IP4500 Print head problem

[richard_tricky]

Hello. Im new here. Wondered if anyone could help

I have a Canon IP4500 Printer, I use Genuine Canon CLI-8 cartridges in it.

Very suddenly last night it started missing lines in print. Oddly enough only in the Colours. The cartridges are all relatively new and 3 quarters full. The PGBK cartridge prints fine. (sample enclosed)


I have run all the standard cleaning and printer tests. and i have tried removing the Print head and cleaning that out as well. but unfortunately no change.

Does anyone have any idea as to what would be causing this.

Many thanks

Richard

 

[stratman]

Welcome to the forum. richard.

Unfortunately your first post here is not a pleasant one aqnd the news is not good - your print head has irreparably malfunctioned and need a new print head. The news turns even worse since it may be next to impossible to find a new print head for the IP4500. There are print heads sold on EBay, Alibaba, AliExpress and elsewhere that are refurbished or seem to be new, but they are most likely all used despite what looks like new original packaging. Beware print heads sold from China as they may be counterfeit "new" and have a high failure rate.

You could use the 4500 just for black and white text on plain paper setting, but anything with other colors than the Pigment Black cartridge will be affected. You will still need to use all the CLI-8 cartridges, either buying new ones or getting a chip resetter.

At this point, unless you only want to use he 4500 for text as I wrote above then you will need a new printer.

 

[richard_tricky]

Hi thanks for your response. I thought it might be the print heads as the missing lines were very uniform.

On that note im now after a replacement printer.

We use our printer for mainly standard colour document printing (wife is a teacher) and not a lot else. possibly the rare photo print. The cost of the canon ink was an issue as well. a scanner might be a nice option as well.

i was looking at the Epson EcoTank ET-4550 as it came with 2 years worth of ink..
or maybe another canon. but im completely open to suggestions

Thanks

 

[stratman]

I am a Canon person. Others will need to advise on Epson.

Gather a list of your requirements in a printer.

• How many pages a month?
• How often will you be printing - daily, weekly, monthly, more than a month apart?
  
• Primary use - text, photos, combination?
• Do you want Automatic Dupex printing capability? (Also known as automatic 2 sided printing)
  
• Do you need water resistant / Highliter smudge resistant text? You will want Pigment Black for highliter smudge resistant text.
  
• The images you print -- do they need to be of higher quality or is "average" OK?
• Do you want to print on CD/DVD's?
  
• Do you want to refill the cartridges yourself or not?

If you need something with a reasonably high duty cycle - hundreds of pages printed per month, then look at the Canon Maxify. It is a business class printer, so images are not as nice as on other Consumer or Professional grade printers, but it may suit your needs well. High duty cycle, duplex printing (not all models), extra big ink tanks that last a long time, and it can be refilled and the ink monitoring function reset to function as if using OEM Canon cartridges. There are several threads on the forum dealing with the Maxify. People seem to like it very much, including our Moderator @The Hat .

There are other printers that will fit your needs but more info is needed to help you better.

If you are interested in refilling cartridges yourself, versus buying OEM Canon or aftermarket cartridges, then take a look at Precision Colors. Mikling, the owner and a trusted forum member, sells refill ink and other supplies for both Canon and Epson. Looking around the web site you can see not only costs of supplies but also which printers have chip resetters or ARC chips (Automatic Reset Chip) to preserve ink level monitoring. It might help you narrow down your choices of printers.

Also, go to a store that has demo printers set up, take your own paper and a USB drive with a document and an image on it and ask them to print it out on your paper. In this way you will be able to compare directly the output of printers. Not all stores will allow this but some do.

 

[kdsdata]

For myself, I wouldn't give up yet. I have been doing a lot of cleaning lately and have had good results, although every one of the symptoms were different. I still wouldn't rush into a new printer. I would do a full flush of the print-head first.

It's a long shot, but I would recommend removing the print-head, and using a syringe with a tube to flush all the channels with Windex (the pure original Windex, no fancy additives). Flush slowly, making sure that all color disappears from the flushed liquid. Use a syringe with a tube that allow a fit that connects to the channels, because you do need to be able to apply a "little" pressure. Do each channel separate. Then let the print head sit in the vinegar overnight. Maybe even do a couple of more flushes during the evening/night. Then flush some more in the morning. Lastly do flush a few times with distilled water. I did not blow the channels dry of water. I didn't want the print-head to try and operate dry. I installed the print-head and the inks, and ran the maintenance cycles. It took only 4 cycles to get a clear pattern. Of course there is no guarantee. As a said above, it's a long shot, but may possibly save buying a new printer. Good Luck!

 

[The Hat]

@richard_tricky, its plain to see that your print head is beyond saving, and as there’s no replacement, it’s time to look for a new printer, I have an aging 4500 myself and bought a Maxify to replace it, but the 4500 still refuses to give in that easy.

The Maxify is an AIO office pigment printer, (My first) there are several different models to choose from with many of today’s bells and whistles, and if you want a good reliable printer then look no further, it can also be refilled with 3rd party inks to make it cheaper to print with...

 

[palombian]

For a document printer the Maxify is indeed a good candidate.
The print quality is better than the Ecotanks and it is much cheaper to buy (and run with 3th party inks).
You will be surprised by the photo quality also.