You can confirm the status of each ink tank by the ink lights. You can do this from the printer or from your computer.
You can also display the printer status monitor by selecting Canon XXX (where XXX is your printer's name) which appears on the taskbar during printing.
Check ink status from the printer
Open the print head cover of the printer and make note of how the ink lights flash or light up. Then refer to the table below.
Ink status |
How it looks |
What it means |
Ink light is on |
|
The ink tank is correctly set and there is enough ink remaining to print. |
Ink light and ink lamp flash slowly |
Flashes, then repeats (3-second intervals)
 |
Ink is low. You can continue printing for a while, but we recommend you to have a new ink tank available. |
Ink light and ink lamp flash quickly |
Flashes, then repeats
(1-second intervals)
 |
The ink tank is empty. Replace it with a new one. |
Ink light and Ink lamp are off |
|
The tank is not set properly or the function for detecting the remaining ink level is disabled.
If the ink tank is not set properly, press the mark on the ink tank until the tank clicks into place.
If the function for detecting the remaining ink level is disabled, replace the ink tank with a new one.
If the lamps are still off after reinserting the ink tanks, there's an error and the printer can't print. Confirm the number of times the Alarm lamp is flashes, and take the appropriate action to resolve the error.
|
Check ink levels from a computer
You can confirm the status of each ink tank on the printer status monitor (Windows) and Canon IJ Printer Utility (Mac®).
Follow the directions below for your computer's Operating System.
Windows
-
Open the printer driver setup window.
-
Select View Printer Status on the maintenance sheet.
When infrared communication with the computer is performed, the printer status monitor screen doesn't display.
-
To confirm the ink tank information, select the Ink Details menu.

-
Confirm whether any symbols display.
In the example above (exclamation point appears), ink is running low.
An error message may be displayed during printing. Confirm the displayed message and take the appropriate action.
Mac
-
Open the Canon IJ Printer Utility.
-
Select Ink Level Information in the pop-up menu.
-
To confirm the ink tank information, select Ink Details.

-
In the example above (exclamation point appears), ink is running low.
An error message may be displayed during printing. Confirm the displayed message and take the appropriate action.