Canon printer lights: what each blinking pattern means
Canon PIXMA printers without a screen report an error by flashing the Alarm lamp a set number of times, then going off; you count the flashes. A different sequence, the ON lamp and the Alarm lamp flashing in turn, means a printer error, and Canon says it may need the service center. The count means different things on a cartridge PIXMA and a MegaTank PIXMA: 5 flashes is a missing or unrecognised FINE cartridge on the MG3000 series, but a damaged or wrong print head on the G3000 series. Canon's manuals for these two series do not state the lamp colour; its MG2500 series manual says the Alarm lamp flashes orange.
Which Canon printer do you have?
The model name is printed on the printer. Canon writes one manual per series: its MG3000 series manual covers the MG3010, MG3020, MG3022, MG3040, MG3050 to MG3053, MG3060, MG3070, MG3077, MG3070S, MG3077S, MG3080 and MG3090; its G3000 series manual covers the G3000, G3100, G3102, G3200, G3400, G3500, G3600, G3800 and G3900. A model not in those lists (a G3010, say) has its own manual.
Canon PIXMA MG3000 series: every pattern
| You see | What Canon says it means |
|---|---|
| ON lamp lit | The printer is ready to print. |
| ON lamp flashing | The printer is getting ready to print, or printing is in progress. |
| Color or Black Ink lamp lit | The ink is running low. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 2 times | (1000) The printer is out of paper, or the paper is not loaded properly. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 3 times | (1203) The cover was opened while printing was in progress. (1300) Paper is jammed in the paper output slot or the rear tray. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 4 times | (168A) A FINE cartridge is not installed properly, or a cartridge not compatible with this printer is installed. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 5 times | (1401) A FINE cartridge is not installed. (1403) A FINE cartridge cannot be recognized. (1485) An appropriate ink cartridge is not installed. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 8 times | (1700) The ink absorber is almost full. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 9 times | (1890) Protective material or tape may still be attached to the FINE cartridge holder. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 11 times | (4102) The media type and paper size are not set correctly. (4103) Printing cannot be performed with the current print settings. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 12 times | (4100) The specified data cannot be printed (CREATIVE PARK PREMIUM content). |
| Alarm lamp flashes 13 times | (1686) Ink may have run out: the printer has detected an issue with one or more cartridges. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 14 times | (1684) The ink cartridge cannot be recognized. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 15 times | (1682) The FINE cartridge cannot be recognized. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 16 times | (1688) Ink has run out. |
| ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately 2 times | (5100) A printer error has occurred. |
| ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately 7 times | (5B00) A printer error has occurred (support codes 5B00, 5B01). |
| ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately 10 times | (B201) An error requiring a repair has occurred (support codes B201 to B204). |
| ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately, any other count | (5011) A printer error has occurred (support codes such as 5011, 5012, 5200, 6000). |
Fixes, drawings and the source: Canon PIXMA MG3000 series lights.
Canon PIXMA G3000 series: every pattern
| You see | What Canon says it means |
|---|---|
| Alarm lamp flashes 2 times | (1000) The machine is out of paper, or the paper does not feed. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 3 times | (1300) Paper is jammed in the paper output slot or the rear tray. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 4 times | (1470) A print head (cartridge) is not installed properly. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 5 times | (1403) The print head may be damaged. (1471) The print head (cartridge) cannot be recognized. (1476) An appropriate print head (cartridge) is not installed. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 7 times | (1474) A print head (cartridge) is not installed in the correct position. (1475) More than one print head (cartridge) of the same colour is installed. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 8 times | (1700) The ink absorber is almost full. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 9 times | (1890) Protective material or tape may still be attached to the print head (cartridge) holder. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 11 times | (4103) Printing cannot be performed with the current print settings. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 14 times | (1473) The print head (cartridge) cannot be recognized. |
| Alarm lamp flashes 15 times | (1472) The print head (cartridge) cannot be recognized. |
| ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately 2 times | (5100) A printer error has occurred. |
| ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately 7 times | (5B00) A printer error has occurred (support codes 5B00, 5B01). |
| ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately 10 times | (B202) An error requiring a repair has occurred (support codes B202 to B205). |
| ON and Alarm lamps flash alternately, any other count | (5011) A printer error has occurred (support codes such as 5011, 5012, 5200, 6500). |
Fixes, drawings and the source: Canon PIXMA G3000 series lights.
What is not here
- 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.
Sources
Canon’s own pages only, read on the date shown.
- 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.
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