You hit print on a document, the Canon PIXMA TS6420a hums or sits silent, and nothing lands in the output tray. Whether the job is stuck in the queue, the printer dropped off your Wi-Fi, or pages come out blank, a stalled TS6420a almost always traces back to one of a handful of fixable causes. Work through the checks below in order, starting with the quickest and safest, and save the network reset and the call to Canon for the very end.
Start With the Obvious Hardware Checks
Before touching any software, confirm the printer itself is ready. Make sure the status bar and LCD are lit; if the screen is dark, check that the power cord is securely plugged in and press the ON button. A printer that looks "off" is the single most common reason a job never prints.
Next, look at paper and settings. Push the cassette in flat until it stops, and confirm the paper settings on the printer match the paper you actually loaded, because a mismatch throws an error on the LCD and halts the job. If you sent a large photo or graphic-heavy file, give it a moment, since big jobs can be slow to start. This is Canon's first-line check for a printer that will not print.
Power-Cycle the Printer and Inspect the USB Path
A full power-cycle clears many temporary faults. Turn the TS6420a off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on and try printing again.
If you connect over USB, confirm the cable is firmly seated at both ends. Remove any USB hub and connect the printer directly to the computer, or swap in a different cable, to rule out a bad relay device or a failing cable. If you print wirelessly instead, make sure the printer is correctly set up on Wi-Fi before moving on.
Windows Owners Bring the Printer Back Online
Windows frequently marks a working printer as offline or pauses the queue, which silently blocks every job. Clearing that state usually gets you printing again right away.
On Windows 10:
- 1.Open Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.
- 2.Select your printer, then choose Open queue.
- 3.In the Printer menu, choose Set As Default Printer.
- 4.In that same Printer menu, clear 'Pause Printing' and clear 'Use Printer Offline' if either is checked.
On Windows 11:
- 1.Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners.
- 2.Select your printer and choose 'Set as default'.
- 3.Power-cycle the printer.
- 4.If it stays offline, restart the Print Spooler service: open Search, type Services, then right-click Print Spooler and choose Restart.
Mac Owners Clear Stuck Jobs and Reset If Needed
On macOS, a single jammed job can freeze the whole queue. Open the Apple menu > System Settings > Printers & Scanners and look at the printer's status.
If the printer shows offline or jobs are stuck and will not clear, you can reset the printing system. Control-click the printer in the Printers list and choose 'Reset printing system'; if the list is empty, Control-click the empty list. Be aware this deletes all printers, completed-job information, and presets, so you will need to re-add the TS6420a afterward. Use this only when clearing individual jobs has not worked.
Confirm the Printer Is on a 2.4 GHz Network
The TS6420a connects over built-in Wi-Fi, but only on the 2.4 GHz band (802.11b/g/n). It does not support 5 GHz and has no Ethernet port, so pointing it at the wrong band is a frequent and easy-to-miss cause of connection failure.
Press OK on the HOME screen and check the Wi-Fi icon for printer-to-router status. If no icon appears, Wi-Fi is disabled and you will need to turn it on. Make sure the network name (SSID) and password you use match the router exactly, and choose your 2.4 GHz SSID specifically.
Signal strength matters too. Keep the printer close to the router and away from microwaves, large metal objects, and thick concrete, all of which weaken a 2.4 GHz signal. Because the printer's security support tops out at WPA2-PSK(AES), a network configured for 5 GHz only, or one that requires a security mode the printer does not list, can prevent it from connecting at all.
Reconnect Wi-Fi Directly From the Printer Panel
If the printer is on the right band but still will not join the network, run setup again from the operation panel. Press OK on HOME > Device settings > LAN settings > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi setup, then pick the method that fits your situation:
- 1.'Easy wireless connect' lets you configure the connection from a phone, tablet, or app.
- 2.'Manual connect' lets you select your SSID and type the case-sensitive password directly on the printer.
- 3.'WPS (Push button method)' works if your router supports WPS push-button setup.
If you ever need to turn the radio on or off, that toggle lives under 'Advanced mode'. Take care to enter the password exactly, since it is case-sensitive.
Let Canon's Network Utility Diagnose the Connection
When the printer suddenly stopped working over the network despite previously printing fine, Canon points you to its official IJ Network Device Setup Utility. The tool is available for both Windows and macOS and is designed to automatically diagnose and repair the printer's network status.
Download and run it before attempting any deeper troubleshooting. Letting the utility check the printer-to-router link can save you from manually chasing settings that it can detect and fix on its own.
Fix Blank or Faint Pages With Print Head Maintenance
Sometimes the printer connects and accepts the job but the pages come out blank, streaked, or faint. That is a print-quality problem, and the on-printer Maintenance menu is built to handle it.
Print a nozzle check pattern first. If lines are missing or you see white streaks, run Maintenance > Cleaning, which takes about two minutes. Print the nozzle check again to confirm the result.
If the output is still poor after two nozzle-check and cleaning cycles, run Deep Cleaning. If that does not resolve it, power the printer off and run Deep Cleaning once more after 24 hours of rest. When quality is still bad after that, replace the FINE cartridge, and double-check that the protective tape was removed and the cartridge is seated correctly. The TS6420a uses a 2-cartridge FINE Hybrid Ink System with a PG-260 pigment black and a CL-261 color cartridge.
Reset the Network or All Settings as a Last Self-Service Step
If nothing above clears the problem, a reset wipes any tangled configuration. From the printer, press OK > Device settings > Reset setting, then choose the scope you need. 'LAN settings only' clears just the network configuration, while 'Reset all' returns everything to factory defaults.
Be aware of what 'Reset all' does: it also resets the administrator password to default, and it cannot reset the LCD language, the print-head position, or the SSL/TLS CSR. Canon also describes this same path as 'Device settings > Reset settings > Reset all in the setup menu', which is the route to use if you have forgotten the administrator password. After any reset, you will need to redo Wi-Fi setup from scratch.
When to Call Canon for Repair
If print quality is still unacceptable after deep cleaning and replacing the FINE cartridge, the issue may need a service technician. Canon's guidance at this point is to contact Canon support or your nearest Canon service center for repair, and to have your model name and serial number ready. If the printer is still within its warranty period, repair or replacement may be available, so check your warranty status before paying for service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why won't my TS6420a connect to my home Wi-Fi?
The TS6420a is 2.4 GHz only and does not support 5 GHz, so it must be pointed at your 2.4 GHz SSID. Its security support tops out at WPA2-PSK(AES), which means a 5 GHz-only network, or one using a security mode the printer does not list, can block the connection. Confirm the SSID and password match exactly, keep the printer near the router, and rerun Wi-Fi setup from Device settings > LAN settings > Wi-Fi > Wi-Fi setup.
Which cartridges does the Canon PIXMA TS6420a use?
It uses a 2-cartridge FINE Hybrid Ink System: a PG-260 pigment black cartridge and a CL-261 color cartridge. This is a standard cartridge inkjet, not an ink-tank or refillable-reservoir model, so when print quality fails after deep cleaning you replace the FINE cartridge.
What's the official app for the TS6420a?
The official mobile app is Canon PRINT, which Canon notes was previously named Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY. Per Canon U.S.A. it requires iOS 16.0 or later or Android 7.0 or later, while the current App Store listing shows it requires iOS 17.0 or later. The printer also works with Apple AirPrint and Mopria Print Service.
How do I do a full reset on the printer?
Press OK on the HOME screen, then go to Device settings > Reset setting and choose 'Reset all' to return everything to factory defaults. Note that 'Reset all' also reverts the administrator password to default and cannot reset the LCD language, print-head position, or SSL/TLS CSR. After resetting, redo Wi-Fi setup.
Does the TS6420a have an Ethernet port?
No. The TS6420a connects over USB or built-in 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) only and has no Ethernet port. If wireless is unreliable, a direct USB connection to the computer is the wired alternative.
