Strange MX 922 nozzle check

gscotten

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My utility printer (MX 922) has started printing about every other line of text poorly. The nozzle check for the PGBK pigment black is strange. I tried a cleaning and an alignment, but I am assuming the print head is shot. I also cleaned the encoder strip. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
George
Susan064.jpg
 

The Hat

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but I am assuming the print head is shot.
Yes the head is shot, but you don’t have to dump the printer just yet, try setting your media preference to photo matte paper and your printer won’t use the pigment black to print text and will print clear and normal no double image..

P. S. the issue you have with the pigment black is most likely caused by 3rd party inks..
 

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Filling in the rather large gaps in explanation by my esteemed colleague, the train tracks in the PGBK nozzle check are believed to be due to warping of the nozzles caused by excess heat. Canon inkjets heat the ink, forming a bubble, which is then spit out of the nozzle onto the paper. The ink acts as a coolant to protect the nozzles/print head from thermal damage.

It is believed that 3rd party inks may not have the same coolant properties of OEM Canon inks. It may also be a design or manufacturing issue that predisposes some print heads to seemingly fail more than others. Who knows. :idunno

A new print head usually returns full function. Beware print heads from China as there are numerous refurbished print heads in counterfeit packaging that seem to have excessive failure rates. Buy from an authorized seller.

Or, get a new printer, like a Maxify to replace the MX922.
 

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Yes the head is shot, but you don’t have to dump the printer just yet, try setting your media preference to photo matte paper and your printer won’t use the pigment black to print text and will print clear and normal no double image..

P. S. the issue you have with the pigment black is most likely caused by 3rd party inks..
Thanks! I'll try the photo matte trick before springing for a new print head. I seem to recall they are hard to find and expensive. Yes, I have been using third party ink.
 

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Or, get a new printer, like a Maxify to replace the MX922.
I have eight paper trays for the MX922 that are loaded with various paper/envelopes/cards/etc. so I hate to replace it. I also have a lot of custom settings that I am afraid will need to all be redone if I change printers. I also need the duplex sheet feeder and duplex printing, which limits the options. Before I buy a new printhead, I will look at the options, but I am not optimistic about finding something.

I currently do all my photo printing on my Pro-100, so that part of the equation is covered.
 

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Nota bene: The Hat's workaround uses the Dye-based inks to make a composite Black that may be less deep Black, less sharp a font, and definitely will not be water-resistant like the Pigment Black. The latter is especially important if used to address envelopes that may be exposed to moisture during postal delivery.
 

gscotten

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Nota bene: The Hat's workaround uses the Dye-based inks to make a composite Black that may be less deep Black, less sharp a font, and definitely will not be water-resistant like the Pigment Black. The latter is especially important if used to address envelopes that may be exposed to moisture during postal delivery.
Yes, the workaround works well enough to take the pressure off. Thanks for the warning about envelopes. The bad printing on the plain paper setting is good enough for those. Still very legible. (And way better than my first dot matrix printer from around 1980.) The real impetus to fix this now is the very slow photo-quality print speed.

With you and The Hat supporting it, I will definitely look into the Maxify line.

Thanks again to both of you.
 

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if you have a Pro100 for high quality photos, then getting a Maxify is a good idea. These two printers complement each other very well.
Pro-100: up to A3+ paper, 8 dye inks, high quality photos, no waterfast on plain paper and slow text printing, no multifunction.
Maxify: up to A4 paper, 4 pigment inks (water fast on plain paper), high speed office printer, multifunction, a bit lacking on photo quality.
Maxifys aren't cheap though, specially the new GX tank series. If you purchased your Pro-100 during one,of those incredible rebates in the USA some years ago, in all likelihood you paid considerably less than the cost on a new Maxify nowadays.
 
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stratman

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The real impetus to fix this now is the very slow photo-quality print speed.
The Maxify line are serviceable photo printers on Photo Paper but that is not their intent. They are workhorses for small offices.

I compared a 4x6 print of the same image from my all Pigment ink Maxify MB5120 with that of a Dye-based ink Canon MX860 on standard settings and they were essentially the same quality to my eye at normal viewing distances.

You can compare print speeds by looking up each printers specifications on the Canon web site.
 

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