If your Canon printer is not printing, the problem can be frustrating, especially when the printer appears to be turned on and connected. A Canon printer may stop printing because of an offline status, connection problems, empty ink cartridges, paper issues, incorrect printer settings, or outdated or corrupted drivers. (Dial +1-801-878-6858 USA)
The good news is that most Canon printing problems can be fixed without replacing the printer. In this guide, we'll explain the six most likely causes of a Canon printer not printing and provide step-by-step solutions you can try on Windows, Mac, and wireless networks.
The six most common causes are:
Other issues, such as incorrect printer selection, firewall restrictions, hardware problems, or network configuration errors, can also prevent printing.
Let's look at each cause and its solution.
One of the most common reasons a Canon printer won't print is that Windows or macOS has marked the printer as offline.
Even if the printer is powered on, the computer may not be communicating with it correctly.
First, make sure the printer is turned on and does not display an error message.
Then check the printer connection.
If the printer continues to appear offline, restart both the printer and computer.
If necessary, remove the printer and add it again.
A connection problem can prevent your computer from communicating with your Canon printer.
If you're using a wireless Canon printer, check that the printer and computer are connected to the same WiFi network.
For example:
Computer: HomeWiFi
Printer: HomeWiFi
If your computer is connected to HomeWiFi while the printer is connected to a different network or guest network, printing may fail.
Try these steps:
If the printer is far from the router, move it closer temporarily.
Some Canon printers support only 2.4 GHz WiFi, while newer models may support both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
If your printer cannot connect to your wireless network, check your printer's specifications and router settings.
If necessary, connect the printer to a compatible 2.4 GHz network.
If you're using a USB cable:
Your Canon printer may refuse to print when there is no paper or when paper is incorrectly loaded.
A paper jam can also stop the printer from processing new print jobs.
Make sure:
Try removing the paper and loading a fresh stack.
If the printer displays a paper-jam warning:
Do not pull paper aggressively because doing so can damage internal printer components.
Another common reason a Canon printer won't print is an ink-related problem.
Depending on the Canon model and the type of print job, the printer may display an ink warning or refuse to print when a cartridge is empty, incorrectly installed, or not recognized.
Check the ink levels through the printer's display or Canon printer software.
If a cartridge is empty, replace it with a compatible cartridge designed for your printer model.
If the ink levels appear normal but the printer still won't print:
If the printer doesn't recognize the cartridge, check that any required protective tape or packaging has been removed.
If the printer feeds paper but produces blank pages or very faint output, clogged print-head nozzles may be responsible.
If your model supports it, run:
Avoid performing deep cleaning repeatedly because it can consume a significant amount of ink.
Sometimes the Canon printer itself is working correctly, but a previous print job is stuck in the computer's print queue.
A stuck document can prevent subsequent documents from printing.
If the documents won't disappear, restart the Print Spooler service.
services.msc.On Mac:
Clearing stuck jobs is often enough to restore normal printing.
The printer driver allows Windows or macOS to communicate with your Canon printer.
If the driver is outdated, corrupted, incompatible, or incorrectly installed, the printer may appear connected but fail to print.
This can happen after:
First, remove the existing printer from your computer.
Then visit Canon Support and search for your exact printer model.
Download the appropriate driver and software for your operating system.
Install the software and select the appropriate connection method, such as wireless or USB, when prompted.
After installation:
Always download drivers for the exact Canon printer model and operating system you are using.
If the six main solutions haven't fixed the problem, try these additional troubleshooting steps.
Turn off:
Wait approximately 30 seconds and turn everything back on.
This can clear temporary communication problems.
Your computer may be sending the print job to another printer.
Before printing, open the printer selection menu and make sure your Canon printer is selected.
On Windows, you can also set your Canon printer as the default printer.
Look at the printer's display or indicator lights.
The printer may be reporting:
Resolve the displayed error before attempting to print again.
Security software can sometimes block communication between a computer and a network printer.
If your Canon printer is connected to WiFi but cannot be detected, check whether your firewall or antivirus program is blocking Canon printer software.
Do not permanently disable security protection just to make the printer work. If a firewall is responsible, create an appropriate exception instead.
A VPN can interfere with communication between your computer and devices on your local network.
If your Canon printer is connected but cannot be found by your computer, disconnect the VPN temporarily and test the printer.
If printing starts working, check your VPN settings for local network access.
If you are trying to print from an Android phone or iPhone, make sure the phone and printer are connected to the same WiFi network.
Try:
If printing works from your computer but not your phone, the problem may be related to mobile printing settings rather than the printer itself.
If the Canon printer feeds paper but produces blank pages, check the following:
Run a nozzle check if your model supports it.
If the nozzle check is poor, use the printer's cleaning function according to the model's instructions.
Slow printing may occur because of:
Try selecting Standard or Normal print quality instead of a high-quality mode.
For large documents, connecting the printer through a reliable network or USB connection may also improve performance.
If only part of a document prints, check:
Make sure the paper size selected in the document matches the paper loaded in the printer.
For example, if the document is configured for Letter but the printer is loaded with A4 paper, print formatting may not behave as expected.
If color prints correctly but black does not, the black cartridge or black print-head nozzles may be the problem.
Try:
If black ink still doesn't print after these steps, the print head may require further service.
Before contacting technical support, go through this checklist:
The printer may be connected but offline in Windows or macOS, have a stuck print queue, incorrect driver, paper problem, ink issue, or communication problem. Check the printer status, clear the print queue, and restart the printer and computer.
A Canon printer can show offline when the computer cannot communicate with it. Check the WiFi or USB connection, restart the printer and router, and remove and re-add the printer if necessary.
The printer's WiFi connection may be working while the computer's printer configuration is not. Check that both devices are on the same network, clear the print queue, verify the printer's IP address, and reinstall the printer driver if necessary.
Start by restarting the printer and computer. Check paper and ink, verify the printer connection, clear stuck print jobs, make sure the correct printer is selected, and update or reinstall the Canon driver.
Empty ink, incorrectly installed cartridges, clogged print-head nozzles, or incorrect print settings can cause blank pages. Check the ink cartridges and run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle if supported.
A Windows update can sometimes affect printer drivers or printer configuration. Remove the printer, restart Windows, and install the latest compatible Canon driver for your printer model.
Not always. However, if the driver is corrupted, outdated, incompatible, or Windows cannot communicate correctly with the printer, reinstalling the correct Canon driver can resolve the problem.
When a Canon printer is not printing, the problem is usually caused by one of six common issues: an offline printer, connection problem, paper or paper-jam issue, ink problem, stuck print queue, or outdated/corrupted driver.
Start with the simplest solutions. Restart the printer and computer, check paper and ink, verify the WiFi or USB connection, clear the print queue, and make sure the correct Canon printer is selected.
If the problem continues, reinstall the appropriate printer driver and check your network, firewall, and printer settings. For model-specific drivers, software, manuals, and troubleshooting instructions, use Canon Support and search for your exact Canon printer model.
With these troubleshooting steps, most common Canon printer printing problems can be identified and resolved without replacing the printer.