Hi Elizabeth! Thanks for contributing to the Canon community! I see that you are unable to print in color.
You mention that the nozzle check is good. If you see the cyan (light blue), magenta (light pink), and yellow bars in that pattern, you should be able to print in color. To see what a good pattern looks like, please check out the following section of the manual:
https://ij.manual.canon/ij/webmanual/Manual/W/MG2500%20series/EN/BG/bg-maintenance1300.html
The section marked B in that pattern should have 6 colored bars. If some or all of the bars are missing (or show streaks), I recommend taking the color cartridge out and making sure the bright (safety) orange colored tape has been fully removed from the bottom. To see an article that has an illustration of the tape being removed, please see the following link:
https://ij.manual.canon/ij/webmanual/Manual/W/MG2500%20series/EN/BG/bg-ink1000.html
If the tape has been fully removed, chances are the nozzles on the bottom of the cartridge have clogged (dried up). It's like trying to write with a pen that has a dry tip. No (or only some) ink is coming out of the nozzles.
If the nozzle check is good (sections A, B, and C are fully present), then you are likely dealing with a settings issue. To troubleshoot a settings issue, we will need more information about the device you are printing from. Please write back and provide answers to the questions at the end of this post.
If the nozzles are clogged, we recommend that you try the Cleaning and Deep Cleaning maintenance options that are built into the printer. You can start with one Cleaning. Then, print a nozzle check to see if it has improved. If it has not improved or improved little, you should do a Deep Cleaning. You can print another nozzle check after that to look for improvement.
For information about the Cleaning and Deep Cleaning maintenance options, please see the following article and click on the links to see instructions:
https://ij.manual.canon/ij/webmanual/Manual/W/MG2500%20series/EN/BG/bg-maintenance1000.html
If the pattern does not look as good as it should, we recommend waiting at least 4 hours (no more than 24 hours), and then try another deep cleaning. We suggest that you try at least 3 deep cleanings (4-18 hours apart). Waiting between each deep clean helps because that gives the ink time to soak and loosen the clog (like drano). You don't have to do more than 3 deep cleans unless you continue to see improvements with the pattern.
You will need to replace the cartridge if the three deep cleans do not help. The clogs may be too dry to fix.
If the nozzle check is good and you are dealing with a settings issue, please write back with answers to the following questions:
- If you are printing from a computer, what operating system is it running? (i.e. Windows 7, macOS Tahoe V.26, Chrome OS)
- If you are printing from a mobile device, what kind is it? (i.e. iPhone, Windows tablet, Google phone)
- What program or app are you using to view the image or document you are printing?
- Is the printer able to make a color copy? (please see the following article for instructions that will help you use the printer to make a copy):
https://ij.manual.canon/ij/webmanual/Manual/W/MG2500%20series/EN/UG/ug_copying0100.html
- What type of paper are you printing on?
- What kind of file are you printing? (e.g document, photo, web page, pdf)
I hope this information helps. Thanks again!
