Help. Colors print as pastels (light)

[c mateland]

I'm running a Canon iP4000 with fresh ink in all tanks and everything
prints correctly, but the colors are light and pastel looking. I ran
all the maintainance tasks available such as nozzle cleaning,
alignment, etc, but it still prints light. It should be much more
vibrant or saturated. I already checked the settings and it's on
standard. Anyway it used to print fine like this and now it doesn't.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Chuck

 

[ftran999]

I'm running a Canon iP4000 with fresh ink in all tanks and everything
prints correctly, but the colors are light and pastel looking. I ran
all the maintainance tasks available such as nozzle cleaning,
alignment, etc, but it still prints light. It should be much more
vibrant or saturated. I already checked the settings and it's on
standard. Anyway it used to print fine like this and now it doesn't.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Chuck

Color management issue maybe?
1. Make sure you are using the correct profile for the type of paper
surface you are using.
2. Is your monitor calibrated? You can google for a free program (WYSIWYG
by Praxisoft for example) which will do a basically decent job, but I would
invest in a good calibration software such as Colorvision's Spyder2.
3. What are you using for imaging software? (e.g. PhotoShop). I'm not sure
if this applies to your Canon, but the instruction manual for my Epson
states that if prints are too light you probably have both the printer and
imaging software handling the color mgmnt. It is best to disable CM in the
printer and let your imaging software handle the CM.
Also you may want to check the troubleshooting on Canon's site:
http://alpha03u.c-wss.com/inc/ApplServlet?SV=WWUCA900

 

[measekite]

If you are using generic ink then that is why it is happening. I have
an IP4000 that has always used Canon ink. Never had a cleaning cycle
and never had a problem.

 

[c mateland]

Color management issue maybe?
1. Make sure you are using the correct profile for the type of paper
surface you are using.
2. Is your monitor calibrated? You can google for a free program (WYSIWYG
by Praxisoft for example) which will do a basically decent job, but I would
invest in a good calibration software such as Colorvision's Spyder2.
3. What are you using for imaging software? (e.g. PhotoShop). I'm not sure
if this applies to your Canon, but the instruction manual for my Epson
states that if prints are too light you probably have both the printer and
imaging software handling the color mgmnt. It is best to disable CM in the
printer and let your imaging software handle the CM.
Also you may want to check the troubleshooting on Canon's site:
http://alpha03u.c-wss.com/inc/ApplServlet?SV=WWUCA900

I think it's more general than that. Even the test page with the
Windows icon in the upper left is pastel. So, It doesn't seem to be
isolated to any particular program I'm printing from. In fact, even the
alignment test print (where it prints the individual colors) from the
printer's program comes out light.

 

[c mateland]

If you are using generic ink then that is why it is happening. I have
an IP4000 that has always used Canon ink. Never had a cleaning cycle
and never had a problem.

I'm using genuine Canon ink and always have, so I don't get it.

 

[George E. Cawthon]

I'm using genuine Canon ink and always have, so I don't get it.

Check your printer menu to make sure the iP4000 is
selected and to see that something didn't get set
wrong. For example, the paper type, the print
quality set to draft quality, etc.

Click print, then click Properties, under the Main
tab check the paper and the print quality. If the
Color Adjustment is set to Manual click Set and
check the Intensity.

 

[measekite]

measekite wrote:



I'm using genuine Canon ink and always have, so I don't get it.

I find this difficult to understand since this does not happen to me.
Check to see that all carts are in the right slots. Reset your driver
to all of the defaults. Turn off all color mgt in your editor. Find a
neutral test foto. Print and see what happens.

If all fails call Canon Tech Suppt. They are very good.

 

[Tony]

I'm running a Canon iP4000 with fresh ink in all tanks and everything
prints correctly, but the colors are light and pastel looking. I ran
all the maintainance tasks available such as nozzle cleaning,
alignment, etc, but it still prints light. It should be much more
vibrant or saturated. I already checked the settings and it's on
standard. Anyway it used to print fine like this and now it doesn't.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Chuck

Chuck
Try some basics.
What does the printers internal nozzle check look like?
Open the driver, select the Maintenance tab and print a nozzle check pattern.
How does it look?
Tony

 

[zakezuke]

I'm running a Canon iP4000 with fresh ink in all tanks and everything
prints correctly, but the colors are light and pastel looking. I ran
all the maintainance tasks available such as nozzle cleaning,
alignment, etc, but it still prints light. It should be much more
vibrant or saturated. I already checked the settings and it's on
standard. Anyway it used to print fine like this and now it doesn't.

Any ideas?

#1: Don't listen to Measekite. He pretty much associates everything
with a printer with aftermarket ink, and assumes that a canon will run
forever with OEM ink. This is simply not true. Heads have a limite
life on Canon, even with OEM ink.
-----

That being said, Tony's advice about the nozzle check is good. Also,
there is a procedure to get the printer to print something on it's own
without your computer. This would help isolate whether your issue is
computer related or printer related.

1) Make sure printer is off and is plugged in
2) Hold down [RESUME] (Triangle pointed down) hold down [POWER] and
wait.
3) Release [RESUME] but Continue to hold [POWER]. Double click
[RESUME]. Release [POWER]. You are now in service mode.
4) Check that you have paper in your feeds. Press [POWER] then
[RESUME] This will cause a diagnostic page to print.
5) When done press [POWER] by it self to resume normal operation.

http://pixma.web1000.com/Pixma345/images/0096.JPG

This is the ip3000 diagnostic page, the ip4000 one is similar but has
an extra black. There are seperate checkboard nozzle checks for the
large nozzles and the smaller ones. In addition, it wil print some
solid bars.

This won't help you solve your problem, but will help isolate it.
Based on your description, I can't tell if it's a pc problem or printer
one.

 

[frank]

I'm using genuine Canon ink and always have, so I don't get it.

C...you're dealing with a known idiot named meashershithead. Kill file
his stuck-on-stupid ass and be done with him.
Frank

 

[c mateland]

Check your printer menu to make sure the iP4000 is
selected and to see that something didn't get set
wrong. For example, the paper type, the print
quality set to draft quality, etc.

Click print, then click Properties, under the Main
tab check the paper and the print quality. If the
Color Adjustment is set to Manual click Set and
check the Intensity.

I checked all that and experimented with changing them, but same
result. The colors come out light. I even manually set the intensity to
maximum, but no difference.

 

[c mateland]

I find this difficult to understand since this does not happen to me.
Check to see that all carts are in the right slots. Reset your driver
to all of the defaults. Turn off all color mgt in your editor. Find a
neutral test foto. Print and see what happens.

If all fails call Canon Tech Suppt. They are very good.

I checked the tanks several times, thinking they may be the problem. In
the driver's program, I hit DEFAULT on all subjects. I may have to call
Canon.

 

[c mateland]

Chuck
Try some basics.
What does the printers internal nozzle check look like?
Open the driver, select the Maintenance tab and print a nozzle check pattern.
How does it look?
Tony

It looks like the benchmark model, but the colors are light.

 

[c mateland]

I'm running a Canon iP4000 with fresh ink in all tanks and everything
prints correctly, but the colors are light and pastel looking. I ran
all the maintainance tasks available such as nozzle cleaning,
alignment, etc, but it still prints light. It should be much more
vibrant or saturated. I already checked the settings and it's on
standard. Anyway it used to print fine like this and now it doesn't.

Any ideas?

#1: Don't listen to Measekite. He pretty much associates everything
with a printer with aftermarket ink, and assumes that a canon will run
forever with OEM ink. This is simply not true. Heads have a limite
life on Canon, even with OEM ink.
-----

That being said, Tony's advice about the nozzle check is good. Also,
there is a procedure to get the printer to print something on it's own
without your computer. This would help isolate whether your issue is
computer related or printer related.

1) Make sure printer is off and is plugged in
2) Hold down [RESUME] (Triangle pointed down) hold down [POWER] and
wait.
3) Release [RESUME] but Continue to hold [POWER]. Double click
[RESUME]. Release [POWER]. You are now in service mode.
4) Check that you have paper in your feeds. Press [POWER] then
[RESUME] This will cause a diagnostic page to print.
5) When done press [POWER] by it self to resume normal operation.

http://pixma.web1000.com/Pixma345/images/0096.JPG

This is the ip3000 diagnostic page, the ip4000 one is similar but has
an extra black. There are seperate checkboard nozzle checks for the
large nozzles and the smaller ones. In addition, it wil print some
solid bars.

This won't help you solve your problem, but will help isolate it.
Based on your description, I can't tell if it's a pc problem or printer
one.

I'll try that. Thanks.

 

[Tony]

It looks like the benchmark model, but the colors are light.

In that case the problem is the printhead or the printer itself. I am inclined,
based on limited information, to suggest that it is the printer rather than the
head (if it was the head I would not expect all colours to be light, just some
of them with missing nozzles). Is the printer in warranty? If so, call Canon
and get it repaired or replaced.
Tony

 

[zakezuke]

I'll try that. Thanks.

Odds are since the nozzle check didn't pan out, this won't either. But
it doesn't hurt just to be sure.

My last support call with canon took about 1/2 hour, and I was out of
warranty. I got the full treatment, from what paper I was using to the
speeches about how canon isn't accountable for unacceptable results on
paper other than their own. My point is even if you are out of
warranty they may replace your head for free. This is normal and to be
expected after 10 or so cartridges changes. I'm not saying it is your
head as i've seen similar simptoms with cartridges which have their top
inlet hole blocked, like for example if you didn't unwrap all the
cartridge plastic properly. It is possible.

Canon doesn't want their old head back, so if you get a free one you
may feel free to employ some advanced cleaning techniques offered on
"http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/".

My prior support calls were spead up because I was able to say with all
honesty that I took the ink out of one printer which wasn't working
well, and put it in another.

 

[c mateland]

On the Canon iP4000 that prints colors very light, I did the
interactive trouble-shooting guide at the Canon support site. It had me
do a nozzle check from the printer (which we already did) to confirm
what we found. It then had me do cleanings and a deep clean, which did
not help.

Oddly, I found on the nozzle check printout, along with the colors
being light, the black ink on the labels ("6C, 6M, 6Y" etc) is an olive
green instead of black. However, the black bars next to 6BK and the
"6BK" label itself are jet black and so are the grid lines. But, again,
the remaining labels are an olive color and none of the bars next to
them are jet black, but either a greenish gray or medium gray, while
the long bar next to 6BK is a pure medium gray.

Can this be the regular BK tank or head causing the problem?

Anyway, the Canon site said to leave the printer off for 24 hours and
try again. So, I'm doing what they say and I'll let you know.

Thanks.

 

[c mateland]

By the way, if the print head is damaged (or otherwise needs replaced),
where would I buy such a component so I can get a cost estimate? And
what's involved in installing it?

Thanks.

 

[Tony]

On the Canon iP4000 that prints colors very light, I did the
interactive trouble-shooting guide at the Canon support site. It had me
do a nozzle check from the printer (which we already did) to confirm
what we found. It then had me do cleanings and a deep clean, which did
not help.

Oddly, I found on the nozzle check printout, along with the colors
being light, the black ink on the labels ("6C, 6M, 6Y" etc) is an olive
green instead of black. However, the black bars next to 6BK and the
"6BK" label itself are jet black and so are the grid lines. But, again,
the remaining labels are an olive color and none of the bars next to
them are jet black, but either a greenish gray or medium gray, while
the long bar next to 6BK is a pure medium gray.

Can this be the regular BK tank or head causing the problem?

Anyway, the Canon site said to leave the printer off for 24 hours and
try again. So, I'm doing what they say and I'll let you know.

Thanks.

The vertical bars and the text for 3eBK (line 1) should be solid dense
black.The panel to the right should be an unbroken grid sloping slightly
downwards.
The other vertical bars are composites (made up from a mixture of colours
including 6BK)
The text 6C,6M and 6Y (on lines 2,3,4,5 and 6) shoud be a mid gray (with
perhaps a touch of magenta making them ever so slightly pink, barely
noticeable).
The vertical bars next to lines 2,4 and 6 should be a composite black which
shows as an extremely dark gray, almost black).
The vertical bars next to lines 3 and 5 should be the same as the 6C,6M and 6Y
text but perhaps slightly lighter.
The bars, text and horizontal band on line 7 (6BK) should be a good quality mid
gray.
The horizontal bands should be -
line 2 6C Cyan
line 3 6C light cyan
line 4 6M magenta
line 5 6M light magenta
line 6 6Y yellow

Hope that helps
Tony

 

[zakezuke]

By the way, if the print head is damaged (or otherwise needs replaced),
where would I buy such a component so I can get a cost estimate? And
what's involved in installing it?

Canon may opt to replace it. I don't know how far out of warranty a
printer needs to be in order to them to tell you to bugger off but they
are somewhat liberal. My last phone call with them started out "oh no
you are totally out of warranty, you should buy an extended one" then
followed by "I'll ask my manager, ok, we'll do it just this once since
you've never had a problem befroe" which was funny as I had the entire
printer replaced before.

Expect to spend about $80 for the "QY6-0049", printhead assembly. I
see some on e-bay for $55 or so, amazon.com links to the same e-bay
auctions. The e-bay ones I "suspect" as being ones from Canon which
users got free from Canon.

The cost is high enough that one may consider another printer. The new
ip4200 for example fetchs about $80ish on sale, though right now it's
$100 on buy.com $85 + shipping from Amazon.com (they sometimes offer
free shipping), but the best price at the moment is from newegg.com
$79.99 free shipping till july 4th. If your in the market anything
under $80 is the buy me price.

Now you may wish to keep your ip4000 in service. The bci-6s average
about $10/pop where the ink for the new printer averages $13.50/pop on
a good day. The large black is like $12 for yours, $17 for the new
one. If you prefer prefilled aftermarket tanks, they are NOT an option
for the ip4200 but they are for the ip4000.