Odd clogging issue - Canon ip4200 inkjet - and my remedy

[J A]

Although I'm going to offer my remedy for the following problem -
which I hope may be useful to others, I'd also appreciate a diagnosis
of the problem.

I'm using a Canon ip4200 which I use with home-refilled cartridges.
I never have any clogging problems except when I print multiple copies
of a certain Corel Draw page. The page is an order form with several
colors of text, but mostly a lot of black horizontal lines. The large
black head gets clogged after about the 6 or 7th copy is printed.

Using the printer's maintenance utility to unclog the head does not
help. For ages I was baffled by this, and tried everything from
thinning down the ink to buying a new Canon cartridge.

In the end, I discovered that all I needed to do was remove the print
head, and hold a wad of paper towel against the large black nozzle. I
do this a few times, using a clean section of paper towel each time,
until no more black ink is drawn out of the nozzle. After doing that,
the printer works fine again.

I hope this tip is helpful to someone. But what I'd like to know is:
Why would the head only clog while printing that one particular Corel
Draw page, while printing pages of black text from a word processor
document doesn't - and why is it that the Canon utility doesn't cure
the (assumed) blockage, while my paper towel method does?

Perhaps the printer's mechanical unclogging device is itself so dirty
that it, itself, tends to gunge up the head rather than clean it. Is
that feasable? If so, is it easy to get access to the cleaning device
to clean it up?

Thanks for any insights... (other than "use only Canon ink and don't
refill" that is...)

J A

 

[J A]

I'm using a Canon ip4200 which I use with home-refilled cartridges.
I never have any clogging problems except when I print multiple copies
of a certain Corel Draw page. The page is an order form with several
colors of text, but mostly a lot of black horizontal lines. The large
black head gets clogged after about the 6 or 7th copy is printed.

PS... correction: The paper towel method only works if I catch the
problem early and then don't go back to printing the Corel page. If I
go back to printing the corel page, the same problem recurs and often
can't be cured by any cleaning method I know of. Then, the only
solution seems to be to buy a new Canon cartridge. This solves the
problem - though I don't understand why. Perhaps Canon ink contains
some head-cleaning solvents?

Perhaps if I mix some cleaning fluid with my refill ink......

J A

 

[milou]

PS... correction: The paper towel method only works if I catch the
problem early and then don't go back to printing the Corel page. If I
go back to printing the corel page, the same problem recurs and often
can't be cured by any cleaning method I know of. Then, the only
solution seems to be to buy a new Canon cartridge. This solves the
problem - though I don't understand why. Perhaps Canon ink contains
some head-cleaning solvents?

Perhaps if I mix some cleaning fluid with my refill ink......

This worked with one of my colleagues' Canon printer:
1/ Remove the offending cartridge
2/ with a seringe gently squirt a few drops of ammonia diluted to
about 5% where the cartridge's ink hole was resting inside the
cartridge holder.
3/ replace cartridge and ensure the cartridge holder is back at its
rest position.
4/ wait a couple of hours, or better overnight.
5/ do a cleaning sequence
6/ it worked for him.

 

[Yianni]

Just an ink quality problem. Try a different ink. Don't ask further, the
matter is a bit complicated. Don't try to improve the ink. Think, that if
the ink manufacturer knew how to improve it, it would do it!

 

[measekite]

Although I'm going to offer my remedy for the following problem -
which I hope may be useful to others, I'd also appreciate a diagnosis
of the problem.

I'm using a Canon ip4200 which I use with home-refilled cartridges.

NOBODY has ink that even comes close to the new formula Canon inks.
This is double jeopardy

I never have any clogging problems except when I print multiple copies
of a certain Corel Draw page.

Oh Oh he says he is not sick except when he is sick. What a joke

The page is an order form with several
colors of text, but mostly a lot of black horizontal lines. The large
black head gets clogged after about the 6 or 7th copy is printed.

Using the printer's maintenance utility to

unclog the head due to inferior ink
does not
help. For ages I was baffled by this, and tried everything from
thinning down the ink to buying a new Canon cartridge.

In the end, I discovered that all I needed to do was remove the print
head, and hold a wad of paper towel against the large black nozzle. I
do this a few times, using a clean section of paper towel each time,
until no more black ink is drawn out of the nozzle. After doing that,
the printer works fine again.

I hope this tip is helpful to someone. But what I'd like to know is:
Why would the head only clog while printing that one particular Corel
Draw page, while printing pages of black text from a word processor
document doesn't - and why is it that the Canon utility doesn't cure
the (assumed) blockage, while my paper towel method does?

Perhaps the printer's mechanical unclogging device is itself so dirty
that it, itself, tends to gunge up the head rather than clean it. Is
that feasable? If so, is it easy to get access to the cleaning device
to clean it up?

Thanks for any insights...

The insight is to use ink the printer was designed for no matter who
makes it and today no independentg make ink for this printer.

 

[measekite]

The only advice that is worth giving is to use only Canon ink. Now the
printer is contaminated so maybe you should start with a new printhead.
Then you can sue the relabeler for the issues that happened to your printer.

 

[J A]

Just an ink quality problem. Try a different ink.

I think you are probably right. I've been using a universal inkjet
ink. I will try 'Canon-compatible' ink next time.

Cheers.

J A

 

[J A]

with a seringe gently squirt a few drops of ammonia diluted to
about 5% where the cartridge's ink hole was resting inside the
cartridge holder.

Thanks for the tip! I must see if I can find some ammonia and give it
a try.

J A

 

[george]

Although I'm going to offer my remedy for the following problem -
which I hope may be useful to others, I'd also appreciate a diagnosis
of the problem.

I'm using a Canon ip4200 which I use with home-refilled cartridges.
I never have any clogging problems except when I print multiple copies
of a certain Corel Draw page. The page is an order form with several
colors of text, but mostly a lot of black horizontal lines. The large
black head gets clogged after about the 6 or 7th copy is printed.

Using the printer's maintenance utility to unclog the head does not
help. For ages I was baffled by this, and tried everything from
thinning down the ink to buying a new Canon cartridge.

In the end, I discovered that all I needed to do was remove the print
head, and hold a wad of paper towel against the large black nozzle. I
do this a few times, using a clean section of paper towel each time,
until no more black ink is drawn out of the nozzle. After doing that,
the printer works fine again.

I hope this tip is helpful to someone. But what I'd like to know is:
Why would the head only clog while printing that one particular Corel
Draw page, while printing pages of black text from a word processor
document doesn't - and why is it that the Canon utility doesn't cure
the (assumed) blockage, while my paper towel method does?

Perhaps the printer's mechanical unclogging device is itself so dirty
that it, itself, tends to gunge up the head rather than clean it. Is
that feasable? If so, is it easy to get access to the cleaning device
to clean it up?

Thanks for any insights... (other than "use only Canon ink and don't
refill" that is...)

J A

It sounds like an ink flow problem. The Corel page might require more
ink than the cartridge / print head can deliver. To see if the
cartridge is providing a good ink flow hold a q-tip to the output
sponge. The q-tip should become saturated in less than 10 seconds. My
method of print head cleaning is to soak the print head in window
cleaner with ammonia. Blow 100 PSI air through the print head
nozzles. Hold a tissue over the output jets. Repeat until the no
more color is evident on the tissue. Cyan seems to take the longest
to clear.

 

[J A]

It sounds like an ink flow problem. The Corel page might require more
ink than the cartridge / print head can deliver.

That could be so.

To see if the
cartridge is providing a good ink flow hold a q-tip to the output
sponge. The q-tip should become saturated in less than 10 seconds. My
method of print head cleaning is to soak the print head in window
cleaner with ammonia. Blow 100 PSI air through the print head
nozzles. Hold a tissue over the output jets. Repeat until the no
more color is evident on the tissue.

Excellent tips there. Thank you...

J A

 

[Frank]

I think you are probably right. I've been using a universal inkjet
ink. I will try 'Canon-compatible' ink next time.

Cheers.

J A

Yes, good idea. I've been using Hobbicolors canon compatible refill ink
for about two years now in my canon i9900 without nay clogging and
excellent color results.
Frank

 

[mark_digital©]

Although I'm going to offer my remedy for the following problem -
which I hope may be useful to others, I'd also appreciate a diagnosis
of the problem.

I'm using a Canon ip4200 which I use with home-refilled cartridges.
I never have any clogging problems except when I print multiple copies
of a certain Corel Draw page. The page is an order form with several
colors of text, but mostly a lot of black horizontal lines. The large
black head gets clogged after about the 6 or 7th copy is printed.

Using the printer's maintenance utility to unclog the head does not
help. For ages I was baffled by this, and tried everything from
thinning down the ink to buying a new Canon cartridge.

In the end, I discovered that all I needed to do was remove the print
head, and hold a wad of paper towel against the large black nozzle. I
do this a few times, using a clean section of paper towel each time,
until no more black ink is drawn out of the nozzle. After doing that,
the printer works fine again.

I hope this tip is helpful to someone. But what I'd like to know is:
Why would the head only clog while printing that one particular Corel
Draw page, while printing pages of black text from a word processor
document doesn't - and why is it that the Canon utility doesn't cure
the (assumed) blockage, while my paper towel method does?

Perhaps the printer's mechanical unclogging device is itself so dirty
that it, itself, tends to gunge up the head rather than clean it. Is
that feasable? If so, is it easy to get access to the cleaning device
to clean it up?

Thanks for any insights... (other than "use only Canon ink and don't
refill" that is...)

J A

The image in question.... Is it one of yours? Can you print multiple copies
of any other image without a problem? Can you run off several copies of the
image in question in draft mode without a problem?
mark_

 

[measekite]

J A wrote:

On Thu, 28 Dec 2006 16:38:25 +0200, "Yianni" <[email protected]> wrote:



Just an ink quality problem. Try a different ink.



I think you are probably right. I've been using a universal inkjet ink. I will try 'Canon-compatible' ink next time.


There us none.  The printhead may be ruined.  Buy Canon OEM ink only


Cheers. J A

 

[Arthur Entlich]

I'd guess it is due to the small amount of ink and small number of
nozzles involved in this output, and they are just drying out. It may
also be the ink drying too rapidly, although you say thinning it doesn't
help...

Art

 

[J A]

I'd guess it is due to the small amount of ink and small number of
nozzles involved in this output, and they are just drying out. It may
also be the ink drying too rapidly, although you say thinning it doesn't
help...

I think a lot of the problem is that the printer's head-cleaning
device has become caked in ink goo so that every time it "cleans" it
is actually applying condensed ink goo to the heads. Is that feasable?
I find that if the check pattern printout shows signs of a blockage,
it gets worse after I do the printer's in-built head-cleaning
operation. I've never tried dismantling the printer to look at how the
head-cleaner works.

J A

 

[J A]

The image in question.... Is it one of yours? Can you print multiple copies
of any other image without a problem? Can you run off several copies of the
image in question in draft mode without a problem?

Yes, it's one of my own graphic designs. It has ahppenned in draft
mode as well as quality mode. I suspect other similar images that have
a lot of horizontal black lines would cause the same problem.

This morning, I cleaned out the black nozzles using some bathroom
spray cleaner. Then I installed a new cartridge (not a Canon one). I
can now print black but there still seems to be less-than-perfect flow
because the check pattern printout has a few blank patches. This
suggests to me that it would be a bad idea to try printing my Corel
document again at this stage.

I think it may be time to buy a new printer (I think that's cheaper
than buying a set of new cartridges, though I haven't checked the most
recent prices.)

J A

 

[mark_digital©]

I think a lot of the problem is that the printer's head-cleaning
device has become caked in ink goo so that every time it "cleans" it
is actually applying condensed ink goo to the heads. Is that feasable?
I find that if the check pattern printout shows signs of a blockage,
it gets worse after I do the printer's in-built head-cleaning
operation. I've never tried dismantling the printer to look at how the
head-cleaner works.

J A

Each nozzle is a precision orifice and it's possible for foreign matter to
be drawn in or cover it. Even a light touch of a paper towel, or soaking in
Windex or some other liquid, oils and salts from your fingers can cause
problems.

It's been my experience if the print head becomes worst after multiple
cleanings there's a good chance some nozzles aren't firing right because of
faulty electrical contacts. The cleaning process produces more mist which
aggrevates the problem.

mark_