Canon PG-243 Black Ink Cartridge - MG2525, TR4520 Series — main product image

Canon PG-243 Black Ink Cartridge - MG2525, TR4520 Series

Canon

Canon PG-243 Black Ink Cartridge - MG2525, TR4520 Series

Name: Canon PG-243 Black Ink Cartridge - MG2525, TR4520 Series
Brand: Canon
SKU: PG-243

★★★★★4.6 (62123 reviews)

Genuine Canon pigment black ink cartridge delivering sharp, long-lasting text for everyday home and office printing.

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Overview

The Canon PG-243 is a standard-yield pigment black ink cartridge designed for a range of Canon Pixma home and office printers, including popular models like the MG2525, TR4520, and TS3320 series. As a genuine Canon cartridge, it is engineered to work seamlessly with compatible printers, avoiding the compatibility issues and inconsistent output that can sometimes occur with third-party alternatives. The pigment-based ink formulation is the key to its print quality — pigment particles bond to the paper surface rather than soaking in, resulting in sharply defined text with deep blacks that resist water smudging and fading over time.

Where the PG-243 shows its limitations is in yield. At roughly 180 pages per cartridge under standard testing conditions, frequent printers will find themselves replacing it often, and the cost per page is higher than what you'd get from the high-yield PG-245XL or from third-party options. For light-duty home use — printing occasional documents, school assignments, or forms — the standard cartridge is perfectly adequate and keeps the upfront cost low. Installation is a simple snap-in process that takes seconds, and the cartridge is recognized immediately by compatible printers without any driver updates or configuration. It's a straightforward, no-surprises consumable that does exactly what it's designed to do.

Specifications

Brand

Canon

Model

PG-243

Ink Color

Black

Ink Type

Pigment-based

Cartridge Yield

Standard

Compatible Printers

Pixma MG2525, MG3020, TR4520, TR4522, TS202, TS302, TS3120, TS3122, TS3320, TS3322

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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Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

Pigment-based formula produces crisp, dark black text ideal for documents and forms
Genuine Canon cartridge ensures reliable compatibility and consistent print quality
Easy snap-in installation requires no tools or complicated setup
Water-resistant prints resist smudging when handled or exposed to moisture

👎 Cons

Standard yield of approximately 180 pages is low for households with moderate to heavy printing needs
Higher cost per page compared to third-party compatible cartridges
Only prints black — a separate color cartridge must be purchased for any color output
Not available in multi-pack from Canon at the standard yield, increasing per-unit cost for repeat buyers

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Canon printers is the PG-243 compatible with?

It works with Canon Pixma MG2525, MG3020, TR4520, TR4522, TS202, TS302, TS3120, TS3122, TS3320, and TS3322 printers.

Is the PG-243 a standard or high-yield cartridge?

The PG-243 is the standard-yield version. Canon offers the PG-245XL as the higher-yield alternative if you print frequently and want fewer cartridge replacements.

Does this cartridge print in color or only black?

The PG-243 is a black-only pigment ink cartridge. You will need a separate Canon CL-244 color cartridge for color printing.

What is the difference between pigment-based and dye-based ink?

Pigment-based ink like the PG-243 uses solid pigment particles that sit on top of the paper, producing sharper text and greater resistance to water and fading compared to dye-based inks, which absorb into the paper.

How many pages can the PG-243 print?

Canon rates the standard PG-243 at approximately 180 pages based on ISO/IEC 24711 testing standards, though actual yield varies with print content and settings.