Canon Pro 10S printhead - any hope?

martin_t

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Hmm...

head_resize.jpg



This doesn't look good :-(

But often it prints ok, as on the right here:

result.jpg


So, probably no yellow when it starts printing, but during printing the yellow eventually flows properly. Whether it will properly or not seems very hit and miss. Has anyone seen anything like this before?

Is there any point in trying to flush the head? I'm currently looking at Octopus's solution, though the postage cost from Germany is ludicrous. Or should I replace the printhead (that's assuming it is actually faulty - could be an expensive ineffective purchase).

The other option is the nicely priced Epson P800 I spotted earlier today - that would certainly cure the non-panoramic Canon issue which really bugs me. OTOH, I don't print very often, sometimes not for months, but the Canon hasn't given me a single clogging problem. Frying pan to fire springs to mind.
 

stratman

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At first blush, given the information presented, it looks like either a leaking cartridge or a poor seal between cartridge and print head. The latter can be from an incompletely seated cartridges in the print head or a deformity of the cartridge and/or the print head. I don't know if the Pro 10 uses gaskets or o-rings about the ink entry port of the print head to form a seal with the cartridge. I know other Canon printers do use a gasket or o-ring. If this is missing then you may get ink leakage.

So, look for deformities, missing gaskets / o-rings, and leaks in the cartridge. Clean things up and try a different cartridge.

Last, not fully knowing the design of your printer, but, other Canon printers might suffer cross contamination of nearby cartridges from a leak like this.

Print, scan, crop and post a nozzle check please.
 

The Hat

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So, probably no yellow when it starts printing, but during printing the yellow eventually flows properly. Whether it will properly or not seems very hit and miss. Has anyone seen anything like this before?
Not knowing your printers history, I would just start again, run the print head under a tap of water to clean it up and then shake it dry a bit, then give it a good soaking spray of W5 window cleaner and dry it off with some kitchen paper towels.

Now here's the hard part, leave it to sit in a warm place to dry for several hours to make sure all the moisture has been removed from behind the electrical contacts, we call it patients because it can take ages.

While you’re doing all that cap the carts with the orange clip and get a new yellow cartridge, now when you’re sure the head has been thoroughly dried by the heat, reinsert it back into the printer and then all the carts, (Agitate carts first) and then make sure you hear the click of each cartridge locking down.

When the printer settles down run a nozzle check, and post it up here as @stratman suggested..

If your inclined to leave the printer idle for weeks on end, to use it afterwards start off by running a maintenance cycle and then a nozzle check before commencing any printing, that way you will be able to see if there are any issues or problems before you commence your print run..
 

palombian

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When some prints are OK there is nothing wrong with the printhead.
You risk to do more harm than good by rinsing it if you lack experience.

For one or another reason the yellow cartridge did not fit well and leaked ink.
This ink is not registered by the printer so the ink level indication on your PC is wrong.
Probably the yellow cart is (almost) empty (check: at 17-18g without orange clip you can consider the cart empty).

Clean the yellow ink with paper towels and evt spraying some (distilled) water and verify if the surroundings of the ink inlet are the same as the others.
This probably is so (I see nothing wrong with the seal on your photo).
Insert a new yellow cart and proceed as above.

As told above you should do a nozzle check before starting to print (printing without ink ruins your printhead very fast).

And don't buy an Epson yet, just in case a new printhead is way cheaper.
 
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martin_t

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Thank you both for your suggestions. Nice to have the experts on board :)

I have two yellows carts both with Ocotink in, and they previously were filled with Precision Color inks (and Canon before that!). The one I'm using at the moment replaced the other one which was giving me trouble (as shown on my pics previously) but it wasn't leaking IIRC (I'm sure I would have remembered if it was).

Here's today's nozzle check:
nozzle check_resize.jpg


Now off to buy a new cart and give the head a good soak.
 

martin_t

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Hi palombian

Thanks for your reply.

The cart has got plenty of ink in it (I refill them). However, when the lack of yellow first became apparent I wasn't at all sure what was causing it - and it presented itself as a subtle colour cast on parts of pretty saturated prints. All sorts of things could be wrong I thought and it was some time before I came to my present conclusion. So, worryingly, I've printed a fair number of sheets where perhaps little or no ink was getting to the paper. Hmm. However, as you can see from my prints above, and the nozzle check, when the ink does actually get to the paper, everything seems completely fine.

Can you link to the definitive guide to not ruining your head when giving it a good washing?
 

palombian

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Hi palombian

Thanks for your reply.

The cart has got plenty of ink in it (I refill them). However, when the lack of yellow first became apparent I wasn't at all sure what was causing it - and it presented itself as a subtle colour cast on parts of pretty saturated prints. All sorts of things could be wrong I thought and it was some time before I came to my present conclusion. So, worryingly, I've printed a fair number of sheets where perhaps little or no ink was getting to the paper. Hmm. However, as you can see from my prints above, and the nozzle check, when the ink does actually get to the paper, everything seems completely fine.

Can you link to the definitive guide to not ruining your head when giving it a good washing?

Your nozzle check image is of verrrrryyyy low quality, so I am not 100% sure.
Some missing lines in the MBK ?
In most cases one cleaning cycle, or even a few more nozzle checks will clear this.

Washing a head is not standard maintenance procedure, but much better than DEEP cleaning instructions.
Only needed after a long standstill IMO.

PS: I once observed a slight feed problem after changing from PC yellow to Octoink yellow, but it went away after one page of plain yellow (3th party inks are in most cases OK for mixing with OEM, but it is possible they react between them).
 
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martin_t

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Your nozzle check image is of verrrrryyyy low quality, so I am not 100% sure.
Some missing lines in the MBK ?

Oh yeah :-(

This is better:
nozzle check .jpg


Low quality paper though, and shot on my phone ;-)

I've already done two or three deep cleans.
 

palombian

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This nozzle check seems very good as far as I can see.
Stop worrying and enjoy printing.
I hope the yellow leak is solved ?

I do a nozzle check every time before I start printing (unless last time was yesterday or the day before) and check with a magnifying glass.

As long as this is OK (and it always is) no need for cleaning instructions, certainly avoid deep cleans.
And no printhead baths (unless maximum 2 deep cleanings without result).
You clean your house, your car etc and bath yourself and your dog, but a printer cleans itself (with ink) if you use it regularly.
Although a PRO-10 will give you a good nozzle check after 4 weeks standstill.
You can/should switch the printer off but keep it connected to the mains.
 
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martin_t

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New yellow cart arrived today. Cleaned spilled ink from the head and fitted cart. The first print was fine, and no ink has leaked. Yet. The problem seems intermittent.

I'll report back if I have any further problems, but don't hold your collected breaths, I don't print often, and, as I said, it seems intermittent.
 
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