Looking for some printer help

[AlwaysOnAuto]

My wife uses a Canon TR8620 printer to print photos for her scrap book of quilts and to document her wall decorations so she can replicate them over the years.
Lately she's been complaining about what I can only describe as 'banding' in her prints. It's bad enough that she can't make out the patterns of the differing quilts she's hung on her quilt wall.
Here is an example of what I mean.

Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)

I've tried everything I can think of to fix this problem. I've done a print head alignment check (it says they're aligned), I've done a print head cleaning, I've turned on the paper abrasion feature, all to no avail.
What should I do next?
Buy a new printer?
This one is at least 3-4 years old.
We're using regular printer copy paper for these pics, not good photo paper. It does the same on the good paper too.
Any help would be appreciated. I'm not sure what has changed on her computer since she was able to print before without any problems.
TIA for any help you might be able to lend.
I guess I should add that we're using PictureIt for Win 10 as the software to manipulate the pics for printing. Nothing fancy here.

 

[Charzes44]

I

My wife uses a Canon TR8620 printer to print photos for her scrap book of quilts and to document her wall decorations so she can replicate them over the years.
Lately she's been complaining about what I can only describe as 'banding' in her prints. It's bad enough that she can't make out the patterns of the differing quilts she's hung on her quilt wall.
Here is an example of what I mean.
View attachment 490783
I've tried everything I can think of to fix this problem. I've done a print head alignment check (it says they're aligned), I've done a print head cleaning, I've turned on the paper abrasion feature, all to no avail.
What should I do next?
Buy a new printer?
This one is at least 3-4 years old.
We're using regular printer copy paper for these pics, not good photo paper. It does the same on the good paper too.
Any help would be appreciated. I'm not sure what has changed on her computer since she was able to print before without any problems.
TIA for any help you might be able to lend.

I had banding on a TS8150 and couldn't shift it, try as I might. In order to save you some wasted money, and hours of frustration, I would advise buying a new printer. I do understand how much it hurts to replace something seemingly good otherwise., but my advice stands!
You may have seen my post 'I have a problem'. I thought it had been resolved satisfactorily, but I am still unsure about it. I think a new printer for me will be the answer!

 

[Richard]

I eventually gave up on inkjet printers for exactly this sort of problem. It might be a cleaning / blockage issue, in which case you might improve things by taking the print head out of the printer and standing it in methylated spirit for a while. I used to make a wad of paper towel, soak that in methylated spirit and then stand the nozzles of the print head on the paper towel for a few minutes. Basically, you're trying to dissolve any dried-up gunk in the nozzles and get the ink flowing evenly again. Then you have to wash everything clean, dry it off and try again.

I'm sure there are tutorials on YouTube about how to do it. For me, it sometimes worked and sometimes didn't. And it might not be a blockage problem at all ...

They drive you mad, inket printers.

-R

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Thanks fella's.
I may just give in and go get a new one. Not sure how many copies/photo's etc she's printed with it. It's always been hooked up to her computer, not mine. I was able to print a photo on some good photo paper the other week, in fact just last week I printed pics of the grandkids I'd taken when they were here visiting. They're hung on the fridge now. Not perfect but they'll do. She just likes to be able to bring up a pic and print it without jumping thru a bunch of hoops to get a decent readable copy.
Can't blame her for wanting to be able to do that.

She just came into the room and suggested I try printing from her old computer. She has two, one of which is older because her sewing programs don't work with the newer windows machine. I'll give that a try before going out and buying a new printer. All it will cost me is my time to do.

 

[jhawk1000]

I have an Epson printer that has started the banding. I use it to scan on one computer. I use the computer in what was my wife's office and it is hooked up to a Canon Laser Printer and a Canon Photo printer. The laser is monochromatic and the other is inkjet and color. I have an HP also not hooked up but I will probably just dump it because the ink is so expensive.

 

[John King]

Print head blockage, IMO.

Try a power clean, or whatever Canon call it.

My Epson XP-970 needed one recently when its overflow tank needed changing. It fixed the problem.

 

[Out to Lunch]

Reset the printer. Also, remember that 'banding' may be caused by over-compression of the Jpeg file. Cheers, OtL

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Thanks for the suggestions.
Will check them all out when I feel up to dealing with it.
I find I have to be in the right frame of mind when dealing with 'stuff' like this, or bad things might happen.

 

[Charzes44]

Thanks for the suggestions.
Will check them all out when I feel up to dealing with it.
I find I have to be in the right frame of mind when dealing with 'stuff' like this, or bad things might happen.

When you are up to it, watch this YouTube video (to the end) by Keith Cooper:

'Keeping Your Printer Happy' the one simple trick that's easy to forget.

I followed his advice to do a clean, then leave it overnight to settle, and my printer is now printing as well as it did when it was brand new. (I compared the same image!). Best of luck!

 

[Panolyman]

When you are up to it, watch this YouTube video (to the end) by Keith Cooper:

'Keeping Your Printer Happy' the one simple trick that's easy to forget.

I followed his advice to do a clean, then leave it overnight to settle, and my printer is now printing as well as it did when it was brand new. (I compared the same image!). Best of luck!

Glad you got sorted Charles.
I did watch the video and apart from 14 minutes of waffle, I'll try and remember the one tip. 😉

I suppose it's a bit like if you have any problems with your computer, switch it off and back on again.

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

So today was the day, unplanned by yours truly, but it is what it is.
My wife was printing again, or trying to, using her new(er) computer and it wasn't working of course. So I got involved figuring how hard can it be. Right.
After a couple of tries with no luck, I had her switch to the old computer. Same story there.
Went back to the new(er) computer, downloaded a new driver from the Canon website, installed said driver. Printed again and same story.
Decided to try printing at the full size of the file which was only 69kb. Same story. Looking at the print, it was all yellow colored and no browns.
Decided a DEEP CLEANING was required as the ink levels were OK.
Did the DEEP CLEANING and WA LA, it works! I figured a DEEP CLEANING wasn't going to waste as much ink as bad prints were costing us.
Thanks for the help one and all!

 

[John King]

So today was the day, unplanned by yours truly, but it is what it is.
My wife was printing again, or trying to, using her new(er) computer and it wasn't working of course. So I got involved figuring how hard can it be. Right.
After a couple of tries with no luck, I had her switch to the old computer. Same story there.
Went back to the new(er) computer, downloaded a new driver from the Canon website, installed said driver. Printed again and same story.
Decided to try printing at the full size of the file which was only 69kb. Same story. Looking at the print, it was all yellow colored and no browns.
Decided a DEEP CLEANING was required as the ink levels were OK.

Did the DEEP CLEANING and WA LA, it works! I figured a DEEP CLEANING wasn't going to waste as much ink as bad prints were costing us.
Thanks for the help one and all!

AoA, just for future reference, there is usually a function to check print nozzles, which will show which nozzles are blocked.

My A2+ Epson R3880 needed 4 nozzle checks and a power clean when I hadn't used it for 4-5 years.

Life is what happens when one is planning other things ...

 

[AlwaysOnAuto]

AoA, just for future reference, there is usually a function to check print nozzles, which will show which nozzles are blocked.

My A2+ Epson R3880 needed 4 nozzle checks and a power clean when I hadn't used it for 4-5 years.

Life is what happens when one is planning other things ...

John, I did that nozzle check numerous times and it showed all was OK. The DEEP CLEAN was a last resort effort on my part.

 

[Charzes44]

So today was the day, unplanned by yours truly, but it is what it is.
My wife was printing again, or trying to, using her new(er) computer and it wasn't working of course. So I got involved figuring how hard can it be. Right.
After a couple of tries with no luck, I had her switch to the old computer. Same story there.
Went back to the new(er) computer, downloaded a new driver from the Canon website, installed said driver. Printed again and same story.
Decided to try printing at the full size of the file which was only 69kb. Same story. Looking at the print, it was all yellow colored and no browns.
Decided a DEEP CLEANING was required as the ink levels were OK.
Did the DEEP CLEANING and WA LA, it works! I figured a DEEP CLEANING wasn't going to waste as much ink as bad prints were costing us.
Thanks for the help one and all!

Glad you got it sorted John. I had a printer problem also, but as I said earlier, it is now printing beautifully. I would recommend printing a test page once a week or so, just to keep those nozzles from blocking again, if you don't use it that often that is!