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Looks like there's some lint or thread soaked in black ink that's dragging across the paper when I print, which is no surprise because I print on fabric alot. But now every time the carriage returns to the right or left, it leaves a big blotch, then skidmarks across the page. Has gotten gradually worse over time. How do I take the ink carriage thingy apart so I can clean the underside where the jets are? I already cleaned everything I could reach from above.
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1. Get a damp paper towel. 2. Set the ink cartridge right side up on the damp paper towel so that the ink nozzles are against the towel and hold the cartridge in this position for about 15 seconds. 3. Now wipe the print head (on the bottom where the ink comes out) across in one direction only (left to right) until it looks clean. 4. Next dab the cartridge on the towel to make sure that the ink is flowing. 5. Snap the cartridges back into the printer.
You may clean the cartridge by following the steps given below:
1. Go to the "Lexmark solution center." This can be done by clicking on "Start," go to "Programs" and Lexmark printer group. Click on the "Lexmark Solution center." Next click on the "Maintenance" Tab. 2. Select "Clean and Fix Horizontal streaks." Click on "Print". This will produce a printed page.
The colors that you should see here are black, yellow, magenta (a reddish purple) and cyan (a dark sky blue). You should notice the diagonal lines above and below the solid horizontal lines. These diagonal lines should be solid from left to right with no gaps.
If there are gaps in the lines or the print diminishes across the page, you should run the "Clean Print Nozzle" page a couple more times to try and clear it up. If you still have gaps at the top and bottom, you should "wick" the cartridges by following the steps given below:
1. Please open the "Solution center" again and go to the "Maintenance" Tab. 2. Select "Install color/black cartridge" and remove the cartridge or cartridges from the printer. 3. Get a damp paper towel. 4. Set the ink cartridge right side up on the damp paper towel so that the ink nozzles are against the towel and hold the cartridge in this position for about 15 seconds. 5. Now wipe the print head (on the bottom where the ink comes out) across in one direction only (left to right) until it looks clean. 6. Next dab the cartridge on the towel to make sure that the ink is flowing. 7. Snap the cartridges back into the printer. 8. On your computer, select "Old Cartridge install." 9. Repeat the "Clean Nozzle Page" one more time. If this fails to address the problem the entire procedure may need repeating.
Next, try this printer self-test by following the steps given below:
1. Turn the power to the printer "off."
2. Press and hold the "Paper Feed" button.
3. Press the "Power" button once while continuing to hold the "Paper Feed" button.
4. Keep holding the "Paper Feed" button until one sheet is cycled through.
5. The test is continuous.
The self-test should at least print out a set of either a solid black or solid color bars, if not both (if you have a printer with both color and black installed simultaneously). Should this test fail, try it again without cartridges installed. If the self-test still fails to take paper in and make sounds like the carrier is moving across the paper, this is a hardware issue, and the printer will require service. If the self-test completes without any cartridges installed, run the self-test again with only a color cartridge installed. (If you have both black and color cartridges, after this test, run the test again with just the black cartridge installed.) If you find that either cartridge causes the self-test to fail, please let us know.
If the self-test prints, but has lines or smudges or other print quality issues, let us know.
A technique to improve print quality is to try and clean the cartridge nozzles. You may clean the cartridge by following the steps given below:
1. Go to the "Lexmark solution center." This can be done by clicking on "Start," go to "Programs" and Lexmark printer group. Click on the "Lexmark Solution center." Next click on the "Maintenance" Tab.
2. Select "Clean and Fix Horizontal streaks." Click on "Print". This will produce a printed page.
The colors that you should see here are black, yellow, magenta (a reddish purple) and cyan (a dark sky blue). You should notice the diagonal lines above and below the solid horizontal lines. These diagonal lines should be solid from left to right with no gaps.
If there are gaps in the lines or the print diminishes across the page, you should run the "Clean Print Nozzle" page a couple more times to try and clear it up. If you still have gaps at the top and bottom, you should "wick" the cartridges by following the steps given below:
1. Please open the "Solution center" again and go to the "Maintenance" Tab.
2. Select "Install color/black cartridge" and remove the cartridge or cartridges from the printer.
3. Get a damp paper towel.
4. Set the ink cartridge right side up on the damp paper towel so that the ink nozzles are against the towel and hold the cartridge in this position for about 15 seconds.
5. Now wipe the print head (on the bottom where the ink comes out) across in one direction only (left to right) until it looks clean.
6. Next dab the cartridge on the towel to make sure that the ink is flowing.
7. Snap the cartridges back into the printer.
8. On your computer, select "Old Cartridge install."
9. Repeat the "Clean Nozzle Page" one more time. If this fails to address the problem the entire procedure may need repeating.
A technique to improve print quality is to try and clean the cartridge nozzles. You may clean the cartridge by following the steps given below:
1. Go to the "Lexmark solution center." This can be done by clicking on "Start," go to "Programs" and Lexmark printer group. Click on the "Lexmark Solution center." Next click on the "Maintenance" Tab.
2. Select "Clean and Fix Horizontal streaks." Click on "Print". This will produce a printed page.
The colors that you should see here are black, yellow, magenta (a reddish purple) and cyan (a dark sky blue). You should notice the diagonal lines above and below the solid horizontal lines. These diagonal lines should be solid from left to right with no gaps.
If there are gaps in the lines or the print diminishes across the page, you should run the "Clean Print Nozzle" page a couple more times to try and clear it up. If you still have gaps at the top and bottom, you should "wick" the cartridges by following the steps given below:
1. Please open the "Solution center" again and go to the "Maintenance" Tab.
2. Select "Install color/black cartridge" and remove the cartridge or cartridges from the printer.
3. Get a damp paper towel.
4. Set the ink cartridge right side up on the damp paper towel so that the ink nozzles are against the towel and hold the cartridge in this position for about 15 seconds.
5. Now wipe the print head (on the bottom where the ink comes out) across in one direction only (left to right) until it looks clean.
6. Next dab the cartridge on the towel to make sure that the ink is flowing.
7. Snap the cartridges back into the printer.
8. On your computer, select "Old Cartridge install."
9. Repeat the "Clean Nozzle Page" one more time. If this fails to address the problem the entire procedure may need repeating.
Issue:
Banded or streaked prints Solution:
Change the Print Quality Settings (Windows)
Change the Print Quality Settings (Windows)
The
Quality setting controls how finely ink droplets are placed on the
printed page. Depending on the type of paper being used a higher Print
Quality setting does not always insure a better print. Print speed will
decrease as the Print Quality setting is increased. Follow the
instructions below to change the print quality settings in the Canon
printer driver for the Windows operating system through a printing
application.
Click 'Properties' in the Print dialog box.
Note: Depending on the Application software, 'Properties' may be displayed as 'Preferences'.
Set the desired print quality in the 'Print Quality' section.
Select 'High', 'Standard', or 'Draft / Fast'.
To set more detailed print quality settings, follow this procedure:
Select 'Custom' and click 'Set'.
In the Set Print Quality dialog drag the slide bar from 'Fast' to 'Fine' to select the print quality.
Note: There are five options in 'Quality'. However, selectable options are limited depending on the media type.
Select 'Auto', 'Dither', or 'Diffusion' from the 'Halftoning' section.
If your color improved slightly when running the printhead option then doing more should help get better results. Sometime the printheads get really dirty/clogged and running the cleaning option more then once is needed.
If you get a slight line running across the page (from left to right) usually the indicates dust build up on the printhead or ink carriage. The dust acts as a paint brush being dragged across your paper as the carriage moves across the page during printing. You can clean the bottom of the carriage with a Q-tip or purchase some cleaning paper for your printer.
Are you sure this is a Designjet 450 (large format printer) and not a Deskjet 450 (portable printer)? The following assumes you have wispy black streaking on the printed side of the paper. If the streaking is on the back side then post more details of the printer model and the issue.
In either case the most likely cause is a buildup of fibers on the underside of the printheads or carriage, causing wisps of black ink to be dragged on the paper when the carriage reverses direction. You can clean the printer as shown at the following (though the details will be somewhat different for the Designjet or Deskjet....).
Please load the printer with at least 10 sheets of plain paper then press the start button. This will dry or clean any ink found on the rollers.
Continue to run blank pages through the printer until no more ink is found on the paper, then attempt printing. If ink stains, streaks or smudges are still present, the printer may need service.
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