PP001M

Cleaning the Print Heads from Your Computer

The print head cleaning and deep cleaning functions allow you to clear up clogged print head nozzle. Perform print head cleaning if printing is faint or a specific color fails to print, even though there is enough ink.
If you perform deep cleaning and the condition still does not improve, perform system cleaning.

The procedure for cleaning is as follows:

Cleaning

  1. Select Cleaning from the pop-up menu on the Canon IJ Printer Utility

  2. Click the Cleaning icon

    When the dialog opens, select the ink group for which cleaning is to be performed.
    Click to display the items you need to check before performing cleaning.

  3. Execute cleaning

    Make sure that the printer is on and then click OK.

    Print head cleaning starts.

  4. Complete cleaning

    The Nozzle Check dialog opens after the confirmation message.

  5. Check the results

    To check whether the print quality has improved, click Print Check Pattern. To cancel the check process, click Cancel.

    If cleaning the head once does not resolve the print head problem, clean it once more.

Important
  • Cleaning consumes a small amount of ink.
    Cleaning the print head frequently will rapidly deplete your printer's ink supply. Consequently, perform cleaning only when necessary.

Deep Cleaning

Deep Cleaning is more thorough than cleaning. Perform deep cleaning when two Cleaning attempts do not resolve the print head problem.

  1. Select Cleaning from the pop-up menu on the Canon IJ Printer Utility

  2. Click the Deep Cleaning icon

    When the dialog opens, select the ink group for which deep cleaning is to be performed.
    Click to display the items you need to check before performing deep cleaning.

  3. Execute deep cleaning

    Make sure that the printer is on and then click OK.
    Click OK when the confirmation message appears.

    Print head deep cleaning starts.

  4. Complete deep cleaning

    The Nozzle Check dialog opens after the confirmation message.

  5. Check the results

    To check whether the print quality has improved, click Print Check Pattern. To cancel the check process, click Cancel.

Important
  • Deep Cleaning consumes a larger amount of ink than Cleaning.
    Cleaning the print head frequently will rapidly deplete your printer's ink supply. Consequently, perform cleaning only when necessary.

System Cleaning

Execute System Cleaning if the status does not improve even after Deep Cleaning is performed.

  1. Select Cleaning from the pop-up menu on the Canon IJ Printer Utility

  2. Click the System Cleaning icon

    When the dialog opens, select the ink group for which system cleaning is to be performed.
    Click to display the items you need to check before performing system cleaning.

  3. Execute system cleaning

    Make sure that the printer is on and then click OK.
    Click OK when the confirmation message appears.

    System cleaning starts.

  4. Complete system cleaning

    The Nozzle Check dialog opens after the confirmation message.

  5. Check the results

    To check whether the print quality has improved, click Print Check Pattern. To cancel the check process, click Cancel.

Important
  • System Cleaning consumes an extremely large amount of ink.
    Executing system cleaning frequently will rapidly deplete your printer's ink supply. Therefore, execute system cleaning only when necessary.

Note
  • If there is no sign of improvement after System Cleaning, switch off the printer, wait 24 hours, and then perform Deep Cleaning again. If there is still no sign of improvement, the ink may have run out or the print head may be worn. For details on the remedial action to be taken, see "Ink Is Not Ejected."

Related Topic

Use Your Computer to Print a Nozzle Check Pattern

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