Printer not feeding paper or ink not coming out: cleaning the print head and rollers

Paper that will not feed usually comes down to how the paper is loaded, the paper type, a foreign object, or dirty feed rollers. Ink that will not come out or streaky prints come from an empty ink tank or clogged nozzles in the print head. The example steps in this article follow the Indonesian-language manual of the Canon G3010 ink tank printer. Printers from other brands have similar steps, but the button and menu names differ, so match them against your printer's manual.

Before you start, look at the Alarm lamp on the printer panel. According to Canon, if that lamp is on or flashing, the printer is reporting a specific error, and the steps are in the error list of the manual.

The Canon manual puts paper loading at the top of the list, before you touch the rollers:

1. Make sure paper is actually loaded in the rear tray.
2. Fan the sheets before loading them, then align their edges.
3. Do not exceed the paper load limit. If the paper still will not feed, Canon suggests loading less than half the load limit at a time.
4. Load paper in portrait orientation, whatever the print orientation, with the printing side facing up.
5. Align the stack against the right side of the rear tray, then slide the paper guide until it touches the left edge of the stack.
6. Make sure the media type and paper size settings on the computer or phone match the loaded paper.

Paper that is too thick or curled often fails to feed as well. Canon lists it under media types that are not supported. Envelopes need to be prepared first as the manual describes, then loaded in portrait orientation; envelopes loaded sideways will not feed properly.

Canon writes that paper may not feed properly at maximum capacity, depending on the paper type and the environment, meaning temperature and humidity that are too high or too low. The humid air in many Indonesian cities, especially in the rainy season, makes sheets stick together or curl at the edges.

Keep a ream of paper in its closed packaging, and take out only as much as you are about to use. If paper has sat open near a window or in a damp room, swap it for sheets from a new pack before you clean the rollers. If the printer often feeds two sheets at once, load a smaller stack as Canon suggests and fan the sheets every time you load them.

A paper clip, a scrap of paper or a small object that has fallen into the rear tray can block the paper. Canon asks you to turn the printer off and unplug it before you remove a foreign object. If paper has torn inside the rear tray, follow the paper jam instructions in your printer's manual.

One Canon warning matters for ink tank printers: do not tilt or turn the printer upside down to get an object out, because ink may leak. The same warning applies when you move the printer, including when you take it in for service.

Canon writes that dirty feed rollers, or rollers coated with paper dust, stop the paper from feeding properly. Prepare three sheets of A4 or Letter-sized plain paper. The steps on a Canon G3010:

1. Make sure the printer is on and remove all paper from the rear tray.
2. Press the Setup button, then press the + button until 8 appears on the LCD.
3. Press the Black or Color button. The rollers turn without paper.
4. Once the rollers stop, load three sheets of plain paper in the rear tray, pull out the paper output tray, then press Black or Color again. Cleaning is complete when the paper is ejected.

If the problem is not solved, Canon gives a manual method. Turn the printer off and unplug the power cord. Moisten a cloth, squeeze it out tightly, then wipe the rollers inside the rear tray while turning them through more than two full rotations. Do not touch the rollers with your fingers, because that can reduce how well they feed paper. Turn the printer back on and repeat the button cleaning.

Start by checking the ink level in the tank. Canon writes that the check pattern will not print correctly when the ink is low, so refill any low tank first. Then follow Canon's order:

1. Print the nozzle check pattern. Load one sheet of A4 plain paper, press Setup until 1 appears, then press Black or Color.
2. Check the pattern. Missing lines, horizontal white streaks, or a color that does not print mean the print head needs cleaning.
3. Clean the print head. Press Setup, press + until 2 appears, then press Black or Color. This takes about 1 minute and is finished when the ON lamp lights after flashing.
4. Print the pattern again. If it is still streaky after two cleanings, run deep cleaning with number 3, which takes about 3 minutes.

Cleaning uses ink, and deep cleaning uses even more, so only do it when needed. Canon also forbids rinsing or wiping the print head. Let the printer finish each process before you do anything else with it.

Contact the authorized service center for your printer's brand if:

• the paper still will not feed after you reload it correctly and clean the rollers with the button and by hand;
• prints are still streaky after deep cleaning. Canon writes that the last step is an ink flush, which uses a large amount of ink, and if the problem is still there, the print head may be damaged;
• the alarm lamp lights or flashes and the error does not clear after following the manual;
• torn paper or a foreign object cannot be reached without opening the printer body;
• ink leaks outside the tank.

Do not open the printer housing, take the print head apart, or wash the print head with water. When you take an ink tank printer to the service center, do not tilt it or turn it upside down, and follow the manual's instructions for moving the printer so the ink does not leak.