Easy · 7 minInk & print quality
Fix faint or streaky prints
Washed-out pages and white lines usually mean clogged nozzles, not empty cartridges. A nozzle check tells you exactly which color is struggling.
01 · Identify — does this match what you see?
- Text looks gray instead of black
- White horizontal lines across photos
- One color missing entirely
02 · Resolve — follow in order
- 1
Print a nozzle check pattern from the printer's maintenance menu (or the Canon PRINT app).
- 2
Compare it to the good sample on screen. Gaps or missing blocks confirm a clog.
- 3
Run “Cleaning” once, then print another nozzle check.
- 4
If gaps remain, run “Deep Cleaning” once — it uses more ink, so don't repeat it more than twice.
- 5
Still faint? Check that “Plain Paper” is selected in the print dialog; photo-paper settings dilute black on plain sheets.
Pro tip
Inkjet printers clog when they sit unused. Printing one small page a week keeps nozzles clear and saves deep-cleaning ink.
03 · Applies to
PIXMA G3420PIXMA TS6420PIXMA MG3620MAXIFY GX7020