Vision Tech

Home / HP, Canon, Epson & Brother printers

HP, Canon, Epson & Brother printersMedium2 min read

Canon PIXMA prints blank or streaky: nozzle check and cleaning

If your Canon PIXMA prints blank pages, pale colours or white lines, the print head nozzles may be clogged, especially if the printer has not been used for a while. Canon provides a nozzle check and cleaning routine for this.

Check the simple things first

  • Check the ink levels on the printer's display or in its software.
  • Make sure the orange tape or protective film is gone from new cartridges.
  • Check you are printing on the correct paper type and the right side of the paper.
  1. Load plain A4 paper.
  2. Use the printer's menu or the computer's printer software to find Nozzle Check or Print Check Pattern. Your model may differ; check the display or the maker's manual.
  3. The printer prints a grid of lines.
  4. If lines or blocks are missing, the nozzles need cleaning.

Clean the print head

  1. In the same maintenance area, choose Cleaning.
  2. Wait for the printer to finish, as it can take a minute or two.
  3. Print the nozzle check pattern again.
  4. If the pattern is still poor, repeat once.

Try deep cleaning

If normal cleaning has not worked after two attempts, many models offer Deep Cleaning. It uses a lot more ink, so only use it when needed. If it does not improve things, wait a few hours and try again.

If print looks doubled or blurry rather than missing, run Print Head Alignment from the same menu.

Safety notes

Ink can stain skin and clothes. Do not touch the print head or reach inside. Handle cartridges only as shown in your manual.

Print something in colour now and then, such as a test page, to keep the nozzles in use.

When to get more help

Get help if the pattern is still poor after cleaning, if a cartridge leaks, or if the printer shows an error. Do not open the casing.

Did this help? If you are still stuck, email Vision Tech and tell us what you can see on the screen. Menus and button names can differ slightly between versions and makes. If something does not match, stop and ask rather than guess.

Related guides

HP, Canon, Epson & Brother printersMediumEpson printer streaky or faded: head cleaning and nozzle checkStreaks, missing lines or faded colours on an Epson inkjet usually mean the print head is blocked or a tank is low.HP, Canon, Epson & Brother printersMediumHP printer prints streaky or faded: cleaning and aligning the print headStreaks, white lines or faded colours on an HP inkjet usually mean the print head needs cleaning or the ink is low.HP, Canon, Epson & Brother printersMediumCanon PIXMA will not connect to Wi-FiIf your Canon PIXMA will not join your Wi-Fi, the cause is usually the network name, the password or the router band rather than a broken printer.