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Step 1
Know the exact type of cartridge your Canon printer uses. Some take four separate cartridges at once for all ink colors--black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Others may use three-in-one color cartridges, but there are many different designs. Check the printer manual for the type it uses.
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Step 2
Remove the safety tape from any new cartridges before loading them. The tape is usually placed over the print head to keep from damaging it in the package. The end of the strip should be non-adhesive, so you can easily grab it and peel it off. Don't touch the print head itself--your fingers can damage it.
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Step 3
Turn on the Canon printer and lift up the top cover. If the cartridge carrier is not immediately visible, it will slide from one end of the printer to the other on a conveyor belt and rest in a position where you can reach it.
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Step 4
Insert each cartridge into its holster within the carrier. Double-check the manual to see which cartridge goes in which spot. Slide the cartridge into position until it meets resistance, then lightly press it down and/or toward the back of the printer to lock it into place.
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Step 5
Close the printer cover and listen for the carrier to slide back into place from the inside. If all cartridges are properly installed, all lights on the printer should be green. If there are any flashing amber lights near the ink icons on the printer surface, open the cover and double-check the cartridges, or look at the manual's troubleshooting section.
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Step 6
Run a test page print to make sure the printer and its cartridges are working. Print a color page that will use all four shades. Some printers will automatically run a programmed test page.
