Why does my Canon PIXMA say 'Ready' but not print anything?

'Ready' means the printer's hardware is idle and accepting jobs. The most common reason nothing prints is a stuck job in the queue — old failed jobs block every new job behind them. Open the print queue (Settings → Printers & scanners → your printer → Open queue), cancel all pending jobs, and try again.

How do I run a print head cleaning on Canon PIXMA?

On the printer's control panel, go to Maintenance or Setup → Maintenance → Print Head Cleaning (or Deep Cleaning for more thorough cleaning). On Windows, open Canon IJ Printer Utility — usually found in the installed Canon software — select your printer, and run Clean or Deep Cleaning from the Maintenance tab. Print a nozzle check pattern first to confirm whether cleaning is actually needed before using ink.

Can a paper jam cause a Canon PIXMA to stop printing without showing an error?

Yes. Small scraps of torn paper near the feed rollers — especially in the rear paper intake area — can hold the jam sensor in the triggered state without producing a clear error on screen. The printer simply stops pulling new paper. Check both the front output area and the rear intake panel carefully, including around the rollers, for any scraps.

How do I check ink levels on a Canon PIXMA?

On the printer's touchscreen or display, navigate to Setup → Ink → Ink level. On Windows, open the Canon IJ Status Monitor — it appears in the system tray when the printer is connected and shows approximate levels for each individual ink tank. Canon PIXMA uses separate tanks per color, so one low cartridge won't always trigger an ink error until it's nearly empty.

Canon PIXMA Says Ready But Won't Print? Try This

“Ready” with no output is almost always a stuck queue or a loose cartridge. Here’s how to diagnose which one and get printing again.

Quick Answer

✓A stuck job in the print queue blocks every print behind it — cancel all pending jobs first.
✓Power off completely for 30 seconds (not just sleep) to clear the printer's internal job memory.
✓Re-seat ink cartridges even with no error showing — a loose cartridge prevents printing without any warning.
✓Test print from the printer's menu directly to find out whether the issue is the printer or the computer.

Common Causes

Stalled print job stuck in the queue

Most Likely

When a print job fails mid-way — due to a paper jam, ink error, or connection drop — it can get stuck in the queue without clearing. All jobs sent after it wait indefinitely. Windows may still show the printer as 'Ready' while this queue blockage is in place.

Ink cartridge not seated properly

Common

A Canon PIXMA cartridge that isn't fully clicked into its slot can prevent printing even when the printer doesn't display an ink error. Canon printers halt printing if any cartridge contact is uncertain. Removing and firmly re-seating each cartridge until it clicks resolves this without any driver changes.

Hidden paper jam or debris

Common

Small scraps of torn paper near the feed rollers — particularly at the rear paper intake — can trigger the jam sensor without a visible blockage or a clear error code. The printer silently refuses to pull new paper. Check both the front cover and the rear intake area before assuming the paper path is clear.

USB or WiFi connection dropped mid-job

Less Common

A brief connection loss during a print job leaves a partial job stuck in both the printer's internal memory and Windows' queue simultaneously. Power cycling the printer and restarting the Print Spooler clears both sides of this state.

Step-by-Step Fix

Clear all jobs from the print queue

Search for 'Printers & scanners' in the Windows Start menu, click your Canon PIXMA, then click 'Open print queue.' Select all jobs (Ctrl+A) and press Delete, or right-click each job and choose Cancel. Wait 30 seconds for them to clear. If jobs show 'Deleting' for more than a minute without disappearing, continue to the next step.

Power off the printer completely and wait 30 seconds

Press the power button to turn the printer fully off. Disconnect the power cable from the back of the printer or from the wall outlet. Wait a full 30 seconds. Reconnect and power on. This clears the printer's internal job memory — more thorough than pressing the Cancel button.

Pro tip: A full power cycle clears internal memory. Simply pressing the On/Off button without disconnecting power does not always clear stuck jobs.

Remove and re-seat each ink cartridge

Open the ink cartridge access door and wait for the carriage to stop moving. Press each cartridge firmly down and toward the rear of the slot until you hear or feel it click into place. Close the access door and wait for the printer to return to Ready status before testing again.

Check for hidden paper jams in both access areas

Open the front paper output tray and check the paper path for any visible scraps. Then open the rear paper intake panel (usually a removable cover on the back of the printer) and check the rollers and paper guide area. Even a small torn corner in the rear intake can hold the jam sensor in the triggered state.

Run Canon print head cleaning and alignment

If the printer accepts jobs but produces blank or streaked output, dried ink is blocking the nozzles. On the printer's control panel, go to Maintenance → Cleaning or Deep Cleaning. Alternatively, open the Canon IJ Printer Utility on your computer, select your printer, and run Clean or Deep Cleaning from the Maintenance tab. Print a nozzle check pattern to confirm before and after.

Pro tip: Cleaning cycles use ink. Run at most 2–3 consecutive cycles — running more wastes ink without additional benefit. Deep Cleaning uses more ink but is more effective for severely dried nozzles.

Print a test page from the printer to isolate the issue

From the printer's control panel, go to Setup → Device settings → Test print, or press and hold the Stop button for a few seconds (varies by model) to print a status sheet. This test bypasses Windows entirely. If the test page prints correctly, the printer hardware is fine and the issue is on the computer side — try reinstalling the Canon driver.