Hi gdsqx9! Thanks for posting in the Canon Community Forum. I see that the black ink tank on your PIXMA G3200 was refilled recently, and your black and white prints are now coming out blank.
When ink is missing from the page or there are streaks, we recommend printing a nozzle check pattern (which you’ve done). If the Black (BK) pattern is missing from that page or if there are streaks, that can mean the nozzles for that ink are clogged. To fix a clog, we recommend doing the “Cleaning” option. It is in the same “Maintenance” menu as the Nozzle Check.
If you need help getting back to the Maintenance menu to choose the Cleaning option, you can follow the instructions in the following link:
https://ij.manual.canon/ij/webmanual/Manual/All/G3000%20series/EN/BG/bg-maintenance1000.html
The links in that page will help you use the buttons on the printer to print the nozzle check pattern and perform the cleanings.
After the cleaning is complete, please print another Nozzle Check to see if there is improvement. If there is a lot of improvement, you can do another Cleaning. If there is little or no improvement, the next step would be to do a “Deep Cleaning” which is also in the same menu. You can print another nozzle check after to see if it is helping. If there is little or no improvement, we recommend waiting 6 hours and then doing another Deep Clean.
It is best to wait somewhere between 6 and 18 hours between each deep clean. This gives the ink time to soak through the clog and loosen it (like Drano). You don’t want to perform the Deep Cleanings within 4 hours because you may not be giving the ink enough time to soak. You also don’t want to wait longer than 24 hours because you could be giving the ink time to dry up again (harden).
Before the second Deep Cleaning, I do recommend opening the printer to look at the ink tubes inside the printer. You can lift the scanning unit (like you do when you want to fill the ink tanks) to look inside. Once open, please look for a ribbon that contains four ink tubes.
The tubes are clear, so you should be able to see the ink inside of them. One will have the black ink and the others the blue (cyan), pink (magenta), and yellow. Please make sure that all four tubes are completely full of ink (from start to finish).
If you notice that one of the tubes is empty or there are spots in the tube that contain no ink (air bubbles in the tube), that means that air has gotten inside the ink system. To flush the air out, you need to perform the System Cleaning option in the printer’s Maintenance menu.
The System Cleaning option will take the ink from the tank and refill the tubes to flush the air out. If you notice pockets of air in one or more of the colors and the black, then you should select All Colors when doing the System Cleaning. If only the black tube has air in it, then you can select Black Only.
Before doing a System Cleaning, you should make sure that the levels for all four inks are above half. The System Cleaning is not available using the buttons on the printer. You need to select that option on the menu on your computer screen.
On a Windows computer, you need to access the Printing Preferences window and then click on the Maintenance tab. The following link shows two different ways you can open the Printing Preferences window on your computer:
https://ij.manual.canon/ij/webmanual/PrinterDriver/W/G3000%20series/1.0/EN/PPG/dg-c_opendriver.html
On a Mac computer, you need to select the System Cleaning option in the Canon IJ Printer Utility. You can normally open this utility by clicking on the Spotlight symbol (magnifying glass) near the top right corner of the computer screen and then typing Canon IJ Printer Utility in the search bar that opens. Then, you can select the Canon IJ Printer Utility in the search results to open that window. The two letters after Canon are I and J (without a space).
To keep air out of the tubes, we recommend using the printer often. Please make sure the tank levels remain above half. Canon does recommend refilling the tanks at least once a year. If you need to move the printer, lift it up, or lower it, we recommend that you keep it level.
If you do not see air in the tubes. You can try two more deep cleanings (for a total of three attempts). Again, please make sure to wait between 6-18 hours between the deep cleans. If the problem persists, the printer needs service.
The printer does come with a one-year warranty. If you purchased your printer within the last year or if you purchased a warranty extension directly from Canon on or around the date of purchase and it is still active, I recommend that you create a Canon Account, register the printer, and call us at 1-800-652-2666. Our agents are available Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 PM Eastern time.
You can create your Canon Account and register the printer at the following website:
https://myprofile.americas.canon.com/us/signin
If the warranty has expired, it might be more cost effective to purchase a replacement than to pay someone to fix your printer. Through our Canon Upgrade Program, we can offer you a discount and free shipping on a new printer. If you are interested in that, please call (866) 443-8002 from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. (Eastern Time), Monday through Friday to speak with one of our sales agents who would be happy to help you.
I hope this information helps. Thanks for choosing Canon.
