Printer Problem

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 21 Mar 2001 10:00 pm

I have a Canon printer,mod. # BJC 4400. I put 2 brand new ink carts in it. (1 color,1 b/w).
Yet,it still prints out everything in b/w. This "problem" just started. Any solutions? I've even tried cleaning the printer head.

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mm vita brevis
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Cairo Zoots · Post by **Cairo Zoots** » 21 Mar 2001 11:12 pm

Hi Smiley, when u select the print command from the file menu, or from the right clik dropdown menu, a (Print) screen appears that should show the printer that you're using--and nearby you see a "properties" button that you can clik on. Clik it and on the properties screen you should see a selection for color or black ink. Make sure the "color" option is selected.

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Everett Cox · Post by **Everett Cox** » 22 Mar 2001 2:43 am

Smiley -- You didn't give details and I don't use Canon printers so I may be wrong.

If memory serves me, you have a color cartridge containing two small tanks - one color and one black. You also have another cartridge which contains just one large black tank.

Although either cartridge can go in either holder position, if you put the black, only, cartridge into position 1 (left), that's the kind of print you get - black, only. Put the color in the left holder and black, only, in the right hand holder. --Everett

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 22 Mar 2001 4:44 am

I had a BJC4000 and if I remember correctly the color cartridge was physically larger than the black one and wouldn't fit backwards. However, some printers such as some Lexmark's don't care which cartridge is in which position.

As has already been mentioned, check the setup to make sure it's set to print in color.

Here's something I got from the Canon support page (did you check the Canon support page??) This will test the printer by it'self rather than from windows.

"Printing the Test Pages Using the Operator Panel"

To print a test page, make sure the printer is turned off and paper is loaded.

Press and hold the POWER button until you hear the number of beeps that correspond to the test page you want to print.

Test page - Number of beeps
Demonstration 1
Status Information 2
Test A 3
Nozzle Test 4

When you release the POWER button, the test page will begin to print.
[This message was edited by Jack Stoner on 22 March 2001 at 04:57 AM.]

Steve Feldman · Post by **Steve Feldman** » 22 Mar 2001 6:31 am

Pull the little paper strip off the bottom of the cartridge, Smiley....

[This message was edited by Steve Feldman on 22 March 2001 at 12:05 PM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 22 Mar 2001 8:45 am

Smiley, you're on WebTV, right? Is it a color TV?

Smiley Roberts · Post by **Smiley Roberts** » 23 Mar 2001 7:00 am

b0b,
I'll getcha fer dat one.

Jack,
I tried the "test page" test,& everything coincides. Yet,when I go to print a pic,it still comes out b/w. I called a local Canon rep,& she said,I may need a new printing head.(the part that holds the 2 ink carts.) That's $50.Ž‰.

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<pre> ~ ~
©¿© ars longa,
mm vita brevis
-=sr€=-</pre>

Jack Stoner · Post by **Jack Stoner** » 23 Mar 2001 7:55 am

If the local or self test works your printhead assy is OK. That part of the printer doesn't know the difference between the internal data and external data from the PC.

You are back to PC config, parallel printer port, cable and interface card in the printer. I know that narrows it down to what the problem is (Grin).

Disconnect the cable from both ends and then reconnect the cable.

Try uninstalling the printer driver and associated software and then reinstalling the printer software. Could be one of the drivers or modules got screwed up. (You could just reinstall the software over what is already installed but sometimes that doesn't fix a corrupted file).

Cairo Zoots · Post by **Cairo Zoots** » 23 Mar 2001 10:50 pm

"I tried the "test page" test,& everything coincides. Yet,when I go to print a pic,it still comes out b/w."

Ok, ok, I get it now.......You're tryin' to make a B&W picture come out in COLOR.......RIGHT? Am I right?

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Everett Cox · Post by **Everett Cox** » 24 Mar 2001 1:23 am

Smiley-- It would be helpfull for you to describe:
1. what kind of document this is - a web page, a text file, a graphic file???
2. what program/application are you printing from -- a browser, word processor, graphic viewer???
3. what operating system -- Win98, Win ME???
4. have you tried other file types and other applications???

I downloaded and installed the current driver for the BJ4400 to look for potential problems. Looking at it, may I presume that, under the 'graphics' tab, you have a color model selected and the printer model is 'automatic'???

Under the 'Setting' tab, do you have the 'setup analyzer' and 'cartridge detection' features 'on'??? Is the 'saved setting' set to 'factory'???

Under the 'control' tab, did you run the 'test' function??? Did you run the 'nozzle test'??? Did they give a color indication???

I see in the documentation, that IF YOU USED THE BJ SETUP UTILITY to set the 'printer control' to 'automatic', the cartridge detection feature MAY NOT WORK.

One other thing I can think of -- take the cartridge(s) and CAREFULLY clean the electrical contacts on the side as well as the contacts in the cartridge holder (in the printer). If there's even a small amount of dirt or oil, the machine may not properly sense the cartridge type. Good luck.

Jack -- happened to have a friend last night with a BJ5100 (it takes TWO cartridges)showing the same symptoms as Smiley is having. She had just put in new cartridges (one color/black and one black,only) and had the black, only, in the first holder. It did exactly what I'd posted earlier. Too bad Smiley's problem seems less obvious. --Ev[This message was edited by Everett Cox on 24 March 2001 at 01:27 AM.]