Canon TS9540, TS9550, and TS9551C Smear Paper: Ink on the Back, Streaks, and Scratches

Last Updated on 18.07.2026 by DriverNew

A Canon TS9500 Series printer may leave black or colored marks along the edges of a sheet, long ink streaks, repeating marks, or ink on the back of the paper. Sometimes the printed surface is scratched, and smeared areas appear in photos.

The most common causes are contamination inside the printer, curled paper, an incorrect media type, or excessive ink application. To remove internal contamination, Canon provides a special Bottom Plate Cleaning procedure.

This guide applies to the following models:

• Canon PIXMA TS9540;
• Canon PIXMA TS9540A;
• Canon PIXMA TS9541C;
• Canon PIXMA TS9550;
• Canon PIXMA TS9550A;
• Canon PIXMA TS9551C;
• Canon PIXMA TS9551CA.

All the models listed above belong to the Canon TS9500 series and use the same basic procedures for bottom plate cleaning and preventing paper abrasion.

Method 1: Check the Paper Type and Printable Side

An incorrect media setting affects the distance between the print head and the sheet, the paper feed speed, and the amount of ink applied.

1. Open the document or photo.
2. Select File → Print.
3. Select Canon TS9500 series.
4. Open Printer properties, Settings, or Preferences.
5. Find the Media Type setting.
6. Select the type of paper that is actually loaded.

For standard office paper, select:

Plain Paper

For photo paper, select its exact name or the closest supported media type.

Do not select photo paper when printing on a standard sheet. The printer may apply too much ink, causing the paper to become wavy and touch the print head.

Check the Printable Side

When loading paper in the rear tray, the printable side must face up.

When loading plain paper in the cassette, the printable side must face down.

If photo paper has only one printable side, check the instructions on the packaging. Printing on the reverse side may cause the following problems:

• the ink is not absorbed properly;
• the surface remains wet for a long time;
• the image becomes smeared;
• the next sheet becomes stained;
• scratches and marks appear.

Method 2: Check Whether the Paper Is Curled

A curled sheet rises and may touch the print head or contaminated internal parts.

1. Remove the paper from the tray.
2. Place one sheet on a flat surface.
3. Check all four corners.
4. If the corners are noticeably raised, carefully curl the sheet in the opposite direction.
5. Do not create sharp folds.
6. Make sure the sheet is almost flat.
7. Load it separately from the other sheets.
8. Print again.

For testing, use one new sheet of A4 plain paper.

If the new flat sheet comes out clean, the problem was caused by the condition of the paper.

Method 3: Reduce the Number of Sheets

When a large stack is loaded, sheets may feed unevenly and touch internal parts.

1. Remove the entire stack.
2. Align the edges.
3. Load one to five sheets.
4. Position the paper guides correctly.
5. Print a test page.

Photo paper and thick special media should be tested one sheet at a time.

Method 4: Perform Bottom Plate Cleaning

Bottom Plate Cleaning removes ink contamination from the lower internal area of the printer.

You will need:

1 new sheet of A4 or Letter-sized plain white paper

Do not use a previously printed, wrinkled, or dirty sheet.

Step 1: Prepare the Printer

1. Turn on the printer.
2. Wait for the HOME screen to appear.
3. Remove all paper from the rear tray.
4. Leave the cassette unchanged.

Step 2: Start Cleaning

1. On the HOME screen, select Setup.
2. Select Maintenance.
3. Select Bottom Plate Cleaning.
4. On the confirmation screen, select Yes.
5. Following the on-screen message, make sure the rear tray is empty.
6. Tap OK.

Step 3: Prepare the Sheet

1. Take a new sheet of A4 or Letter-sized paper.
2. Fold it in half lengthwise.
3. Run your fingers along the fold.
4. Unfold the sheet completely.

A lengthwise crease should remain on the sheet.

Step 4: Load the Sheet Correctly

1. Tap OK on the touchscreen.
2. Load the folded and unfolded sheet in landscape orientation in the rear tray.
3. The open side of the fold must face you.
4. Move the paper guides against the edges of the sheet.
5. Open the operation panel.
6. Fully extend the paper output tray.
7. Tap OK.

The printer will feed the sheet through its internal area. The crease will collect contamination from the bottom plate.

Step 5: Check the Result

1. Wait until the sheet is ejected completely.
2. When the completion message appears, tap OK.
3. Check the crease and the surrounding areas.

If the crease is clean, load plain paper and perform a test print.

If ink is visible on the crease:

1. take another new sheet;
2. repeat Bottom Plate Cleaning;
3. do not reuse the same contaminated sheet.

Method 5: Clean Contaminated Protrusions Inside the Printer

Use this method only after performing Bottom Plate Cleaning twice if the paper continues to become stained.

Prepare:

• several clean cotton swabs;
• a flashlight or good external lighting;
• a dry, soft, lint-free cloth.

Step 1: Disconnect the Printer Completely

1. Turn off the printer using the power button.
2. Wait until the power lamp turns off.
3. Unplug the power cord from the electrical outlet.
4. Disconnect the USB cable and Ethernet network cable if they are connected.
5. Wait several minutes.

Step 2: Inspect the Inside

1. Open the scanning unit / cover.
2. Inspect the lower part of the paper path.
3. Find any small protruding plastic parts with visible ink on them.
4. Do not touch the transparent or white strip behind the print head holder.
5. Do not touch the electrical contacts or nozzles.

Step 3: Remove the Ink

1. Take a dry cotton swab.
2. Carefully wipe only the contaminated protrusion.
3. Do not press on the part.
4. If the swab becomes heavily stained, replace it with a new one.
5. Do not spread the ink onto adjacent parts.
6. Make sure no cotton fibers remain inside.
7. Close the scanning unit / cover.
8. Reconnect the power and turn on the printer.
9. Perform a test print.

Do not use water, alcohol, acetone, paint thinner, glass cleaner, or any other liquid.

If the contamination is deep inside and accessing it requires disassembling the printer, contact a service center.

Parts You Must Not Touch Inside the Printer

Do not touch:

• the white or transparent positioning strip;
• electrical contacts;
• print head nozzles;
• the drive belt;
• gears;
• metal guide rails immediately after printing;
• soft absorbent components inside the printer.

Do not attempt to remove all ink from the internal absorbent materials. They are designed to collect ink during normal operation.

Method 6: Enable Prevent Paper Abrasion

This setting increases the distance between the print head and the paper. It is useful if the surface of thick or slightly curled paper touches the print head.

Enable It from the Touchscreen

1. Turn on the printer.
2. On the HOME screen, select Setup.
3. Open Device settings.
4. Select Print settings.
5. Find Prevent paper abrasion.
6. Select ON.
7. Print again.

Enable It Through Windows

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Find the Canon Utilities folder.
3. Start Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool.
4. Select Canon TS9500 series.
5. Click Custom Settings.
6. Select the Prevent paper abrasion checkbox.
7. Click OK or Send.
8. Confirm the change.

Printing may become slower after this function is enabled.

If IJ Printer Assistant Tool Is Missing

The main setting can be enabled from the printer’s touchscreen.

To restore the utility, install the complete driver package:

Download Canon TS9500 Series MP Drivers Ver. 1.06

File name:

md__-win-ts9500-1_06-ea34_2.exe

For a USB installation, connect the cable only after the installer displays a prompt.

Method 7: Increase the Ink Drying Wait Time

If the next sheet touches a surface that is still wet, increase the pause between pages.

1. Turn on the printer.
2. Start Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool.
3. Select Canon TS9500 series.
4. Open Custom Settings.
5. Find the Ink Drying Wait Time slider.
6. Move it slightly to the right.
7. Click OK or Send.
8. Confirm the change.
9. Print several test pages.

Increasing the wait time is particularly useful for:

• duplex printing;
• photo printing;
• thick paper;
• printing large areas filled with color;
• high ink intensity.

Printing will become slower because the printer will wait longer between pages.

Method 8: Reduce Print Intensity

On plain paper, excessive ink may cause the sheet to deform. A wavy sheet may then touch the print head.

1. Open the document.
2. Select File → Print.
3. Select Canon TS9500 series.
4. Open the printer properties.
5. On the Main tab, find Color/Intensity.
6. Select Manual.
7. Click Set….
8. Reduce the Intensity setting slightly.
9. Click OK.
10. Print a test page.

Do not reduce the intensity too much. The image may become faded.

Method 9: Check the Print Quality

Use standard quality for ordinary documents.

1. Open the Canon printer properties.
2. Find the Print Quality setting.
3. Select Standard.
4. Click OK.
5. Print again.

Maximum quality combined with an incorrect media type may increase the amount of ink applied.

Method 10: Check Borderless Printing

During borderless printing, the image is enlarged slightly and extends beyond the edges of the sheet. Some ink is applied beyond the paper and enters the internal area of the printer.

If contamination appears only during borderless printing:

1. Open the printer properties.
2. Check that the correct paper size is selected.
3. Check the photo paper type.
4. Find the Amount of Extension setting.
5. Reduce the extension slightly.
6. Print a test photo.

If the extension is too small, thin white lines may appear along the edges.

After printing a large number of borderless photos, it is recommended that you perform Bottom Plate Cleaning.

If Only the Bottom Edge Becomes Stained

Check:

• whether the document extends beyond the printable area;
• whether the correct page size is selected;
• whether the document size matches the paper size;
• whether excessive scaling is enabled;
• whether the bottom edge of the sheet is curled;
• whether the bottom plate is contaminated.

Try increasing the document’s bottom margin and perform a test print.

If the contamination disappears, part of the image was previously being printed too close to the edge of the paper.

If the Top Edge Becomes Stained

Check:

• whether the paper is picked up correctly;
• whether the paper guides are positioned too far apart;
• whether the leading edge of the sheet is curled;
• whether a foreign object is inside the printer;
• whether the paper feed area is contaminated.

Load one new flat sheet and print again.

If Ink Marks Appear at Regular Intervals

A regularly repeating mark may be caused by a contaminated roller or another rotating part.

1. Perform Bottom Plate Cleaning.
2. Check the paper feed rollers.
3. Print several clean sheets.
4. Compare the distance between the marks.

If identical marks continue to appear on every sheet, there may be an internal ink leak or contamination on a part that cannot be accessed without disassembly. Contact a service center.

If Marks Appeared After a Paper Jam

After jammed paper is removed, the following may remain inside:

• a scrap of paper;
• smeared ink;
• a piece of a label;
• a folded part of the sheet.

1. Turn off the printer.
2. Unplug the power cord.
3. Open the scanning unit / cover.
4. Inspect the inside.
5. Remove only loose, visible scraps.
6. Do not touch the white strip.
7. Close the cover.
8. Perform Bottom Plate Cleaning.

If Marks Appeared After Replacing an Ink Tank

Check the ink tank that was installed most recently.

1. Turn on the printer.
2. Open the scanning unit / cover.
3. Wait until the holder stops completely.
4. Check whether the ink tank is installed correctly.
5. Press it down until it clicks into place.
6. Check for a large amount of leaked ink.
7. Close the scanning unit / cover.

If the ink tank is damaged or leaking, do not continue printing. Replace the ink tank.

Do not wipe the ink outlet or electrical contacts.

If Paper Becomes Stained During Duplex Printing

The first side may not have had enough time to dry.

1. Make sure plain paper of a supported size is being used.
2. Reduce the print intensity.
3. Increase the ink drying wait time.
4. Check whether the sheet curls after the first side is printed.
5. Print the same document in single-sided mode.

If single-sided printing produces no marks, the problem is related to ink drying or the sheet being fed through the printer again.

For documents with heavy ink coverage, you can use manual duplex printing and allow the first side to dry completely before reloading the paper.

If Photo Paper Is Scratched

1. Use photo paper that is not damaged or severely curled.
2. Check the printable side.
3. Load one sheet at a time.
4. Select the exact media type.
5. Enable Prevent Paper Abrasion.
6. Select Standard or High print quality.
7. Increase the drying time.
8. Do not stack finished photos immediately after printing.

Do not touch the printed surface until it is completely dry.

If Streaks Appear Inside the Image

Not all streaks are caused by contamination of the bottom plate.

Print a nozzle check pattern if:

• horizontal streaks run across the entire photo;
• one color prints unevenly;
• thin lines are missing from the image;
• the streak matches the color of the image;
• the print has become faded.

If the nozzle check pattern contains missing areas, perform print head cleaning.

If the nozzle check pattern is correct but ink remains on the back of the paper, perform Bottom Plate Cleaning.

Paper Feed Roller Cleaning

Contaminated rollers may leave marks or feed the sheet at an angle. However, cleaning gradually wears the roller surfaces, so perform it only when necessary.

1. On the HOME screen, select Setup.
2. Open Maintenance.
3. Select Roller Cleaning.
4. Select the rear tray or cassette.
5. Follow the messages displayed on the touchscreen.
6. First, run the rollers without paper.
7. Then load three sheets of plain paper.
8. Complete the procedure.

If paper is picked up normally and only the back of the sheet is contaminated, perform Bottom Plate Cleaning before cleaning the rollers.

Do Not Use Unsuitable Cleaning Products

Do not use the following products for internal cleaning:

• alcohol;
• acetone;
• gasoline;
• paint thinner;
• glass cleaner;
• wet wipes containing chemical additives;
• oil or lubricant;
• aerosol cleaner;
• high-pressure compressed air.

Liquid may reach electrical components and damage the printer.

Will Reinstalling the Driver Help?

Reinstalling MP Drivers will not remove ink from the inside of the printer.

The driver needs to be checked only in the following cases:

• the wrong media type is selected;
• the intensity cannot be changed;
• IJ Printer Assistant Tool is missing;
• Prevent Paper Abrasion cannot be enabled;
• Windows is using a standard IPP driver.

If marks also appear when copying without a computer, the problem is not related to Windows.

Test Copying Without a Computer

1. Load a new sheet of A4 plain paper.
2. Place a document on the scanner glass.
3. On the printer’s screen, select Copy.
4. Tap Black.
5. Check the front and back of the sheet.

If the copy is also stained, perform internal cleaning.

If the copy is clean but a document printed from Windows becomes stained, check the media type, intensity, and borderless printing settings.

When to Contact a Service Center

Contact a service center if:

• two Bottom Plate Cleaning cycles did not help;
• the internal protrusions cannot be cleaned safely;
• identical large marks appear on every sheet;
• a major ink leak is visible inside;
• an ink tank is damaged;
• the paper becomes stained during both copying and printing;
• a new flat sheet is also scratched;
• the print head physically touches the paper;
• the carriage moves with cracking noises or in jerks;
• support code 5100 appears;
• smoke comes from the printer or there is a smell of overheating;
• the printer body must be disassembled for cleaning;
• the internal white strip is dirty or damaged;
• the marks appeared after the printer was dropped or transported on its side.

What You Must Not Do

• do not rinse the inside with water;
• do not wipe the white strip;
• do not touch the nozzles or electrical contacts;
• do not apply oil to the mechanisms;
• do not use metal tools;
• do not disassemble the printer to access the bottom plate;
• do not turn the device upside down;
• do not reuse one contaminated sheet for several cleaning cycles;
• do not perform nozzle cleaning instead of Bottom Plate Cleaning;
• do not continue printing if there is a major ink leak;
• do not stack freshly printed photos immediately.