Smeared lines Canon MP390-recently having smears with black ink, colors print okay. I have done cleaning and deep-cleaning of print head, nozzle and alignment checks, changed the ink cartridge, which was empty after the deep cleaning anyway. It will print a few pages cleanly, then back to smears and smudges. Any suggestions? Thanks.

control panel - printers- highlight printer but dont select - top right printer preferences - maintance- clean printer heads etc clean with all options available. should fix the problem.

My CLP-300 color laser printer does not print clear in black. The left side of the page is worse then the right side. what can be done to fix this problem

If you have taken it apart that far then you are way ahead of the game. My suggestion would be to clean the head or anything the ink touches in a vinegar/water solution. The vinegar dissolves any dried ink whereas the soap may actually gum things up. If that doesn't work or improve things I would say that your print head has a seal problem. The replacement print heads are worth more than a new printer so you can probably figure out whats cheaper to do.

you may have to clean the print head. since the jam cause the smear, and there still have some ink left on the print head.
you wouldn't get aclean copy till all of the ink trace are gone.

hi... it might be that you need some time to let the ink absorb into the pads in the print heads ... this can take between a few hours and a day... Must be frustrating to deep clean three times and just seem that you are wasting ink cartridges, my "solution" would be to give it time or possibly clean the print heads manually.. hope it will solve it out..

thank u!!

Print Nozzle Check Pattern

1. Press the Open button to open the output tray.
   
   
   
   
2. Load letter-sized plain paper in the auto sheet feeder (ASF) or the cassette.
   
   
3. Display the Maintenance screen on the printer.
   
   
4. Press the up or down cursor to select [Nozzle check], then press the <OK>.
   
   
   
   
5. Press the up or down cursor to select [Yes], then press <OK>. (The nozzle check pattern is printed.)
   
   
6. Confirm the nozzle check pattern.
   

< 1 > The normal nozzle check pattern
< 2 > The abnormal nozzle check pattern

< 3 > Some black ink lines are broken.

< 4 > White lines are present in the color ink pattern.

< 5 > Both black and color inks are not present.
Note:

1. When all patterns are printed normally, press the up / down cursor button to select "All A" and press the OK button.
   
   
2. When any patterns are printed abnormally, press the up / down cursor button to select "Also B" and press the OK button.
   

Print Head Cleaning:

1. Display the Maintenance screen on the printer.
   
   
2. Press the up or down cursor to select [Cleaning], then press <OK>.
   
   
   
   
3. Press the up or down cursor to select [Yes], then press <OK> to start print head cleaning.
   
   Note:
   Do not do any other operations until print head cleaning is completed.
   
   
   
4. Print the nozzle check pattern and check the print head status.
   

Deep (Print Head) cleaning:

1. Display the Maintenance screen.
   
   
2. Press the up or down cursor to select [Deep cleaning], then press <OK>.
   
   
   
   
3. Press the up or down cursor to select [Yes], then press <OK> to start print head deep cleaning.
   
   Note:
   Do not do any other operations until print head deep cleaning is completed.
   
   
   
4. Print the nozzle check pattern and check the print head status.
   
   Note:
   Ifthe printed result does not improve even after doing print head deepcleaning, turn off the printer. Then, after 24 hours or later, do printhead deep cleaning again. (After a given time interval, ink coulddissolve itself, resulting in ink unclogging.
   
   

FYI: This was Canon's reply to me (for my MPS 390) and it worked !
Dear Doug:
Thank you for contacting Canon product support. We value you as a Canon customer and appreciate the opportunity to assist you. We regret that black ink does not print from your MP390.
The issue may be with the print head. The print head holds the ink tanks.
You can print a Nozzle Check Pattern to confirm whether the inks are being correctly ejected from the print head nozzles and whether the print head is correctly aligned. Please follow these steps to do so:
1. On the MultiPASS control panel, press [Additional Functions].
2. Press '<' (left) or '>' (right) arrow to select [MAINTENANCE].
3. Press Set. [NOZZLE CHECK] will appear.
4. Press Set again and a Nozzle Check Pattern will print. If lines are broken or white lines are present, clean the print head nozzles.
Verify if the black grid pattern prints at the top. If not, then the nozzles may be clogged.
Please follow these steps to perform a Print Head Refreshing for the
MP390:
1. On the MultiPASS control panel, press Additional Functions. '1. FAX SETTINGS' will appear on the bottom row of the display.
2. Press '<' (left arrow) or '>' (right arrow) to select '3.
MAINTENANCE.'
3. Press Set. 'Nozzle Check' will appear.
4. Press '>' the right arrow to select '3. HEAD REFRESHING' and then press Set. The print head cleaning takes approximately 1 to 2 minutes to complete.
5. Perform a Nozzle Check Pattern.
Nozzle Check Pattern:
Please follow these steps to print a Nozzle Check Pattern to confirm whether the inks are being correctly ejected from the print head nozzles and whether the print head is correctly aligned:
1. On the MultiPASS control panel, press Additional Functions. '1. FAX SETTINGS' will appear on the bottom row of the display.
2. Press '<' (left arrow) or '>' (right arrow) to select '3.
MAINTENANCE.'
3. Press Set. 'NOZZLE CHECK' will appear.
4. Press Set again and a nozzle check pattern will print.
5. Check the printout for broken, white lines and uniformity.
If the lines are broken, or white lines are present, clean the print head.
Please follow these steps to perform a Print Head Nozzle Cleaning:
1. On the MultiPASS control panel, press Additional Functions. '1. FAX SETTINGS' will appear on the bottom row of the display.
2. Press '<' (left arrow) or '>' (right arrow) arrow to select '3.
MAINTENANCE.'
3. Press Set. 'NOZZLE CHECK' will appear.
4. Press '>' the right arrow to select '2. CLEANING' and then press Set. The print head cleaning takes approximately 30 seconds to complete.
5. Print a Nozzle Check Pattern to see if the print quality is improved.
6. Perform Head Refreshing if lines are still broken or white lines still appear. If nozzle check pattern is missing colors, replace the ink tank.
Once you have completed two deep cleanings, please perform another Nozzle Test. If colors are still missing, turn off the printer.
After 24 hours, turn the printer on and perform one more Deep Print Head Cleaning. Once the cleaning is complete, print another Nozzle Test.
After you have completed the Nozzle Test, please let us know the results.
This may be caused by the ink jets in the cartridge print head (the device that holds the ink tanks) wearing out or the ink nozzles starting to clog up. Remove and reseat the print head. Verify that ink has not built up on the bottom of the print head. Please follow the instructions below to reseat the print head:
1. Power the unit on.
2. Open the cover of the printer to bring the print head holder to the center.
3. Remove the ink tanks and set them on a protective covering, such as a rag.
4. Raise the locking lever to release the print head.
5. Remove the print head and reinstall it.
6. Lock the lever back down, gently.
7. Replace the ink tanks. Make sure they securely snap into place in the proper slots.
8. Lower the cover of the unit.
If you have performed multiple print head cleanings but the issue continues, it is most likely that the cartridge print head (the device that holds the ink tanks) will need to be replaced.
If your MP390 is past the one year warranty period, Canon offers two options to assist you, Canon's Loyalty Program or repair at an Authorized Service Facility (ASF).
You are eligible for Canon's Loyalty Program. This option allows you a one-time opportunity to purchase a new printer that uses Canon's next generation of technology at a discounted price. To help you get up and running quickly, we also offer free next business day shipping (if the order is completed by 12:30PM).
If you would like to take part in this option, please reply back to us within the next 14 days.
Once we receive your reply, you will be registered for the Canon Loyalty Program and provided with a Discount Code. The Discount Code will be emailed to you separately along with further instructions on how to use the Canon Loyalty program.
Another option is to have an Authorized Service Facility repair your product, at standard market rates for parts and labor. Here is the closest Canon Authorized Service Facility to the Zip code you have
provided:
BUSINESS MACHINES
1823 UNIVERSITY AVENUE,
BERKELEY CA 94703
510-841-7100
Please call the ASF first to make arrangements to take the unit in for repair. Take the print head, ink tanks and power cable with you to the ASF. The ASF will need these items to perform proper troubleshooting.
Unfortunately, we cannot provide an estimated time it will take for the unit to be repaired. The speed at which the unit is repaired is based entirely on the ASF and their current work load.
We hope this information is helpful to you. Please let us know if we can be of any further assistance with your MultiPASS MP390.
Thank you for choosing Canon.
Sincerely,
David
Technical Support Representative
Special Note: Certain issues are very difficult to resolve via email.
If your question remains unanswered after you have received this email, you may call our special toll-free number for email customers with unresolved issues and speak to a technician* by dialing 1-866-261-9362, Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. (excluding holidays).
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Hey Everyone!

I have an MP390 that had a similar problem over a year ago. There is a very simple fix that worked for me, and I'm pretty sure that it will work for you too. :^)

Outline:
Open the printer as though you were going to replace the ink tanks. Once opened, with the print head centered, open the latch and remove all of the ink tanks. Gently remove the print head (it should come right out, even easier than the ink cartridges). Take a paper towel, wet it with warm water, and then gently clean the bottom part of the print head. The bottom part is the part that will have an orange ribbon running to four metal openings that look like tiny nozzles. After wiping away all of the built-up gunk (on mine there was a thick sludge), grab a new and wet paper towel, and lightly press it against the nozzles. This should start sucking ink through the print head, and you will begin to see four distinct colors (CMYK) bleeding into the towel. Once done, lightly dry the print head off (make sure that there are no loose water droplets) and then reassemble everything. Print a test page and everything should work. If it doesn't change the ink tanks just to be sure.

Fortunately for you, Canon has made the print head on the MP390 very easy to service/remove, so cleaning is a snap.

Steps:

1. Turn Printer On
2. Open Printer As If To Change Ink Tanks
3. Release Ink Tank Latch
4. Remove Ink Tanks
5. Remove Print Head (Black Plastic Assembly In Which Ink Tanks Rest)
6. Use Wet Paper Towel (With Warm Water) To Clean Tank/Nozzle
7. Dry Excess Water
8. Reassemble
9. Close Printer
10. Print Test Page

Good luck!!!

Hi , clean the absorbent below ,open or any hole can the injection can reach to the use ink basin located in the floor of printer.suck all ink with injection and fill in a clean container.
clean the rubber roller and carriage with the obsorbent cotton or clothe.

Do you use original genuine cartridges or refilled ones. It sounds like you have had a leak and need to completely clean out your printer heads, rollers and perhaps do a deep claean as well. You can buy faulty cartridges and toners that have one leak, then the ink continually leaves traces as it prints. When you say callibrated, do you mean you ran print tests and setting tests. Running a print test can often help to diagnose ink issues an d narrow the results down a bit. After a thorough clean, you could try uninstalling and reinstalling unit.