Setup guide

How to set up the Canon PIXMA TS6420a

A clear, 8-step walkthrough to get your Canon inkjet printer unboxed, connected and printing — on Windows, macOS or your phone.

Full specs Drivers Canon FAQs
Before you start: have your Wi-Fi network name and password handy, and place the printer within reach of your router for the first connection.

Unbox and remove all packing material

Take the Canon PIXMA TS6420a out of the box and remove every piece of tape, foam and the cardboard inserts — inside the cartridge/toner area too. Leftover packing is the #1 cause of carriage and jam errors on a brand-new printer.

Unbox and remove all packing material — Canon PIXMA TS6420a

Connect power and turn it on

Plug the power cord into the printer and a wall outlet, then press the power button. Wait for it to finish initializing before going further. (Skip connecting the USB cable for now — only plug it in if the installer asks.)

Connect power and turn it on — Canon PIXMA TS6420a

Install the ink cartridges

Open the cartridge door, unwrap each cartridge and remove the protective tape, then push it into the matching slot until it clicks. Close the door and let the printer recognize them.

Install the ink cartridges — Canon PIXMA TS6420a

Load paper into the tray

Fan a stack of paper, place it in the input tray, and slide the guides snug against the edges so it feeds straight. Don't overfill past the max line.

Load paper into the tray — Canon PIXMA TS6420a

Connect to Wi-Fi or your computer

For wireless, use the printer's Wi-Fi Setup Wizard (or the brand app) and join your 2.4GHz network — most home printers don't use 5GHz. For a wired setup, connect Ethernet or USB. Keep the printer near the router while pairing.

Connect to Wi-Fi or your computer — Canon PIXMA TS6420a

Install drivers and the printer software

On a computer, install the full driver/software package (not just the basic driver) so printing and scanning both work. Drivers, manuals and the IJ Setup tool are at canon.com/support and ij.start.canon. Choose the matching model and OS before downloading. On a phone, install the brand's app to finish setup.

Install drivers and the printer software — Canon PIXMA TS6420a

Run initial ink charging and alignment

Let the printer run its first-time ink priming, then print the alignment page so text and photos come out sharp.

Run initial ink charging and alignment — Canon PIXMA TS6420a

Print a test page and adjust settings

Print a test page to confirm everything works. Then set your defaults — paper size, quality, and turn on two-sided (duplex) printing if you want to save paper.

Print a test page and adjust settings — Canon PIXMA TS6420a
Stuck during setup? If the printer isn't found on Wi-Fi, make sure your phone/PC is on the 2.4GHz band and the printer is in setup mode. See common Canon problems below.

Troubleshooting this printer

Hardware

Canon error 5100 (carriage / obstruction)

Code 5100 means the print carriage can't move freely — usually an obstruction, packing material, or a dirty en…

 Connectivity

Canon PIXMA won't connect to Wi-Fi

A Canon printer fails to join Wi-Fi or isn't found by the Canon PRINT app / ij.start.canon setup. Band and set…

 Quality

Printer prints blank pages

Paper feeds through but comes out blank or nearly blank. On inkjets this is usually clogged nozzles or air in…

 Connectivity

Printer shows "Offline" and won't print

Your computer lists the printer as Offline even though it is powered on. This is almost always a communication…

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