How do I install my new Canon MG5250 printer? (MG5200 series)

I just bought a Canon MG5250 multifunction printer because I thought that it would work well with Ubuntu, but it's hard to get it to work.

How do I install this printer?

Solution 1:

I googled and found the instructions included below. The instructions worked: I now have a fully working printer with color and duplex! For B&W printing, follow Dahzler's answer.

Unresolved:

• How to get scanning to work! (I will put a link here to a solution when I figure it out! There seems to be at least one intimidating method for experts.)
  • The scanner seems to be recognized by Canon's scangearmp but not by Ubuntu's built-in simple scanner app that I much prefer. See further details in the scanner question linked above.

Instructions:
The below is copied from http://linuxdeal.com/Printer-PIXMA-MG5220 but I have adapted it slightly to be easier to follow.

OS: Xubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal
Date: Jul 25th, 2011
Recommended

          Printer  Scanner  
USB       Perfect  Untested  
Wireless  Perfect  Perfect

Driver instructions:

1. Download the driver files to Downloads folder:
   Printer: http://support-my.canon-asia.com/contents/MY/EN/0100301702.html
   Scanner: http://support-my.canon-asia.com/contents/MY/EN/0100303002.html

2. Unpack the tar.gz files by right clicking on them and selecting 'unpack here'

3. Install the printer .deb packages by going into the folder and double clicking on the right .deb file for your system

   • 32-bit:
     cnijfilter-common_3.40-1_i386.deb
cnijfilter-mg5200series_3.40-1_i386.deb

   • 64-bit:
     cnijfilter-common_3.40-1_amd64.deb
cnijfilter-mg5200series_3.40-1_amd64.deb

   • Go to Application Menu > Printing > and search for a MG5200 printer if it has not been automatically added by now.

4. Install the scanner .deb packages in the same way as the printer installers above:

   • 32-bit:
     scangearmp-common_1.60-1_i386.deb
scangearmp-mg5200series_1.60-1_i386.deb

   • 64-bit:
     scangearmp-common_1.60-1_amd64.deb
scangearmp-mg5200series_1.60-1_amd64.deb

   • If dpkg does not work then go into a command line and use the cd tool to change directory into the path were your unpacked files are, look for the install.sh file:

   • sudo sh install.sh

   Enjoy! :)

5. Comments

I ran a test print that printed a test page with Grayscale, Red, Green, Blue, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black colors with an ubuntu header.

Solution 2:

Under newer Ubuntu versions (checked with 13.10 and later), just install the cups-backend-bjnp package to use your Canon Pixma MG520 via network. The Printer settings dialog will then find it when you tell it to add a new printer, and offer a Gutenprint driver to set it up.

Solution 3:

To print in grayscale only, duplicate your original printer and rename the new one something like "MG5250-Black-and-White". Then, in the Properties->"Job Options"->"Other Options (Advanced"), add the option "CNGrayscale" and change the value to "true".

Then, when you want to print B&W (greyscale), just choose that printer instead. I set it as my default printer since B&W is what I print mostly.