The Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool allows you to perform printer maintenance or change the settings of the printer.

 If you don't have the tool installed, go to Canon Support > search for your model > select Drivers & Downloads > select Software.

  Cleaning

Performs print head cleaning.
Print head cleaning removes any blockage in the print head nozzles.
Perform cleaning when printing becomes faint, or a specific color fails to print, even though all ink levels are sufficiently high.

Deep Cleaning

Performs deep cleaning.
Perform deep cleaning when two cleaning attempts do not resolve the print head problem.

 Deep Cleaning consumes a larger amount of ink than Cleaning. Cleaning the print heads frequently will rapidly deplete your printer's ink supply. Therefore, perform cleaning only when necessary.

Ink Group

When you click Cleaning or Deep Cleaning, the Ink Group window is displayed.
Selects the ink group that you want to clean the print head for.
Click Initial Check Items to display the items that you need to check before you execute cleaning or deep cleaning.

Print Head Alignment

Print head alignment corrects the installation positions of the print head and improves deviated colors and lines.
Align the print head immediately after installing the print head.
When you click Print Head Alignment, the Print Head Alignment dialog box is displayed.

Nozzle Check

Prints a nozzle check pattern.
Perform this function if printing becomes faint or a specific color fails to print. Print a nozzle check pattern, and check whether the print head is working properly.
If the print result for a specific color is fainted, or if there are any unprinted sections, click Cleaning to clean the print head.
To display a list of items that you should check before printing the nozzle check pattern, click Initial Check Items.

Print Check Pattern

This function prints a pattern that allows you to check whether the any of the ink nozzles are clogged.
Click Print Check Pattern. When the confirmation message is displayed, click OK. The Pattern Check dialog box is then displayed.

Left-side (good)

The print head nozzles are not clogged.

Right-side (bad)

The print head nozzles may be clogged.

Exit

Closes the Pattern Check dialog box.

Cleaning

Performs print head cleaning.
Print head cleaning removes any blockage in the print head nozzles.
Perform cleaning when printing becomes faint, or if a specific color fails to print, even though all ink levels are sufficiently high.

 Bottom Plate Cleaning

Performs cleaning of the bottom plate of the printer.
To prevent smudges on the back side of a sheet of paper, perform Bottom Plate Cleaning before you perform duplex printing.
Also perform Bottom Plate Cleaning if ink smudges caused by something other than print data appear on the printed page.

Power Off

Turns off the printer from the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool.
Perform this function to turn off the printer when you cannot press the ON button (POWER button) on the printer because the printer is out of your reach.
You must press the ON button (POWER button) on the printer to turn the printer on again after clicking this button. When you use this function, you will not be able to turn the printer on from the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool.

 Auto Power

Opens the Auto Power Settings dialog box.
Specify settings for operating the printer power automatically. Perform this function if you want to change the auto power settings.

 If the printer is off or if communication between the printer and the computer is disabled, an error message may appear because the computer cannot collect the printer status. If this happens, click OK to display the most recent settings specified on your computer.

Quiet Settings

Opens the Quiet Settings dialog box.
Quiet Settings dialog box allows you to specify a setting that reduces the operating noise of the printer. This mode comes in handy when the operating noise of the printer becomes a concern, such when printing at night. Perform this operation when you want to change the quiet mode setting.

 If the printer is off or if communication between the printer and the computer is disabled, an error message may appear because the computer cannot collect the printer status. If this happens, click OK to display the most recent settings specified on your computer.

 Custom Settings

Opens the Custom Settings dialog box.
Perform this function to change the settings of this printer.

 If the printer is off or if communication between the printer and the computer is disabled, an error message may appear because the computer cannot collect the printer status. If this happens, click OK to display the most recent settings specified on your computer.
 

Initial Check Items (Cleaning / Deep Cleaning)

Before running Cleaning or Deep Cleaning, check that the printer power is on, and open the cover of the printer.
Check the following items for each ink.

• Check the amount of ink remaining in the cartridge.

• Make sure that you push in the ink cartridge completely until you hear a clicking sound.

• If an orange tape is adhered to the ink cartridge, peel it off completely.
  Any remaining tape will hinder ink output.

• Check that the ink cartridges are installed in their correct positions.

Print Head Alignment dialog box

This dialog box allows you to adjust the attachment position for the print head, or to print the current setting value for the print head position.

Start

Aligns the print head.
Print head alignment corrects the installation positions of the print head and improves deviated colors and lines.
Align the print head immediately after installing the print head.

 Start appears when the Align heads manually check box is selected in the Custom Settings dialog box.

Print Alignment Value

Click this button to check the current setting value of the print head position.
Prints the current setting value for the print head position.

Print Head Alignment dialog box (run time)

To adjust the print head position manually, click Start in the Print Head Alignment dialog box, and perform the operations instructed in the messages. The Print Head Alignment dialog box (run time) is then displayed.
This dialog box allows you to check the printed pattern and adjust the print head position.

Preview Window

Displays the pattern of Print Head Alignment, and checks the position of the selected pattern.
You can also change the setting by clicking the pattern on the screen directly.

Select the Pattern Number

Compare the printed adjustment patterns, and enter the pattern number of the pattern with the least prominent streaks or stripes into the corresponding box.

 If you do not know how to analyze the printed pattern, see Adjusting Print Head Position.
 

Initial Check Items (Nozzle Check)

Before running Nozzle Check, check that the printer power is on, and open the cover of the printer.
Check the following items for each ink.

• Check the amount of ink remaining in the cartridge.

• Make sure that you push in the ink cartridge completely until you hear a clicking sound.

• If an orange tape is adhered to the ink cartridge, peel it off completely.
  Any remaining tape will hinder ink output.

• Check that the ink cartridges are installed in their correct positions.

Auto Power Settings dialog box

When you click Auto Power, the Auto Power Settings dialog box is displayed.
This dialog box allows you to manage the printer power from the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool.

Auto Power On

Selects the auto power-on setting.
Specify Disable to prevent the printer from turning on automatically when print data is sent to it.
Make sure the printer is on and then click OK to change the printer settings.
Specify Enable to turn the printer on automatically when print data is sent to it.

Auto Power Off

Selects the auto power-off setting.
If a printer driver operation or a printer operation is not performed within the specified time, the printer turns off.
 

Quiet Settings dialog box

When you click Quiet Settings, the Quiet Settings dialog box is displayed.
Quiet Settings dialog box allows you to specify a setting that reduces the operating noise of the printer.
Select when you wish to reduce the operating noise of the printer at night, etc.
Using this function may lower the print speed.

Do not use quiet mode

Select this option when you wish to use the printer with volume of normal operating noise.

Always use quiet mode

Select this option when you wish to reduce the operating noise of the printer.

Use quiet mode during specified hours

Select this option when you wish to reduce the operating noise of the printer during a specified period of time.
Set the Start time and the End time of the quiet mode you wish to be activated. If both are set to the same time, the quiet mode will not function.

 You can set the quiet mode from the operation panel of the printer, the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool, or ScanGear (scanner driver). No matter how you use to set the quiet mode, the mode is applied when you perform operations from the operation panel of the printer or printing and scanning from the computer.

 If you specify a time for Use quiet mode during specified hours, quiet mode is not applied to operations (copy, direct print, etc.) performed directly from the printer.
 

Custom Settings dialog box

When you click Custom Settings, the Custom Settings dialog box is displayed.
If necessary, switch between various modes of printer operation.

Align heads manually

Usually, the Print Head Alignment function on the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool is set to automatic head alignment, but you can change it to manual head alignment.
If the printing results of automatic print head alignment are not satisfactory, perform manual head alignment.
Check this check box to perform the manual head alignment.

Rotate 90 degrees left when orientation is [Landscape]

On the Page Setup tab, you can change the rotation direction of the Landscape in the Orientation.
To rotate the document 90 degrees to the left when printing, select the check box.

Don't detect mismatch of paper settings when printing from computer

When printing documents from your computer, the paper loaded in the printer and the paper size setting on the printer driver do not match, this setting disables the message display and allows you to continue printing.
To disable detection of paper setting mismatches, select this check box.

Ink Drying Wait Time

The printer can pause before printing a subsequent page. Moving the slider to the right increases the pause time, and moving the slider to the left decreases the time.
If the paper gets stained because the next page is ejected before the ink on the printed page dries, increase the ink drying wait time.
Reducing the ink drying wait time speeds up printing.

If your product issue was not resolved after following the steps above, or if you require additional help, please create or log in to your Canon Account to see your technical support options.

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