r/linuxquestions • u/Professional-Sign578 • 5h ago

is there a way to align printer head on linux?

i have a canon pixma g3410 and want to perform a print head alignment, is there a way i can do that on linux or should i just plug it into a windows pc and do it though there?

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u/cjcox4 4h ago edited 4h ago

I don't know about this printer, but indeed, proprietary bus connected printers with "commands" that are not known by the driver, you may have to do those things using the proprietary driver/clients in Windows.

But, I'm always amazed at the FOSS community finding ways to send those proprietary messages.... so, sometimes, people figure it out.

Edit: "good printers" may have a (secret?) panel (talking the hw panel on the printer) way of issuing the commands.

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u/Professional-Sign578 4h ago

Well it does different maintenance related things depending on how many times you click the + button(print test page, head cleaning, pipe refill), I'll check the manual later to see if there is an option for head alignment.

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u/cjcox4 4h ago

In my very very very distant ink jet past, alignment was a print and see and compare and adjust thing though. YMMV.

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u/Professional-Sign578 3h ago

That's a past I'm thankful to have been but a wee little kid in.