Your printer is offline. Let's fix it, gently.

Get your Canon back online

Your computer says the printer is offline, but it's sitting right there. This is usually a stuck print queue or a dropped Wi-Fi link — both take minutes to fix.

Connect your Canon to Wi-Fi

First-time setup or a new router? Use the printer's Easy Wireless Connect mode to join your home network without a cable.

Clear a paper jam safely

A jam doesn't mean anything is broken. The trick is pulling the sheet out slowly, in the direction it was travelling, so no torn corners stay inside.

Resolve the B200 printhead error

B200 means the printer can't drive the print head correctly — often dried ink or a poorly seated cartridge, not a dead printer. Try this before replacing anything.

Fix error E03 (paper feed)

E03 means the printer tried to grab a sheet and missed. It's almost always loading, alignment, or a roller that needs a quick clean.

Fix faint or streaky prints

Washed-out pages and white lines usually mean clogged nozzles, not empty cartridges. A nozzle check tells you exactly which color is struggling.

Replace ink cartridges & clear warnings

Cartridge errors after a refill or swap usually come from a missed click, leftover tape, or the ink counter needing a reset.

Speed up slow printing

If every page crawls out, the printer is likely set to high quality or quiet mode — or it's re-rendering a heavy document. All easy wins.

Understand the 5B00 waste ink error

5B00 (also 5B01) means the internal waste ink counter is full. It is a counter, not a breakage — but it needs a service reset, not a home fix.

Clear the 1700 ink absorber warning

1700 is the early warning that comes before 5B00. You can usually keep printing for a while after acknowledging it.

Fix support code 6000

6000 means the printer cannot feed paper or detects an obstruction in the paper path. Usually debris or a mis-set tray.

Fix the 1403 print head not installed error

1403 (and 1401/1485) means the printer cannot read the print head. Reseating and cleaning the contacts fixes most cases.

Fix the 1682 ink cartridge error

1682 says a cartridge is not recognised. Reseating, cleaning the chip, and confirming the right cartridge number solves it.

Fix the 1660 cartridge not installed error

1660 means a slot is reading as empty. Usually the cartridge is in the wrong bay or not clicked down.

Fix the 1310 paper size mismatch

1310 appears when the paper size set on the printer does not match the size in the print dialog.

Understand the P07 service error

P07 is the older display form of the waste ink absorber full condition. It requires a service reset.

Fix the C000 general error

C000 is a catch-all fault that usually means something is physically blocking the carriage or a jam sensor is triggered.

Stop the printer pulling two sheets at once

Multiple sheets feeding together usually comes from static, humidity, or an overfilled tray rather than a mechanical fault.

Printer will not pick up paper at all

When the rollers spin but nothing moves, the rubber has usually gone glossy with paper dust and lost its grip.

Fix crooked or skewed printing

Skewed output means the sheet enters at an angle — nearly always a paper guide or loading issue.

Stop photo paper from jamming

Glossy paper is heavier and sticks together. Loading it one sheet at a time from the rear tray solves most jams.

Print envelopes without jams

Envelopes need the right orientation, the right media setting, and a light touch on the guides.

Print on cardstock and thick paper

Most Canon home printers handle card up to around 300 gsm from the rear tray only.

Set up double-sided printing

Many Canon models print both sides automatically; those that do not can still do it manually in two passes.

Print photos without white borders

Borderless printing needs both a supported paper size and the borderless checkbox in the driver.

Install a Canon printer on Windows

Windows finds most Canon printers automatically on the network; the full driver adds scanning and maintenance tools.

Add a Canon printer on a Mac

macOS uses AirPrint for most Canon models, so no driver download is usually needed.

Printer not found during setup

Setup tools fail to see the printer when the phone or PC is on a different band, a guest network, or a VPN.

Print with Wireless Direct, no router

Wireless Direct turns the printer into its own hotspot so you can print when the home network is down.

Reconnect after changing your Wi-Fi password

The printer keeps the old password and silently drops off. Re-running the wireless setup takes a few minutes.

Scan to computer stopped working

You press Scan on the printer and nothing arrives on the computer. Almost always the scan link between the two devices has dropped.

Scans look dark, blurry or streaky

A scanned page that looks worse than the original is usually a dirty glass strip or the wrong scan preset.

Scan several pages into one PDF

One file instead of ten separate images, using the tools already on the printer.

Copies come out blank or half printed

The scanner reads the page but the printed copy is empty or cut off — a placement or ink problem, not a scanner fault.

Document feeder will not pull pages

The top feeder grinds or reports no document even with a full stack loaded.

Run a printhead cleaning the right way

Cleaning fixes most quality problems, but repeating it too often wastes a surprising amount of ink.

Align the printhead for sharp lines

Text with a faint double edge or wavy ruled lines means the head alignment has drifted.

Clean the paper feed rollers

Dusty rollers slip, so pages misfeed or come through smudged. A built-in routine cleans them.

“Ink absorber almost full” warning

The pad that soaks up cleaning ink is filling. The printer keeps working for a while, then stops with a service code.

Keep a rarely used printer healthy

Inkjets clog when they sit idle. A few habits keep a once-a-month printer working.

Print from an iPhone or iPad

Most Canon printers print straight from iOS with no app at all, as long as both are on the same Wi-Fi.

Print from an Android phone

Android needs a print service switched on before the printer shows up in the share menu.

Print photos straight from a USB stick or card

Models with a screen and a port can print without any computer or phone involved.

Get the best out of a SELPHY photo printer

SELPHY uses paper and a ribbon cassette as a matched set — most problems come from mixing them.

Stop the paper size mismatch message

The printer compares what you loaded with what the job asks for and stops when they differ.

Jobs take ages to start over Wi-Fi

The printing itself is fine; the delay is the job crossing a weak or busy network.

Make your Canon the default printer

Jobs quietly going to a PDF writer or an old printer is a default-printer problem.

Reset the printer's network settings

A clean start for Wi-Fi when the printer keeps dropping off and nothing else helped.

Toner low message on an imageCLASS laser

Laser printers warn early. You can usually get a few hundred more pages before quality actually drops.

MegaTank prints blank with full tanks

Full tanks but nothing on the page usually means air in the tubes or a clogged head after idle weeks.

Colours print wrong compared with the screen

Prints that look too warm, too dark or oddly tinted are usually a paper-type or colour-setting mismatch.

Ink smudges on the page

Smears on the front or back of the page point at wet ink, curled paper or a dirty roller.

Printhead errors 1401 and 1403

The printer cannot read the printhead at all (1401) or reads it as unsupported (1403).

Errors B203 and B204

Related to B200 — the printer detected an electrical fault around the printhead and stopped to protect itself.

Error 5100 — carriage cannot move

Something is physically stopping the carriage, or the strip it reads position from is dirty.

Error 2114 — paper settings do not match

A polite stop rather than a fault: the loaded paper is not what the job asked for.

Error 1000 — no paper in the rear tray

The rear tray sensor cannot see paper, even when a stack is sitting there.

Get your Brother back online

Windows or your phone says the Brother printer is offline, but it's powered on. This is almost always a stuck print queue, a wrong port, or a dropped Wi-Fi link — all quick to clear.

Connect your Brother to Wi-Fi

First-time setup or a new router? Use the wireless setup wizard on the printer panel — no USB cable needed on most models.

Brother can't find your Wi-Fi network

The setup wizard lists every neighbour's network except yours. It's usually a band or channel mismatch — the printer only sees one of them.

Update the Wi-Fi password on your Brother

Changed your Wi-Fi password? The printer keeps trying the old one and never reconnects. Re-run the wizard with the new password.

Print the network configuration page

This one-page report tells you the printer's IP address, signal strength, and whether it's actually on your network. It's the first thing support asks for.

Clear a rear paper jam

A jam in the back of the printer is the most common Brother jam. Open the rear cover, pull the sheet out gently in the feed direction, and check for torn corners.

Clear a front / tray paper jam

When the sheet never made it past the tray, the jam is in the front. Pull the tray out, remove the stuck paper, and reload carefully.

Fix “No Paper Fed” or misfeed

The printer tries to pick a sheet and fails — “No Paper Fed” even though the tray is full. It's a dirty or worn pickup roller, or a loading issue.

Stop the printer grabbing two sheets at once

Two pages feed together and the second one jams. It's almost always loading — paper stuck together or a tray overfilled.

Fix crooked or skewed prints

Text drifts down the page at an angle. The paper guides are loose or the paper itself is curled — both fixable in a minute.

Resolve “Unable to Print 30”

“Unable to Print 30” (or 4F) on an inkjet Brother means the print head can't move or drive correctly. Often dried ink or a jammed carriage — try this before replacing anything.

Fix “Machine Error 46” (waste ink full)

'Machine Error 46' means the waste ink absorber pad is saturated and the printer halts to prevent ink leaking. It needs the pad cleaned or replaced and the counter reset.

Resolve fuser error E50 / “Fuser Unit Error”

On a laser Brother, E50 or “Fuser Unit Error” means the fuser isn't reaching temperature. Often a cool-down needed, sometimes a real fuser fault.

Fix laser unit error E51

E51 indicates the laser unit isn't communicating. Usually a loose connector after a move or a service panel left open.

Fix scanner error E52 / “Scanner Locked”

E52 or “Scanner Locked” means the scanner head can't move. There's a transport lock switch under the lid that gets left in the locked position after a move.

Clear “Replace Toner” (continue mode)

The printer says “Replace Toner” but pages still look fine. You can switch to Continue mode to use the remaining toner, or reset the counter if it's a non-Brother cartridge.

'Replace Drum' / 'Drum End Soon' explained

The drum is separate from the toner on a Brother laser. “Drum End Soon” is a warning; “Replace Drum” means it's at the end of its rated life. You can keep printing and reset the counter after a real swap.

Fix faint prints (laser toner)

Pages come out light or grey. On a laser, that's low toner, a dirty corona wire, or toner save mode — not a clog, since lasers don't clog.

Fix streaky or banded prints (inkjet)

Horizontal bands or missing colour on an inkjet Brother mean clogged nozzles, not empty ink. Run the nozzle check and cleaning cycle.

Replace an ink cartridge

Swapping an ink cartridge on a Brother inkjet is quick — the printer tells you which colour, and the cover auto-opens the carriage. Just don't forget to peel the film.

Replace a toner cartridge

Laser toner replacement on a Brother is a two-minute job. The key step people miss is resetting the page counter so the warning clears.

Clean the corona wire

A grey vertical streak or one-sided fade on a laser is often a dirty corona wire. Slide the green tab a few times — it's a 30-second fix.

Clean the drum unit (repeating marks)

A black dot repeating every ~94 mm down the page means toner stuck on the drum. You can clean the drum surface carefully to remove it.

Install the Brother driver on Windows

Windows finds a generic driver, but the official Brother package adds scanning and the full control panel. Get it from Brother's site, not Windows Update.

Install the Brother driver on Mac

macOS often adds the printer via AirPrint, but the full Brother driver unlocks scanning and advanced settings. Install it for the complete experience.

Windows can't discover the Brother

The installer can't find the printer on the network. The printer is on Wi-Fi but Windows isn't — usually a different subnet or a firewall blocking discovery.

Scan to your computer

Use the Brother iPrint&Scan app to send a scan straight to your PC. The printer scans, the file lands on your desktop — no email detour needed.

Scan straight to a USB drive

Skip the computer entirely — plug a USB stick into the printer and scan directly to it. Great when the PC is off or you're in a hurry.

Set up Scan to Email

The printer can email a scan as an attachment, but it needs your SMTP mail settings configured once. After that, one button sends a PDF to any inbox.

Fix a black line on copies and scans

A vertical line that appears on every scan and copy — but not on prints — means the scanner glass strip is dirty. A 30-second wipe clears it.

Clear an ADF (document feeder) jam

When the auto document feeder grabs a page and stalls, the original is usually jammed in the feeder slot. Pull it out gently and clean the rollers.

Improve faint or dark copies

Copies come out too light or too dark. The contrast setting on the panel controls this — adjust it once and the printer remembers it.

Clean the print head (inkjet)

Streaky or missing colour on an inkjet Brother usually clears with a cleaning cycle. The printer flushes ink through the nozzles to dissolve clogs.

Align the print head (inkjet)

If text looks fuzzy or colours misregister (a red edge around black text), the print head needs alignment. The printer prints a sheet and reads it automatically.

Clean inside the laser printer

Loose toner builds up inside a laser and causes grey background or speckles. A periodic clean of the drum area and corona wire keeps prints crisp.

Clean the pickup roller

If the printer keeps failing to feed paper, a glazed pickup roller is the usual culprit. A quick wipe restores grip and delays a replacement.

Replace the waste toner box

Laser printers collect leftover toner in a waste toner box. When it's full, the printer halts. Swapping it is clean and quick if you keep it level.

Adjust or disable sleep mode

The printer goes to sleep and then won't wake over Wi-Fi. Either lengthen the sleep timer or turn off deep sleep so it stays reachable.

Turn Quiet Mode on or off

Quiet Mode slows the printer and dampens the noise. Turn it on for a sleeping household, off when speed matters.

Set up two-sided (duplex) printing

Automatic duplex prints on both sides of the paper. Enable it in the driver once, then every job can use both sides — saving paper.

Print borderless photos (inkjet)

Borderless printing fills the whole sheet edge-to-edge — ideal for photos. It only works on supported photo paper sizes on inkjet models.

Print on photo paper without smears

Smudged or smeared photos usually mean the paper type in the dialog doesn't match the paper loaded. The printer lays down different ink for photo paper.

Print envelopes and cardstock

Envelopes and thick card need the manual feed or multi-purpose tray and the right thickness setting, or they jam or print crooked.

Fix “Paper Size Mismatch”

The printer refuses a job saying the loaded paper doesn't match the requested size. The panel size and the loaded paper must agree.

Factory reset your Brother

A factory reset clears all settings — Wi-Fi, date, dial codes — back to default. Use it when nothing else clears a stubborn error or before passing the printer on.

Print from iPhone (AirPrint)

iPhone prints wirelessly to a Brother on the same Wi-Fi with zero setup — AirPrint is built into iOS. Just pick the printer in the share sheet.

Print from Android

Android has a built-in print service, but installing Brother's service adds full Brother features. Either way, printing from a phone is a few taps.

Use the Brother iPrint&Scan app

The free Brother iPrint&Scan app turns your phone into a print and scan remote — print photos, scan to phone, even check ink and toner levels.

Set the date and time

Fax logs, scan timestamps, and scheduled jobs all rely on the clock. After a power loss or reset, the date and time need re-entering.

Use Toner Save mode wisely

Toner Save lays down less toner, doubling cartridge life — great for drafts, awful for anything you'll read or sign. Toggle it per job.

Fix “Cooling Down” wait messages

“Cooling Down” means the fuser is protecting itself from overheating. It's normal after heavy jobs — but if it lingers, airflow or room temp is the issue.

Replace the belt unit (color laser)

On a color laser, the belt unit carries toner past each colour drum. When it reaches its limit, the printer halts with “Replace Belt Unit.”

Set up fax on a Brother

Brother MFC models include fax. Connect the phone line, set your station ID, and choose how it answers — then test with a send and receive.

Fix an Epson that shows offline

Your Epson prints nothing and the computer says it's offline. Nine times out of ten it's a paused queue or a dropped Wi-Fi link — both quick to fix.

Connect an Epson to Wi-Fi

Join your Epson to your home network using the on-screen Wi-Fi Setup Wizard or the Epson Smart Panel app — no cable needed.

Connect an Epson with the WPS button

Skip typing the password: the WPS push-button method pairs the printer and router in about two minutes.

Clear a paper jam in an Epson

Epsons report a jam even for a tiny torn scrap. Work front to back, pull with the paper path, and check the rear feed slot.

Fix an Epson that won't pick up paper

The rollers spin but no sheet feeds. Dirty pickup rollers and overfilled trays cause almost every case.

Fix Epson error 0x97

Error 0x97 on WorkForce models points to an internal hardware fault, usually the printhead or motherboard. Try the full power-drain reset before assuming the worst.

Fix Epson error 0xF1

Error 0xF1 means the printhead carriage can't move freely — usually a jammed scrap, a foreign object, or a stalled carriage rail.

Deal with the Epson “waste ink pad full” error

When the ink absorber pads fill up, the printer stops to prevent overflow. The pads need replacing and the internal counter needs resetting.

Refill Epson EcoTank ink the right way

EcoTank bottles are keyed to their color and stop automatically — but doing it in the wrong order or overfilling still causes problems.

Fix streaky or banded Epson prints

White lines across photos or faded stripes in text mean clogged nozzles. A nozzle check tells you which color, and a cleaning cycle usually clears it.

Fix an Epson not printing black

Color prints fine but black is missing or faint. The black nozzle bank clogs first because it's used most — and air after a tank refill can block it too.

Fix “cartridge not recognized” on an Epson

The printer rejects a cartridge that's installed. Usually it's a protective film left on, a dirty chip, or a cartridge that isn't fully clicked in.

Fix a false paper jam error on an Epson

The screen says jam but you can't find any paper. A tiny scrap, a sticky sensor flag, or a dusty sensor triggers the same error.

Fix an Epson scanner that won't scan

Printing works but scanning fails. Scanning needs its own software path — Epson Scan 2 — and a firewall or missing driver breaks it while printing stays fine.

Fix an Epson feeder that won't pull pages

The automatic document feeder (ADF) skips pages, pulls two at once, or doesn't grab at all. Dirty feeder rollers and mixed paper stacks are the usual suspects.

Update Epson printer firmware safely

Firmware updates fix bugs, Wi-Fi dropouts, and some error codes. Do it from the printer's menu over Wi-Fi or with the Epson Software Updater.

Install Epson drivers on Windows or Mac

Skip the generic OS driver — the full Epson package gives you scan support, maintenance tools, and reliable ink-level reporting.

Print to an Epson from iPhone or Android

iPhones use AirPrint with zero setup; Android uses the Epson Smart Panel app or the print service plugin. Same Wi-Fi network is the only requirement.

Speed up a slow Epson printer

Slow output is usually a quality setting, not a fault. Draft mode, plain-paper settings, and a strong Wi-Fi signal make a dramatic difference.

Align the printhead on an Epson

Blurry vertical edges and misaligned color lines mean the printhead needs alignment — the printer prints a pattern and you pick the best-looking blocks.

When and how to run Epson cleaning cycles

Head cleaning fixes clogs but drinks ink. Knowing when to clean — and when to wait — saves a lot of ink over the printer's life.

Fix air in EcoTank ink lines

Ran a tank dry? Air bubbles in the ink lines cause sudden streaks and missing colors. A Power Cleaning after refilling pulls the air out.

Fix poor copy quality on an Epson

Bad copies can come from the scanner glass, not the printer. Clean the glass and ADF strip before touching any print settings.

Fix an Epson that won't turn on

No lights, no display, no response. Rule out the outlet and power supply before assuming the printer is dead.

Set up double-sided printing on an Epson

Save paper with automatic duplexing on models that support it — and learn the manual flip method for models that don't.