7 Methods to Fix Canon Printer Not Printing Color issue

Canon printers can encounter certain problems at various points. One of the common ones is a Canon printer not printing color. This problem can arise due to incorrect printer settings or the usage of an obsolete driver. Besides, it can also be due to an incorrect installation of the printer firmware.

This article will delve into more details about the causes and fixes for this problem.

Table of Contents

Fix 1: Ensure That the Printer Ink Ejects Correctly

Your printer won’t print correctly if the ink isn’t being appropriately ejected. So, print a nozzle check pattern to find out whether this is the cause.

If don’t find the nozzle check pattern satisfactory, find if there are any empty color ink tanks.
If you find the Canon printer not printing color correctly even with much ink, clean the printhead.
After that, print a nozzle check pattern to find whether the ink is being correctly ejected.
If you cannot resolve the problem even after printhead cleaning, perform printhead deep cleaning.
In case the problem still persists, perform a deep cleaning of the printhead again a day later.

Fix 2: Delete Print Jobs from the Queue

Remove the print jobs from the queue to make your Canon printer produce the results you expect.

Open Control Panel on your system.
Here, input ‘services.msc’
After hitting the ‘OK’ button, you’ll see the Services window opening.
Find the print spooler service.
Click this service and tap ‘Stop.’
This will stop the print spooler service.
Launch the Run dialog box.
Type ‘spool’ there and hit Enter.
Next, in the printer’s folder, delete all the files.
Head back to the Services window, right-tap on the ‘Print Spooler’ program and make it start.
Now, print and see if the Canon printer gives color output.

Fix 3: Print on the Right Side of the Media with a Suitable Paper

Many users ask why is my Canon printer not printing color because they unknowingly print on the wrong side of the media. This results in unclear or reduced-quality prints.

Canon printers allow a margin along every edge of the media for optimal print quality. The real printable area is the part inside these margins. You must ensure that you are printing on the correct side of the media.

Also, use the correct media types. For example, select the right kind of paper in ‘Media Type Settings’ as per your needs to get the best results.

Fix 4: Examine the Ink Cartridge of Your Printer

Whenever the printer cartridge has low ink levels, Canon printers will notify you of it. In such a case, you should replace the ink cartridge to fix the issue with color printing.

Open the door of the printing device to find the cartridge.
Now take it out of its place.
Substitute this cartridge with another having proper ink levels.
Now, put it back in its correct position.
Finally, perform a test print to ensure that the printer is printing color correctly.

Fix 5: Modify the Settings of Your Printer

Canon printer settings control how the paper is printed. For example, through these settings, you can select the kind of color you want to print paper size and quality.

So if you find your Canon printer not printing color, the problem maybe is because of the wrong configuration of the printer. Here is how to enable color print settings.

Access the Start menu on your system.
Navigate to ‘Settings.’
Once there, select ‘Printer and Scanner.’
From the list of devices, choose your Canon printer.
Now tap ‘Properties.’
Find whether you have enabled the ‘Color Printing’ option.
If not, set it to ON.

Fix 6: Set the Input Profile in the Printer Driver Correctly

Sometimes, you may print images in Adobe RGB mode. If they do not come out to be as expected, try changing the input profile and printing again.

Launch the ‘Printer Properties’ box.
In its ‘Main’ tab, choose Manual for Color/Intensity.’
Now, tap ‘Set.’
For color correction, select ‘ICM [Windows Image Color Management].’
Now, select ‘Adobe RGB (1998).’
If you don’t find it showing, install ‘Adobe RGB [1998].’
Use the setup sheet to install it correctly.

Fix 7: Align the Printhead

You will not find Canon printing color correctly if the printhead is not aligned. In such a case, the output will have ruled and misaligned lines. Perform automatic or manual printhead alignment to fix the issue.

1. Align printhead automatically

Here’s the process for automatic printhead alignment. Do this process by loading paper in the Auto Sheet Feeder.

You can align the printhead from the printer if the driver is not installed on your system.
Turn on the printer. Now, load two A4 or letter-sized plain sheets in the Auto Sheet Feeder.
Press the three circles mark on the printer’s front tray.
This will open the tray.
Pull out its extension.
Now, hold down the ‘Cancel’ or ‘Resume’ button.
You must see the power lamp flashing blue four times.
Release the button instantly.
The printer will print two pattern sheets.
Open the ‘Printer Properties’ box and print the pattern.
Hit ‘Maintenance’ and click ‘Printhead Alignment.’
Confirm the message that comes and tap ‘Printhead Alignment.’
The alignment will be adjusted by printing the patterns.
If the results of this alignment are not satisfactory, consider manual printhead alignment.

2. Align printhead manually

Turn on the printer and load three A4 or letter-sized plain sheets in the Auto Sheet Feeder.
Press the three circles mark on the front tray.
Pull out the extension of the front tray.
In the ‘Printer Properties’ box, hit ‘Maintenance.’
Now, tap ‘Custom Settings.’
Choose the checkbox, ‘Align Heads Manually.’
Hit ‘Send.’
Tap ‘OK’ and print the pattern.
After that, click ‘Yes.’
From the patterns, choose those with less streaking.
Enter their numbers.
Tap ‘OK’ and load the paper in the Auto Sheet Feeder.
A pattern sheet will print.
Choose the best patterns for every column, input their numbers, and hit ‘OK.’
Do this one more time.
Click ‘OK’ in the confirmation message and power off the printer.

Summing up

Changes in the settings, deleting the print queue, and aligning the printhead will make your Canon printer print colors correctly. These methods address different causes of this problem. However, if you need more assistance to fix printer errors, connect with a professional printer support service.

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