Please can you help with a printer problem

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Adamu's soulmate Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 337

I have a Canon pixma 780 printer. I changed the ink cartridges a week ago - they are all full and ink is flowing from them ( my hands are evidence of this) and since then the blue ink is barely visible, magenta is not visible at all and yellow is very feint too.

Black is fine when I do the printer head check but comes out as green when I print docs????

I have done all the usual checks - the cartridges have been loaded in the correct place so I havent put the colours the wrong way round or anything.

I have deep cleaned 6 times and aligned the printer too all to no avail.

I have exhausted all of the checks in the instruction manual

Before I throw it out of the window please please can anyone give me advice on what the problem might be

Many thanks

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 3:59 pm

Go to Printing Preferences and check that all of your settings are Normal or higher and then try printing again.

If that doesn't work, try uninstalling and reinstalling and updating to the latest drivers.

Also, found on the net: Try a few print head deep cleanings if that does not help then you could try soaking the print head in a shallow plate of hot distilled water. Soak the tip of the print head only in no more than 1/8th to 1/4 inch of water.

Apparently Windex will work just as well as distilled water.

Adamu's soulmate Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 337

Thank you very much for those suggestions I will give them a try - fingers crossed!

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 4:55 pm

Did you remove the tear-offs on the cartridges? There's some small holes on the top covered with transparent plastic tear-offs on my canon (another type of printer though) .. If you don't remove these the ink can't flow sufficiently ..

Adamu's soulmate Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 337

Dutchbait Thanks for your reply I did remove these but I even double checked that too - very badly stained hands Smile

I just cant figure why black checks OK but then comes out green, and magenta dosent show at all - the other 2 are v feint. but the ink is flowing from them all - its like something is blocking the ink after it leaves the cartridge???

I will keep trying

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 5:11 pm

Have you tried another set of colour cartridges? I found that when using non-brand cartridges you sometimes get a bad one (or two)...

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:02 pm

Hmm .. Too bad .. It described exactly the problem I had when changing cartridges the first time. The colors were horrible. I only found out later that not only the ink release clips on the bottom had to be removed, but also a small sticker on the other (top) side of the cartridge (for aeration I guess) .. Those are easily overlooked. After I removed those the colors were perfect again.

Might be bad quality cartridges then ..

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:20 pm

Make a nice paint picture with only the basic colors- black-yellow-red-blue-and print it.
When black turns to green you must be adding yellow and blue.
Set it on black and white only and black should be black. If not, it might be slightly in the wrong position or the contacts are corroded, dusted up.
Clean them on cassette and holder and try again.
Can you post a picture of a printout ? Is your paper going through the right way?

Adamu's soulmate Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 337

Hi Luther
Thanks for your help
Just tried dirrerent cartridges but same problem. Cartridges used are Xprint canon compatible to my model - I will check xprint website to see if theres any advice - and google xprint in case others have had same problem

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 7:04 pm

Some printers have to have a cleaning done on the printer heads through the software. If yours has this option, try that and see if it fixes the problem.

If that doesn't work, check to be sure that you have the correct printer and driver installed in your OS. Installing the wrong printer can cause problems like the one that you describe. Very Happy

Adamu's soulmate Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 337

Hi Sheboppe
Thanks for your help. I checked and the printer is installed OK - I have done deep clean but to no avail. Apparently I can buy cleaning cartridges which my friend thinks might be the answer. I am going to call the company I bought the cartridges from - my instinct is they are the problem - this is so frustrating I think it will be me and not the printer that goes out the window Evil or Very Mad

Adamu's soulmate Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 337

Hi Bill2

Thank you for such an ingenius idea - I did the black,yellow blue and red you suggested and printed - guess what black blue and yellow now fine!!!!

Magenta only wont print - that 75% of the way there!!

THANK YOU Very Happy

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:30 pm

Hopefully the cleaning cartridges will help, and maybe a change of the brand of ink. Please let us know. Very Happy

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:08 pm

@maggiemay
In that case "new" cassette needs cleaning or is faulty, soak a while like explained above.
Now make a nice drawing with only magenta, just to force it out, if not Crying or Very sad

If not, I'm sorry nothing will help then, but you can still print black so safe it for those things only (bulk paperwork of lesser quality)

Adamu's soulmate Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 337

Bill2
Thank you again for your help - did what you suggested but that magenta cartridge is being dead stubborn.
I can soak it but its def coming out OK hands and now face Laughing

are evidence of that.
I am sooo grateful to you and all other members who have helped me today - 419eater members are the best!!!!
Thanks to everyone for advice

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:57 pm

Hey, you're welcome, we're just glad that we are still clean Laughing

Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 10:03 pm

I've done the heave ho over the side to Davy Jones' Locker with my color printers. I've even taken my unopened color print carts to the local Boy Scouts for their recycling program. Laser is the way to go.

I've fought Canon printers. The problem is that you are changing the tank and not the emitters also. They get dry, clogged or corroded. I've taken cotton tipped swabs and soaked them in ethanol and dabbed away. Once you start seeing colors I start swabbing with clean tissues. You should be able to see a line, not just a series of dots.

When you are happy with a line, start printing squares of magenta. If you get lines across the squares, go back to the ethyl alcohol.

I've found the condition will not be as bad if you use the printer on a regular basis, use factory carts only and put in the carts as soon as you run out. If you do need color and want to save money, get the refill kits. Learn how to fill tank without pulling it out and before you run it dry. That keeps air out of the system.

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