A little preparation

Before you start

  • Use one A4/Letter plain sheet that is white and clean on both sides, with enough ink to print a complete alignment pattern.
  • Use alignment for misaligned printed lines or a head-position problem. Missing ink/nozzle lines may require a separate nozzle check and cleaning diagnosis.

Step 1:Prepare a clean white sheet

Turn the printer on. Load one A4/Letter plain sheet print-side down in the front tray and set the guides to its edges. Open the output tray extension, paper output tray and support. Clear the scanner glass of other originals.

Do not use a sheet with printing, stains or wrinkles on either side. Low ink can prevent the required pattern from printing correctly.

  1. Hold Stop while watching the orange Alarm lamp.
  2. Count four Alarm flashes, then release Stop immediately.
  3. Wait for the alignment sheet to finish printing. Avoid touching its printed areas or wrinkling it.

If the sheet prints incorrectly, press Stop and restart the procedure after addressing paper/ink condition. Do not attempt to scan a damaged or incomplete pattern.

Step 3:Scan the sheet using its printed mark

  1. Put the alignment sheet on the scanner glass with its printed side facing down. Align the printed mark at the sheet’s bottom-right corner with the glass alignment mark, as shown in Canon’s linked illustration.
  2. Close the document cover gently. Press Black or Color to start scanning and automatic adjustment.
  3. Keep the cover closed and the sheet stationary until the ON lamp stops flashing and remains lit. Then remove the sheet.

The video describes the corner relative to the camera. The printed sheet mark and the glass alignment mark are the reliable orientation references; simply placing an unmarked corner at a guessed “top-left” position can misalign the sheet.

Check the result and separate other faults

Print a document containing the lines that were misaligned and compare the result. Completion of the scan is the adjustment’s endpoint; it is not a guarantee that every print-quality cause has been repaired.

If Alarm flashes during adjustment, Canon directs pressing Black or Color to release that error and then checking its specific cause. Recheck sheet condition and orientation rather than repeatedly issuing an alignment command. Canon also provides manual computer alignment when automatic adjustment leaves lines unsatisfactory.

A little extra help

Questions & troubleshooting

Can I stop when the alignment sheet prints?

No. Printing is only the first part. Place the sheet printed-side down at the glass alignment mark, press Black or Color and wait for steady ON to complete adjustment.

Which sheet should I scan?

Use the alignment sheet produced by the four-flash command. A nozzle-check pattern is a different diagnostic output and must not be substituted for the alignment sheet.

Does six Alarm flashes perform alignment?

No. Canon uses six flashes to print current head-position adjustment values. This automatic alignment procedure starts with four flashes and includes scanning the resulting sheet.

Will alignment fix missing colours?

It adjusts head position. Start with a nozzle check when colours or line segments are missing; do not assume every print-quality fault is an alignment problem.

References