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If your Canon i960 is printing missing lines, white stripes, or incorrect colors, start with a nozzle check—not print-head replacement. First verify the ink tanks, then use the pattern to distinguish clogged nozzles from alignment trouble. A five-flash POWER/ERROR warning is a different issue: it points to a missing, incorrectly installed, or defective print head.
Check the ink tanks before cleaning
Low or poorly supplied ink can make the nozzle-check pattern look faulty. With the printer off, check that each tank contains ink, is pressed securely into place, and has had all orange protective tape removed. Canon’s i960 guide specifies this left-to-right order: cyan, photo cyan, black, yellow, photo magenta, magenta. The specified tank codes are BCI-6C, BCI-6PC, BCI-6BK, BCI-6Y, BCI-6PM, and BCI-6M; replace only a tank that needs it, matching its color and code. Canon i960 guide
Print a nozzle-check pattern
Load Letter-size paper and turn on the printer. Hold RESUME/CANCEL until the POWER lamp flashes twice, then release it. The i960 prints a pattern that helps check whether ink is ejecting correctly and whether alignment is uneven, according to the Canon i960 guide.
- White stripes or gaps in a color pattern indicate missing ink ejection; check the tank first, then clean the head if the tank is supplied correctly.
- Uneven registration or misaligned lines points to print-head alignment rather than a cleaning problem; use the printer driver’s alignment procedure.
- An incorrect pattern with a low or empty tank is not enough evidence to call the head defective.
Clean only as much as needed
Canon cautions that head cleaning consumes ink. Start with standard cleaning and print another nozzle check to see whether the pattern improves. On the i960, standard cleaning can be launched from the printer driver, or by holding RESUME/CANCEL until the POWER lamp flashes once. The guide estimates about 50 seconds for a standard cleaning. If the pattern remains faulty, standard cleaning may be repeated up to three more times before moving to deep cleaning. Canon i960 guide
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Use deep cleaning only if standard cleaning has not resolved the nozzle gaps. It consumes ink too, and the guide calls for another nozzle check afterward. If the pattern is still not clean after the second deep cleaning, Canon says the head may be worn even if ink remains; contact Canon Customer Care rather than continuing repeated cleaning. Canon’s general printing-troubleshooting guidance likewise treats persistent problems after deep cleaning as a possible damaged head.
What the i960’s lamp flashes mean
Five flashes: check the print head
Five POWER/ERROR flashes indicate that the print head is absent, incorrectly installed, or defective. Follow the manual’s removal and reinstallation instructions. If the head is already installed, remove it and inspect the electrical contacts for foreign matter before reinstalling; alignment may be required afterward. If five flashes continue, contact Canon. Canon i960 guide
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Eight flashes: waste-ink warning, not a head diagnosis
Eight flashes indicate that the waste-ink tank is nearly full. That tank collects ink used during head cleaning, so this warning does not by itself show that the print head has failed. Canon’s i960 guide advises contacting Customer Care for this condition.
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If a nozzle check remains poor after the documented cleaning sequence, or the five-flash warning persists after checking installation and contacts, the fault may require service. Canon U.S.A. says genuine replacement service parts, including inkjet print heads, can be ordered through its Parts Order Desk and recommends authorized technicians for most repairs. Its service and repair page does not confirm that an i960-compatible head is currently in stock, so verify availability and compatibility with Canon before ordering a part or arranging repair.
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