your specific model of camera. Raise the printer cover and be sure that the cartridge is securely and accurately centered. There should be some instructions on the printer itself to follow, but be sure to find the tab on the individual cartridges (color and black and white) and lift the tab to take out the cartridges. Raise the lock in order to free and release the print head and lift it out of the cradle area. After removing the print head, rinse it under some warm water and carefully take care of paper residue and ink buildup at the head's body and in the slits and holes (this may be clogging the print head). Then rinse the print head until the water is clear. If water doesn't seem to be helping try alcohol (isopropyl) or a Windex-type product.
Part Two
There are two screws on the bottom print head`s ceramic plate. Remove the screws, then carefully guide the ceramic plate away from the print head`s body and run hot water behind the plate. There maybe some of the same gunk on the other side of the plate, so remove that and again rinse. Put the printer head back together and follow the same steps you took in removing the printer head to get it back into the cradle. Lower the locking level; it will click into its proper place and then you can follow the same steps to return the ink cartridges to the tabs. After you do this and close the printer cover check to see if any of your model-specific instructions are advising you to make adjustments in alignment.
Tags: print head, After this, black white, ceramic plate, color black, color black white
