Electronics

[TootyJane]

Your printer drivers may need updating. Go to the Canon website to ""support"" to update your drivers. HTH

[BossieCat]

This happened at our house. Since it did print color I asked my husband if he recently installed a new cartridge. He had but forgot to pull the tab off. Once he did that all was well!

[gardenman]

When it's just one color that's not working it's typically a sign that the cartridge not working has an issue of some sort. It's not always a whole printer issue. Often just replacing that one cartridge will solve the problem.

Many printers let you print a test page whether they're connected to the computer or not. It should tell you somewhere in the manual if yours will let you do this. If the test page fails to print in black when the printer isn't connected to the printer then it's not a setting/driver in your computer that's causing the problem.

Given the relatively low cost of replacement printers these days you're generally better off replacing the printer if anything halfway major goes wrong. I tend to view printers as being throw-away items any more and buy cheap knowing that in the next two to three years or so it'll need to be replaced.

[glb613]

I have a Canon printer and if any color is empty, it won't print.

[AndiO]

The exact same thing happened with my HP printer. I googled it and tried everything everyone suggested. Restarting it, reinstalling it, buying another new black cartridge, cleaning the cartridge heads, etc, all with no luck in printing black. I turned it off and unplugged it then headed to BestBuy the next day to get another one. Just for giggles, I plugged the old one back in after returning with the new one and decided to give it another try. I still have no idea why I thought it would work this time after trying for days, but VOILA! it printed perfectly, color and plain black text.

So, before you buy a new one, turn yours off and unplug it overnight. I hope you have the same positive results that I had! Good luck to you!

[hckynut]

On 3/9/2014 nannycakes said:

Hello, hopefully some knows the answer to my problem. I am at my wits end. The other day my printer just stopped printing text from my computer. It prints the colored text ,but not the black. All my ink is full. I have done head cleaning on it too.

I guess I should have ordered the TSV the other day. This printer is only a couple of years old. Nor does it scan either. I'm thinking I have a real issue with this. Has anyone ever had a problem with their printer that doesn't print.

I have tried everything I know to get it to function, but it just won't print. I watch a lot of the foodnetwork and like to print recipes but I no longer can.

Thank You for reading my post

Nannycakes

nannycakes,

Stopped printer from your computer? Does that mean it still prints all colors when you use it as a stand alone by using the window on the printer to walk through printing something directly from an SD card or something similar such as making a copy?

This printer has 5 separate ink tanks, right? Is so it includes 2 Black color tanks, 1 of which is "pigment based" and should say so on the label of the tank. Since you have had this printer a couple years I am assuming you or someone else has had to replace all of the ink tanks by now.

My suggestion is to remove both black tanks/make sure they have the tab pulled and re-insert both of them into the in carriage tray. If you like the printer you can buy just the 2 tanks somewhere and see if it is a problem with 1 or both of them.

I have had many brand printers and Canon is the only one I will buy. I also only buy the models with the "separate ink tanks" because it is cheaper and also because I believe they much easier to change just a single color when it is empty. They always have one in a price range for just about everyone and in my opinion they are the best.

Also when I buy refills I buy generic tanks. I've found them to work well/print just as good black and white and color text and photo's and I can buy the whole set for less than it costs at times to buy just 1 Canon brand ink tank. I don't care about voiding any warranty as I view them the same as "gardenman", which is throw away items if the get too problematic.

Whatever you decide to do about this problem don't give up on Canon. I've never found them hard to install and most of them are pretty straight forward when it comes to walking through the printing process be it via computer material or from an SD card/scan or copy without using the computer.

[chickenbutt]

Did you make sure that the black cartridge is properly seated? It might have wiggled it's way to being just short of having a proper connection.

Are you using OEM cartridges?

If it is printing from part of the cartridges, it seems like maybe it's just something with that one and not with the whole printer.

I agree with the others that Canon is a great brand for printers. I currently have two of them and, while neither of them is much older than two years, they have been very good. I just use them as home printers, though. Home printers were not made to do industrial level printing.

[knmt]

I always have been a Canon printer fan. However, my old trusty Canon MP600 finally bit the dust after over 7 years and lots of printing. I have cautiously read the customer reviews for the different Canon models and have noticed that they aren't as highly rated as they used to be due to all sorts of problems. After a lot of research I have ordered another Canon, but am crossing my fingers. And I doubt it will have anywhere near the longevity of my now-"deceased" MP600. Seems that's the way all things are made nowadays. If this thing's a dud, I won't buy another Canon.

[knmt]

Have an idea. If you are printing wireless rather than using the USB cable, perhaps the following might help. Could be that your firewall is blocking your printer . . .

http://www.supermediastore.com/blog/article/how-to-fix-canon-printer-ink-error

The above may be for a Mac, but it is the same type of deal for Windows. It's a thought.

Also in your printer not printing the black. Here's another link on the same model:

http://www.justanswer.com/printers/6x6ok-pixma-mg5220-not-printing-black-text-ink-cartridges.html

Sounds like a more common problem than we think with this model. Canon obviously is now using printers to sell tons of ink . . . and also cut back on quality control and good build.

[dooBdoo]

This is an old thread.

I guess it was bumped up for some reason, but I thought some posters might want to know. The OP purchased a new printer in May (see Electronics Talk thread "I Need a New Printer," Post #11).

Of course, as always the information here might be helpful to others, but since it's active again and I noticed why the OP's probably not responding, I wanted to add this comment.

(edited by dbd to correct the link)