Canon Printer Not Working After macOS Update: Complete Fix Guide

Your Canon printer was working fine, you updated macOS, and now it won't print. This is happening to Canon PIXMA, imageCLASS, and MAXIFY owners across the board. The good news: your printer isn't broken. macOS just lost the ability to talk to it properly.

Why Canon Printers Stop Working After macOS Updates

Apple has been removing third-party printer drivers from macOS since Ventura. Canon had a large collection of model-specific drivers for their PIXMA inkjets, imageCLASS lasers, and MAXIFY business printers. Many of those drivers have been removed.

Without the Canon driver, your Mac either:

• Falls back to a generic driver that prints but loses features
• Uses Secure AirPrint which only works if your Canon supports it natively
• Can't detect the printer at all

Which Canon Printers Are Affected?

PIXMA Series (Inkjets)

The most widely affected. PIXMA models released before 2019 are likely to lose driver support. Common affected models include:

• PIXMA MG series (MG2520, MG3620, MG5720, MG7720)
• PIXMA MX series (MX490, MX532, MX922)
• PIXMA TR series (TR4500, TR4520, TR7520)
• PIXMA TS series (older TS models)

imageCLASS Series (Lasers)

Canon's laser printers are partially affected:

• imageCLASS LBP series (LBP6030, LBP612, LBP654)
• imageCLASS MF series (MF236n, MF244dw, MF445dw)
• Older models are more likely to be affected

MAXIFY Series (Business Inkjets)

• MAXIFY MB series (MB2020, MB2320, MB5120)
• MAXIFY iB series (iB4120)
• Newer MAXIFY models with AirPrint tend to work

Quick Check

1. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners
2. Click your Canon printer
3. If the driver shows "Generic PostScript," "Generic PCL," or "Secure AirPrint" instead of your Canon model name, you're affected

Fix 1: PrintCast Driver (Recommended)

PrintCast Driver replaces the Canon drivers that Apple removed. It works with PIXMA, imageCLASS, and MAXIFY models that use PCL5 or PostScript.

Setup

1. Download PrintCast Driver from printcast.app
2. Open the .dmg and drag to Applications
3. Launch from your menu bar
4. PrintCast detects your Canon printer and restores driver support

What Gets Restored

• PIXMA: Photo and document printing with paper size and quality options
• imageCLASS: Duplex printing, paper size and quality settings
• MAXIFY: Duplex printing, paper size options

PrintCast Driver restores printing itself, with the options your printer reports. Canon-specific extras — borderless photo modes, ink level monitoring, Canon PRINT utility features — are part of Canon's own software and are not restored by a replacement driver.

PrintCast is independent software and is not affiliated with any printer manufacturer — results vary by model, and the free trial lets you confirm your printer.

Fix 2: Canon Print Drivers from Canon's Website

Canon provides driver downloads for some models on recent macOS versions.

Steps

1. Visit usa.canon.com/support (or your regional Canon site)
2. Enter your printer model
3. Select your macOS version
4. Download the driver package if available
5. Run the installer and restart

What to Expect

• Canon has updated drivers for many newer models
• Older PIXMA and imageCLASS models may not have updated drivers
• The Canon website can be slow and difficult to navigate
• You may need to try both "Printer Driver" and "ICA Driver" downloads

Fix 3: Canon PRINT App

Canon offers the Canon PRINT Inkjet/SELPHY app for some models.

Setup

1. Download Canon PRINT from the Mac App Store
2. Open the app and search for your printer
3. Follow the setup wizard

Limitations

• Only works with select Canon inkjet models
• Doesn't support most imageCLASS laser printers
• Requires the app to be running for some features
• Limited compared to the original system driver

Fix 4: Re-add the Printer

Removing and re-adding your Canon printer may allow macOS to find a better driver.

1. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners
2. Right-click your Canon printer, select Remove Printer
3. For USB printers, disconnect and reconnect the cable
4. For network printers, wait 30 seconds
5. Click + to add the printer again
6. Check the "Use" dropdown for Canon-specific options

If macOS only offers generic options, the Canon driver has been permanently removed from your system.

Fix 5: Reset the Print System

A full reset clears all printer configurations and forces macOS to start fresh.

1. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners
2. Right-click in the printer list
3. Select Reset printing system
4. Re-add your Canon printer

Note: This removes all printers, not just your Canon.

Canon Model Compatibility by Series

Common Canon-Specific Issues

"Printer is Offline" But It's On

This often means the driver can't communicate with the printer properly. The printer is physically connected but macOS doesn't know how to talk to it without the Canon driver.

Fix: Install PrintCast Driver or re-add the printer using the AirPrint option if available.

Prints Are Wrong Colors or Black and White Only

The generic driver doesn't understand Canon's color management. Your printer can print in color, but the generic driver doesn't know how to request it properly.

Fix: A Canon-specific driver (via PrintCast Driver or Canon's website) restores proper color support.

Can't Access Paper Tray or Duplex Settings

These features require the printer-specific driver. Generic drivers don't expose them because they don't know your printer has them.

Fix: PrintCast Driver detects your printer's capabilities and exposes the settings it reports.

The Bottom Line

Canon printers are some of the most popular consumer printers, which means a lot of people are hitting this issue. The PIXMA series in particular is heavily affected because many models were sold before driverless printing became standard.

Your Canon hardware is perfectly fine. PrintCast Driver gives it the software support that macOS took away, and it works across Canon lines that use PCL5 or PostScript without needing to track down model-specific downloads from Canon's website.