Canon not printing like it used to

[BlimpyJones]

Using a Canon MP160.

My wife prints b/w line art from a website, the files are downloaded in JPG format.

In the past these files would print nicely, right down to the finest lines. Lately, for unknown reasons, the finer lines have stopped printing altogether. Even the bolder portions are weaker than they have been.

Things we have tried:
- Realigning ink cartridges
- Reinstalling/updating printer drivers
- Printing the files from Photoshop, MS Paint, and even MS Word.

Is there some kind of setting that may have gotten changed that may be causing this?
I know I may need to provide more information but I just can't figure this one out.

Thanks!

 

[hphater]

Definitely need to do print head cleaning. Often > 1. In between cleanings, print documents in HQ mode (or at least part). If you see lines / streaks, do more head cleanings.

You can also access "nozzle test" from control panel. May have to search exact buttons to press, to access that, but start w/ setup >Tools.
Don't know about Canon, but many HPs have "secret menus" that can be accessed, if know right button sequence. I found instructions on sites like out-of-warranty & Fixya.com

 

[l_d_allan]

Short reply ... I concur with an earlier post ... do a "nozzle check" and see if all looks well. It will show if one or more colors are flawed.

Longer reply ... TMI?
Well, the MP160 is a really low-end printer with a combined cartridge for dye colors, and a separate cartridge for pigment black. Your expectation on print quality should be very modest, compared to a printer with separate ink cartridges and CMYK ink.

Hopefully, your print volume is relatively low, as the supplies cost per print are relatively high ... I believe you are buying a cartridge which includes a new print head whenever one of the three colors needs to be replaced. Ouch. But "it is what it is".

Based on the Canon spec page, the CL-51 has only three colors ... Cyan + Magenta + Yellow. However, the print-head is probably included with a new CL-51, so a new cartridge will probably "fix" a possibly clogged head.

So what ... ? IMO, the MP160 may be one of the worst possible printers for doing b/w line art.

A problem with using the MP160 with a low volume of printing is that you can go weeks / months / longer between prints. That is very, very bad for inkjets. Are you doing weekly "nozzle checks" if you don't make prints very often?

Getting back to your question ... here are some possibilities ... if you insist on continuing with the same MP160:
* What "Media-Type" are you using? Plain paper may cause use of the Pigment-black ink, which may be coarser, and explain what you are seeing.

* With other Media-Type settings, the MP160 will have to blend Cyan + Magenta + Yellow to get Black. FWIW, slightly more advanced printers will have a separate "K" ink for Black.

* I've not used a MP160, but other Canon printers have a "Print Quality" setting for "High" and "Standard" (and perhaps other choices). "High" is usually slower, unidirectional. "Standard" is usually faster, bi-directional.

* With "Fast / Standard", you can get "ink starvation", but probably not with line art.

Another suggestion ... can you take several b/w line art .jpegs to a local store on a USB thumb-drive, and try printing with a slightly better printer that has separate C-M-Y-K cartridges? Or have several of your line-art .jpg's printed by Sams / Costco / Walgreens / Walmart / etc. Or a friend or at work? If so, can you tell the difference?