Big black vertical line on the back of the paper. Have cleaned the nozzle several times as directed by online instructions, but still ink line tehre, you say clean the nozzle with a stick, but you dont say where the nozzle is & how easy is it to get to. What other Pixma printers use the same print cartridge.

The smudges on the side of the paper is most likely a piece of something rubbing against the paper just after the printer puts the ink on the paper. Inspect as much as possible the path that paper takes. Look at rollers. Anything that grab the paper. Look for ink and dust build up. As for the vertical lines. Could be several things. I you haven't used you printer for awhile the ink in the nozzle could of dried up. Most new printers have a nozzle cleaning function. Try that it a couple of times. See if that helps. If it shows any sign of change after that, it dried up ink. It's a hassle to try to get the ink flowing again. I normally just to replace the cartridges. Let me know if this helps or not.

Your black ink seems to have spilled a bit at the nozzle. The fact is even if you do nothing it should seize staining the back of the paper after a while, so long as the spill is only temporal. But if you want it over with quickly, you may try printing quite good number of pages till you see that the stops. With every print you will most certainly observe that the stain will reduce. Otherwise if you can reach into the printer with a stick or something, you may try to clean it.

Calibrate your new blank ink cartridge, have some nozzle check, cleaning check, and printer alignment. This are procedure that new ink cartridge will have to calibrate before you use. Epson printer are very sensitive when capable of changing ink cartridge. Unlink HP directly work without any print test because the cartridge head and ink join together, Epson with ink cartridge and the head separate.
Have some test on it at Printer Maintenance.
I'm sure 100% works on it.
Good luck!

A technique to improve print quality is to try and clean the cartridge nozzles. You may clean the cartridge by following the steps given below: 
1. Go to the "Lexmark solution center." This can be done by clicking on "Start," go to "Programs" and Lexmark printer group. Click on the "Lexmark Solution center." Next click on the "Maintenance" Tab.  2. Select "Clean and Fix Horizontal streaks."  Click on "Print". This will produce a printed page. 
The colors that you should see here are black, yellow, magenta (a reddish purple) and cyan (a dark sky blue). You should notice the diagonal lines above and below the solid horizontal lines. These diagonal lines should be solid from left to right with no gaps. 
If there are gaps in the lines or the print diminishes across the page, you should run the "Clean Print Nozzle" page a couple more times to try and clear it up. If you still have gaps at the top and bottom, you should "wick" the cartridges by following the steps given below: 
1. Please open the "Solution center" again and go to the "Maintenance" Tab.  2. Select "Install color/black cartridge" and remove the cartridge or cartridges from the printer.  3. Get a damp paper towel.  4. Set the ink cartridge right side up on the damp paper towel so that the ink nozzles are against the towel and hold the cartridge in this position for about 15 seconds.  5. Now wipe the print head (on the bottom where the ink comes out) across in one direction only (left to right) until it looks clean.  6. Next dab the cartridge on the towel to make sure that the ink is flowing.  7. Snap the cartridges back into the printer.  8. On your computer, select "Old Cartridge install."  9. Repeat the "Clean Nozzle Page" one more time. If this fails to address the problem the entire procedure may need repeating.

Please remove the cartridges from the printer. Take a dry lint free paper towel and gently wipe the contacts on the back of the cartridge (not the bottom from where ink is present). Wipe the contacts inside the printer (on cartridge carrier). Please try to print the self test page.
Begin by disconnecting the power supply from the wall (not the back of the printer) for at
least "30 seconds." This is essential. Then plug the printer back in and follow these
steps:
1. Press the "Copy" button.
2. Press the "Menu" button.
3. Press the down arrow button once or until the screen displays "Maintenance."
4. Press the check mark button to select the "Maintenance" menu.
5. Press the down arrow button three times until the screen displays "Print Test Page."
6. Press the check mark button to select this. The Self-Test will start printing.
The self-test should at least print out a set of either black or color bars, if not both
(if you have a printer with both color and black installed simultaneously.) Should this
test fail, try it again without cartridges installed. If the self-test still fails to take
paper in and make sounds like the carrier is moving across the paper, this is a hardware
issue, and the printer will require service. If the self-test completes without any
cartridges installed, run the self-test again with the color cartridge installed. (If you
have both black and color cartridges, after this test, run the test again with just the
black cartridge installed.) If you find that either cartridge causes the self-test to fail
A technique to improve print quality is to try and clean the cartridge nozzles. You can clean the cartridge using the following steps given below:
Click on "Start," go to "All Programs," and down to the Lexmark. Click on the "Solution Center." Next, click on the "Maintenance" tab. Select "Clean to fix horizontal strips." This will produce a printed page.
The colors that you should see here are black, yellow, magenta (a reddish purple) and cyan (a dark sky blue). You should notice the diagonal lines above and below the solid horizontal lines. These diagonal lines should be solid from left to right with no gaps.
If there are gaps in the lines or the print diminishes across the page, you should run the "Clean to fix horizontal strips" page a couple more times to try and clear it up. If you still have gaps at the top and bottom, you should "wick" the cartridges by following the steps given below:
1. Please open the "Solution Center" again and go to the "Maintenance" Tab.
2. Select "Install color/black cartridge" and remove the cartridge (or cartridges) from the printer.
3. Get a damp paper towel.
4. Set the ink cartridge right side up on the damp paper towel so that the ink nozzles are against the towel and hold the cartridge in this position for about 15 seconds.
5. Now wipe the print head (on the bottom where the ink comes out) across in one direction only (left to right) until it looks clean.
6. Next dab the cartridge on the towel to make sure that the ink is flowing.
7. Snap the cartridges back into the printer.
8. On your computer, select "Old Cartridge install."
9. Repeat the "Clean to fix horizontal strips" one more time. If this fails to address the problem, the entire procedure may need repeating.
If you have replaced your ink cartridge with a new one and are continuing to experience difficulties with print quality, please try cleaning and wicking the ink cartridge. If this fails to resolve the issue, the maintenance station may have an excess build-up of ink.
The maintenance station is located inside the printer on the right hand side. This is the same area where the cartridges sit when in the "idle" position. To access the maintenance station: Unplug everything from the back of your printer, open the front cover and look above the steel rod. You should see a conveyor belt with rubber teeth on it, like a fanbelt. On some models, the cartridge access will be very small, but the belt should still be visible. Take the top part of the belt and move it gently to the right.
***Note*** please do not pull outwards on the belt. The cartridges should come over towards the left side of the printer. The maintenance station will be on the right side on the bottom of the printer behind the fixed cover. Clean the area with several damp cotton swabs or damp papertowels until the build up of ink is removed.
Once the maintenance station has been cleaned you should "wick" the cartridges. Remove the cartridge from the printer. Get a clean damp paper towel and lay it on a flat surface. Set the ink cartridge right side up, with the ink nozzles touching the towel and hold in this position for about 15 seconds. Then wipe the nozzles across in one direction only (left to right). Repeat this process, each time using a clean spot on the paper towel, until it looks clean. Dab the cartridge on a dry towel to make sure that the ink is flowing.
After you have wicked the cartridges place them back into the printer, securing them into place. Plug the power back into the printer. Close the cover and click on "Old Cartridge Installed" on the "Control Program" screen. Once the printer has reset, run the "Clean Print Nozzles" page twice. This should resolve the issue.

your's tech expert
Jeeth

Blank Pages Printed

Remove the protective tape from the cartridges:
With the printer power on, open the front cover of the printer. The cartridge carrier should move to the middle.
Remove the cartridge(s) from the printer.
Look on the underside of the cartridge(s). If there is yellow tape and/or transparent blue tape there, remove it.
Clean the cartridge nozzles:

Go to the Lexmark Control Program or Solution Center and run the Clean print nozzle test.
If a black cartridge is installed, you should see black lines only.
If the color cartridge is installed, you should see yellow, magenta (a reddish purple), and cyan (a dark sky blue) lines.
If a photo cartridge is installed, you may see different colors.
Examine the diagonal lines above and below the solid horizontal lines. These diagonal lines should be solid from left to right, with no gaps.
If there are gaps in the lines, you could run the Clean Print Nozzle page a few more times to try and clear it up or try the "wicking" procedure below to conserve ink.
If the page is faded from left to right and the wicking procedure doesn't clear it up, your cartridge is probably out of ink.

Clean ("wick") the cartridges:
Remove your cartridges following the instructions in your User's Guide.
Take a warm, damp paper towel and fold it so that it has about 4- to 6-ply thickness.
Set the ink cartridge right side up on the damp paper towel so that the ink nozzles are touching the towel, and hold the cartridge in this position for about 15 seconds. The nozzles are where the ink comes out of the cartridge.
Now drag the cartridge lightly across the paper towel in one direction only (left to right) until the bottom of the cartridge looks clean.
Turn the cartridge over so that you can see the bar code sticker on the back. Note: Only perform steps 6 and 7 if the contacts look dirty or corroded.
Using a clean pencil eraser, clean the contact points on the copper strip (only the little squares just below the bar code). Caution! Do not use the eraser on the nozzles that were cleaned, as this will damage the cartridge.
Using a clean part of your dry paper towel, wipe the eraser dust off the contacts; ensure that they are dry, and snap the cartridge back into the printer.
Make sure to install the cartridges following the instructions in your User's Guide, selecting Old Cartridge. Failure to do so could reset your ink levels as explained above.
Repeat the nozzle cleaning procedure one more time. At this point the diagonal lines should be solid.
If they are not and you think the cartridges should have ink in them, contact our technicians by e-mail and let them know the results of this test.

Reset the ink levels:
Lexmark printer cartridges do not have ink sensors. The levels of ink are produced by a mathematical calculation of ink drops and page counts. The printer stores this information and then writes it to the win.ini file on your computer.

Ink levels can be reset by telling the printer you have installed a new ink cartridge or by reinstalling the printer drivers and selecting Cartridges Installed. Once ink levels have been reset, there is no way to change them except by printing.

Accordingly, even if your computer says that your ink is full for a particular cartridge, it may be incorrect and the cartridge may need to be replaced. You may want to try a new cartridge to see if that clears up any print quality problems.

I experienced a similar problem when I purchased generic ink off eBay. I did more deep cleans than I can count on my hand, but it did not help. I did the water soaking treatment until there was no more ink coming out of the printhead, but that only made things a *little* better. I finally figured the ink cartridges were bad, so I replaced them. But my new ink did the same thing. So I did the water soaking treatment again. But this time, I forced air through the printhead and actually saw some of the "ink jets" that weren't blowing bubbles out before (when I would blow) begin to blow bubbles. Test results later proved that some of the ink jets were seriously blocked and blowing helped to free them. I do not believe all the jets are free because I still have faded print results, but my results are definitely better! Hope this helps.

Print nozzles will be at bottom of cartridge...Make sure that u do not wet copper contacts ... first try using dry paper towel and check where ink comes and follow the procedure given below....

Cleaning procedure

1. Remove the print cartridges.
2. Moisten a clean, lint-free cloth with water.
3. Gently hold the cloth against the nozzles for about three seconds, and then wipe in the direction shown below.
4. Using another clean section of the cloth, gently hold the cloth against the contacts for about three seconds, and then wipe in the direction shown.
5. With another clean section of the cloth, repeat steps 2 through 4 above.
6. Allow the nozzles and contacts to dry completely.
7. Reinsert the print cartridges.
8. Print the document again.
9. If the print quality does not improve, repeat the steps for cleaning the nozzles and contacts up to two more times.
10. Check the warranty and try to get replaced
    

Solution: Clean The Print Head Nozzles (Windows) MP500 / MP800
lean The Print Head Nozzles (Windows) The following contains instructions to check the nozzles for poor print quality and perform cleanings of the print head nozzles as necessary. If print results are faint or streaks are printed, the print head nozzles may be clogged. Those phenomena can be improved by performing print head cleanings or print head deep cleanings.

1. Remove the protective tape from the cartridges:
1. With the printer power on, open the front cover of the printer. The cartridge carrier should move to the middle.
2. Remove the cartridge(s) from the printer.
3. Look on the underside of the cartridge(s). If there is yellow tape and/or transparent blue tape there, remove it.
2. Clean the cartridge nozzles:
1. Go to the Lexmark Control Program or Solution Center and run the Clean print nozzle test.
If a black cartridge is installed, you should see black lines only.
If the color cartridge is installed, you should see yellow, magenta (a reddish purple), and cyan (a dark sky blue) lines.
If a photo cartridge is installed, you may see different colors.
2. Examine the diagonal lines above and below the solid horizontal lines. These diagonal lines should be solid from left to right, with no gaps.
If there are gaps in the lines, you could run the Clean Print Nozzle page a few more times to try and clear it up or try the "wicking" procedure below to conserve ink.
If the page is faded from left to right and the wicking procedure doesn't clear it up, your cartridge is probably out of ink.
3. Clean ("wick") the cartridges:
1. Remove your cartridges following the instructions in your User's Guide.
2. Take a warm, damp paper towel and fold it so that it has about 4- to 6-ply thickness.
3. Set the ink cartridge right side up on the damp paper towel so that the ink nozzles are touching the towel, and hold the cartridge in this position for about 15 seconds. The nozzles are where the ink comes out of the cartridge.
4. Now drag the cartridge lightly across the paper towel in one direction only (left to right) until the bottom of the cartridge looks clean.
5. Turn the cartridge over so that you can see the bar code sticker on the back. Note: Only perform steps 6 and 7 if the contacts look dirty or corroded.
6. Using a clean pencil eraser, clean the contact points on the copper strip (only the little squares just below the bar code). Caution! Do not use the eraser on the nozzles that were cleaned, as this will damage the cartridge.
7. Using a clean part of your dry paper towel, wipe the eraser dust off the contacts; ensure that they are dry, and snap the cartridge back into the printer.
8. Make sure to install the cartridges following the instructions in your User's Guide, selecting Old Cartridge. Failure to do so could reset your ink levels as explained above.
9. Repeat the nozzle cleaning procedure one more time. At this point the diagonal lines should be solid.
10. If they are not and you think the cartridges should have ink in them, contact our technicians by e-mail and let them know the results of this test.
4. Reset the ink levels:
Lexmark printer cartridges do not have ink sensors. The levels of ink are produced by a mathematical calculation of ink drops and page counts. The printer stores this information and then writes it to the win.ini file on your computer.

Ink levels can be reset by telling the printer you have installed a new ink cartridge or by reinstalling the printer drivers and selecting Cartridges Installed. Once ink levels have been reset, there is no way to change them except by printing.

Accordingly, even if your computer says that your ink is full for a particular cartridge, it may be incorrect and the cartridge may need to be replaced. You may want to try a new cartridge to see if that clears up any print quality problems.