Pixma Pro-100 Leaving Smudges/Streaks on last part of 13x19" print

[pmilligan]

Hi guys, I am in desperate need of help as I have several customer orders that I can't fulfill because my printer just stopped functioning correctly today. I have a Pixma Pro-100, and I have printed several hundred 13x19" prints with it. Today, it started adding black smudges/streaks on either side of the last few inches of every 13x19" print.

I cleaned the printhead, aligned it, cleaned the nozzles, and even took the printhead out and cleaned it using the "soak in shallow water" method, before letting it dry completely. It still produces the same black smudges/streaks on either side of the last few inches of the prints. 

When I remove the printhead after a print, I can notice what looks like black ink build up all around the bottom brown part where the ink sprays out from the printhead. I've tried wiping it off with an alcohol wipe and reinstalling the printhead. Nothing seems to work. 

I should also note that the sponge that soaks up excess ink inside the printer seems to be really full of wet ink. I tried soaking up as much as I could with paper towels and got quite a lot of it out of there. It seems to me that this couldn't be the problem, though, because the smudges are on the printed side of the paper and not the rear side.

Can anyone help me, please? 

[PixelWorks]

Its on page 161 of that manual...Except it keeps referring to Canon IJ Utility. I dont have this. I went to Canon product downloads, and my OS does not have any utility. SO I can do the Print Value page, but there is no where for me to enter values. Is this a legit Canon product??

My relation with Canon started with the Canon DSLR 10D, then the 60D, then the 1Ds, then the 1Ds3, then the 5D Mark2, then 5DMark3, and about 6 L series lenses...While some things have been grown over time to be more complex, I have not once had so much trouble trying to get something done with a printer.  So the manual is not a manual, the utility is not a utility for Windows 10, and the alignment on this cannot auto align, because it has a problem dealing with paper characteristics.

Mind you, I have been enjoying this printer until I started using larger sheets, as it was the main reason, so I dont use rolls on the large format. Also some sheets are just easy to load on a desktop vs a larger roll intended machine. No problems doing it, just more time consuming with aligning the paper.

I might just take up smoking...maybe that can help the trouble go away?

[PixelWorks]

ok, so I was doing the Print Head Alignment again (3rd or 4th time)

..

It is printing the patterns again...

It asks Were the patterns printed normally?  It asks if they actually printed or if the print was noticably blurred, click No and start again from begining.

(I didn't know what normal was. and the patterns printed and there was ZERO blur)

But they have lines 

So I got that CNET manual, and around 166 is the manual alignment. But instructions say to do a Test print from the IJ util. But I dont see any Util. The one I have just has a support icon that links to a canon global support url.

So, sure I can do the Print Head alignment, Print ALignment VALUE test, but that still doesnt get me to manual alignment where I can input the values.

[PixelWorks]

So there is some ERROR in my Canon Properties....After printing the value when in manual align mode, I do NOT get a prompt for entering values.

I found this article below to follow, but my software is not doing what it needs to do the manual adjustment.

https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/index?page=content&id=ART151125#man_win

[jrhoffman75]

Then I would uninstall the Canon driver. Download and install the latest driver from the Canon support site.

[jrhoffman75]

https://youtu.be/CJQPSYhZ9Kc

go to the 27:42 point. 

[PixelWorks]

So I did install the Canon driver, which there was an update to mine, yet, the problem was ME again. I was stupid enough to think that I should be thinking while doing this...

The Print Head alignment pattern to show up, you have to LIE to the software...After a alignment, it promts and asks "Did the auto alignment fix the blurry lines Yes, or No it is still showing blurry lines.....If it did NOT fix it, as in my case, I am supposed to LIE to the software and say YES, everything is A-OK!!! for it to prompt the section where you change the values!!  So not only is our physical world upside down, and all of societal ills, but this is also in engineering and software writing!! Maybe this was first? 

Now why oh why did I not know that I was supposed to answer in reverse? I mean I expected a manual, and I got a software with a bunch of rubbish. I expected the printer to print on claimed paper size, and it cannot handle papers to remain flat....So this was totally my shortsiteness.

OK, enough about that...

I entered the values, there were a few off by 1, or 2, and one was off by 3 values.  Corrected the values, and I was happy....

Printed another 13x19...This time using a luster paper that is NOT showing any wavy or corls or edges turned up. Perfectly flat, 300gsm paper.  Now while it had ZERO issues with the edges, the print came out with banding. My nozzle checks are clean. YET, I have banding..Mostly in the sky area of the image, but it is also in more ink dense areas, but not visible in the heavy ink areas..

Now I am completly confused.  I did take out all carts and print head and wiped off drips and such to clean the thing before I had even done the alignment.

So, now that we have the edge strikes understood, and controlled, we are getting uniform banding across the print.

I did notice one nozzle check was great, then another for some reason was not so great.  SO I am doing another cleaning, as the PBK & M had slightly out of uniform lines. (I use a magnifying glass to look at all this stuff.

So, lets see if that does the trick.

Surely open to ideas and such.

Meanwhile I have about $150 worth of ruined prints and ink...and all the time I will not get back. This really blows.

I am not new to nozzle clogs..I have owned Epsons before. But at least I was able to know how to resolve issues. SO the major drawback in this Canon I see is the paper handling. It simply doesn't handle paper, specially not at the printing point, where it needs it most.  Hence the vacuums in the Pro-1000.

So another cleaning did not clear it. One on each print head...Now doing the Deep clean. Lets see. Hope I dont have to get my Waterpik out 🙂

[PixelWorks]

Deep cleaned and this time it was the Red not 100%. The Magenta and PBK looked good. I tried a print, and it was less, but not a good print. 

So I did a deep clean...Maybe one more purge of inks cleaning ...Lets see.

And another 

And another...

Looks like they are all 100% now

I am almost out of inks on all...even though I had replaced the empties before my 13x19 print ....

So that is about 90$ of ink I purged.  I have enough ink to run a couple 13x19 prints.

Lets see if this one does it!!

Lesson learned is to NEVER do a bottom plate cleaning or set the printer to a  "Prevent paper abrasion".

Or never use curled papers, or ...Look for another printer.

SPOKE TOO SOON...as the print was going I posted this...Yet...here we are with stronger banding than before..well, less in sky now, more in low to mid gray areas, and some in dark areas too. more so at the start of print. The sky is less, but it is all the way through the print with slight banding. Maybe I am getting close.

Its only $50 a box 25sheet papers and $150 each ink set, with about 16+ hours( lets say I made minimum wage of $15, still about $240+) .although Iduring the head cleaning and such am able to watch and learn others misery on youtube on how they handle such issues. 

OK, taking the head carrage out and see if there is anything physical on the darn thing.

[PixelWorks]

What is sad to hear is that the IPF Pro model the 300 that replaces this does NOT have the vacuum for paper handling. The Pro-10 is almost 50pounds, and the Pro-300 is about 35. WOW...it shed a significant amount of weight. I was considering it, but knowing it will have the same issues and pretty much the same exact inks(1 is different), it would be a pretty lame buy.

I would wait for a BlackFriday deal on another model.

So far the status of my Pro-10...

I took out the printhead and cleaned it from the outside on the nozzles with a waterpik, and cleaned out the tray inside where the tanks sit. This did not sold the banding issue.

Using a smaller paper size and brand I dont get banding (InkPress Glossy) Using HP, Epson from glossy to simple photo paper, I DO get banding.

My next step is to take out the inks and the head and then soak it in some warm water alc amonia bath. Clean the encoder strip and give it another go. Joe Rodruigez channel has been helpful.

[PixelWorks]

So I bit the bullet and purchased a NEW print head.....

SAME issue, LOL!

I did this as I had a freind needing prints, and I commited to it, and he is paying me enough to cover materials.

So now I have replaced 3 complete sets of ink, and now a print head.

Same banding result in the nozzle check. I love this printer...well, I loved it enough to throw all this extra money at it. But love can slowly turn to hate 🙂