Every Canon fix, in one place

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420 · PIXMA TR8620a · PIXMA G3420

Error codes

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.

Applies to: PIXMA MG3620 · PIXMA MX922 · PIXMA iP8720

Error codes

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS3522 · PIXMA MG2522 · PIXMA TR4720

Ink & print quality

Easy · 7 min

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.

Applies to: PIXMA G3420 · PIXMA TS6420 · PIXMA MG3620

Ink & print quality

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.

Applies to: PIXMA MG2522 · PIXMA TS3522 · PIXMA TR4720

Ink & print quality

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.

Applies to: PIXMA G3420 · PIXMA TR8620a · MAXIFY MB2720

Error codes

Advanced · 6 min

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.

Applies to: PIXMA iP2702 · PIXMA MG2522 · PIXMA MX492

Error codes

Easy · 3 min

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420 · PIXMA TR8620a · PIXMA G3420

Error codes

Medium · 5 min

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420 · PIXMA TR4720 · MAXIFY MB2720

Error codes

Medium · 7 min

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.

Applies to: PIXMA MG5720 · PIXMA iX6820 · PIXMA MX922

Error codes

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420 · PIXMA MG3620 · PIXMA TR8620a

Error codes

Easy · 3 min

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.

Applies to: PIXMA MG2522 · PIXMA TS3522 · PIXMA TR4720

Error codes

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420 · PIXMA G3420 · MAXIFY GX7020

Error codes

Advanced · 4 min

Understand the P07 service error

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

Applies to: PIXMA iP2702 · PIXMA MP280 · PIXMA MX392

Error codes

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS8320 · PIXMA TR8620a · PIXMA G6020

Paper & feeding

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420 · MAXIFY MB2720 · imageCLASS MF264dw

Paper & feeding

Medium · 7 min

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.

Applies to: PIXMA MG3620 · PIXMA TR4720 · PIXMA G3420

Paper & feeding

Fix crooked or skewed printing

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS3522 · PIXMA TR8620a · PIXMA MG2522

Paper & feeding

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS8320 · PIXMA iP8720 · PIXMA TS6420

Paper & feeding

Print envelopes without jams

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

Applies to: PIXMA TR8620a · MAXIFY MB2720 · PIXMA TS6420

Paper & feeding

Medium · 5 min

Print on cardstock and thick paper

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS8320 · PIXMA iX6820 · PIXMA G6020

Setup & drivers

Set up double-sided printing

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

Applies to: PIXMA TR8620a · MAXIFY MB2720 · imageCLASS MF264dw

Setup & drivers

Print photos without white borders

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS8320 · PIXMA iP8720 · PIXMA TS6420

Setup & drivers

Easy · 8 min

Install a Canon printer on Windows

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420 · PIXMA G3420 · imageCLASS MF264dw

Setup & drivers

Easy · 7 min

Add a Canon printer on a Mac

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420 · PIXMA TR8620a · PIXMA G3270

Wi-Fi & connection

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS3522 · PIXMA G3420 · PIXMA TR4720

Wi-Fi & connection

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420 · PIXMA TR8620a · PIXMA G3270

Wi-Fi & connection

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.

Applies to: PIXMA G3420 · PIXMA TS6420 · imageCLASS MF264dw

Scanning & copying

Easy · 6 min

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS3520 · PIXMA TR4720 · imageCLASS MF445dw

Scanning & copying

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420a · PIXMA TR8620a · imageCLASS MF264dw

Scanning & copying

Scan several pages into one PDF

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

Applies to: PIXMA TR7020 · MAXIFY GX6020 · imageCLASS MF455dw

Scanning & copying

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS3520 · PIXMA TR4720 · imageCLASS MF3010

Scanning & copying

Document feeder will not pull pages

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

Applies to: PIXMA TR8620a · MAXIFY MB5420 · imageCLASS MF445dw

Maintenance & care

Easy · 8 min

Run a printhead cleaning the right way

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS8320 · PIXMA G3420 · MAXIFY GX7020

Maintenance & care

Easy · 7 min

Align the printhead for sharp lines

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420a · PIXMA TR7020 · PIXMA G2270

Maintenance & care

Clean the paper feed rollers

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS3520 · PIXMA TR4720 · MAXIFY MB2720

Maintenance & care

Medium · 4 min

“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.

Applies to: PIXMA MG3620 · PIXMA TS3520 · PIXMA iP110

Maintenance & care

Keep a rarely used printer healthy

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS8320 · PIXMA G3420 · PIXMA TR150

Phones & tablets

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420a · PIXMA TR8620a · MAXIFY GX4020

Phones & tablets

Print from an Android phone

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS3520 · PIXMA G3420 · MAXIFY MB5420

Phones & tablets

Print photos straight from a USB stick or card

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS8320 · SELPHY CP1500 · PIXMA TR8620a

Phones & tablets

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.

Applies to: SELPHY CP1500 · SELPHY CP1300 · SELPHY QX20

Setup & drivers

Stop the paper size mismatch message

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420a · PIXMA TR7020 · MAXIFY MB2720

Setup & drivers

Jobs take ages to start over Wi-Fi

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS3520 · PIXMA G3420 · imageCLASS MF264dw

Setup & drivers

Easy · 3 min

Make your Canon the default printer

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

Applies to: PIXMA TR4720 · PIXMA TS8320 · imageCLASS MF445dw

Setup & drivers

Reset the printer's network settings

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420a · PIXMA G3420 · MAXIFY GX4020

Ink & print quality

Toner low message on an imageCLASS laser

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

Applies to: imageCLASS MF264dw · imageCLASS MF445dw · imageCLASS LBP6030w

Ink & print quality

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.

Applies to: PIXMA G3420 · PIXMA G2270 · MAXIFY GX6020

Ink & print quality

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.

Applies to: PIXMA TS8320 · PIXMA TS6420a · PIXMA PRO-200

Ink & print quality

Easy · 6 min

Ink smudges on the page

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

Applies to: PIXMA TR7020 · PIXMA TS3520 · MAXIFY MB2720

Error codes

Medium · 7 min

Printhead errors 1401 and 1403

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

Applies to: PIXMA MG3620 · PIXMA TS6420a · PIXMA iX6820

Error codes

Advanced · 5 min

Errors B203 and B204

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

Applies to: PIXMA MG5720 · PIXMA MX922 · PIXMA iP8720

Error codes

Error 5100 — carriage cannot move

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

Applies to: PIXMA MG3620 · PIXMA TS3520 · PIXMA MX492

Error codes

Error 2114 — paper settings do not match

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

Applies to: PIXMA TS6420a · PIXMA TR8620a · PIXMA G3420

Error codes