How to Fix My Canon PIXMA Printer Offline Problem? (Easy Steps)

Karen Boccino
1 day ago
4 min read

The Canon PIXMA printer offline issue is pretty common. I have seen and fixed it myself hundreds of times on my personal and office printers. But I still remember back in the days when I was new to printers and came across this issue, I used to restart them, remove and replug the cables, and whatnot. A few times it worked. But mostly, it didn’t. Since you’re here on this page, I believe your Canon PIXMA printer is offline too.

Therefore, let’s discuss How to fix my Canon PIXMA printer offline problem. But before that, you must understand why printers go offline.

Why Does My Canon PIXMA Printer Show Offline?

Here are the most common reasons:

Network connection issue
Outdated printer drivers
Incorrect printer settings
Print is stuck in the queue

Troubleshooting Canon PIXMA Printer Offline Problem

Try these solutions — one of them should get your Canon PIXMA printer online.

Solution 1: Check Power and Connections

Sometimes, the problem is just that the USB cable is not connected properly. Make sure both ends of the cable are not loose. Try to insert the cable into a different port, as ports can be damaged as well, or simply change the cable itself.

In case of a wireless connection, make sure that the printer is on and is connected to the same WiFi as your PC.

Solution 2: Restart Both Devices

Restarting a device resolves temporary glitches and puts it into a fresh state. Therefore, restart both your PC and the PIXMA printer (take a 2-minute gap between turning off and on) and see if it fixes the offline issue.

Solution 3: Uncheck the Use Printer Offline Option

Open your computer’s Settings.
Go to Devices > Printers & scanners and select your printer’s name.
Now, click Open Queue to open a new window where you have to select the Printer menu.
Here you’ll find the Use Printer Offline option. Uncheck it if it’s checked.

Solution 4: Reboot the Router

In case none of your devices, including the PC, are connecting to the Internet, the router is unable to provide a network. Therefore, just reboot the router to fix the problem.

Remove the power plug of your router/modem and leave it as it is for at least 30 seconds.
Reconnect it to the power source again, and the router will start booting. This process takes a few minutes, so please wait patiently.
Once the reboot is successful, your printer will be able to connect to it.

Solution 5: Update Printer Drivers

If outdated or corrupted printer drivers are the issue behind the Canon PIXMA printer’s offline issue, updating them will solve it.

Visit the official Canon printer help page: https://ij.start.canon/.
Click the “Set Up (Start Here)” option.
Then, select your printer series/model from the available options or enter it in the empty field and click the Go button next to it.
Now it’ll show you the PIXMA printer installation process from the beginning, but you can skip ahead to the Connection process, where you’ll find the Download option for the suitable drivers.
After downloading the drivers, open the Downloads folder on your computer and launch the downloaded drivers file to finish installation.

How to Prevent the Canon PIXMA Printer Offline Issue in the Future?

Make sure to follow these tips so that your printer never goes offline again.

Ensure your Canon PIXMA printer is turned on.
Check that the printer and PC are connected to the same WiFi network; otherwise, the printer will show an offline issue.
If you’re using a USB cable, always ensure that it is tightly pushed all the way inside the ports from both ends.
The Use Printer Offline option should always be off on the PC, as discussed above.
Regularly update printer drivers from the official ij.start.canon website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Does My Canon PIXMA Printer keep Going Offline Even After fixing it Once?

This usually happens due to unstable WiFi, outdated drivers, or wrong settings on the computer. Set your printer as the default device on the PC and update the drivers regularly to prevent the issue.

My Canon PIXMA Printer Shows offline on WiFi, but it prints via USB. What does that Mean?

This happens when the wireless network is unstable or not configured correctly. Reboot the router/modem by turning it off and then turning it back on after at least 2 minutes. Then reconnect to the WiFi again using the control panel or the Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY app, and make sure both the printer and the computer use the same WiFi.

How Do I Set My Canon PIXMA Printer as the Default Printing Device on Windows?

Learn How to set your Canon printer as the default printer on your Windows PC, follow these steps. Go to Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners, click on your printer’s name, and select Set as default. This will make sure that all your print jobs will be sent to the selected PIXMA printer in the future.