Can you keep using it?
Can you keep using it?
Contact customer support if any of these apply
- !1688 remains after installing the correct new cartridge.
- !Multiple cartridge positions start failing recognition at the same time.
What to check first
Step-by-step checks
- 1
Consumable check
Replace the indicated ink cartridge with the correct Canon supply.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
- 2
Consumable check
Make sure the new cartridge is seated correctly and the cover is fully closed.
- 3
Safe first step
Retry only after the printer returns to a ready state.
Background
What this message usually means
Canon uses support code 1688 when an installed ink cartridge has effectively run out and the MB2700 family cannot continue normal printing. It is a stop-state supply message rather than a low-ink reminder.
Before the message
What users usually notice first
Messages like this often appear after the printer fails one of its normal startup, supply, or paper-path checks and cannot return to ready state cleanly.
Diagnosis
Likely causes
An installed ink cartridge has run out.
The cartridge was already near empty and crossed the stop threshold.
A supply recognition check has confirmed that printing should stop.
Service
When service or replacement is more likely
- -This is more serious than a simple low-ink warning because Canon expects a supply change.
Avoid wrong turns
Common misreads of this message
- -Treating the message like a confirmed failed part instead of a support clue about which system has stopped the printer.
- -Assuming any supply-related wording means the next step is automatically to buy a cartridge, toner, drum, or printhead.
See also
Related codes in this family
Explore more
More Canon printer families
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Helpful guides for this problem
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When a printer says paper jam but there isn't one
What a false paper-jam warning usually points to, from hidden scraps and tray issues to faults that are no longer simple jams.
Guide
How to identify your Canon printer family before using an error code page
How to work out the right Canon family first so the code page you open is actually talking about your printer.
Guide
How to tell if a printer fault is a cartridge issue or a service issue
How to separate ordinary cartridge or toner trouble from the kind of printer fault that usually points to real service.
Boundary
When to stop troubleshooting and move to support
Use the message once to classify the problem, then move to support if the printer still cannot return to ready after the first safe checks.
Keep browsing
Where to go next
Source notes
Canon's MB2700-series support-code list includes 1688 in the stop-state ink supply group.
Built around Canon MB2700-series support-code guidance. Exact wording can vary a little by region and model variant.
Printer error codes can vary a little by firmware, region, and exact model variant. Use this guide as a family-level starting point and stop if the next step would require disassembly or service-mode changes.
Known family variants: MB2710, MB2720, MB2740, MB2750, MB2760, MB2790
Last reviewed: 2026-04-12
Reference: Open reference