On the covered Canon PIXMA printer, 1890 means support code 1890: shipping tape or protective material may still be attached to the FINE cartridge holder, per Canon's TS3300 series manual. First, store the output tray extension and the paper output tray, then open the cover.
Differential
Likely causes of “Canon PIXMA printer code 1890”, and how to tell them apart
- 1
Shipping tape still on the holder
What separates it A brand-new printer shows 1890 at first setup
How to confirm Open the cover and look for orange or blue tape across the holder and its guide rail
- 2
A foam or plastic spacer left from packing
What separates it The tape is gone but the holder still stops short of the cartridge area
How to confirm Look into the right and left end of the holder travel for a loose spacer
- 3
The printer was moved and a piece of packing was put back
What separates it 1890 appears after a house move or a repack
How to confirm Check whether a restraint was refitted for transport and not removed
Before you touch a setting
Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence
- Whether this is a first setup or an older printer
- Where the tape or foam sits when you open the cover
- The printer model and whether cartridges are already fitted
- Whether the holder moves freely sideways by the length of the rail
Try in this order
0 of 5 completedWhat to do first
ReversibleStore the output tray extension and the paper output tray, then open the cover.
Correct only the documented fault domain
ReversibleCanon's own action: make sure the shipping tape and protective material have been removed from the FINE cartridge holder, remove any that remain and close the cover. For a first printer setup, Canon points to its setup instructions for your printer.
Store the paper output tray
ReversibleCanon asks you to fold the paper output tray and its extension away so that the cover opens fully.
Open the cover and look along the holder
ReversibleWith the cover open, inspect the whole travel of the FINE cartridge holder, including the ends of the rail, for tape, foam or card.
Remove every piece and close the cover
ReversibleLift the material away without scraping the printed encoder strip, close the cover, and wait while the printer re-initializes.
Model-specific
What is true of this model and not of its siblings
- Shown as
- Support code 1890 on the computer or in the app; the panel may show a generic error.
- Applies to
- Canon PIXMA TS3300 series and printers with the same setup.
Stop boundary
When this stops being a self-service repair
- !Do not push the holder hard if it will not slide; a jammed holder gives a different support code
- !Contact Canon if the holder is free of material and 1890 still returns
Evidence ledger
Sources behind this answer
Exact questions
Common questions
What does 1890 mean on a Canon PIXMA printer?+
Support code 1890: shipping tape or protective material may still be attached to the FINE cartridge holder, per Canon's TS3300 series manual.
Does 1890 mean a hardware fault?+
Usually not. Canon's wording points at packing material that was left in the holder area, and removing it clears the code.
Where is the tape on a new PIXMA?+
Canon places strips of tape and a protective sheet around the cartridge holder and inside the cover; the setup poster shows the places.
What if there is no tape at all?+
Look for a small spacer or a torn corner of tape in the holder track. If nothing is there, restart the printer once and then contact Canon.