skip to main text

Cleaning the Print Heads

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 Utility2

  2. Click the Cleaning icon

    When the dialog opens, select the ink group for which cleaning is to be performed.
    Before running the cleaning, check the following items:

    Check whether the printer is on and open the printer's cover.
    Check the following items for each ink. Then, if necessary, perform Cleaning.

    • Is there ink remaining in the tank?
    • Did you push in the ink tank completely until you heard a clicking sound?
    • If the orange tape is there, has it been peeled off completely?
      Any remaining tape will hinder ink output.
    • Did you install the ink tanks in their correct positions?

  3. Execute cleaning

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

    Print head cleaning starts.

  4. Complete cleaning

    Next, the message for nozzle check pattern printing is displayed.

  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 Utility2

  2. Click the Deep Cleaning icon

    When the dialog opens, select the ink group for which deep cleaning is to be performed.
    Before running the forced cleaning, check the following items:

    Check whether the printer is on and open the printer's cover.
    Check the following items for each ink. Then, if necessary, perform Deep Cleaning.

    • Is there ink remaining in the tank?
    • Did you push in the ink tank completely until you heard a clicking sound?
    • If the orange tape is there, has it been peeled off completely?
      Any remaining tape will hinder ink output.
    • Did you install the ink tanks in their correct positions?

  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 Utility2

  2. Click the System Cleaning icon

    When the dialog opens, select the ink group for which system cleaning is to be performed.
    Before running the system cleaning, check the following items:

    Check whether the printer is on and open the printer's cover.
    Check the following items for each ink.

    • Is there ink remaining in the tank?
    • Did you push in the ink tank completely until you heard a clicking sound?
    • If the orange tape is there, has it been peeled off completely?
      Any remaining tape will hinder ink output.
    • Did you install the ink tanks in their correct positions?

    In addition, System Cleaning consumes an extremely large amount of ink.
    Before executing this function, check the items below. Then, if you feel it necessary, execute System Cleaning.

    • Did you use Nozzle Check to check the nozzle status and was there a problem?
    • Did the status remain unchanged even after Deep Cleaning was executed?

  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, turn 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 "No Ink Comes Out."