Canon MG3600 Does Not Print on Both Sides: Error 1310, Paper Jam 1304, and the Bottom of the Page Is Cut Off

Last Updated on 22.07.2026 by DriverNew

Canon PIXMA MG3600 series supports automatic printing on both sides of a sheet. However, the function may be unavailable in the driver, the multifunction printer may print on only one side, display error 1310, jam paper with code 1304, or cut off the lower part of the document.

Most of these problems are related to the selected paper size and media type. Automatic duplex printing on MG3600 series is designed for A4 or Letter plain paper.

This guide applies to the following models:

Canon PIXMA MG3610, MG3620, MG3640, MG3640S, MG3650, MG3650S, MG3660, MG3670, and MG3680.

All the devices listed above belong to Canon PIXMA MG3600 series.

How to identify the cause of the problem

Symptom	Likely cause	Main action
Only one side is printed	Automatic duplex printing is not enabled.	Select the “Duplex Printing” and “Automatic” checkboxes.
The duplex printing checkbox is unavailable	An unsuitable media type, paper size, or incompatible layout is selected.	Select A4 or Letter plain paper and disable incompatible modes.
Error 1310	The loaded paper size is unsuitable for automatic duplex printing.	Load A4 or Letter paper and check the paper size settings.
Error 1304	The sheet became jammed while being turned over inside the multifunction printer.	Slowly remove the paper through the paper output tray or transport unit.
The lower part of the page is not printed	The printable area is slightly reduced during automatic duplex printing.	Enable reduced printing.
The reverse side becomes stained	Ink has accumulated inside, or the sheet is turned over before the ink dries completely.	Perform Bottom Plate Cleaning and increase the ink drying wait time.
The reverse side is upside down	The wrong stapling side is selected.	Change the “Stapling Side” setting.

Method 1. Enable automatic duplex printing

Automatic mode feeds the sheet back into the multifunction printer and prints on the second side. You do not need to turn the paper over manually.

Open the driver settings

1. Make sure that the official Canon MG3600 series driver is installed.
2. Press Windows + R.
3. Enter the command:

control printers

4. Click OK.
5. Find the device whose name contains Canon MG3600 series.
6. Right-click it.
7. Select Printing preferences.

Select the paper type and size

1. Open the Main tab.
2. In the Media Type field, select Plain Paper.
3. Go to the Page Setup tab.
4. In the Page Size field, select A4 or Letter.

Enable automatic mode

1. On the Page Setup tab, select the Duplex Printing checkbox.
2. Make sure that the Automatic checkbox is selected.
3. In the Page Layout field, leave normal-size printing selected or choose a compatible scaling option.
4. Check the Stapling Side setting.
5. Click OK.

After the document is sent to print, the multifunction printer will print the first side, pause to allow the ink to dry, pull the sheet back in, and print the second side.

Method 2. Enable the function in the program’s print window

In many programs, the driver settings can be opened immediately before printing.

1. Open the document.
2. Press Ctrl + P.
3. Select Canon MG3600 series.
4. Open Printer Properties, Preferences, or Options.
5. Select plain paper.
6. Set the paper size to A4 or Letter.
7. Select the Duplex Printing checkbox.
8. Select the Automatic checkbox.
9. Click OK.
10. Start printing.

The name of the button used to open the properties depends on the program.

Method 3. What to do if the “Duplex Printing” checkbox is unavailable

The setting becomes gray and unavailable when an incompatible media type, page size, or layout mode is selected.

Select plain paper

1. Open Printing preferences.
2. Go to the Main tab.
3. In the Media Type field, select Plain Paper.
4. Open the Page Setup tab again.
5. Check whether the Duplex Printing checkbox is now available.

If another media type is selected, automatic duplex printing may be unavailable.

Select a supported paper size

1. On the Page Setup tab, find the Page Size field.
2. Select A4 or Letter.
3. Make sure that the same size is selected in the program from which you are printing.

Disable incompatible modes

Duplex printing is unavailable if one of the following options is selected:

• Borderless;
• Tiling/Poster;
• Booklet.

Select a normal layout, fit-to-page printing, scaled printing, or a compatible page layout option.

Check the driver

If the Canon tabs and proprietary settings are completely missing, Windows may have added MG3600 series using a generic driver.

In this case, install the official Canon MG3600 series MP Drivers package. The installer filename begins with:

m68n-win-mg3600-

Method 4. Fix error 1310

Support code 1310 means that the loaded paper size may be incompatible with automatic duplex printing.

When this error occurs, the Alarm lamp usually flashes ten times.

Check the paper

1. Remove unsuitable sheets from the front tray.
2. Load A4 or Letter plain paper.
3. Place the paper with the print side facing down.
4. Push the stack all the way to the back of the front tray.
5. Adjust the paper guides to the width of the paper.

Check the document settings

1. Open the print window in the program you are using.
2. Check the document page size.
3. Open the Canon MG3600 series properties.
4. On the Page Setup tab, select the same size.
5. Make sure that A4 or Letter is selected.
6. Check that Plain Paper is selected as the media type.

Continue printing

1. After loading suitable paper, press the Black or Color button on the multifunction printer.
2. Wait for the unsuitable sheet to be ejected.
3. Printing will resume from the front side of the next sheet.

Method 5. Fix the bottom of the page being cut off

During automatic duplex printing, the printable area becomes approximately 2 mm smaller at the top margin. As a result, content near the bottom of the page may not fit on the sheet.

This is especially noticeable in documents containing:

• text positioned close to the bottom edge;
• page numbers in the footer;
• tables extending across the full height of the sheet;
• page borders;
• images extending to the edge.

Enable reduced printing

1. Open Printing preferences for Canon MG3600 series.
2. Go to the Page Setup tab.
3. Select the Duplex Printing checkbox.
4. Click Print Area Setup….
5. Select Use reduced printing.
6. Click OK.
7. Save the settings.
8. Print the document again.

The driver will slightly reduce the page so that all content fits within the available area.

Correct the document in the program

If changing the scale in the driver disrupts the text layout:

1. Open the document’s page settings.
2. Increase the bottom margin.
3. Move the page number or footer higher.
4. Reduce the table or image size.
5. If a scaling setting is available, select a slightly smaller value.
6. Check the print preview.
7. Print the document again.

Method 6. Select the correct stapling side

If the reverse side is upside down, the problem is not related to the mechanism but to the Stapling Side setting.

For a standard document in portrait orientation

Select long-side binding. The pages will turn like the pages of a book.

For a calendar or notepad

Select short-side binding. The pages will flip upward.

Change the setting

1. Open the Page Setup tab in the driver settings.
2. Make sure that duplex printing is enabled.
3. Open the Stapling Side list.
4. Select the appropriate side.
5. If necessary, click Specify Margin… and set the margin width.
6. Click OK.
7. Print two test pages.

Do not send a large document to print immediately. Print only two pages first.

Method 7. Fix a paper jam with code 1304

Support code 1304 means that paper became jammed while the sheet was being turned over automatically.

When this error occurs, the Alarm lamp usually flashes three times.

Remove the paper through the paper output tray

1. Press the Stop button.
2. Inspect the paper output area.
3. If the sheet is visible, hold it with both hands.
4. Slowly pull the paper in the direction of the output.
5. Do not pull the sheet by only one corner.
6. Make sure that the paper does not tear.

Continue printing after removing the sheet

1. Load new, flat A4 or Letter paper.
2. Adjust the paper guides.
3. Open the paper output tray.
4. Press the Black or Color button.

If the sheet does not come out through the paper output tray

1. Press the Stop button.
2. Turn off the multifunction printer.
3. Disconnect the power cable.
4. Close the scanner cover.
5. Place the multifunction printer on its right side on a wide, flat table.
6. Support the body with one hand.
7. Press the lever and open the transport unit.
8. Slowly remove the jammed paper.
9. Close the transport unit.
10. Return the multifunction printer to its normal position.
11. Connect the power.
12. Turn on the device.

If the paper tore, check whether small fragments remain in the transport unit or inside the multifunction printer.

How to prevent another 1304 paper jam

Before the next job, check that:

• A4 or Letter plain paper is being used;
• the sheets are dry and flat;
• the paper is not curled;
• the edges of the stack are aligned;
• the guides are not squeezing the paper;
• the stack in the front tray is not too large;
• the same paper size is selected in the program and driver;
• the correct media type is selected in the driver;
• the feed rollers are not dirty.

For testing, load several new sheets of plain paper and print a two-page document.

Method 8. Switch to manual duplex printing

If automatic paper turning is unstable, you can use manual mode in Windows. The multifunction printer will print one side of all sheets, after which the program will show how to load them again correctly.

Enable manual mode

1. Open Printing preferences.
2. Go to the Page Setup tab.
3. Select the Duplex Printing checkbox.
4. Clear the Automatic checkbox.
5. Select the stapling side.
6. Click OK.
7. Start printing.

Turn the paper over

1. Wait until the first side of all sheets has been printed.
2. Do not change the order of the sheets.
3. Follow the diagram displayed by the driver.
4. Load the stack back into the front tray.
5. Click Start Printing in the program message.
6. Wait for the second side to print.

Method 9. Remove stains from the reverse side

If streaks or stains appear on the reverse side during duplex printing, perform Bottom Plate Cleaning.

Start cleaning from the operation panel

1. Take a new sheet of A4 or Letter plain paper.
2. Fold it in half widthwise and unfold it.
3. Fold one edge to the center line and unfold it again.
4. Load the sheet with the raised sides of the fold lines facing up.
5. The half without the additional fold must enter the multifunction printer first.
6. Press and hold the Stop button.
7. Release it after the Alarm lamp flashes eight times.
8. Wait for the sheet to come out.

If ink remains on the fold lines, repeat the procedure using a new sheet.

Start cleaning through Windows

1. Open the Maintenance tab in the driver settings.
2. Click Bottom Plate Cleaning.
3. Prepare and load the sheet according to the program instructions.
4. Start the procedure.

Method 10. Increase the ink drying wait time

If the reverse side becomes smeared, increase the pause between printing the two sides.

1. Open Printing preferences for Canon MG3600 series.
2. Go to the Maintenance tab.
3. Click Custom Settings.
4. Find the Ink Drying Wait Time slider.
5. Move it to the right.
6. Click OK.
7. Confirm the change.
8. Print the document again.

The pause between the two sides will become longer, but the likelihood of smearing will be reduced.

What cannot be used with automatic duplex printing

Do not select automatic duplex printing for the following media and modes:

• photo paper;
• envelopes;
• plain paper in a size other than A4 or Letter;
• wrinkled or curled paper;
• damp sheets;
• borderless printing;
• poster printing;
• booklet mode combined with automatic paper turning.

For these jobs, use standard one-sided printing or a suitable manual method.

If duplex printing works only in some programs

The availability of the function may depend on the application. Some programs use their own print window and do not pass all settings to the driver.

Try:

1. Saving the document as a PDF.
2. Opening the PDF in another program.
3. Selecting Canon MG3600 series.
4. Opening the printer properties.
5. Enabling duplex printing directly in the Canon driver.
6. Printing two test pages.

If the function is available in another program, the problem is related to the settings of the original application.