Canon IP4500 jagged lines

[hurders]

I have a new IP4500, less than a month old but I have noticed a strange issue when printing in normal quality mode or lower.

If I were to print a completely straight vertical line in any application, when printing on normal quality, all default settings, the line comes out very slightly jagged with a little jagged shift in the line approx every 5cm or so down the line. I can't understand why this should be happening. I have tried doing cleaning cycles, the auto print head alignment and also the manual print head alignment a couple of times but it hasn't helped and the jaggy problem is still there. It is also noticeable, all be it you have to look quite closely, when printing text on normal quality that every few lines there is this annoying jagged shift, the shift is from left to right by the way (i think thats right, will have to double check later when I'm back home).

I have read on this forum that jagged line problems can be caused by dirt or grease on the timing strip but my printer is less than 1 month old so I'm not sure why that should be an issue and also my lines and text are only very slightly jagged, nowhere near like other examples I have seen on this forum.

If I put the print quality to high, I do not get the jagged issue, it only occurs when I have print quality set to normal or below.

Any suggestions?

 

[Tin Ho]

Perhaps you need to do a print head alignment. It may be as simple as that. But I have seen a slightly clogged (on the PGI5 channel) print head that did that. Just do a nozzle check and check if any of the segments on the top of the test print is missing. Your printer is still under warranty. If you feel really uncomfortable about it you should be able to take it back to the dealer from where you bought it and get an exchange. I once bought an HP printer. It was damaged by a static shock when I was trying to connect the cable for the printer. The printer died. I was able to exchange it with the store I bought it from 2 months after buying it. They did not even ask much. When I said it broke they handed me a paper to sign. I got a brand new unopened box and was very happy and impressed.

 

[hurders]

Tin Ho, I bought the printer online and I think they allow 20 days to return it, that has now passed so I would have to use the manufacturers warranty to get it fixed/replaced which I am reluctant to do as it is bound to be quite a hassle.

I don't think that it is down to a blocked print head, the tests come out ok, and I can't see any bits missing in the hatch pattern. I could understand if it was horizontal bits missing from my printouts then it would be a blocked head but its not bits missing its just very small jagged shift to the right. It really isn't noticeable unless you look closely but its definitely there and you can even see it on pages of text, every 10 or so lines there is a slight jaggedness to the line of text.

Also , what I can't understand is why it would do this on standard/draft quality settings yet setting it to high quality I don't get the problem.

It would be really helpful if someone else with an IP4500 could print out a completely vertical line down a page (if you make it thick then its easier to see the jagged shift) and print it out at standard quality with all defaults settings. Then look really closely to see if they too get the very slight jagged shift to the right every 10cm or so down the line.

I am using the original cartridges that shipped with the printer, would changing the cartridges have any effect? Could one of the cartridges be a duff?