PIXMA MG3640 Stopped printing documents but prints pictures

[cnwcywig]

My printer suddenly will not print doc or pdf files. The printer makes all the right noises, but only a blank page comes out.

It prints pictures perfectly.

[Danny]

Thanks for joining the conversation, cnwcywig!

So that the Community can help you better, we need to know exactly which Canon printer model you're using. That, and any other details you'd like to give will help the Community better understand your issue!

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Thanks and have a great day!

[jrhoffman75]

Did you run a nozzle check?

Some printers use a black pigment ink for text and dye inks for photos.

[cnwcywig]

It's an MG 3640, a couple of years old. I've done a test print and a nozzle clean, and it says everying is working properly and there are no faults. The ink appears to be running - jpegs print OK.

I read that it could be that the drivers needed updating, so I deleted the printer and then installed it again - it did this automatically when I plugged in the cable, so that doesn't seem to be the problem. It behaves as if it were printing, winding the paper through slowly and traversing the cartridges across the page, but then when it ejects the page it is blank. Something, but only in Word and acrobat, isn't communicating.

[jrhoffman75]

Just to be clear, did your nozzle check look like this:

https://support.usa.canon.com/library/ij/Manual/All/MG3600%20series/EN/BG/bg-maintenance1300.html

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

I suspect this could be a drivers issue based on the comment, "I removed the printer and drivers, then it automatically reinstalled when I plugged in the cable"

When you are connecting a USB printer, you should install the drivers first, and connect the device when prompted.  Windows will try to install drivers when you connect a device.  They might be incomplete or not correct.

I'd grab this package

MG3600 series Full Driver & Software Package (Windows)

From this site

PIXMA MG3640 - Support - Download drivers, software and manuals - Canon Central and North Africa (ca...

Disconnect the USB cable, remove the printer, uninstall its software and restart the system.

Then run the new installer and only connect the printer when prompted to do so.  See if this works for you. 

[cnwcywig · Accepted solution]

I don't know why, but today when  turned on the computer I found it printed perfectly. It's very strange because nothing I'd tried before worked. But anyway, it now works.

Thank you everyone for your advice

Cliff

[jrhoffman75]

Great news. Please mark thread Solved. Thanks.