Printer lights blinking? What each pattern means, by brand and model
108 light patterns on 8 printer families from 4 makers, each from the maker’s own user guide or support page. The same light means different things on different printers — five flashes of a Canon Alarm lamp is a cartridge problem on one series and a print-head problem on another — so pick the light, how it blinks and your brand.
Find it by what you see
Colour: only Brother, and HP and Epson for one Wi-Fi light each, state their lights’ colours. A pattern whose maker gives no colour stays in the list whatever colour you pick.
108 light patterns.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Power light onThe printer is on.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Power light dimmedThe printer is in Sleep mode.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Power light blinkingThe printer is processing a job.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Power light blinking fastThe cartridge access door is open, or, if it is closed, the printer is in an error state.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Resume light blinkingThere is no paper in the input tray.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Resume light off, one Ink Alert light onThat cartridge is missing, is installed wrongly or still has its plastic tape on, or is low on ink.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Resume light off, both Ink Alert lights onBoth cartridges are low on ink.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Resume light off, one Ink Alert light blinkingThat cartridge is incompatible, damaged, or incorrectly installed.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Resume light off, both Ink Alert lights blinkingBoth cartridges are missing, installed wrongly or still taped, or incompatible or damaged.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Resume light blinking, one Ink Alert light onThat cartridge is counterfeit or previously used, or it is very low on ink.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Resume light blinking, both Ink Alert lights onBoth cartridges are counterfeit or previously used, or both are very low on ink.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Resume blinking, Power on, both Ink Alert lights blinkingThere is a paper jam, or the cartridge carriage inside the printer has stalled.
- HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series: Resume, Power and both Ink Alert lights blinkingThe scanner is not working, or the printer is in an error state.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: Power light dimmedThe printer is in Sleep mode.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: Power light blinkingThe printer is processing a job.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: Power light blinking fastThe cartridge access door is open, or, if it is closed, the printer is in an error state.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: Wireless light blinking blue, signal bars cyclingThe printer is in Auto Wireless Connect setup mode.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: Wireless light blinks fast three timesThe printer's wireless capability is disabled.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: Wireless Attention icon blinking with the Wireless lightThe printer has a problem connecting to the wireless network.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: E0 blinking with Ink Alert light blinkingThere is a problem with the cartridges whose Ink Level icons are blinking.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: E1 blinking with Resume light blinkingThe print job's paper is wider than the paper loaded in the tray.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: E2 blinking with Resume light blinkingOn a multipage job the paper length does not match the loaded paper; the first page has printed with errors.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: E3 blinking with Resume and Ink Alert lights blinkingThe carriage inside the printer has stalled.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: E4 blinking with Resume light blinkingThere is a paper jam.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: E5 blinking with all lights blinkingThe scanner is not working.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: E6 blinkingThe printer is in an error state.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: One Ink Level icon and Error icon blinking, Ink Alert light onThat cartridge is missing, or is installed wrongly or still has its plastic tape on.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: Both Ink Level icons, Error icon and Ink Alert light blinkingBoth cartridges are missing, installed wrongly or still taped, or incompatible or damaged.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: One Ink Level icon, Error icon and Resume light blinking, Ink Alert light onThat cartridge is counterfeit or previously used, or it is very low on ink.
- HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series: Error icon, Paper Error icon and Resume light blinkingThe printer received a job and there is no paper in the input tray.
- Epson ET-2400: Power light flashingThe product is busy.
- Epson ET-2400: Ink light onInitial ink charging may not be complete.
- Epson ET-2400: Paper light onNo paper is loaded, or several sheets fed at once.
- Epson ET-2400: Paper light flashingPaper is jammed in the product.
- Epson ET-2400: Ink and paper lights flashing togetherAn ink pad is nearing or at the end of its service life.
- Epson ET-2400: Ink and paper lights flashing alternatelyThe borderless-printing ink pad is nearing or at the end of its service life.
- Epson ET-2400: All lights flashingA printer error has occurred: paper or protective material is stuck inside.
- Epson ET-2400: Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct lights flashingA Wi-Fi connection error has occurred.
- Epson ET-2400: Ink, paper, Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct lights onAn error occurred while the firmware was updating.
- Epson ET-2400: Ink and paper lights onThe product was not turned off correctly.
- Epson XP-241: Power light onThe product is turned on.
- Epson XP-241: Power light flashingThe product is busy.
- Epson XP-241: Power and paper lights flashingPaper is jammed in the product.
- Epson XP-241: Power light flashing, paper light onNo paper is loaded, or several sheets fed at once.
- Epson XP-241: Ink light flashingInk in a cartridge is low.
- Epson XP-241: Ink light onAn ink cartridge is expended or not installed correctly.
- Epson XP-241: Ink and paper lights flashingThe ink pads are near the end of their service life.
- Epson XP-241: Ink, paper and Wi-Fi lights onAn error occurred while the firmware was updating.
- Epson XP-241: Power, ink, paper and Wi-Fi lights all flashingA printer error has occurred.
- Epson XP-241: Wi-Fi light flashing orangeWi-Fi connection error.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: ON lamp litThe printer is ready to print.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: ON lamp flashingThe printer is getting ready to print, or printing is in progress.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Color or Black Ink lamp litThe ink is running low.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 2 timesThe printer is out of paper, or the paper is not loaded properly.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 3 timesThe cover was opened while printing was in progress. Or: Paper is jammed in the paper output slot or the rear tray.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 4 timesA FINE cartridge is not installed properly, or a cartridge not compatible with this printer is installed.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 5 timesA FINE cartridge is not installed. Or: A FINE cartridge cannot be recognized. Or: An appropriate ink cartridge is not installed.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 8 timesThe ink absorber is almost full.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 9 timesProtective material or tape may still be attached to the FINE cartridge holder.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 11 timesThe media type and paper size are not set correctly. Or: Printing cannot be performed with the current print settings.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 12 timesThe specified data cannot be printed (CREATIVE PARK PREMIUM content).
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 13 timesInk may have run out: the printer has detected an issue with one or more cartridges.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 14 timesThe ink cartridge cannot be recognized.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 15 timesThe FINE cartridge cannot be recognized.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 16 timesInk has run out.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately 2 timesA printer error has occurred.
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately 7 timesA printer error has occurred (support codes 5B00, 5B01).
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately 10 timesAn error requiring a repair has occurred (support codes B201 to B204).
- Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately, any other countA printer error has occurred (support codes such as 5011, 5012, 5200, 6000).
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 2 timesThe machine is out of paper, or the paper does not feed.
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 3 timesPaper is jammed in the paper output slot or the rear tray.
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 4 timesA print head (cartridge) is not installed properly.
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 5 timesThe print head may be damaged. Or: The print head (cartridge) cannot be recognized. Or: An appropriate print head (cartridge) is not installed.
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 7 timesA print head (cartridge) is not installed in the correct position. Or: More than one print head (cartridge) of the same colour is installed.
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 8 timesThe ink absorber is almost full.
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 9 timesProtective material or tape may still be attached to the print head (cartridge) holder.
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 11 timesPrinting cannot be performed with the current print settings.
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 14 timesThe print head (cartridge) cannot be recognized.
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: Alarm lamp flashes 15 timesThe print head (cartridge) cannot be recognized.
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately 2 timesA printer error has occurred.
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately 7 timesA printer error has occurred (support codes 5B00, 5B01).
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately 10 timesAn error requiring a repair has occurred (support codes B202 to B205).
- Canon PIXMA G3000 series: ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately, any other countA printer error has occurred (support codes such as 5011, 5012, 5200, 6500).
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: Ready LED on (green)The machine is ready to print.
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: Ready LED dimmed (green)The printer is in Sleep mode or Deep Sleep mode.
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: Ready LED flashing (green)The machine is warming up. Or: The machine is cooling down.
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: Paper and Ready LEDs flashingThe machine is cancelling the job.
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: Toner LED flashing, Ready LED onYou can still print, but the toner cartridge is near the end of its life.
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: Toner LED on, others offThe toner cartridge is at the end of its life.
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: Toner LED flashing, others offThe toner cartridge is not installed correctly. Or: The toner cartridge, or the toner and drum assembly, is not installed correctly.
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: Drum LED flashing, others offThe corona wire on the drum unit must be cleaned, or the drum unit (or the toner and drum assembly) is not installed correctly.
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: Drum LED on, Ready LED onIt is time to replace the drum unit, or the drum counter was not reset when the last drum was fitted.
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: Paper LED flashing, others offThe front cover or the fuser cover is not completely closed, or paper was jammed at the back when the power came on. Or: Paper is jammed inside the machine, at the back, or in the paper tray. Or: The machine's memory is full. Or: The paper in the tray is not the correct size.
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: Paper LED on, others offThe machine is out of paper, or paper is not loaded correctly in the tray. Or: Manual was chosen as the paper source in the driver and there is no paper in the manual feed slot.
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: Toner and Paper LEDs onIt is time to replace the toner cartridge.
- Brother HL-L2300D and HL-L2300DR: All four LEDs flashingThe fuser unit did not reach its temperature in time, or it is too hot. Or: The machine has a mechanical issue.
- Brother HL-2240 family (HL-2130 to HL-2275DW): Ready LED flashing (green)The machine is warming up, or cooling down. Or: The machine is receiving or processing data, or print data is left in its memory.
- Brother HL-2240 family (HL-2130 to HL-2275DW): Toner LED on 2 seconds, off 3 seconds; Ready LED onThe toner cartridge will need replacing soon.
- Brother HL-2240 family (HL-2130 to HL-2275DW): Toner LED on, others offThe toner cartridge must be replaced. Or: The drum unit assembly is not installed correctly. Or: No toner cartridge is installed.
- Brother HL-2240 family (HL-2130 to HL-2275DW): Toner LED on, Ready LED onThe toner needs replacing; the machine keeps printing until the LEDs show Toner Ended.
- Brother HL-2240 family (HL-2130 to HL-2275DW): Toner LED on, Error LED on (red)The toner has ended.
- Brother HL-2240 family (HL-2130 to HL-2275DW): Drum LED on 2 seconds, off 3 seconds; Ready LED onThe drum unit will need replacing soon.
- Brother HL-2240 family (HL-2130 to HL-2275DW): Drum LED on, Ready LED onThe drum unit must be replaced.
- Brother HL-2240 family (HL-2130 to HL-2275DW): Error LED on (red), others offThe paper tray is empty. Or: The printer is waiting for paper in the manual feed slot.
- Brother HL-2240 family (HL-2130 to HL-2275DW): Error LED flashing (red), others offThe front cover, or the fuser cover behind the back cover, is open. Or: Paper is jammed. Or: The machine cannot print full pages of the document. Or: On 2-sided models: the paper size cannot be printed 2-sided, or the duplex tray is out or the back cover open.
- Brother HL-2240 family (HL-2130 to HL-2275DW): Drum and Error LEDs flashingThe corona wire needs to be cleaned.
- Brother HL-2240 family (HL-2130 to HL-2275DW): Drum LED on, Error LED on (red)The drum unit must be replaced before the machine will print.
- Brother HL-2240 family (HL-2130 to HL-2275DW): All four LEDs flashingThe machine has found a fault it cannot clear.
No pattern matches all of those. Try “Any” on one choice: makers name the same light differently (Alarm on Canon, Error on Brother, Resume on HP).
By brand
What these pages cannot do
- They cannot see your printer. Where a maker gives several causes for one pattern, the message on the computer or in the maker’s app is what tells them apart.
- They cover the families listed, not every model: a neighbouring model can differ in a row. Match the model name on your printer.
- They carry only what each maker’s page states. A colour the maker does not give is not given here, and where a maker gives no fix, the page says so.
Left out, and why
A brand gets a page when its own site documents at least 6 light patterns and we could read them. Every brand below met that; these pages and models did not, or only in part:
- HP Support “Blinking lights” articles — HP's support site did not answer our fetches (the connection timed out, twice, on the DeskJet 2130/2300 and 3630 articles), so the HP pages here are built from HP's own user-guide PDFs on hp.com instead. support.hp.com Checked 2026-09-29.
- HP LaserJet Pro M14–M17 (M15w, M17w and others) — The User Guide's “Interpret control-panel light patterns” table shows most light states as pictures, not words. Only two rows are written out, the Attention and Ready lights both on (a fatal error: turn off, wait 30 seconds, turn on) and both blinking (initializing, cleaning or cooling down), which is under our floor of 6 for a page. kaas.hpcloud.hp.com Checked 2026-09-29.
- Canon USA knowledge base, “List of Flashing Light Errors – PIXMA MG3020, MG3022” — The page loads as an empty app shell with no readable text. The MG3000 series online manual on Canon's manual site gives the same flash counts and is used instead. support.usa.canon.com Checked 2026-09-29.
- Epson ET-2700 and ET-2750 — Eight of the ET-2700's ten light-status rows say the same as the ET-2400's, so a page of its own would repeat that page. The difference that matters: on the ET-2700 an ink pad near the end of its life is the power and paper lights flashing together (on the ET-2400 it is the ink and paper lights), and a power light that is simply on means the product is on. files.support.epson.com Checked 2026-09-29.
Sources
Each maker’s own user guides and support pages only, read on the date shown.
HP
- HP: HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series User Guide — Status lights (pages 6 to 9) — HP DeskJet 2130 All-in-One series. h10032.www1.hp.com Checked 2026-09-29.
- HP: User Guide HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series — Control panel lights and display icons status (pages 7 and 8) and Control panel error codes and status (pages 91 to 95) — HP DeskJet 2700 All-in-One series. h10032.www1.hp.com Checked 2026-09-29.
Epson
- Epson: ET-2400 User's Guide — Product Light Status — Epson ET-2400. files.support.epson.com Checked 2026-09-29.
- Epson: XP-241 User's Guide — Product Light Status — Epson XP-241. files.support.epson.com Checked 2026-09-29.
Canon
- Canon: MG3000 series Online Manual — An Error Occurs — PIXMA MG3000 series. ij.manual.canon Checked 2026-09-29.
- Canon: MG3000 series Online Manual — Operation Panel — PIXMA MG3000 series. ij.manual.canon Checked 2026-09-29.
- Canon: MG3000 series Online Manual — Checking the Ink Status with the Ink Lamps on the Operation Panel — PIXMA MG3000 series. ij.manual.canon Checked 2026-09-29.
- Canon: G3000 series Online Manual — An Error Occurs — PIXMA G3000 series. ij.manual.canon Checked 2026-09-29.
- Canon: MG2500 series Online Manual — If an Error Occurs — PIXMA MG2500 series (the lamp colour only). ij.manual.canon Checked 2026-09-29.
Brother
- Brother: What do the LED indications mean? (HL-L2300D) — HL-L2300D, HL-L2300DR. support.brother.com Checked 2026-09-29.
- Brother: What do the LED indications mean? (HL-2230) — HL-2130, HL-2135W, HL-2220, HL-2230, HL-2240, HL-2240D, HL-2270DW, HL-2275DW. support.brother.com Checked 2026-09-29.