Canon printer ink foul-up forces users to go rogue

Man beating office printer with a bat in a field.

(Image credit: SingingMedia/Shutterstock)

The ongoing chip shortage is having an impact on Catechism, which has had then much trouble sourcing components for its printer cartridges that it's now selling some of them without the chips Canon printers utilize to cosign inks.

That'due south pregnant because Canon has fabricated a lot of coin selling cheap printers which will only impress using ink and toner cartridges with Canon chips in them. Canon's not alone in this practice, of form; Brother, HP, and other printer makers all rely on similar schemes, which is why many of the best printers you can buy won't print using 3rd-political party cartridges.

Nevertheless, the ongoing supply chain issues and chip shortages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have patently made it so hard for Canon to go components for its toner cartridges that some are now beingness sold without the scrap which authenticates them to Catechism printers.

canon imagerunner 4535i on a colored background — Canon ImageRunner printers are big multifunction machines chiefly used in offices. (Image credit: Canon)

This has put Canon in the remarkable position of having to publish a public warning and guide that instructs Canon printer owners in Europe on how to bypass error messages and continue printing on Canon ImageRunner printers using cartridges which don't have the requisite components.

"To ensure you savour a continuous and reliable supply of consumables, we accept chosen to supply consumable products without the semiconductor component until normal supply resumes," reads a printer back up guide published to Canon Europe's website. "While there is no negative bear on on impress quality when using consumables without electronic components, sure ancillary functions, such equally the power to detect toner levels, may be affected."

Essentially, Canon is publicly albeit that there really is no reason why its printers can't impress using not-Canon cartridges. Like many printer companies, Catechism says embedding chips in ink cartridges is helpful because they let the printer know how much ink is left in the cartridge. And while that does seem helpful, information technology's hardly valuable plenty to justify locking Canon customers out of buying and using third-party impress cartridges, which might be cheaper and meliorate than what comes from Canon.

It'due south overnice to call back that this temporary snarl caused past the chip shortage might atomic number 82 to a broader shift in business strategy on the part of Canon and other printer makers, simply don't become your hopes upwards: Canon's guide to bypassing its ain printer DRM is aimed at folks using the big, multifunction printers that you typically come across in offices and businesses, rather than the slim picayune all-in-one printer you might have at domicile.

Alex Wawro is a lifelong tech and games enthusiast with more than a decade of experience covering both for outlets like Game Developer, Blackness Hat, and PC World magazine. He currently serves every bit a senior editor at Tom'due south Guide covering all things calculating, from laptops and desktops to keyboards and mice.