INK TANK – These do not have the print heads integrated.  The print head is separate.

These are compatible cartridges so there will be some minor differences in appearance between these and the OEM cartridges.  These differences will not affect the function of the cartridge.

 

Not Recognizing

 

Verify you have the correct cartridge for your specific model printer.

 

These do not have a smart chip, make sure the cartridge is firmly pressed down in the printer and has clicked into place.  Verify the correct color is being installed into the correct slot in the printer.

 

Cover the bottom nozzle and top vent hole with a paper towel and try gently shaking and tapping the cartridge.

 

These cartridges are clear so you can view inside and see the ink level.  The side of the cartridge with the nozzle has a sponge on the inside to feed ink out of the nozzle.  The side of the cartridge with the clip is the ink reservoir which contains the liquid ink.  This side will drop down in level as the ink is used up.

 

Print Quality Issues

 

There’s an orange protective clip that must be removed from the cartridge prior to install.  There is also a yellow piece of tape covering a vent hole which must be removed.  It is important that the piece of tape is fully removed.

For all print quality issues, a print head cleaning should be done.  Canon also offers a deep cleaning on some of the printers that use these cartridges that should be attempted if standard cleaning does not resolve the issue.  You can access the print head cleaning in Windows by clicking Start, Settings, and the Printers in XP or Start, then Devices and Printers in Windows 7.  Double click on the printer icon, then click File and Printer Preferences/Properties.  Then select cleaning.  On some Canon printers you can run the cleaning directly through the printer.  Check with the User’s Guide for the particular printer to see how to access the print head cleaning.  User’s Guides are available on Canon’s website.

 

Print head cleaning does use a lot of ink so if the second cleaning or the deep cycle cleaning doesn’t resolve the issue run a third cleaning but allow the printer to sit for at least 15 minutes to allow the ink to soak on the print head BEFORE attempting to print anything.  This will help soften and loosen any possible dried ink that might be clogging the nozzles.

 

Not Fitting

 

Make sure you have the correct cartridge for your specific printer.  Verify you are installing the correct color into the correct slot in the printer.  You can view the User’s Guide for their specific printer on Canon’s website to verify the color slot orientation in your printer.

 

Verify the orange clip has been removed from the cartridge.  There is what appears to be a clear clip on the bottom of the cartridge.  Do NOT remove this clip.

 

Leaking

 

Remove the yellow tape first to open the vent hole on the cartridge which will allow the pressure inside the cartridge to equalize with the atmosphere.  Wait 10-15 seconds and lightly tap the cartridge before removing the orange clip to help prevent leakage.  Do not squeeze the sides of the cartridge.  If the yellow tape has been removed be careful if flipping the cartridge upside down to prevent ink leakage out of the vent hole.