Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 right for you?

The PRO-1000 is Canon's 17-inch desktop fine-art printer, used by professional photographers and small print studios for exhibition-quality prints with a 12-ink pigment set and a very wide printhead. A decade after launch it is still current, a sign of how well regarded it is. Its size and weight are considerable, ink tanks are large and expensive up front, and the absence of a roll feed limits it to cut sheets.

Best for: Professional photographers printing gallery-grade 17 x 22 inch work

Setting up the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000

Place it on a sturdy surface with rear clearance for the manual feed, connect Ethernet, and install Professional Print and Layout plus the driver. Use the manual tray for fine-art paper over 300 gsm and the top tray for photo papers, setting media type and thickness in the driver. Replace the MC-20 maintenance cartridge when warned and keep the printer powered so it runs its automatic head checks.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the ink cartridges, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use Canon's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• PFI-1000 MBK / PBK / C / M / Y / PC / PM / GY / PGY / R / B / CO
• MC-20 maintenance cartridge

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications