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Canon Printer Offline? Here Are 8 Things to Try

Are you in a rush to print a document? Do you have a Canon printer that suddenly won’t connect to your computer? Is your Canon printer showing an offline signal? Why is my Canon printer offline?

If your Canon printer is offline and won’t reconnect, it probably isn’t communicating with your computer. There are many causes of the situation that require specific solutions. This can include the wrong printer selected, a bad WiFi connection, or trouble with the modem or driver.

canon printer offline

After reading this article, you will know the 8 best ways to get your printer back online. And you will know how to troubleshoot the problem if it occurs again.

Canon Printer Says Offline: 8 Fixes

Here are easy ways to fix your Canon printer when it goes offline.

1. Verify the Printer’s Power

Believe it or not, a lot of people will mistake their printer’s offline indication as a problem. Depending on how often the printer is used, it might turn off due to inactivity (sometimes controlled by an automatic setting). 

To verify your printer’s power, follow these steps:

  1. Check if the printer has power. 
  2. Turn the printer on by pressing the power button.
  3. If the printer won’t turn on, double-check the connection of power. 
  4. Unplug the machine and plug it in. 
  5. Press the power symbol again to turn it on.

2. Select the Correct Printer

Another common mistake is that users will select the wrong printer when printing.

Since we bring our laptops every and connect them to multiple Bluetooth connections, sometimes the wrong printer might still be selected. 

To change your selected printer, follow these steps:

  1. Open your printer settings (system preferences in Mac & Printing preferences in Windows).
  2. Unselect the printer that is currently selected.
  3. Find your printer and set it as the default printer. 
  4. Delete any duplicate printers or foreign printers.

3. Power Cycle Printer

Power cycling your printer will help reset the errors or lost communication that has occurred. Think of it as turning on your printer and connecting it like the first time. 

To power cycle your Canon printer, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off the printer using the power button. 
  2. Disconnect all power sources (chord, USB, and ethernet cable).
  3. Plug it back in after 30 seconds of disconnection. 
  4. Hit the power button and look for the ready-to-print message. 

Sometimes just resetting your Canon printer will bring it back online.

4. Check the WiFi Connection

Today, a lot of printers connect to computers using wireless functions. When computers update and make changes to software, printers might become unrecognizable.

If this is the case, a quick reboot will usually do the trick.

Try these simple solutions:

  1. Reboot your computer and reconnect it to WiFi.
  2. Establish the wireless WiFi connection to the printer. 
  3. If the computer still won’t print, double-check that your VPN is off as it could interfere with the connection. 
  4. If the problem persists, you should set a static IP address for your printer. 

Here’s how to connect your Canon printer to WiFi.

5. Restart the Modem or Router

Most printers work wirelessly and only require a few steps before printing. Your Canon Printer could go offline when your internet connection is interrupted or the machine goes offline. Sometimes all the printer needs is a connection relaunch.

If your printer and WiFi aren’t communicating, try these steps:

  1. Disconnect all power from your router or modem for 30 seconds. 
  2. Reconnect your internet to a power source.
  3. You can also reset the power by holding the button in the back for 10-15 seconds. 
  4. Wait a couple of minutes for it to reboot and then test the connection.

6. Reboot the Computer

Rebooting the system is one of the oldest solutions in the book. If you ask any older person, they will tell you that this always works. Sometimes a simple reboot will refresh the connections and remove any interrupters that are causing problems.

To reboot your computer, follow these quick steps:

  1. Close all applications and save all files you don’t want to lose. 
  2. Shut down your computer by holding the power button.
  3. Wait about 30 seconds and then turn it back on and try to print again.

7. Check the Network Communication Issues With the Printer

Printers can encounter network communication issues due to errors with the printer, network changes, and other software changes. 

A. Check these two simple steps before moving to the next solutions:

  1. Observe your printer for any possible errors (paper jam, low or no ink, no paper, etc.). Once the errors are fixed, try to print. 
  2. If your network or WiFi hasn’t changed (password, new router, new network, etc.), reboot your printer and modem and then try to print. If the issue continues, proceed to solution B. 

B. Understanding your printer’s wireless network settings page:

  1. Print out the network settings information.
  2. Try bringing the modem and printer closer together to increase connection strength. 
  3. Disable any firewall that could block your printer’s ability to communicate with your computer.
  4. Disable your VPN as it could prevent your computer from printing.
  5. Follow the appropriate troubleshooting steps listed on the network information setting sheet.

8. Reinstall the Printer’s Driver

Printers have drivers to help them understand what the computer wants to print. The computer will send information to the driver which is then translated into a format that the printer understands. Then the printing can begin.

Follow these steps to reinstall the driver:

  1. Find your printer’s driver using Canon’s Support page.
  2. Enter the model name of your printer and select it.
  3. Download the necessary driver for your printer model. 
  4. Follow all directions for installation and try to print again.
why does my canon printer say offline

Still having trouble? Try our Canon Printer Troubleshooting Guide. It covers fixes for the most common problems with Canon printers that aren’t printing.

Canon Printer Back Online

It is never a stress-free situation when you find your Canon Printer offline. In most cases, a few simple steps will resolve the problem. 

If you are a Canon printer owner, you should know the possible issues that could arise. One day you may find yourself asking; why is my Canon Printer offline? 

The good news is that this article has informed you on the 8 most effective ways of bringing your printer back online. Simple steps like rebooting your modem, computer, or printer will help you fix the problem in no time.