PIXMA MG2520

Canon PIXMA MG2520 Ink Cartridges — PG-245 / CL-246

The PIXMA MG2520 is a photo-focused all-in-one, the MG line Canon aimed at home photo printing, and it runs on the PG-245 / CL-246 FINE family: PG-245 black (up to 180 pages, $27.74); PG-245XL black (up to 300 pages, $28.49); CL-246 tri-color (up to 180 pages, $29.24); CL-246XL tri-color (up to 300 pages, $29.99). Every cartridge listed here is a Clever Supplies compatible, filled to the genuine specification and covered by our Lifetime Warranty.

Think of the MG2520 as the household clerk: the parent who copies permission slips, scans forms for email and prints the occasional snapshot is its typical owner, and the workload comes in bursts. Bursts suit it, because looking after the machine means just two cartridges, one black and one tri-color, with the printhead built new into every cartridge — an MG2520 that has sat idle for a year generally wakes up again after a cartridge change, not a repair. The one rule for the household buyer is the code family: cartridges from neighboring Canon families share the shelf shape but not the code or the chip, and they will not be recognized. Many of these printers shipped with PG-243 / CL-244 starter cartridges — the same slot at a lower fill, rated by Canon at up to 100 pages each. No compatible version of the starter pair is sold; everything on this page is the standard or XL fill of the same family, and it drops straight in.

Which PG-245 / CL-246 should you buy?

Only the black ran dry: the PG-245 Black Ink Cartridge ($27.74) drops into the empty black slot by itself — good for up to 180 pages of everyday document printing.
Black, but in the XL fill: the PG-245XL Black Ink Cartridge ($28.49) replaces the PG-245XL position with the higher fill — stretching black printing to up to 300 pages between swaps.
Only the tri-color ran dry: the CL-246 Tri-Color Ink Cartridge ($29.24) refreshes the color slot on its own — restoring full color for up to 180 pages of prints.
Color, but in the XL fill: the CL-246XL Tri-Color Ink Cartridge ($29.99) replaces the CL-246XL position with the higher fill — keeping photos and color pages going for up to 300 pages.
Color refills for heavy use: the CL-246XL InkPods Refill Set of 3 ($59.99) lowers the per-page cost of color-heavy printing — color refill pods paired with a fresh original Canon printhead.
Black refills for heavy use: the PG-245XL InkPods Refill Set of 4 ($59.99) lowers the per-page cost of document-heavy printing — black refill pods bundled with a fresh original Canon printhead.
Spares for the shelf: the PG-245XL CL-246XL Ink Cartridges Set of 5 ($138.75) keeps backup cartridges ready in the black-heavy mix these printers actually use.
Both slots in one swap: the PG-245XL CL-246XL Ink Cartridges Set of 2 ($56.97) replaces black and color together — the practical pick when both indicator lights are on.

Chip, ink and everyday use

Household printing runs on trust in the ink gauge, and a new compatible chip in every cartridge keeps that gauge honest. Documents get their crisp, highlighter-resistant edge from pigment ink in the black position, while photos get their color from dye ink in the tri-color position. The printhead is part of the cartridge on every FINE model, so a cartridge swap is also a printhead swap — the usual cure for missing lines on these machines — and a spare should stay sealed in its pack until the day it goes in.