There are a number of possible causes for your Canon printer to be in an error condition. One of the possible causes of a 'Canon printer in error state' is that the printer is now short of ink or paper. Additionally, there might be an issue with the power source, or the printer could be disconnected from your computer. If you are encountering an error status on your Canon printer, you should attempt each of these likely reasons and see if any of them addresses the problem.