Canon Printer Not Printing — Complete Fix Guide

FIX 1Clear the Print Queue

A stuck print queue is the single most common reason a Canon printer stops printing. Jobs pile up, the printer gets confused about what to process next, and everything grinds to a halt — even new jobs sent after the original problem. This takes two minutes to fix.

On Windows

1. Go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners
2. Click your Canon printer → Open print queue
3. Click Printer → Cancel All Documents
4. If jobs refuse to delete, press Windows + R, type services.msc and press Enter
5. Find Print Spooler → right-click → Stop
6. Open C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS and delete all files inside (not the folder)
7. Go back to services, right-click Print Spooler → Start
8. Try printing again

On Mac

1. Go to System Settings → Printers & Scanners
2. Click your Canon printer → Open Print Queue
3. Click the X next to each job to cancel it
4. If jobs are stuck, click the printer name in the queue window → Pause, delete all jobs, then Resume

FIX 2Check Ink and Cartridges

Empty cartridges, improperly seated cartridges, and clogged print head nozzles all cause the printer to accept jobs but produce nothing. Canon printers also block all printing when ink drops below a threshold, even if some ink remains.

1. Open Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool on your computer and check ink levels. If any cartridge shows empty or very low, replace it before continuing.
2. Open the front cover of the printer. Press down firmly on each cartridge until it clicks. A cartridge that is not fully seated breaks the electrical contact and blocks printing.
3. In the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool, click Maintenance → Nozzle Check. Print the test pattern. If any colour shows gaps or is completely missing, run one cleaning cycle from the same menu.
4. After cleaning, print a second nozzle check. If it improves, the head was clogged. If it is still missing colours after two cleaning cycles, see the dedicated blank pages fix in the specific problem guides below.

FIX 3Check Print Settings

Several setting combinations cause a Canon printer to appear to print while producing nothing useful. These are quick to check and often overlooked.

1. Default printer: Go to Printers & Scanners and confirm your Canon printer shows a checkmark as the default. Windows sometimes silently switches the default to a PDF printer or Microsoft XPS writer after updates.
2. Paper size mismatch: If the document is set to A4 but your printer has Letter loaded — or vice versa — many Canon printers will pause rather than print. Check the paper size in your print dialog matches what is in the tray.
3. Colour mode: Open your document's print settings and confirm Colour or Auto is selected rather than Grayscale. Grayscale mode with a clogged black cartridge can result in nothing printing.
4. Use Printer Offline: In the print queue window, click Printer in the menu bar and confirm Use Printer Offline is unchecked. If it has a checkmark, click it to remove the checkmark.

FIX 4Reinstall Canon Drivers

When the printer works from its own panel, prints a test page correctly, but refuses to print from your computer, the problem is always the driver or the connection between your computer and the printer. The correct fix is a complete driver removal and reinstall — not an update over the top of the existing installation.

1. Open Control Panel → Programs and Features (Windows) and uninstall every Canon entry — drivers, IJ Scan Utility, Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool, and anything else with Canon in the name.
2. Restart your computer after removing all Canon software.
3. Go to ij.start.canon, search your Canon model, and download the Full Software Package for your operating system. Do not download Drivers Only — the wireless printing stack is only in the full package.
4. Right-click the installer and choose Run as administrator. When asked for connection type, choose Wireless LAN.
5. Let the installer find your printer on the network. After it completes, print a test page. For a full driver installation walkthrough, see our ij.start.canon setup guide.

FIX 5Windows 11 Specific Fixes

Windows 11 introduced two specific behaviours that break Canon printing and affect users who never had problems on Windows 10.

Windows Update Replacing Canon Drivers

Windows 11 automatically replaces Canon's manufacturer drivers with generic Microsoft drivers during routine updates. The generic driver blocks wireless printing without any notification. After any Windows 11 update, if your Canon printer suddenly stops printing, this is the most likely cause. The fix is the complete removal and reinstallation described in Fix 4.

Adding Printer via IP Address

If the Canon installer cannot find your printer on the network, add it manually via its IP address. Go to Settings → Bluetooth & devices → Printers & scanners → The printer I want is not listed → Add a printer using a TCP/IP address. Find the printer's IP through Settings → LAN Settings → Confirm LAN Settings on the printer panel. This creates a stable direct connection that Windows 11 update cannot break.

FIX 6Mac Specific Fixes

Mac printing failures with Canon printers almost always have one of two causes: a stale printer entry with the wrong IP address, or a pending permissions approval that blocks the driver.

1. Go to System Settings → Privacy and Security. Look for any Canon software waiting for permission approval and click Allow. On Mac OS Ventura and later this is required after every Canon software install.
2. Go to System Settings → Printers & Scanners. Remove your Canon printer by clicking the minus button. Click the plus button and re-add it. This forces Mac to find the printer at its current IP address.
3. For AirPrint printing, no driver download is needed. The printer must be on the same WiFi network as your Mac. If it does not appear when adding, check that your Canon printer is connected to the same 2.4GHz network as your Mac.

Is Your Problem More Specific?

If the general fixes above did not resolve your issue, your problem is likely a specific sub-category with its own dedicated solution. Choose the one that matches your situation:

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why is my Canon printer not printing anything?
  The most common causes are a stuck print queue, empty or clogged ink cartridges, an incorrect or corrupt driver, or a connection issue. Start by clearing the print queue and checking ink levels before attempting driver reinstallation.
• Why does my Canon printer say it is printing but nothing comes out?
  This usually means jobs are stuck in the print queue or the print head nozzles are clogged. Clear the queue by cancelling all documents in Printers and Scanners, then run a nozzle check through the Canon IJ Printer Assistant Tool.
• How do I fix a Canon printer that is connected but not printing?
  First confirm the printer is set as default. Then check the print queue for stuck jobs. If the queue is clear and the printer still does not print, reinstall the Canon Full Software Package from ij.start.canon and select Wireless LAN connection during setup.
• Why does my Canon printer print a test page but not from my computer?
  This is a driver or connection issue between your computer and the printer. The printer itself works but your computer is not communicating correctly with it. Uninstall all Canon software, restart your computer, and reinstall the Full Software Package from ij.start.canon.
• How do I fix Canon printer not printing on Windows 11?
  Windows 11 frequently replaces Canon drivers with generic versions during updates. Uninstall all Canon software through Control Panel, then reinstall the complete driver package from ij.start.canon. If the installer will not run, right-click and choose Run as administrator. Add the printer via TCP/IP address for the most stable Windows 11 connection.
• Why is my Canon printer not printing on Mac?
  On Mac, check System Settings then Privacy and Security for any Canon software waiting for permission approval. Remove the printer from Printers and Scanners and re-add it to force Mac to find the current IP address. For scanning, download Canon IJ Scan Utility Lite from the Mac App Store separately.