Cyan offset on PIXMA iP8720

[tam1]

I have had an issue for a few months now where when I print using standard quality on my Pixma IP8720, the cyan ink is a bit offset. Oddly enough this doesn't happen when using a 'high quality' setting.

I have tried auto alignment and manual alignment. I have cleaned the encoder strip. I've run nozzle cleaning multiple times and have taken the print head out and manually cleaned it. I have also tried installing a 'new' printhead altogether (seems they don't make new parts anymore but I used a 'refurbished original'). Adjusting feed speed doesn't help either.

Does anyone have any other suggestions??

Just a note, using the 'high quality' setting all the time is not a long term solution for me as I print hundreds of pages per month and this would blow through ink. I know the easy answer is to get a new printer but I'd rather not throw the thing in a landfill over what feels like a fixable issue.

I'm using MacOS Tahoe and my driver is up to date.

test sheet generally looks okay but there is a little cyan peaking out from the letters making them appear blurry:

[DerrickL]

Cyan Shift Issue on Canon PIXMA ip8720

When printing with the Canon PIXMA ip8720, a slight cyan shift in gray tones can occur, especially when using standard quality settings. This issue can be particularly noticeable in darker gray areas, leading to prints that appear bluish or cyanish.

Causes of Cyan Shift

• Printer Driver Settings: The default settings may not be optimized for your specific printing needs.
• Ink Quality: Using non-genuine ink can affect color accuracy.
• Paper Type: The type of paper used can influence how colors are rendered.

Solutions to Reduce Cyan Shift

To address the cyan shift, consider the following adjustments:

1. Adjust Printer Driver Settings:
   • Access the print menu on your Mac.
   • Select the Canon PIXMA ip8720 from the printer list.
   • Navigate to the quality settings and adjust the color settings to reduce cyan.

2. Use a Custom ICC Profile:

   • Instead of relying on the standard quality preset, create or download a custom ICC profile tailored for your specific paper and ink combination. This can significantly improve color accuracy.

3. Check Ink Cartridges:

   • Ensure that you are using genuine Canon ink cartridges to avoid color discrepancies.

4. Paper Selection:

   • Make sure you are using the correct paper type setting in the printer driver that matches the paper you are using.

By implementing these adjustments, you should see an improvement in the color accuracy of your prints, reducing the cyan shift in gray areas.

[DerrickL]

That image is helpful. Short, focused next steps:

1. Repeat alignment using the manual/advanced alignment option (not just automatic), aligning the cyan axis specifically.
2. Run 2–3 automatic head-clean cycles, then print another nozzle check.
3. Reseat the cyan cartridge and run a single print with only black text (select “grayscale” or remove color cartridges if possible) to confirm black alignment is fine.
4. If cyan still shifts only in standard quality:
   • In the printer driver on macOS Tahoe, set a higher DPI or enable “High” quality for that print job (workaround).
   • Also check driver print mode for any “Bi‑directional printing” or “High speed”/“Fast” mode and disable it.
5. If driver/setting changes don’t help, test with a different cyan cartridge (genuine if available) — a failing cartridge or head segment can cause offset at lower dpi.
6. If the problem persists after manual alignment, cleanings, and cartridge swap, the printhead or carriage encoder is likely faulty and needs service.

If you want, provide: the macOS build (e.g., 14.4), whether bi‑directional/fast printing is enabled, and a new nozzle-check photo after running manual alignment + one cleaning — I’ll interpret it and recommend next action.

[tam1]

Hi Derrick, thanks for the additional suggestions. Reducing cyan in the color settings affects the entire print color, so unfortunately that won't work for me. I played around with a few different ICC profiles but they haven't adjusted the placement of the cyan, so I don't think it's an issue with profiles. The cyan shift has persisted over the past few months and I've used multiple genuine cartridges in that time, so I don't believe the ink to be the cause either.

I really appreciate the time you took to respond though, thank you.

[tam1]

I've tried your additional steps here without luck, but thank you for the suggestions. The nozzle check photo from my post was already after manual alignment and multiple cleanings. Grayscale prints super crisp so I'm not concerned with misalignment there. Adjustment to DPI does not solve.

It may be a bidirectional printing issue as you have said, (I've noticed the offset cyan occurs in bands which leads me to think the misalignment is only happening when the carriage is moving a certain direction) however my driver doesn't have a way to toggle that off or to select unidirectional printing. I'm running MacOS Tahoe 26.5.1 with the most up to date driver provided by Canon - if you know of some secret way or alternative software that will allow me to access those controls, let me know!