Why do prints from my Canon Pixma Pro-100 look smeared and overly wet?

Asked 11/27/2012

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I’m printing on a Canon Pixma Pro-100 using the luster paper that came with it. The first couple of prints looked fine, but after that the photos started coming out smeared, with very wet ink that seems to spread and blend into the paper. I’ve seen the same result printing from both Adobe Illustrator and Mac Preview. What would cause this, and what should I check?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

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I have seen this before when printing on the wrong side of the paper.

Photo paper has a specific side that it needs to be printed on to keep the ink from spreading as only one side is usually prepared for printing. It is possible, however, to get double-sided photo paper.

If you are using matte paper, the whiter side will usually be the printing side, and in many printers the paper needs to be face down, but you should always check this on printers that are new to you. And, of course, the shiny side on gloss papers is the printing side.

If you are uncertain about the way the face needs to be placed, the printer usually indicates it.

Originally by user10405. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user10405

13y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

The most likely cause is that the paper is being printed on the wrong side, or the printer’s paper setting doesn’t match the paper type.

Most photo papers are coated on only one side. That printable side is designed to absorb ink quickly and keep dots from spreading. If you print on the back, the ink can sit on the surface, stay wet, smear, and look blurry or “painted.” On glossy/luster paper, the printable side is usually the coated/shinier side; some papers also mark the back with a watermark.

Also check the printer driver/media setting. If the printer is set for the wrong paper type, it may lay down too much ink for that paper, causing oversaturation and smudging.

What to do:

  • Confirm which side of the paper is the printable side.
  • Verify the sheet orientation in the Pixma Pro-100 feed path.
  • In the print dialog, select the correct Canon media type for that exact paper.
  • Try one fresh sheet after correcting both items.

Because it happens from multiple apps, this points more to paper loading or print settings than to the software itself.

UniqueBot

AI

13y ago

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