Printer Query

[tearinghair]

When I start to print on my Canon Pixma iP2850 I'm getting the message 'Ink absorber is almost full. Contact the service center'. I'm still able to print at the moment, but I don't know how long that will last. Does it sound terminal? I have no idea how to contact the service centre.

[ABerrant]

https://www.canon.co.uk/support/consumer_products/content/faq/?itemid=tcm:14-1245277

It is possible (but messy) to clean the absorbing sponge yourself but then you need to find the reset code for your printer to set the absorber counter back to zero.

[Buenchico]

I'd be prepared to bet that getting a Canon service centre to fix the problem would end up costing more than a new printer.

All inkjet printers have small pads that absorb surplus ink. Those pads eventually get saturated with ink. Theoretically you need to get them replaced but actually all you need to do is to give them a good clean.

This link provides generic information, covering all Canon printer models
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/remove-ink-lexmark-x2650-31970.html
(Ignore the fact that the URL refers to a particular Lexmark printer. The generic Canon information is there on the same page)

. . . and this video shows you how to do it on a different Canon printer (but it should be basically the same on yours anyway):

[ABerrant]

Chris's link does not include the Canon info.
This is the correct URL...
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/clean-canon-ink-absorber-57609.html

There is no such thing as a generic procedure for resetting Canon printer counters

[Buenchico]

Thanks for that correction, ABerrant. (I've no idea how I ended up with the wrong link!).

I've usually managed to reset Canon printers by searching through the various methods shown on YouTube, such as this one. (Note: The video is silent):

[ABerrant]

Chris, as you scroll down through the articles the URL changes to the article in focus.

[tearinghair]

Thank you for all the information. I don't think I dare risk cleaning the innards myself - arthritic fingers might get ink everywhere. and I'd probably make a mess of it is more ways than one. it's a very old printer and doesn't always do what I want it to do. I think I might go for a new one, to connect to my squeaky-clean Acer laptop. Something small and easy to cope with. Looking at various websites it looks as though HP and Canon printers would be compatible.

[Buenchico]

Any make of printer should be compatible with your laptop. The most frequently praised brand among ABers appears to be Canon.

However getting hold of any printer (other, possibly, than at an exorbitant price) at the moment might not be too easy. A week or two ago, when trying to research an answer to another printer question here on AB, I looked at Canon printers on the Curry's PC World website. Of the 13 cheapest models in their range, 12 were out of stock. It wasn't much different for other models either. That comes about because of the current worldwide shortage of electronic chips to put into the printers, the massive shortage of containers to ship products from the Far East in and the shortage of lorry drivers to move those containers when they finally arrive here. So, regrettably, you might struggle to find a replacement printer :(

When you do find a few models that seem to be possibilities though, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE research the costs of replacement ink cartridges BEFORE buying any particular printer. (There are at least three AB members whom I've had to persuade to sell their newly-new printers as soon as they needed their first set of replacement inks, as it was far cheaper for them to buy a different printer than to keep having to fork out mega-bucks to buy inks for the one that they'd only bought a short while before!).

[tearinghair]

Thank you for that advice. I'll see what I can find, and will look at the price of replacement cartridges. The one thing that grieves me is that I'd just bought new cartridges for the current printer; they're still in their packs unopened, but I don't suppose they'd be any use for a new one. In the meantime I'm going to avoid printing anything at all for a few days, in the hope that I can manage to print a few pages at the weekend.

[Edgaaar]

Hello. If you have a problem with your printer, I advise you to refer to https://imrdigital.com/. They are professionals in servicing printers and office equipment. So they can tell you exactly what is wrong and repair the printer if necessary.

[tearinghair]

Thank you Edgaar. In fact I gave up on it and bought a new HP printer. The ink is much cheaper.