Can you keep using it?
Can you keep using it?
Contact customer support if any of these apply
- !1203 returns even though the cover is clearly shut.
- !The cover hinge or latch no longer closes or sits normally.
What to check first
Step-by-step checks
- 1
Consumable check
Close the paper output cover fully.
Start with the official recovery step before moving on to parts or deeper servicing.
- 2
Consumable check
Remove any visible paper that did not clear the path normally.
- 3
Safe first step
Retry with one small print job after the cover is fully shut.
Background
What this message usually means
Canon uses support code 1203 when the TR4500 series detects that the paper output cover was open during printing. This usually interrupts the print path and needs the cover closed before the printer can continue normally.
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
The paper output cover was left open or opened during a print job.
The cover was not seated fully before printing started.
The printer paused because the paper path was no longer in a normal state.
Service
When service or replacement is more likely
- -This is a printer-state interruption, not a deeper printhead or service code.
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 no physical path issue exists just because no full sheet is visible at first glance.
See also
Related codes in this family
Explore more
More Canon printer families
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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 official 1203 page says the paper output cover is open and directs users to close it before continuing.
Built around Canon TR4500-series official support-code guidance. Exact wording can vary a little by regional model naming, but the support-code meaning stays close across the family.
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: TR4520, TR4522, TR4527, TR4530, TR4540, TR4550, TR4551, TR4560, TR4570, TR4570S, TR4580, TR4590, TR4595
Last reviewed: 2026-04-12
Reference: Open reference