Pixma i6700D envelope smudge

[vince]

Hi too all:

I use an i6700D & am very pleased w/ the performance of this printer. However, there is one problem when I print envelopes. There are small smudges @ the left edge (near the return address) & at/ or near the right end (near where the address prints). I've tried the Canon cleaning procedures but that doesn't help. Only on envelopes! I printed text on a heavier bond paper & it printed fine. I also folded that same paper & it printed out fine smudge free. I did those two print-outs to see if the thickness of the media could be the culprit but too no avail. Anyone out there have any thoughts or theories as to why this does this ONLY on envelopes & at only those two areas? Thanks in advance for any help.

Respectfully, Vince

 

[jflan]

If it were mine and the Bottom Plate Cleaning regimen didn't help I would manually clean the printhead, wipers and parkpad.

With a quartered, moistened paper towel ready, I would remove the printhead and carefully "blot" it onto the moistened paper towel.
Distilled water preferred, tap water is OK.
You could leave the carts in place.
Be patient and proceed lightly without twisting...replace the moistened PT if necessary.

The wipers can be cleaned with Windex + Q-Tip and the parkpad can be cleaned by syringing on a few drops of Windex.

I don't print envelopes but it would seem that they would "pucker" and present a higher target during the process than any other paper, even folded paper.
More likely to happen at an edge.
Could be that factor combined with a printhead bottom plate area that needs cleaning.

 

[pebe]

Do you use the 'envelope' setting to print, rather than 'plain paper'? I had the same problem with smudges until I read somewhere that the 'envelope' setting lifted the printhead to allow for the extra thickness of an envelope.

 

[tyamada]

Have you tried under Printer Maintenance>Custom Settings>Prevent paper abrasion?

 

[vince]

Too all who responded:

I thank you for all your suggestions of help. I did go into the settings, chose the "Prevent paper abrasion" & printed out an envelope w/o smudges. I'm so relieved I could soil myself. Also I'll try the cleaning procedure that "jflan" suggested in detail. BTW where exactly are the "wipers" located? Are there pictures or illustrations that show each area i.e. wiper & park pad? Thanks again everyone...

Vince

 

[jflan]

Too all who responded:

I thank you for all your suggestions of help. I did go into the settings, chose the "Prevent paper abrasion" & printed out an envelope w/o smudges. I'm so relieved I could soil myself. Also I'll try the cleaning procedure that "jflan" suggested in detail. BTW where exactly are the "wipers" located? Are there pictures or illustrations that show each area i.e. wiper & park pad? Thanks again everyone...

Vince

That was an excellent suggestion by tayamada.
Vince, if it's working now, I would just leave it alone.

If the problem persists, then you may want to go to Plan B.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it or you may have other fixing to do.

 

[rehardwick]

I have various Pixma printers and have always had the same problem. I tried all the cleaning processes discussed and they did little good. What worked for me is to print two copies of the envelope and stick in an old envelope in first. The smudges occur on the first envelope, but the second envelope usually comes out nice and clean. I print bar codes and they come out crisp as well. There is a second reason for using an old envelope, as I mark the position the envelope goes into the printer as a reminder to put in correctly.

 

[emerald]

SMUDGED ENVELOPES

I have a Canon iP4000 and a Canon iP5000 printer. I acquired them as used printers. Both were found to be satisfactory in most respects but both left ink smudges on the upper left part (return address) of a #10 envelope. I set the printer for envelopes using a printer profile specifically for envelopes. I have also tried the procedures under Printer Maintenace-Custom Settings-Prevent Paper Abrasions and Bottom Plate Cleaning. These procedures did little to help the problem.

I removed the top of the printer and observed how an enveloped is printed. It takes the same path as a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper. The sheet of paper is not smudged but the envelope is. The only difference is the thickness of the envelope.

Earlier I cleaned the sponge and adjacent plastic area that runs along the width of the printer with a dampened paper towel knowing that it was not likely the source of ink that was smudging the envelopes because that area is towards the back of the envelope. I figured it had to be the bottom of the print head carriage that passes over the front of the envelope. I tried to clean it by printing 4 or 5 envelopes on both sides and from opposite ends, but some smudging still occurred after 20 passes.

I depressed the printer lid sensor button on the top side of the logic board to make the print head carriage move from the parked area over the purging station. THEN I PULLED THE PRINTER AC PLUG. I removed the ink cartridges and the print head.

I folded a piece of paper towel into three thicknesses about an inch and a half wide and dampened it slightly. I placed it under the path of the print head carriage so that it was just touching the paper towel. I moved the carriage back and forth across the damp towel by hand while exerting downward pressure on the two areas of the print head carriage where I suspected the source of the ink smudging was. The towel was blackened by ink. After doing this twice, the towel was clean. It fixed the problem of INK-SMUDGED ENVELOPES.

I have experienced this problem on Hewlett Packard printers also. Cleaning the bottom of the print head carriage on other printers would probably fix envelope smudging. I have not tried it, but I think this procedure could be done on most models by merely opening the lid and not removing the printer top.