Advanced Guide > Troubleshooting > Print Results Not Satisfactory > Paper Is Smudged/Printed Surface Is Scratched

# Paper Is Smudged/Printed Surface Is Scratched

- Check 1: Did you confirm the paper and print quality settings?

  Print Results Not Satisfactory

- Check 2: Is the appropriate type of paper being used? Check the following:

  - Check to see if the paper you are printing on is suitable for your printing purpose.

    Loading Paper

  - When performing Borderless Printing, make sure that the paper you are using is suitable for Borderless Printing.

    If the paper you are using is not suitable for Borderless Printing, the print quality may be reduced at the top and bottom edges of the paper.

    Printing Area

- Check 3: Load the paper after correcting its curl.

  - For Plain Paper

    Turn the paper over and reload it to print on the other side.

    Leaving the paper loaded on the Rear Tray for a long time may cause the paper to curl. In this case, load the paper with the other side facing up. It may resolve the problem.

    We recommend putting unused paper back into the package and keep it on a level surface.

  - For Other Paper

    1. With the printing side (A) facing up, cover the paper with a fresh sheet of plain paper to avoid staining or scratching the surface.

    2. Roll up the paper in the opposite direction to the paper curl as seen below.

    3. Check to see that the paper curl is within approximately 0.08 to 0.2 inches / 2 to 5 mm (B) in height.

       We recommend printing curl-corrected paper one sheet at a time.

  note

  - Depending on the media type, the paper may be smudged or may not be fed properly even if it is not curled. In such cases, follow the procedure described above to curl the paper before printing. This may improve the print result.

- Check 4: If intensity is set high, reduce the Intensity setting in the printer driver and try printing again.

  If you are using plain paper to print images with high intensity, the paper may absorb too much ink and become wavy, causing paper abrasion.

  Reduce the Intensity setting in the printer driver and try printing again.

  1. Open the printer properties dialog box.

     Opening the Printer Properties Dialog Box (Windows)

  2. On the Main sheet, select Manual for Color/Intensity, and then click Set.

  3. Drag the Intensity slide bar on the Color Adjustment sheet to adjust the intensity.

  1. Open the Print dialog box.

     Opening the Page Setup and Print Dialog Box (Macintosh)

  2. Select Color Options in the pop-up menu.

  3. Drag the Intensity slide bar to set the intensity.

- Check 5: Is printing performed beyond the recommended printing area?

  If you are printing beyond the recommended printing area of your printing paper, the lower edge of the paper may become stained with ink.

  Resize your original document in your application software.

  Printing Area

- Check 6: Is the Paper Feed Roller dirty?

  Clean the Paper Feed Roller.

  Routine Maintenance

  note

  - Cleaning the Paper Feed Roller will wear the roller, so perform this procedure only when necessary.

- Check 7: Is the inside of the printer dirty?

  When performing duplex printing, the inside of the printer may become stained with ink, causing the printout to become smudged.

  Perform the Bottom Plate Cleaning to clean the inside of the printer.

  Cleaning Inside the Printer

  note

  - To prevent the inside of the printer from stains, set the paper size correctly.

- Check 8: Set Ink Drying Wait Time longer.

  Doing so gives the printed surface enough time to dry so that paper smudged and scratched are prevented.

  1. Make sure that the printer is turned on.

  2. Open the printer properties dialog box.

     Opening the Printer Properties Dialog Box (Windows)

  3. Click the Maintenance tab and then Custom Settings.

  4. Drag the Ink Drying Wait Time slide bar to set the wait time, and then click Send.

  5. Confirm the message and click OK.

  1. Make sure that the printer is turned on.

  2. Open the Canon IJ Printer Utility.

     Opening the Canon IJ Printer Utility (Macintosh)

  3. Select Custom Settings in the pop-up menu.

  4. Drag the Ink Drying Wait Time slide bar to set the wait time, and then click Send.

  5. Confirm the message and click OK.

- Check 9: Change the Paper Thickness Lever setting.

  Adjust the position of the Paper Thickness Lever according to the type of paper you are printing on.

  Refer to Loading Paper.

  Depending on the printing content, the printing surface may become scratched or the corners or edges of the paper may become smudged even for the types of paper which require you 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 printer 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.

  note

  - If the corners or edges of the paper are smudged, try to print with the Paper Thickness Lever set to the right.

- Check 10: Is the paper scratched by other loaded paper?

  Depending on the media type, the paper may be scratched by other loaded paper when feeding from the Rear Tray. In this case, load one sheet at a time.

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