3500
Canon Printer
Severity: ModerateWhat Does This Error Mean?
Error 3500 on Canon printers means the printer lost communication with your computer or network mid-job. The printer received a print command but the data transfer stopped before the job could complete. Restarting both the printer and the computer, and checking the connection, clears this error in most cases.
Affected Models
- Canon Pixma MG3600 Series
- Canon Pixma TS6300 Series
- Canon Pixma MX920 Series
- Canon Pixma TR8600 Series
- Canon Pixma MG6800 Series
Common Causes
- The USB cable between the printer and computer was disconnected or became loose during printing
- A Wi-Fi signal drop interrupted a wireless print job mid-transfer
- The computer went to sleep during a large print job, cutting off data to the printer
- The print spooler on Windows crashed while processing a job
- A firewall or security software on the computer blocked the print data mid-transfer
How to Fix It
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Cancel all pending print jobs on your computer. In Windows go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners, click your Canon printer, then select Open print queue and cancel every job in the list.
A stuck job from the failed attempt will block all future jobs until cleared.
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Turn the printer off using the power button. Wait 30 seconds. Turn it back on and wait for it to fully initialize before trying to print.
This clears the printer's internal job buffer, which may still hold the incomplete print data.
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Check your connection. If using USB, unplug the cable and plug it back into both the printer and the computer. Try a different USB port on your computer if possible. If using Wi-Fi, check that the printer and computer are on the same network.
A loose or failing USB cable is one of the most common causes of mid-job communication errors.
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Restart the Print Spooler on Windows. Press Windows + R, type services.msc, press Enter. Find Print Spooler, right-click it, and select Restart.
A crashed spooler will cause every print attempt to fail until it is restarted.
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Try printing a smaller document first — a single page with no images. If that succeeds, the issue may be with a specific large or complex document overwhelming the connection.
For complex documents, try printing fewer pages at a time until you can isolate whether a specific page is causing the failure.
When to Call a Professional
Error 3500 is almost always a software or connection issue, not a hardware fault. If the error appears consistently on every print attempt even with a direct USB connection and the cable confirmed good, the printer's USB or network interface board may be failing. Canon repair centers can test and replace the interface board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does error 3500 only happen with large print jobs?
Large jobs take longer to transfer from computer to printer, which gives more opportunities for the connection to drop. A Wi-Fi signal fluctuation that lasts just one second can interrupt a multi-page transfer. For large jobs on Wi-Fi, try moving the printer closer to your router or switch to a USB cable.
My printer shows 3500 and will not turn off normally. What do I do?
Hold the power button for 5 seconds to force the printer off. If it still does not respond, unplug the power cord from the back of the printer. Wait 60 seconds before plugging it back in — this fully resets the internal error state.
Is the 3500 error specific to Windows?
No — error 3500 can occur on Mac or Windows because it originates from the printer side, not the operating system. However, Windows spooler crashes are a more common trigger than macOS issues. If you are on Mac and see 3500, focus on the network or USB connection rather than the spooler.