The Canon Pixma TR4720 printer is designed to handle various printing, scanning, copying, and faxing tasks, and its operation involves both the physical hardware and the software, such as the printer driver, that facilitates communication with your devices.
How does canon pixma printer work
At its core, a Canon Pixma printer, such as the TR4720 series, functions by receiving print data from a computer or other connected device. The Canon IJ printer driver is a key software component that you install on your computer; it converts the print data from your application software into a format the printer can understand and then sends this converted data to the printer. Different printer models require specific printer drivers to function correctly.
The printer uses FINE cartridges, which are replaceable units that integrate both the print head and the ink tank. Both color and black inks are consumed not only during printing but also during standard and deep cleaning procedures of the print head, which are necessary to maintain printer performance. To maintain optimal print quality and prevent the print head nozzles from drying or clogging, it’s crucial that the printer caps the print head automatically when turned off using the ON button. Unplugging the power cord before the ON lamp turns off can prevent proper capping and lead to drying or clogging.
The printer also includes features like paper detection to ensure that the paper loaded matches the settings, displaying an error message if there’s a mismatch to prevent incorrect printing.
How to Use Your Canon Pixma Printer
Using your Canon Pixma printer, like the TR4720 model, involves several key steps and functions:
- Setup and Power Management
- To turn on the printer, press the ON button. The ON lamp will flash and then remain lit once the printer is ready. It may take some time for the printer to start printing immediately after being turned on, especially for large data like photos.
- You can enable an Auto Power On feature so the printer turns on automatically when a print or scan operation is initiated from a connected computer via USB or Wi-Fi. This feature is off by default and can be configured through the EnergySaveSettings in the Setup menu.
- The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) on the operation panel displays messages, menu items, and the printer’s operational status. If the printer is inactive for about 10 minutes, the LCD will turn off, but it can be restored by pressing any button or performing a print operation.
- For wireless connections, you can set up Wi-Fi directly from a smartphone using Easy Wireless Connect. The Menu/Wireless connect button can be held down to set wireless router information without directly operating the router.
- Loading Paper
- When loading paper into the front tray, always load it in portrait orientation to prevent paper jams.
- Slide the paper guides to align them with both sides of the paper stack, but do not push too hard as this can affect paper feeding.
- Ensure the paper stack height is below the tabs of the paper guides.
- For photo paper, load it with the print side facing down in the center of the front tray.
- After loading, the printer’s LCD will display a registration screen for paper information where you need to select the size and type of loaded paper. Correct paper settings are crucial for optimal print quality; incorrect settings can lead to poor color or scratches.
- If using paper with one printable surface, load it with the printable side facing down.
- Printing
- You can print from a computer using application software with the Windows Printer Driver, macOS AirPrint, or Canon Application Software. You can also print from Chrome OS.
- For mobile devices, download the Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY app from App Store or Google Play to print from your smartphone or tablet.
- When setting up a print job, you can choose from commonly used settings like Standard, Business Document, Paper Saving, or Photo Printing from the Quick Setup tab in the printer driver. These settings automatically adjust other options like media type and paper size.
- You can specify print quality (e.g., High, Standard, Draft) and change color intensity.
- The printer supports various paper sizes, including Letter, Legal, A5, A4, B5, KG/4″x6″, 5″x7″, 8″x10″, and various envelopes. Custom sizes can also be set.
- The printer supports automatic two-sided printing (duplex printing) for certain paper sizes like Letter and A4, which can be enabled in ECO settings. Note that there might be an ink drying wait time between printing sides.
- The page layout printing function allows printing multiple document pages on a single sheet of paper, with options to specify the number of pages per sheet and the order. You can also print with or without borders.
- Scanning
- To scan documents or photos, place the item on the platen or in the ADF (Auto Document Feeder).
- Documents loaded in the ADF should have the side to scan facing up.
- You can use IJ Scan Utility to scan items and save them as PDF, JPEG, or TIFF files. This utility allows you to specify paper size, resolution, and other settings.
- The ADF can scan documents automatically one sheet at a time. Some models also support duplex scanning from the ADF.
- Faxing
- The printer has a FAX button to switch to fax mode.
- You can send faxes by loading the document on the platen or in the ADF, dialing the recipient’s number using the numeric buttons, and then pressing the Black or Color button. Color fax transmission is only available if the recipient’s device supports it.
- Faxes can also be sent from a computer using the fax driver.
- Received faxes can be stored in the printer’s memory if there is a paper-related issue or insufficient ink, and will print automatically once the issue is resolved. The printer can store up to 50 pages or 30 documents in memory.
- Ink and Printer Maintenance
- You can check ink status on the LCD or from your computer via the Canon IJ Status Monitor.
- When an ink cartridge runs out, an error message will appear, and the printer may not print or scan. You must replace the empty FINE cartridge with a new one immediately. The color FINE cartridge goes in the left slot, and the black one in the right.
- To troubleshoot print quality issues (e.g., faint, uneven, blurry prints, or streaks), you should first print a nozzle check pattern to see if print head nozzles are clogged.
- If the nozzle check pattern indicates a problem, perform print head cleaning. If the issue persists after two standard cleanings, a deep print head cleaning can be performed, though this consumes more ink. If problems continue after these steps and replacing the FINE cartridge, contacting a Canon service center is recommended.
- You can also clean the paper feed rollers or perform bottom plate cleaning to remove stains from inside the printer that might dirty printed paper.
- To reduce operating noise during printing, you can enable Quiet mode through the Setup menu.
