I the timing encoder is clean, I have no solid answer. It certainly appears to occur during bi-directional printing due to the regular stepwise offsets. Perhaps the print head is "confused" about what nozzles to fire??
The alignment print "should" exhibit evidence of bi-directional offset...
IMO, the offsets are being generated during bi-directional printing, and not from paper feed issues. Higher quality paper selections typically force uni-directional printing.
That points right back to the timing strip. Just one drop of ink in the wrong place will be counted (or obscure) as an...
The integral print head on the PB cart has probably failed electronically. I would not expect them to last long, as they don't have a great heat sink to dissipate the generated heating during operation (Canon print heads operate by flash boiling the ink to "spit" it out the nozzle).
The black...
The photos of your nozzle plate can nowhere near determine any positive issue. This nozzle plate "chip" is one of the most complicated in the industry. ONE single blown conduction path can cause what you are seeing (which appears to be from bi-directional printing). Instantaneous currents...
You gotta wonder...
IF, the reservoir is "air tight", how does the air above the ink level in that reservoir get in there as the ink level drops??
The ONLY way is through the vertical slots and ink connection passage between the sponge compartment and the reservoir compartment.
Perhaps your...
+1...what Stratman said. I would use Origional Windex rather than dish soap, but given enough time both should work to dissolve a stubborn clog in dye inks. Pigment ink clogs can be VERY hard to deal with...
Those carts should not have emptied (if you story is correct). They may have drained out while installed.
When you flooded the ceramic pads, did they hold a pool of liquid (they should have), or did the fluid seem to drain away?
Due to the "variablity" of the nozzle test prints, I would say either your head(s) are clogged, or you purge unit (tubing and a peristaltic vacuum pump below the purge pads) is non-performing The purge pads are the porous ceramic pads where the print head "parks" when not printing. You can see...
Great that you posted a nozzle test print! DON'T PRINT ANYTHING OTHER THAT NOZZLE TEST PRINTS UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS RESOLVED!
What printer is it (we recognize it's a Canon)?
What ink are used (supplier)?
Where did you obtain the "refurbished" print head??
Any significant nozzle test print...
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