Canon PG-243 / CL-244 Ink Cartridges (PIXMA Inkjet) — Editorial Review & Compatibility Guide
The Canon PG-243 (black) and CL-244 (tri-color) cartridge family — sold individually and as the PG-243/CL-244 Value/Multi Pack (1287C006) — is Canon's genuine FINE-cartridge ink for the PIXMA entry inkjet line: PIXMA MG2420, MG2520, MG2522, MG2525, MG3020, MG3022, MX490, MX492, TR4520, TR4522, TS202, TS302, TS3120, TS3122, TS3320 series. Per Canon's official PIXMA ink product family page, the PG-243 + CL-244 use Canon's FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) print head technology integrated into the cartridge, delivering ~180 pages black / ~180 pages color at standard yield (XL variants PG-245XL / CL-246XL offer roughly double).
What Canon PG-243 / CL-244 Specifically Win
- Canon-genuine FINE cartridge technology — the print head is built into the cartridge, so a fresh cartridge = a fresh print head. Eliminates clogged-head issues common to integrated-head printers (a new cartridge restores print quality)
- Canon printer warranty preservation — genuine cartridges avoid third-party warranty disputes
- Consistent page yield — ~180 pages standard (PG-243 / CL-244), ~300+ pages XL (PG-245XL / CL-246XL)
- Value/Multi Pack (1287C006) — black + tri-color bundle saves vs individual purchase
- Wide PIXMA compatibility — covers the bulk of Canon's entry inkjet lineup (MG, MX, TR, TS series)
- Photo + document printing — tri-color CL-244 for color photos + graphics; PG-243 pigment black for crisp text documents
- Wide retail availability — Office Depot, Staples, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Amazon, Canon direct
Where Canon PG-243 / CL-244 Specifically Fit
- Canon PIXMA MG2420-MG3022 series printers
- Canon PIXMA MX490 / MX492 office inkjets
- Canon PIXMA TR4520 / TR4522 home office printers
- Canon PIXMA TS202 / TS302 / TS3120-TS3320 series
- Home document printing — letters, recipes, school printables, tax docs
- Home photo printing on photo paper (with CL-244 tri-color)
- Home office invoice + receipt printing
- Student / homework printing
- Craft / greeting card / scrapbook printing
- Backup cartridge inventory for Canon PIXMA households
Honest Limits Buyers Should Know
- Genuine Canon cartridges are markedly more expensive than refilled / compatible. Genuine PG-243 ~$20-25; CL-244 ~$25-30; compatible / remanufactured equivalents ~$10-18 for a multipack. Premium pays for FINE head quality + warranty
- Verify printer-model compatibility before purchase. PG-243/CL-244 fit specific PIXMA models. Other PIXMA printers use different cartridges (PG-260/CL-261, PG-275/CL-276, PGI-/CLI- tank cartridges). Check the printer manual or Canon's online lookup
- Standard yield (~180 pages) is low. Heavy-volume users should buy XL variants (PG-245XL ~300 pages / CL-246XL) for lower cost-per-page
- Photo printing depletes color cartridge fast. Page yield assumes text printing; full-page color photos consume 5-10x more ink per page
- Nozzle clog after extended non-use. Printers / cartridges sitting unused 1-2 months can dry. Print a test page weekly + run cleaning cycle. (FINE cartridges mitigate this — a fresh cartridge restores quality)
- Canon firmware may reject non-genuine cartridges after updates. Some users disable auto-firmware-update to use compatible cartridges
- Cartridge chip tracks ink level — printer warns "low ink" with ink remaining (safety margin)
- Counterfeit risk on third-party marketplaces. Buy genuine from Canon direct, Amazon Direct, Best Buy, Staples, Office Depot
- Tri-color cartridge depletes when one color runs out. Unlike individual-tank printers (PGI/CLI), the CL-244 tri-color must be replaced when any single color (cyan/magenta/yellow) runs out, wasting remaining ink in the other two
- Entry PIXMA printers have higher per-page cost. For high-volume printing, ink-tank printers (Canon MegaTank / Epson EcoTank) are dramatically cheaper per page
Where Buyers Should Look Elsewhere
- Higher yield (XL cartridges) → Canon PG-245XL + CL-246XL (~double the pages)
- Compatible / remanufactured (budget) → third-party PG-243/CL-244 equivalents (~50% cheaper, slight quality / clog risk)
- Individual color tanks (less waste) → Canon PIXMA models using PGI-/CLI- tank cartridges (replace only the depleted color)
- High-volume printing (lowest per-page) → Canon PIXMA MegaTank G-series / Epson EcoTank (refillable bottles)
- HP printer households → HP 63 / HP 65 / HP 67 cartridges (different ecosystem) — see [[pdp-hp-genuine-black-ink-cartridges-review]]
- Laser printing (text-heavy) → monochrome laser printer + toner (Brother HL-L2350DW)
- Photo-lab quality → Canon PIXMA Pro / professional photo printer + dedicated photo cartridges
Sources & Citations
- Canon USA, "PIXMA ink cartridge product family," usa.canon.com (accessed 2026-05-20)
- Canon Support, "PG-243 / CL-244 cartridge compatibility documentation," usa.canon.com (accessed 2026-05-20)
- Consumer Reports, "Printer ink cost analysis + cartridge buying guide," consumerreports.org (accessed 2026-05-20)
- The Wirecutter (NYT), "Best printer + ink buying guide," nytimes.com/wirecutter (accessed 2026-05-20)
Last verified: 2026-05-20
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