skip to main text

Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool Description

The Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool allows you to perform printer maintenance or change the settings of the printer.

figure: Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool
Cleaning
Performs print head Cleaning.
The print head Cleaning function allows you to clear up clogged print head nozzles.
Perform print head Cleaning if printing results are not satisfactory or if a specific color fails to print, even though there is enough ink.
Deep Cleaning
Performs Deep Cleaning.
Perform Deep Cleaning when two Cleaning attempts do not resolve the print head problem.

Note

  • Deep Cleaning consumes a larger amount of ink than Cleaning.
    Cleaning the print heads frequently will rapidly deplete your printer's ink supply. Perform Cleaning only when necessary.
Ink Group
When you click Cleaning or Deep Cleaning, the Ink Group window is displayed.
Selects the ink group that you want to clean the print head for.
Click Initial Check Items to display the items that you need to check before you perform Cleaning or Deep Cleaning.
Nozzle Check
Prints a Nozzle Check pattern.
Perform this function if printing becomes faint or a specific color fails to print. Print a Nozzle Check pattern, and check whether the print head is working properly.
If the print result for a specific color is faint, or if there are any unprinted sections, click Cleaning to clean the print head.
To display a list of items that you should check before printing the Nozzle Check pattern, click Initial Check Items.
Print Check Pattern
This function prints a pattern that allows you to check whether the any of the ink nozzles are clogged.
Click Print Check Pattern. When the confirmation message is displayed, click OK. The Pattern Check dialog box is then displayed.
Left-side bitmap (good)
The print head nozzles are not clogged.
Right-side bitmap (bad)
The print head nozzles may be clogged.
Exit
Closes the Pattern Check dialog box.
Cleaning
Performs print head Cleaning.
Print head Cleaning removes any blockage in the print head nozzles.
Perform Cleaning when printing becomes faint, or if a specific color fails to print, even though all ink levels are sufficiently high.
Power Off
Turns off the printer from the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool.
Perform this function to turn off the printer when you cannot press the ON button (POWER button) on the printer because the printer is out of your reach.
You must press the ON button (POWER button) on the printer to turn the printer on again after clicking this button. When you use this function, you will not be able to turn the printer on from the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool.
Auto Power
Opens the Auto Power Settings dialog box.
Specify settings for operating the printer power automatically. Perform this function if you want to change the auto power settings.

Note

  • If the printer is off or if communication between the printer and the computer is disabled, an error message may appear because the computer cannot collect the printer status.
    If this happens, click OK to display the most recent settings specified on your computer.
Quiet Settings
Opens the Quiet Settings dialog box.
Quiet Settings dialog box allows you to specify a setting that reduces the operating noise of the printer. This mode comes in handy when the operating noise of the printer becomes a concern, such when printing at night. Perform this operation when you want to change the quiet mode setting.

Note

  • If the printer is off or if communication between the printer and the computer is disabled, an error message may appear because the computer cannot collect the printer status.
    If this happens, click OK to display the most recent settings specified on your computer.
Custom Settings
Opens the Custom Settings dialog box.
Perform this function to change the settings of this printer.

Note

  • If the printer is off or if communication between the printer and the computer is disabled, an error message may appear because the computer cannot collect the printer status.
    If this happens, click OK to display the most recent settings specified on your computer.
View Printer Status
Starts the Canon IJ Status Monitor.
Perform this function when you want to check the printer status and how a print job is proceeding.

Initial Check Items (Cleaning / Deep Cleaning)

Before running Cleaning or Deep Cleaning, check that the printer power is on, and open the cover of the printer.
Check the following items for each ink.

  • Check the amount of ink remaining in the tank.
  • Check that you push in the ink tank completely until you hear a clicking sound.
  • If an orange tape is adhered to the ink tank, peel it off completely.
    Any remaining tape will hinder ink output.
  • Check that the ink tanks are installed in their correct positions.

Initial Check Items (Nozzle Check)

Before running Nozzle Check, check that the printer power is on, and open the cover of the printer.
Check the following items for each ink.

  • Check the amount of ink remaining in the tank.
  • Check that you push in the ink tank completely until you hear a clicking sound.
  • If an orange tape is adhered to the ink tank, peel it off completely.
    Any remaining tape will hinder ink output.
  • Check that the ink tanks are installed in their correct positions.

Auto Power Settings dialog box

When you click Auto Power, the Auto Power Settings dialog box is displayed.
This dialog box allows you to manage the printer power from the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool.

Auto Power On
Selects the auto power-on setting.
Specify Disable to prevent the printer from turning on automatically when print data is sent to it.
Check that the printer is on and then click OK to change the printer settings.
Specify Enable to turn the printer on automatically when print data is sent to it.
Auto Power Off
Select the time that you want to set from the list. If a printer driver operation or a printer operation is not performed within the selected time, the printer turns off.

Quiet Settings dialog box

When you click Quiet Settings, the Quiet Settings dialog box is displayed.
Quiet Settings dialog box allows you to specify a setting that reduces the operating noise of the printer.
Select when you wish to reduce the operating noise of the printer at night, etc.
Using this function may lower the print speed.

Do not use quiet mode
Select this option when you wish to use the printer with volume of normal operating noise.
Always use quiet mode
Select this option when you wish to reduce the operating noise of the printer.
Use quiet mode during specified hours
Select this option when you wish to reduce the operating noise of the printer during a specified period of time.
Set the Start time and the End time of the quiet mode you wish to be activated. If both are set to the same time, the quiet mode will not function.

Important

  • You can set the quiet mode from the operation panel of the printer, or the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool.
    No matter how you use to set the quiet mode, the mode is applied when you perform operations from the operation panel of the printer or printing from the computer.

Custom Settings dialog box

When you click Custom Settings, the Custom Settings dialog box is displayed.
If necessary, switch between various modes of printer operation.

Detects compatible media in the multi-purpose tray
Detects whether compatible media is loaded on the multi-purpose tray during printing using the multi-purpose tray, and displays a message if compatible media is not loaded.
Check this check box to detect whether compatible media is loaded when printing.
Uncheck this check box to print without detecting whether compatible media is loaded.

Important

  • If you leave this check box unchecked, the printer may print to the multi-purpose tray even if compatible media is not loaded on the multi-purpose tray. Therefore, you should check this check box under normal circumstances.
  • If you load compatible media that has already been printed onto the multi-purpose tray, the printer may detect that no compatible media is loaded on the multi-purpose tray. In this case, uncheck this check box.
Rotate 90 degrees left when orientation is [Landscape]
On the Page Setup tab, you can change the rotation direction of the Landscape in the Orientation.
To rotate the print data 90 degrees to the left during printing, select this item. To rotate the print data 90 degrees to the right during printing, clear this item.

Important

  • Do not change this setting while the print job is displayed in the print wait list. Otherwise, characters may be omitted or the layout may become corrupt.

Note

  • If Envelope Com 10, Envelope DL, Yougata 4 4.13"x9.25", or Yougata 6 3.86"x7.48" is selected for Page Size on the Page Setup tab, the printer rotates the paper 90 degrees to the left to print, regardless of the Rotate 90 degrees left when orientation is [Landscape] setting.
Do not detect mismatched paper settings when printing from a computer
When you print documents from your computer, the paper settings in the printer driver and the paper information registered on the printer do not match, this setting disables the message display and allows you to continue printing.
To disable detection of paper setting mismatches, select this check box.
Disables paper width detection when printing from computer
Even if the paper width identified by the printer during printing from the computer differs from the paper width that was set in Paper Size on the Page Setup tab, this function disables the message display and allows you to continue printing.
To disable detection of the paper width during printing, check this check box.