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Pixma MX310 Support
FAQ and troubleshooting

Printing Does Not Start/Printing Is Blurred/Colors Are Wrong/Straight Lines Are Misaligned

Content Id: 8200161100


Issue

Cause and solution

FINE Cartridge is not installed properly / There is no ink left

Remove the FINE Cartridge, then reinstall it.

Small dusts may be stuck between the contact points. In this case, the print result may be improved by reinstalling the FINE Cartridge.

Also, check that the protective tape (A) is removed.

Cause and solution

Print Head nozzles are clogged

See [ Printing the Nozzle Check Pattern ] and perform any necessary maintenance operation.

Clean the Print Head if lines are missing or if white streaks appear in the printed nozzle check pattern. Cleaning unclogs the nozzles and restores the print head condition. Note that cleaning the Print Head causes used ink to be absorbed in the ink absorber. Cleaning the Print Head consumes ink, so perform Print Head Cleaning only when necessary.

1. Make sure that the machine is turned on.

2. Start Print Head Cleaning.

(1) Press the Menu button repeatedly until MAINTENANCE appears.

(2) Press the or button to select CLEANING, then press the OK button.

Print Head Cleaning starts.

Do not perform any other operations until Print Head Cleaning finishes. This takes about 50 seconds.

3. Confirm the condition of the Print Head.

When Print Head Cleaning finishes, the LCD returns to the standby mode.

Print the nozzle check pattern to check the print head condition.

See[ Printing the Nozzle Check Pattern ].

Caution

If the problem is not resolved after performing Print Head Cleaning twice, try Print Head Deep Cleaning.

See[ Print Head Deep Cleaning ].

Print Head 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 cleaning 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.

1. Make sure that the machine is turned on.

2. Start Print Head Deep Cleaning.

(1) Press the Menu button repeatedly until MAINTENANCE appears.

(2) Press the or button to select DEEP CLEANING, then press the OK button.

Print Head Deep Cleaning starts.

Do not perform any other operations until Print Head Deep Cleaning finishes. This takes about one minute.

3. Confirm the condition of the Print Head.

(1) Print the nozzle check pattern to check the print head condition.

See[ Printing the Nozzle Check Pattern ].

(2) If the problem is not resolved, perform Print Head Deep Cleaning again.

(3) If this does not solve the problem, a FINE Cartridge may have run out of ink. Replace it with a new one.

See[ Replacing FINE Cartridges ].

Print Head Deep Cleaning

Cause and solution

The media is loaded with the wrong side facing upwards

Many types of paper are made to be printed on only a particular side of the paper.

Printing on the wrong side may cause unclear prints or prints with reduced quality.

For detailed information on the printable side, refer to the instruction manuals supplied with the paper.

Cause and solution

Inappropriate Paper Thickness Lever setting

Adjust the position of the Paper Thickness Lever according to the type of paper you are printing on. See [ Compatible Media Types ].

Depending on the printing content, the printing surface may become scratched even for the types of paper to set the lever to the left. In this case, set the Paper Thickness Lever to the right.

* Reset the Paper Thickness Lever to the left when you finish printing. If the lever is not set back to the left, the inside of the machine is more likely to get dirty due to the wider clearance between the print head and the loaded paper. It may also reduce print quality.

Cause and solution

Print Head is misaligned

If you did not align the Print Head after installation, straight lines may be printed misaligned. Make sure to align the Print Head after you install it.

See [ Aligning the Print Head ] to perform Print Head Alignment using the Operation Panel.

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