Imageclass MF743Cdw prints too light. How to get it darker?

[Linda_Hagan]

My new (bought in October) Imagelcass has yet to print black in full black. It's very light, almost greyscale.  Color prints fine but the black is more of a grey.  I can adjust print settings when making copies, but can't find a way to make it "print" darker.  I use a PC, not a Mac.  Suggestions?

[david07666]

Thanks for updating us on your friend's experience.  I guess they don't read this forum, either.

[EnFuego]

TEKnightRider,

Thank you!  This had been bugging for almost 6 months now (about the time I replaced the original printer catridges that came with the Printer with new ones - from Canon also).  I think I had almost given up hope, and tried one last time to check these forums, and Voila - your post did the trick.  You would think this would be included in the instructions for when doing the replacement.  Oh well, thank you again.  You saved another Canon from ending up at the recycle facility 🙂

[TEKnightRider]

Cool EnFuego glad you found it and that it helped! 

[Vikum]

I'm having the same problem and had huge hope for that earlier protocol, but it didn't help for me. 

The printer was working fine, printing at correct density's, then one day it started printing light. If I save my doc onto a USB stick and print from there, then the density is fine. It's only when I print from the computer that it prints light, whether that's airprint or hardwired printing. 

So I'm thinking it must be a setting on the computer preferences but I don't see anything for that. I'm on a mac.

Can anyone help?

[Wanderer82]

I also followed the instruction here but I don't get black text as dense / thick as with for example a Sharp or HP M479fdw copier. It's just a tad bit of black or richness that's lacking. When doing copies it's better or even okay. But it's really bad for a new and such a good device to just print a bit too weak. All options (toner density etc.) or trying different drivers didn't do anything. You can take the toner density of black to +8 and absolutely no effect is visible. Only pictures get darker. I guess it's a driver problem... the fonts are rendered differently so that they don't come out as punchy as they should. I had so much hope in the Canon device because the HP idiots decided to put the touch screen in a way you can't place books on the scanner. You can't turn it even to the height of the scanner. Some guys!

[TheWalkman]

I was having the same problem with light print and found that it was the result of having the, "Toner Saver" turned ON.   

(All the other gyrations about adjusting the print quality to fix this were completely unnecessary.)

To turn Toner Saver, OFF follow these simple instructions from the printer's touch pad:

1. Press [Menu].

2. Select [Function Settings].

3. Select [Printer].

4. Select [Printer Settings].

5. Select [Printer Quality].

6. Select  [On] or [Off] and then press [Apply].

The default setting is Off.

After the setting has been applied press the  Home button to return to the Home Screen.

Voila! The print is dark and readable!

https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/index?page=content&id=ART179831&actp=search&viewlocale=en_US&search...

[Wanderer82]

I'm quite sure I checked this twice. And also I had the printer new so all settings are default which shouldn't mean that the Toner Save is on, but I'll check this again.

Maybe my black is already okay for THIS printer and it won't get any darker. Printers print differently, so maybe this is just the new Canon print rendition. The older Canon that I have is however the slightest bit too dark compared to HP printers.

[TEKnightRider]

Yes @TheWalkman 'Toner Saver' mode would definitely kill the darkness, for sure. 

However, the big "to-do" is typically for designers or people who work with designers who will notice everything. 

So, while I personally can only draw really good stick figures. I have been blessed to work for a few people that I would put in the "Disney" catagory like Summit Racing, Chip Foose, Meguiar's, Throttle Design Mechanics, Nike...where even with 'Toner Saver' mode OFF (which it should be OFF by default)...this particular printer causes what again I can only discribe as being almost “Lite-Brown” or like some sort of Lighter Grayscale instead of a “Deep True Black”.

Again, I'd say some folks might not notice...but for me it was very noticeable compared to several other Canon Color ImageClass MF730 Series / MF733Cdw printers I had previously installed and configured. So now I'm showing my age, but the firm I'd worked for in the 1990's after having worked as an Apple Sales Manager and Level III Tech before that in the early 1990's...that firm, actually had the very first Apple Color LaserWriter in the Northwest (which was huge with rotating drums...but that engine was also a Canon engine back then). So while this is "weird" for this MF743 compared to maybe the thousands of laser printers I've installed over 30 years...this is also the first time I've discovered such a rigmarole is needed to fix something that should be ready to go out of the box.

Anyway, hope that might help explain or also help others. 

[carebear]

I can't believe this worked. I wonder why they would not have it print at its best right out of the box.

[HairyCannonbal]

Thank you times 1000. That worked.