Canon PIXMA MG3022

Canon PIXMA MG3022 Ink — PG-245 / CL-246

The PIXMA MG3022 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.

Two slots are the whole service department of the MG3022. One takes black, the other tri-color, and because the printhead is built into every cartridge, each replacement quietly renews the hardware that wears — no fixed head inside the printer to fail with age. That is the mechanism behind the familiar story of these home photo all-in-ones coming back after a year idle with nothing more than fresh cartridges. Keep the parts book straight when ordering: shape is not compatibility, and cartridges from neighboring Canon families bring different codes and chips that will not be recognized. Many MG3022s began life on PG-243 / CL-244 starter cartridges, the same slots at a lower fill rated at up to 100 pages each; with no compatible starter sold, the standard and XL fills listed here are the replacements that continue the machine’s working life.

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

Just the standard black: the PG-245 Black Ink Cartridge ($27.74) goes into the PG-245 slot as the sole change — a standard fill rated up to 180 pages for the text position.
Just the black XL: the PG-245XL Black Ink Cartridge ($28.49) goes into the PG-245XL slot as the sole change — an XL fill rated up to 300 pages for the text position.
Just the standard color: the CL-246 Tri-Color Ink Cartridge ($29.24) goes into the CL-246 slot as the sole change — a standard fill rated up to 180 pages for the color position.
Just the color XL: the CL-246XL Tri-Color Ink Cartridge ($29.99) goes into the CL-246XL slot as the sole change — an XL fill rated up to 300 pages for the color position.
Refill the color side: the CL-246XL InkPods Refill Set of 3 ($59.99) brings the running cost down another step — refill pods plus a fresh original Canon printhead, this set serving the color side.
Refill the black side: the PG-245XL InkPods Refill Set of 4 ($59.99) brings the running cost down another step — refill pods plus a fresh original Canon printhead, this set serving the black side.
Spares for the shelf: the PG-245XL CL-246XL Ink Cartridges Set of 5 ($138.75) holds the black-heavy mix these printers actually use in reserve — a shelf stock of five for the changes to come.
Black and color together: the PG-245XL CL-246XL Ink Cartridges Set of 2 ($56.97) covers both positions in one order — black and color renewed together instead of a week apart.

Chip, ink and everyday use

The chip is new and compatible in every cartridge here, so the MG3022 reads ink levels normally and warns before a cartridge runs dry. Inside, the division of labor is simple: the black cartridge holds pigment ink for sharp, smudge-resistant text, and the tri-color holds dye ink for bright photo color. On FINE printers the printhead lives inside the cartridge too — a fresh cartridge is a fresh printhead, which is why fitting one clears streaks and gaps that cleaning cycles leave behind. Keep spares sealed until install day; an opened FINE cartridge can dry at the nozzle plate.