How do I know if the Canon printer ink cartridges are installed properly? To confirm if your Canon printer ink tanks are installed properly, turn the printer on then check that the printer is powered on and open the printer cover. Check if the ink cartridges are locked down to the printhead properly. If not, snap the printer ink cartridge into the printhead. Also, make sure that the order of there printer ink cartridges in the printer is correct. Then, close the printer.