Canon Printer Error Code 7400 — What It Means & How to Fix It

What Does This Error Mean?

Canon error 7400 is a warning that the printer's ink absorber is getting close to being full. The ink absorber is a pad inside the printer that soaks up waste ink from cleaning cycles. You can continue printing for now, but the absorber will eventually need to be reset or replaced.

Affected Models

Canon PIXMA MG Series
Canon PIXMA MX Series
Canon PIXMA TS Series
Canon PIXMA G Series
Canon MAXIFY MB Series

Common Causes

The ink absorber pad has absorbed a large amount of waste ink over many months of use and is approaching its limit
Frequent printhead cleaning cycles have used more ink than normal, filling the absorber faster
The printer has been used heavily for a long period without any maintenance reset
Printing many borderless photos, which uses significantly more ink and waste than standard printing
The ink absorber counter in the printer's firmware has reached the warning threshold

How to Fix It

Press the Stop/Reset button on the printer to dismiss the warning and continue printing.

Error 7400 is a warning, not a hard stop. You can keep printing, but the full error will appear eventually.
Reduce unnecessary printhead cleaning cycles. Only run a cleaning when print quality has actually degraded — not as routine maintenance.

Each cleaning cycle flushes ink into the absorber. Running cleanings unnecessarily shortens the absorber's life.
If you are comfortable with tools, research whether the ink absorber pad in your specific model is user-replaceable. Some Canon models allow this.

Canon does not sell replacement absorber pads officially, but third-party pads are available online for many popular models.
Download and run Canon's free 'Service Tool' software (available on Canon's support website) to reset the ink absorber counter after replacing the pad.

Resetting the counter without replacing or cleaning the physical pad is a temporary fix. The pad is still full and ink may eventually leak inside the printer.
Consider visiting a Canon service center if the printer is used regularly and you want the job done properly.

Canon service centers can replace the pad and reset the counter as an official service.

When to Call a Professional

When error 7400 advances to a full stop error (such as 5B00 or 5B01), the printer will refuse to print entirely. At that point, a technician or Canon service center can physically replace or clean the ink absorber pad and reset the counter. Canon offers a mail-in service, and third-party repair shops can also perform this service for $40 to $80.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to keep printing after error 7400 appears?

Yes, in the short term. Error 7400 is a warning that the absorber is getting full, not that it is overflowing yet. You can press Reset and continue printing. However, if you ignore it for a long time, the absorber will reach its limit and the printer will completely stop printing with a harder error like 5B00.

Can I reset the ink absorber counter myself without replacing the pad?

Yes, using Canon's Service Tool software you can reset the counter. However, this only resets the number — the physical pad is still saturated with ink. If the pad is truly full and you reset the counter, ink may eventually overflow and damage the printer's internal components. Always replace or clean the pad before resetting.

How long does it take for the ink absorber to fill up?

It varies widely based on usage. A printer used mainly for text documents may take years to reach this point. A printer used heavily for photos or with frequent cleaning cycles may reach the limit in a year or less. Printing many borderless photos is especially hard on the absorber.