Error B200 on a Canon printer points to a fault with the printhead — usually caused by overheating, a clogged or dirty printhead, or occasionally a genuine electronic failure. The message on screen ("unplug and contact service") sounds final, but a real hardware replacement isn't always the actual outcome.
Turn the printer off, unplug it from the wall completely, and leave it unplugged for a few minutes before reconnecting. This clears a temporary overheating or electrical stall condition — a genuinely common trigger for B200 that isn't a lasting fault.
Open the top cover and look for anything blocking the printhead carriage's movement — a scrap of paper, a foreign object, or built-up dried ink debris. B200 can appear when the printhead can't move through its normal range, and clearing an obstruction resolves it without any parts replacement.
With the printer powered off, remove the ink cartridges and carefully clean both the printhead contacts and the corresponding contacts inside the printer using a lint-free cloth lightly dampened with rubbing alcohol. A buildup of dried ink on these contacts is a common, non-catastrophic cause of B200 — letting everything fully dry (allow at least a couple of hours) before reassembling and powering back on matters, since reinstalling while still damp can trigger the same error again.
Remove and firmly reinsert each ink cartridge, making sure each clicks fully into place. A cartridge that isn't properly seated can present as a printhead-level error even though the actual cause is simpler.
If B200 returns consistently despite a clean printhead, no obstruction, and fully-seated cartridges, this does point toward a genuine printhead failure — commonly from a burnt-out or damaged printhead component that isn't user-repairable. At that point, check whether the printhead is a separately replaceable part on your specific model (many Canon consumer inkjets have a replaceable printhead distinct from the ink cartridges), since a printhead replacement is often more affordable than a full new printer, particularly on higher-end PIXMA and MAXIFY models built with a serviceable printhead.
Compare against the general print-quality diagnosis guide first.
See the print quality guideThe correct order of steps, from cleaning cycle to manual soak.
Read the article →Why this happens even with a genuine cartridge.
Read the article →PG vs. CL, Standard vs. XL vs. XXL, and Canon's MegaTank system.
Read the article →