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Author Topic: Canon ipf6100 Print Heads  (Read 14367 times)

Jim Pascoe

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Canon ipf6100 Print Heads
« on: September 12, 2009, 05:52:47 am »

Hello all of you Canon experts!

My ipf6100 has just started bringing up a warning every time I go to print.  The warning is along the lines of "Right hand print head needs cleaning, press online to continue with print".  I just press online and it continues to print normally.  I did a nozzle check which showed clear, although the magenta pattern was just slightly inconsistent across regards density.  This is interesting because the magenta is one of the least replenished colours. the most being the grey.

The printer is 18 months old and has had quite a lot of use.  Also, the error message appeared right after printing 8 large canvasses.  I do not often print canvasses.  Is it possible that some fibres from the canvas have caused a problem?

I did one head clean, which has had no effect, but am reluctant to go into head clean B as it will use a substantial amount of ink.  Is it possible to just clean one of the print heads at a time?  The Canon has two.

Many thanks

Jim
« Last Edit: September 14, 2009, 09:04:13 am by Jim Pascoe »
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neil snape

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Canon ipf6100 Print Heads
« Reply #1 on: September 12, 2009, 11:39:29 am »

If you are printing large swaths and large prints and the print buses are showing signs of wear ( translates to higher resistance) then they will overheat and  cause variable density problems. Air conditioning or a cooler and or more ventilated space would likely prolong their use but will necessitate replacing the heads eventually.
The above is based on thermal heads , not saying it is specific to Canon.
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Jim Pascoe

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Canon ipf6100 Print Heads
« Reply #2 on: September 14, 2009, 09:02:16 am »

Thank you for your comments Neil.  I am hoping to get some suggestions from users here who directly have experience of the *100 series Canon printers.  I really want to know whether by doing a power type clean I will possibly clear the head, or just waste a lot of ink for no purpose.

Jim
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Tony B.

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Canon ipf6100 Print Heads
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2009, 03:58:47 pm »

I would expect the 6100 to be the same as the 5000 in this issue.  With the iPF5000 it seems that cleaning the printhead DOES NOT help with the error message.  On the canonwiki site there has been a few posts with check nozzle warnings and running printhead cleanings did not help.  The only thing that helped was replacing the printhead.

The only variable is, I believe, that the iPF6100 has the PF-03 printheads where the iPF5000 had the PF-01 printheads.  I would still suspect that running printhead cleanings will not help.

I have this error on my iPF5000, I have not ran a printhead cleaning do to the posts on the canonwiki that mention that cleanings do not help.

Here is an old link from the wiki talking about the subject

http://canonipf.wikispaces.com/message/view/FAQ/783401

Tony
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Pete Berry

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Canon ipf6100 Print Heads
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2009, 08:26:35 pm »

Quote from: Tony B.
I would expect the 6100 to be the same as the 5000 in this issue.  With the iPF5000 it seems that cleaning the printhead DOES NOT help with the error message.  On the canonwiki site there has been a few posts with check nozzle warnings and running printhead cleanings did not help.  The only thing that helped was replacing the printhead.

The only variable is, I believe, that the iPF6100 has the PF-03 printheads where the iPF5000 had the PF-01 printheads.  I would still suspect that running printhead cleanings will not help.

I have this error on my iPF5000, I have not ran a printhead cleaning do to the posts on the canonwiki that mention that cleanings do not help.

Here is an old link from the wiki talking about the subject

http://canonipf.wikispaces.com/message/view/FAQ/783401

Tony


I had early failure printheads on my 5000 just before warranty expired, and they were replaced with the new Teflon coated PF-3's. Repeated cleanings did nothing but waste ink. No problems with the new ones past 18 months.

Be ready to be horrified at the ink used in old head purging and new head refilling - make sure all tanks for the affected head are preferably above 40% as about 20% per channel is used as I recall, and that the MT has a lot of capacity left.

Pete
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Jim Pascoe

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Canon ipf6100 Print Heads
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2009, 02:58:01 pm »

Pete and Tony

Thank you for your comments.  Looks like I am in for a bit of expense!  All of my printing is ordered stuff, portraits, weddings etc, and the printer works hard.  It just goes to show how important it is to calculate the depreciation and wear and tear costs into charging for print work.  No doubt once one of the heads is replaced, the next will follow soon after.

Jim
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DJKwixar

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Canon ipf6100 Print Heads
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2009, 12:04:34 pm »

Quote from: Jim Pascoe
Hello all of you Canon experts!

My ipf6100 has just started bringing up a warning every time I go to print.  The warning is along the lines of "Right hand print head needs cleaning, press online to continue with print".  I just press online and it continues to print normally.  I did a nozzle check which showed clear, although the magenta pattern was just slightly inconsistent across regards density.  This is interesting because the magenta is one of the least replenished colours. the most being the grey.

The printer is 18 months old and has had quite a lot of use.  Also, the error message appeared right after printing 8 large canvasses.  I do not often print canvasses.  Is it possible that some fibres from the canvas have caused a problem?

I did one head clean, which has had no effect, but am reluctant to go into head clean B as it will use a substantial amount of ink.  Is it possible to just clean one of the print heads at a time?  The Canon has two.

Many thanks

Jim


We had a similar problem with our ipf5100, and decided to upgrade to firmware ver 1.38 which is claimed to automatically continue printing without pressing online - BIG MISTAKE - it goes immediately into replace print head mode, and will not even allow printing a nozzle check. Now the right head has done the same - $1200 down the drain - could have bought a new printer for $200 more.
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Pete Berry

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Canon ipf6100 Print Heads
« Reply #7 on: December 08, 2009, 12:44:12 pm »

Quote from: DJKwixar
We had a similar problem with our ipf5100, and decided to upgrade to firmware ver 1.38 which is claimed to automatically continue printing without pressing online - BIG MISTAKE - it goes immediately into replace print head mode, and will not even allow printing a nozzle check. Now the right head has done the same - $1200 down the drain - could have bought a new printer for $200 more.


If you haven't already sprung for the new heads, check out this link:

http://canonipf.wikispaces.com/message/view/FAQ/17875973

Pete
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Jim Pascoe

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Canon ipf6100 Print Heads
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2009, 01:40:56 pm »

Since my original post in September, the ipf6100 is still chugging along beeping at every print and forcing me to get up and press the Online button.  The prints are fine though.  I am now wondering whether to order a print head just so that I have it to hand when the printer finally insists on the head being changed.  From Pete Berry's post earlier, I may have to have a new maintenance tank and a number of cartridges handy at the same time for the installation.  It is annoying, but I guess we do just have to take a commercial view of all this and remember that Canon do list the print heads as consumables along with the ink.  I also have to say that the printer has behaved faultlessly for 22 months of quite frequent use.  Very different from my last printer, an Epson 4000!

Jim
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