Canon Pixma Mp190 Quick Start Guide

							27
Routine Maintenance
Printing the Nozzle Check Pattern
Print the nozzle check pattern to determine whet her the ink ejects properly from the print head 
nozzles.
1Make sure that the machine is turned on, then load a sheet of A4 or Letter-sized 
plain paper in the Rear Tray.
2Open the Paper Output Tray, then  open the Output Tray Extension.
Set the Paper Thickness Lever to the left. For det ails on the Paper Thickness Lever, refer to 
“Front View” in “Main Components” of the  User’s Guide on-screen manual.
3Print the nozzle check pattern.
(1)Press the  Maintenance  button repeatedly until  A appears.
(2) Press the  Black or Color  button.
The machine prints a nozzle check pattern.
4Examine the pattern and take the appropriate action.
See “Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern” on page 28.
 
						

							28Routine Maintenance
Examining the Nozzle Check Pattern
Examine the nozzle check pattern,  and perform cleaning if necessary.
1Check the nozzle check pattern you printed.
(1)If lines of this pattern are missing, the print head nozzles need cleaning.
Example: When lines are missing (Black ink)
(2) If these patterns have white streaks, the print head nozzles need cleaning.
Example: When white streaks appear (Color ink)
2When cleaning is necessary, perform Print Head Cleaning.
See “Print Head Cleaning” on page 29.
Note
The nozzle check pattern will not be printed correctly if there is not enough ink. Replace the FINE 
Cartridge if the remaining amount of ink is insufficient.
See “Replacing a FINE Cartridge” on page 33.
(2)
(1)
 
						

							29
Routine Maintenance
Print Head Cleaning
Clean the Print Head if lines are missing or if  white streaks appear in the printed nozzle check 
pattern. Cleaning unclogs the nozzle s and restores the print head condition. Note that cleaning the 
Print Head causes used ink to be absorbed in t he ink absorber. Cleaning the Print Head consumes 
ink, so perform Print Head Cleaning only when necessary.
1Make sure that the machine is turned on.
2Start Print Head Cleaning.
(1) Press the  Maintenance  button repeatedly until  H appears.
(2) Press the  Black or Color  button.
Print Head Cleaning starts.
Do not perform any other operations until Pr int Head Cleaning finishes. This takes about 
one minute.
3Confirm the condition of the Print Head.
When Print Head Cleaning finishes, t he LED returns to the standby mode.
Print the nozzle check pattern  to check the print head condition.
See “Printing the Nozzle Check Pattern” on page 27.
Note
If the problem is not resolved after performing Print Head Cleaning twice, try Print Head Deep 
Cleaning. See “Print Head Deep Cleaning” on page 30.
 
						

							30Routine Maintenance
Print Head Deep Cleaning
If print quality does not improve by standard  Print Head Cleaning, try Print Head Deep Cleaning, 
which is a more powerful process. Note that cl eaning the Print Head causes used ink to be absorbed 
in the ink absorber. Print Head Deep Cleaning consumes more ink than standard Print Head 
Cleaning, so perform this procedure only when necessary.
1Make sure that the machine is turned on.
2Start Print Head Deep Cleaning.
(1) Press the  Maintenance  button repeatedly until  y appears.
(2) Press the  Black or Color  button.
Print Head Deep Cleaning starts.
Do not perform any other operations until Pr int Head Deep Cleaning finishes. This takes 
about two minutes.
3Confirm the condition of the Print Head.
(1) Print the nozzle check pattern to check the print head condition.
See “Printing the Nozzle Check Pattern” on page 27.
(2) If the problem is not resolved, perform Print Head Deep Cleaning again.
(3) If this does not solve the problem, a FINE Cart ridge may have run out of ink. Replace it 
with a new one. See “Replacing a FINE Cartridge” on page 33.
 
						

							31 Routine Maintenance
Aligning the Print Head
If ruled lines are printed misaligned or print results are otherwise unsatisfactory, adjust the print head 
position.
1Make sure that the machine is turned on, then load a sheet of A4 or Letter-sized 
plain paper in the Rear Tray.
2Open the Paper Output Tray, then open the Output Tray Extension.
Set the Paper Thickness Lever to the left. For details on the Paper Thickness Lever, refer to 
“Front View” in “Main Components” of the User’s Guide on-screen manual.
3Print the Print Head Alignment Sheet.
(1)Press the Maintenance button repeatedly until P appears.
(2)Press the Black or Color button.
The Print Head Alignment Sheet is printed.
4Adjust the print head position.
(1)Check the printed patterns and fill in the 
corresponding circle ( ) with a dark pencil or 
a black ink pen to select the number of the 
pattern in column A that has the least 
noticeable streaks.
Note
If you select L, the machine exits the process after printing the current head position 
adjustment values.
 
						

							32Routine Maintenance
(2)Repeat the procedure until you finish selecting the pattern number for column L.
(3) Place the Print Head Alignment Sheet face-down on the Platen Glass.
When placing the Print Head Alignment Sheet, place the front side down and align the 
upper left corner of it with the alignment mark as shown in the figure below.
(4) Make sure that  U is displayed on the LED, then press the  Black or Color  button.
The Print Head Alignment Sheet is scanned and the print head is aligned automatically.
Note
If it is difficult to pick the best pattern, pick the setting that produces the least noticeable white 
streaks.
(A) Less noticeable vertical white streaks
(B) More noticeable vertical white streaks
(C) Less noticeable horizontal white streaks
(D) More noticeable horizontal white streaks
Notez If adjustment is not done successfully, the error code is displayed on the LED. In this case, 
start over from step 1 to print a new Print Head Alignment Sheet. For details, see “An Error 
Code Is Displayed on the LED” on page 44.
z If the results of Print Head Alignment on the machine are not satisfactory, perform Print 
Head Alignment on the computer. For details, refer to “Aligning Print Head on the 
Computer” in the  User’s Guide on-screen manual.
z To adjust columns M to R, you need to perform the print head alignment on your computer. 
For details, refer to “Aligning Print Head on the Computer” in the  User’s Guide on-screen 
manual.
(A) (B)
(C) (D)
 
						

							33
Routine Maintenance
Replacing a FINE Cartridge
This section explains the way to confirm the  ink status and the procedure to replace FINE 
Cartridges.
When ink runs out or other errors occur, an error code is displayed on the LED to inform you of the 
error. See “An Error Code Is Displayed on the LED” on page 44 and confirm how to handle it.
When printing from your computer, error mess ages appear on your computer screen as well.
„Getting the Ink Status Information
You can confirm the status of FINE Cartridges in the following ways:
z“With the Ink Lamps” on page 33
z “With the Computer Screen” on page 34
z With the Ink Lamps
Make sure that the LED is on the standby mode. You can confirm the status of each cartridge by 
the ink lamps.
(A)  Alarm  lamp
(B)  Black Ink  lamp
(C)  Color Ink  lamp
Note
zIf there is no improvement with the quality of printing following such maintenance as Print Head 
Cleaning, a FINE Cartridge is probably empty. When ink runs out, replace the FINE Cartridge.
The machine cannot print if the wrong type of FINE Cartridge is used.
z For information on the compatible FINE Cartridges, see the back cover of this guide.
Note
The ink level detector is mounted on the machine to detect the remaining ink level. The machine 
considers as ink is full when a new FINE Cartridge is installed, and then starts to detect a 
remaining ink level. If you install a used FINE Cartridge, the indicated ink level of it may not be 
correct. In such case, refer to the ink level information only as a guide.
(A)
(B)
(C)
 
						

							34Routine Maintenance
zWith the Computer Screen
You can confirm the status of each FINE Cartri dge on the printer status monitor (Windows) and 
Canon IJ Printer Utility (Macintosh).
(A) Confirm whether any sy mbols are displayed here.
(C) The 
Ink lamp lights. Ink is low. You can continue printing for a while, but we 
recommend you to have a new 
FINE Cartridge available.
* The diagram on the left indicates the status of the Color FINE  Cartridge as an example.
(A) The  Alarm lamp lights.
(C) The  Ink lamp flashes.
zIf “E, 1, 6” is displayed on the LED, ink has run out.
See “E, 1, 6” (Ink has run out.) in “An Error Code Is Displayed 
on the LED” on page 44 and take appropriate action.
zIf “E, 1, 3” is displayed on the LED, ink may have run out.See “E, 1, 3” (Ink level cannot be detected.) in “An Error Code 
Is Displayed on the LED” on page 44 and take appropriate 
action.
* The diagram on the left indicates the status of the Color FINE  Cartridge as an example.
(C) The  Ink lamp flashes. The function for detecting the remaining ink level is disabled.
* The diagram on the left indicates the status of the Color FINE 
Cartridge as an example.
(C)
(A)
(C)
(C)
(A)
 
						

							35
Routine Maintenance
Follow the procedure below to open each of the confirmation screens.
1Open the printer properties dialog box.
Refer to “Opening the Printer Properties Dialog  Box Directly from Control Panel” in “Opening 
the Printer Properties Dialog Box (Windows)” of the  User’s Guide on-screen manual.
2Click View Printer Status  on the Maintenance  sheet.
To confirm the FINE Cartridge information, click the  Ink Details menu.
1Open the Canon IJ Printer Utility .
Refer to “Opening the Canon IJ Printer Utility (Macintosh)” in the  User’s Guide on-screen 
manual.
2Select  Ink Level Information  in the pop-up menu.
To confirm the FINE Cartridge information, click  Ink Details.
Ink is low. You can continue printing for a while, but we recommend you to have a 
new FINE Cartridge available.
Ink has run out. See “E, 1, 6” (Ink has r
un out.) in “An Error Code Is Displayed on 
the LED” on page 44 and take appropriate action.
Note
Message may be displayed during printing. Confirm the displayed message and take appropriate 
action.
Note
You can also display the printer status monitor by clicking  Canon XXX Printer (where “XXX” is 
your machine’s name) which appears on the taskbar during printing.
 
						

							36Routine Maintenance
„Replacing FINE Cartridges
When FINE Cartridges run out of ink, replace them using the following steps.
Important
Handling FINE Cartridges
zDo not touch the electrical contacts or Print Head Nozzles on a FINE Cartridge. The machine 
may not print out properly if you touch it.
(A) Electrical Contacts
(B) Print Head Nozzles
zTo maintain optimal printing quality, we recommend the use of specified Canon brand FINE 
Cartridges.
Refilling ink is not recommended.
zOnce you remove a FINE Cartridge, replace it immediately. Do not leave the machine with FINE 
Cartridges removed.
zReplace empty cartridges with new ones. If you insert FINE Cartridges that has been removed 
once, the machine may not print out properly due to some reasons such as clogging of the 
nozzles.
Furthermore, with such cartridges, the Low Ink Warning may not be displayed properly.
zOnce a FINE Cartridge has been installed, do not remove it from the machine and leave it out in 
the open. This will cause the FINE Cartridge to dry out, and the machine may not operate 
properly when it is reinstalled. To maintain optimal printing quality, use a FINE Cartridge within 
six months of first use.
NotezIf a FINE Cartridge runs out of ink, you can print with either Color or Black FINE Cartridge, in 
whichever ink remains, only for a while. However the print quality may be reduced compared to 
when printing with both cartridges. Canon recommends to use new FINE cartridges in order to 
obtain optimum qualities.
Even when printing with one ink only, print with leaving the empty FINE Cartridge installed. If 
either of the Color FINE Cartridge or Black FINE Cartridge is not installed, an error occurs and 
the machine cannot print.
For information on how to configure this setting, refer to the PC Printing Guide on-screen 
manual.
zColor ink may be consumed even when printing a black-and-white document or when black-and 
white printing is specified.
Color ink is also consumed in Print Head Cleaning and Print Head Deep Cleaning, which may 
be necessary to maintain the machine’s performance.
(A)
(B)