CLI-526Y Yellow 'Jello' (Pixma ix6550)

[Photographic Memory]

Hi again, this will put a lot into context, and possibly expand on this infamous dreaded 'Yellow Jello' phenomenom…

What prompted me to get the Pro-100S last week was my now 4 year old Pixma ix6550 started showing a reddish (sometimes greenish depending on the print) cast after some intense printing of late - making oversized 44x32.5" prints by seemlessly tiling 9 x A3 sheets.

This was my cue to look into upgrading printers. Yet further research led to forums such as this, on how to unclog the Printhead, etc.

To cut a long story short I managed to unclog the Cyan which I wish I had learned about a lot sooner due to wastage of quality paper and ink.

It was pretty straight forward, running it under a hot tap, finger pumping the inlet, etc. I felt a great deal of accomplishment!!

Then my troubles really started! Almost immediately I started getting a purplish cast… yet now knowing exactly how to unclog a color channel I was actually looking forward to repeating the process…

Not at all!! For the past few days, using orders of Windex with Ammonia-D, Isipropryl Alcohol, Ammonia, garden hose, syringe pump with silicone tubing, not much has worked!

I say not much because I have got it unclogged temporarily, even with deep cleaning cycles, a couple of prints started out great for the first 1/3 and then this purplish/blue cast resurfaces…

Here's my conclusion: I think by cleaning the print head with just water to unclog the Cyan I have subsequently kicked it the Jello effect with the Yellow.
Now hear this, I have been using 3rd-party ink galore for the past year and this hasn't done anything negative to the yellow. It is the water I believe and not the ink.

Nevertheless, does anyone have any advice, I love using my Pro-100, but would prefer to spare it when it comes to "killing it" with such large print jobs such as the 44x32.5" Canvas style prints and would prefer if possible to use the ix6550 for that. Is it salvageable in anyway, because right now if it wasn't for hearing about this 'Jello' phenomenon I would be utterly stumped.

 

[stratman]

The Yello Gello issue typically with OEM Canon CLI-42 YELLOW ink mixed with fluid other than additional OEM Canon CLI-42 Yellow ink. This includes plain water as a culprit. Reports of other OEM Canon cartridge model inks potentially causing the Gello effect are rare IIRC, maybe because the problem was not identified early on, so it is important to verify and distinguish this is Gello and not some other ink flow issue.

See this thread for more on Yello Gello and cartridge model numbers.

The yellow OEM ink in the Canon 251/271 and 551/571 behaves identically to the Pro-100 yellow.

Also, it is possible that the Gello effect may not occur for several refills, maybe 4 or 5 depending on amount refilled and length of time between refills. Therefore, it may take months for the issue to appear when critical mass has been met. Regardless, flushing with water would hasten the process as dilution occurs precipitously fast.

There are other causes for what appears as ink starvation in either the cartridge or the print head. Certain questions are asked to help identify most likely cause and then provide solution(s). Being specific and detailed in your answer is best.

What kind of cartridge used (OEM or aftermarket) and what method of refilling used?

What refill ink used?

Do you refill when the cartridge is empty (or near empty) or do you refill when the reservoir side is essentially empty but the sponged side

How old is the cartridge(s) and have they ever been flushed?

Did you try another cartridge - known working or brand new - to see if this remedied the situation?

Have you been having problems or had problems before, either intermittent or constant. If constant, have they remained stable or progressed?

Please post an image of a nozzle check that is cropped to show just the nozzle check and not a lot of blank paper. Do not shrink the image. This allows us to examine it better. Also, post an image of the issue.


FYI - too high water pressure can cause failure of internal components of the print head.

 

[The Hat]

The two biggest killers of a print head are ink starvation and robust external cleaning, 99% of all print issues are caused by the cartridge, and if not corrected in time with cause internal electrical damage to the print head.

Print heads seldom clog and if they do its usually cause by the lack of daily use, and a normal head clean usually solves the problem quickly, deep head cleaning if used, should be restricted to one or two over several hours because used to frequent can cause head failure also.

Correctly refilled OEM cartridges will last for years, but always refilled them when you first get the low in warning, waiting until there’re empty can cause poor ink flow after refilling, so please avoid the temptation.

It’s best not to over think your refilling procedure, just follow the few basic steps that we’ve encourage here, deviating from the procedure will only lead to all sorts of problems later when you least expectant them...

 

[Photographic Memory]

Not refilling cartridges, 3rd-party from RefreshCartridges dot co dot uk. They have served me well for the past 10 months or so, having gone through about 5 or 6 batches (I know it sounds a lot, before I came on here and my knowledge increased I knew not of 'Deep Head Cleaning' emptying out half a Cart.

Thank you for your replies, I hope the attached images can "tell the story"?

 

[Photographic Memory]

So I use the bath tub to try and unclog the printhead. I am again trying.
Using ONLY Windex this time.
Notice when I use the syringe not much yellow comes out, in fact it slightly pushes magenta and cyan?
By comparison through the magenta channel magenta comes out "clean"…

 

[stratman]

Your nozzle checks show one with Yellow and one without Yellow. Of concern is no explanation for the double band of dye-based black - what's that about?

That not as much Yellow comes out of your print head flush compared to pther colors does not necessarily equate to a clog. If this is Yello Gello then Windex with Ammonium D is a good solution to soak and gently push-pull. If there is a clog in the nozzle channels then trying to push the clog further through the print head may not work. Instead, you need to break up the clog with the soaks first. Also, pushing the clog backwards out the ink inlet ports of the print head (where the cartridge connects) or pulling back from the ink inlet ports with GENTLE force may assist at times during the soaking.

Some have also cut short segments of plastic tubing from the hardware store that fit inside the ink inlet ports, standing straight up, fill with Windex and let gravity assist in clog busting.

If this is NOT Yello Gello then a long soak - 24 hours or longer - with water and liquid dish washing detergent like Dawn or Fairy have also been successful at clog busting.

There is no standard process in resolving these issues but there are general recommendations, such as using Windex first if Yello Gello is suspected and to be gentle with any vacuum force applied. Also, no ultrasonic cleaning or taking the print head apart, except as last ditch attempts with the expectation of failure most likely. Also, a key factor is PATIENCE! Let the soaking go for overnight, a day, or even longer. Change the soaking solution if becomes dirtied every few hours (I change every 12 hours whether dirty or not). I will also gently warm the soaking solution to lukewarm (not hotter!) in the microwave to facilitate clog busting.

You did not provide answers to all my questions so I cannot provide much further help. Answering the questions is not busy work but a way to help you figure out things.

Last, I do not know the quality of the ink or cartridges from RefreshCartridges. This could be the Achilles heel of your printing issues. You might consider a different supplier that forum members can recommend based on experience. Consider a new thread asking about this company and their ink and potential other known suppliers of quality ink that meets your needs.

 

[The Hat]

Yello Gello only partially effects the yellow channels and never all of them, as shown in your nozzle check, besides my estimation is the yellow channels are gone beyond saving.

Electrical issues never fix themselves and are always permanent, so it’s time for a new head...

 

[Photographic Memory]

Wow Stratman, thanks for such an in-depth reply. I will try and comply with your dedication to helping with this matter by answering any questions which I may have glanced over.

First off the double band on the Nozzle Check print is just that I use the same sheet of basic plain paper to run these checks so as not to use up too much paper (ironic, because I have literally wasted a bunch of high quality Semi-gloss 13x19 equivalent (A3) only recently when I was ignorant about Print Heads, clogging and such.

Yes I was running these Cartridges low, let's say completely empty, before switching them over. I take full responsibility and will definitely not pull the same stunt on the new Pro-100S.

I have never refilled before (my OctoInk order has been shipped today for the Pro-100S).

RefreshCartridges have been the only supplier apart from Canon OEM CLI-525's I have used with the 6550, I would never blindly use any 3rd-party ink, which I at the time didn't want to do in the first place, however money saving was needed, and glad I did now, but did research and shop around as much as possible (Amazon comments, local google, etc) and decided to try Refresh Cartridges.

Like I say I have since ordered more and more as they have worked out fine over, say 10 months, not once giving any trouble.

It was during the last month that I went all out printing heavily these 44x32.5" prints (tiled).

Anything else I need to mention please feel free to ask, I am on board and fully dedicated…

Thank you so much for welcoming me into this classic world of good old fashioned quality printing!

 

[Photographic Memory]

Yello Gello only partially effects the yellow channels and never all of them, as shown in your nozzle check, besides my estimation is the yellow channels are gone beyond saving.

Electrical issues never fix themselves and are always permanent, so it’s time for a new head...

Getting the hang of this, my previous reply was to Stratman, I clicked Quote, but not Reply.

No problem Hat if this is the case then so be it, I will trash the ix6550 as this is why I now have a Pro-100S in the first place. It's just that since getting it I decided not to abuse it if necessary, use it sparingly in lieu of the 6550 IF possible. Would have been nice to have 2 Printers, but all in all if it is unsalvageable then OK.
I did look into a new PrintHead and realized that they cost near enough as much as a newer model Canon Pixma so wouldn't make sense to buy a new Print Head.

So is this what you are thinking, an electrical problem? Why then when I run a deep clean cycle does it initially print out say, a 3rd of the way as it should with Yellow and then go back to there being no yellow again? I did read somewhere on here that if there was dry ink on the heater (?) that a head clean run may initially show printing again, but if not completely cleaned of dry ink the heater will dry up more ink and hence clog again the ink flow.
If it is an electrical situation then wouldn't this render no yellow ever, even after a deep clean cycle? They are my worst enemy, I dislike Deep Clean Cycles so much, they drain half a Cart.
And that reminds me, compared to this seemingly sparing Pro-100S the Pixma ix6550 seems constantly "doing something". Like it is always before every Print or turning on doing something that sounds like a head clean or purge or whatever. If this is the case I will be happy to get rid of it.
I just have 2 more 44x32.5 oversized prints to make and don't want to kill the Pro-100S, but if I have to I will. Not kill it, but have it print out the required 18 A3's en masse…

Thank you Sir!

 

[stratman]

I use the same sheet of basic plain paper to run these checks

Any artifact on the front or the back of the paper that obscures or blurs reading of the nozzle check makes this difficult if not impossible to accurately judge the nozzle check. Nozzle checks are not known for burning out a Canon print head. In the future when needing to post on the forum, make a fresh nozzle check on paper that isn't already printed on in that area.

Yes I was running these Cartridges low, let's say completely empty, before switching them over. I take full responsibility and will definitely not pull the same stunt on the new Pro-100S.

I have never refilled before

Generally speaking, if you never refill and always use a new cartridge as replacement then go ahead and print until the cartridge is marked empty. The recommendation about half filled cartridges is for refilling and not letting the sponge start drying out with caked or thickened desiccating ink.

If you have tried a new cartridge, or one you knew positively to work properly, after the loss of Yellow and nothing changed then you know the issue is the print head or the logic assay board. This is part of why I asked those questions.

(Amazon comments, local google, etc)

I would do the same thing. Unfortunately, my bet is that most of those comments are from people easily satisfied with the output and are not too particular or knowledgeable about the ink used. Poor ink in a Canon print head can actually lead to problems, particularly with the pigment inks. If the issue were Yello Gello and the seller did not warn you as you bought their inks then shame on them. Lastly, most likely color matching will be worse than the inks generally recommended on this forum - a matter of taste. There is also the issue of print longevity, something no third party dye-based ink can come close to OEM Canon inks, though some are demonstrably worse that others.

Less expensive does not always equate to savings in the grand scheme of things. The good news it that refilling offers significant savings, and, you can get fantastic color matching without a custom printer-ink-paper ICC printer profile from some aftermarket inks. Longevity, however, will not match Canon inks on Canon paper.

Given the information provided, I am still not convinced you were affected by Yello Gello, and if so, the Yello Gello itself caused a permanent malfunction.

In the future, now that you've found this forum, please stop all printing except for nozzle checks if a problem occurs and post on the forum.

Tip of the Day -- to help prevent clogging issues, consider printing something once a week or so that uses all cartridge colors. A nozzle check typically suffices. This is the forum consensus, though I and others have gone longer.