CANON PRINTER PIXMA MP270

Have a question about my printer. I find it copies perfectly when I push the supply to far left but did not when maybe it drifted out of place.
But now I notice when turn it on the Black Ink light is lit. Yet I printed two sheets in black and they looked good (maybe slightly less bold though). What does this light mean? Low?, Empty?, Replace?, Low? My manual is not handy so I wanted to see if someone knew. I do need to order some cartridges for have no spares on hand. Thanks for any help. I shall look for the manual now.

 

I guess if yellow light is on even though it does print, I should buy another black ink cartridge to have if it stops printing. Must be SOME ink left. I tried printing a color page AND a black page and the black page was slightly lighter print.

 

I tend to agree. Since I had none I did order a black but likely will not replace the current one until it will not print. I have done many but not often and I did not recall what I did before. I will feel better to have a full one onhand so I can replace right away if needed. Thanks. I do not do much printing now anyway. But if I print Black instead of color the print IS slightly lighter.

 

I downloaded the Canon MP270 manual and am still unsure just what this yellow or orange light meants. I believe I recall just going on printing until it would not print before I changed to new ink cartridge. A new one should arrive next week so if it quits I will have a replacement on hand. Meanwhie I will keep reading the manual in case I get no other directions.Just unsure. I agree with the above post not to replace it until obviously poor. Seems like good advice.

 

Plodr - The black ink came today. Maybe I should also order a color so have both like I always did. Maybe the time I see a yellow or orange light I do not need to immediately discard and install a new tank. I think I used to wait until the quality was bad THEN change the tank. So I guess I could keep printing with the existing black until quality is unacceptable THEN change it. And maybe I do not need to buy a yellow unless I see a light on that one. Maybe the light just means the tank is partly used so you know to have a replacement ready. I never read all the manuals and explanations but just replaced when quality was poor. I always kept a color and a blank new one on hand. I believe I will print some more before I rush into switching. Now that I do HAVE a new one. I never printed enough that I needed to worry much about understanding it all.

 

I ordered a color tank just because I always kept a spare one of each on hand. But you may bet that I am not going to discard one until the print is definitely poor. Just felt I should have both available if and when I may need them.

 

This should really be a new post but it is same subject so I am adding to my previous post if this is OK. ( I meant to make a new subject but started after forgetting to do so. Sorry).

Is there a way that I could somehow clean my MP270 printer to eliminate the little black streaks of ink I have on the copy without taking printer to repair shop? I do not ever do any maintenance or cleaning of the printer or have it serviceed but notce it makes little black marks of ink on copies I make. They do not interfere with the filled out information on the form but I hate to turn a copy in with black smudges of ink. They happen on the color and the black now. I have never tried wiping out the inside of machine. The color is what I am using now, but do have a new Black and Color cartridge that I was saving until the prints were unusable. The black is faded but easily readable and i am usin color for all.I was thiking maybe I could do some sort of cleaning or maintenance myself as I hate to throw away an old cartridge that IS still usable but not perfect. Any suggestions? Or websites with instructions? Thanks for any help.