Canon · duplex

Canon MegaTank PIXMA G6020 will not print or scan two-sided

Canon MegaTank PIXMA G6020 will not print or scan two-sided: model capability, driver option, paper size/type and accessory detection must align. Scoped to 3113C002, with the model boundary and safe stop points made explicit.

Direct answer

For the Canon MegaTank PIXMA G6020, model capability, driver option, paper size/type and accessory detection must align. First, verify exact model duplex capability and print an internal configuration page.

What this covers

  • Canon MegaTank PIXMA G6020 (3113C002)
  • Canon printer; PIXMA/MegaTank/MAXIFY/imageCLASS ink/toner systems and maintenance paths differ.
  • The specific fault this record addresses: will not print or scan two-sided

What it does not cover

  • ×The same symptom on a different Canon product line, which has its own record and its own cited source
  • ×An on-screen error code whose meaning has not been checked against this exact model's manual
  • ×Live electrical, gas, sealed-system, internal battery-cell or structural repair — a technician boundary, not a self-service step

Differential

What actually causes this, and how to tell them apart

These are ordered by how often each one is the answer, not by how easy it is to try. The point of the middle column is that two causes producing the same headline symptom rarely produce the same detail — that detail is what tells you which one you have before you change anything.

  1. 1

    The binding edge setting is wrong

    What separates it Both sides print but alternate pages are upside down.

    How to confirm Long-edge and short-edge binding produce different orientations. This is a setting rather than a fault, and it is the most common duplex complaint.

  2. 2

    The paper is too heavy or too light for the duplex path

    What separates it Jams only when duplexing, with card or thin paper.

    How to confirm The duplex path usually supports a narrower media range than single-sided printing. Check the specification.

  3. 3

    The paper is curling as it passes through

    What separates it Jams on the second pass, worse with laser printers and light paper.

    How to confirm Heat curls paper, and a curled sheet re-entering the path jams. Fresh, correctly stored paper helps considerably.

  4. 4

    The duplexer is not seated

    What separates it Duplex options unavailable, or a jam reported immediately.

    How to confirm Reseat the duplex unit fully where it is a removable module.

  5. 5

    The driver does not have duplex enabled

    What separates it The option is greyed out in the print dialog.

    How to confirm Duplex sometimes has to be enabled in the driver's installed-options settings before it appears.

  6. 6

    The application is overriding the printer setting

    What separates it Duplex works from one application and not another.

    How to confirm Some applications carry their own duplex setting that overrides the driver default.

Before you touch a setting

Record this first — changing settings destroys the evidence

Every item below stops existing the moment a reset, re-pair or settings change is made. Written down first, they are what separates the causes above; recovered afterwards, they are guesswork.

  • Whether the failure is mechanical, or pages printing correctly but oriented wrongly.
  • Which binding edge is selected.
  • The paper weight, compared with the duplex path's supported range.
  • Whether it fails from every application or only one.
Try in this order0 of 5 completed
  1. Switch between long-edge and short-edge binding

    Reversible

    Alternate pages upside down is this setting, not a fault, and it is the most common duplex complaint.

  2. Check the paper weight against the duplex path's supported range

    Reversible

    The duplex path usually supports a narrower range than single-sided printing does.

  3. Use fresh, flat, correctly stored paper

    Reversible

    Heat curls paper on the first pass, and a curled sheet jams as it re-enters.

  4. Reseat the duplex unit and enable duplex in the driver's installed options

    Reversible

    A greyed-out duplex option is usually this rather than a missing capability.

  5. Test from a second application

    Reversible

    Some applications override the driver's duplex setting with their own.

Model-specific

What is true of this model and not of its siblings

Generic advice for the product line fails here. Each item below is a property of this specific model family that changes which of the steps above apply to you.

Model scope
3113C002. Canon printer; PIXMA/MegaTank/MAXIFY/imageCLASS ink/toner systems and maintenance paths differ.
Type — refillable INK TANK all-in-one (MegaTank)
A cartridge-free MegaTank inkjet AIO — refill ink BOTTLES for very low cost per page. Still inkjet, so the printhead can CLOG if unused. No fax on this model versus the G7020.
Initial charging & refills
First setup charges the printhead with starter ink (normal). Refill the matching bottle when low; do not run tanks dry.
Connectivity
Wi-Fi/USB via the Canon app; 'offline' is usually a Wi-Fi drop or wrong queue.
Symptom boundary
This record covers Canon MegaTank PIXMA G6020 when it will not print or scan two-sided. A different symptom on the same hardware, or this symptom on a different Canon product line, has its own record with its own causes and its own cited source.

Stop boundary

When this stops being a self-service repair

Continuing past any one of these costs more than the repair saves — in safety, in warranty, or in evidence a technician needs.

  • !Do not force paper through a duplex path or reach into a laser fuser area before it has cooled.

Evidence ledger

Sources behind this answer

Visible sources support the visible claims. Home Product Support records the publisher, the fact used and the review date; community reports can suggest an issue but do not become a published fact on their own.

Where the manufacturer's article stops. Canon publishes this as "Cannot Print Properly with Automatic Duplex Printing". Canon's article for automatic two-sided printing that will not run or produces wrong output - paper size, type and driver setting. Probed 2026-08-21: title-verified. What that article does not carry is the model boundary — it is written for a product line, and 3113C002 is the scope applied here. Where a control label, terminal, indicator pattern or reset sequence differs on your unit, the manual for that exact model is the authority, not this page and not the article.

Exact questions

Common follow-ups

Is the Canon MegaTank G6020 worth it over a cartridge printer?+

For regular printing, yes — the MegaTank uses cheap refillable ink bottles instead of cartridges, so the cost per page is a fraction of a cartridge printer and a set of bottles lasts thousands of pages. The trade-offs are a higher purchase price and that it is still an inkjet, so leaving it idle can clog the printhead (print occasionally and run cleaning if output fades). For steady home/small-office volume it saves a lot over time.

Double-sided printing comes out with every other page upside down.+

That is the binding edge setting rather than a fault. Long-edge binding flips pages like a book, short-edge binding flips them like a notepad, and choosing the wrong one for your layout gives exactly this result. Switch it in the print dialog and reprint.

Does this answer apply to every Canon model?+

No. It is scoped to 3113C002. Canon printer; PIXMA/MegaTank/MAXIFY/imageCLASS ink/toner systems and maintenance paths differ.

What should I record before troubleshooting duplex or two-sided?+

Record the complete model identifier, exact message or indicator, software/firmware where visible, the operating stage and what still works.

Why is a factory reset not the first step?+

A reset can erase accounts, networks, maps, schedules or preferences without distinguishing duplex, two-sided. The ordered checks preserve that evidence.

When should I stop and use qualified service?+

Do not force unsupported media through duplex paths.

Change recordSept. 1, 2026 — Built out with researched, cross-checked per-model specifications and model-specific guidance. Aug. 17, 2026 — Published with explicit 3113C002 applicability, a duplex diagnostic boundary and first-party support provenance.
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