Frequently Asked Questions

• My printer belongs to the PGI-225 / CLI-226 family — does it even have a slot for this gray cartridge?

  Most do not. The sixth, gray slot exists only on the Canon PIXMA MG6120, Canon PIXMA MG6220, Canon PIXMA MG8120, Canon PIXMA MG8120B and Canon PIXMA MG8220. Every other printer in this family makes do with five tanks and has nowhere to put a CLI-226GY.

• Why would a printer need a dedicated gray ink?

  For black-and-white photography. Gray ink lays down the smooth mid-tones that give monochrome prints their depth; without it, the printer fakes those tones from black ink alone, and the result often looks grainy by comparison.

• How many pages will I get from a CLI-226GY?

  The supplier's rating is up to 510 pages, quoted with a caveat: Canon never issued an official yield table for this family. Like all such ratings it is based on standard test pages at around 5% coverage, so heavy photo printing — exactly what this tank is bought for — will use ink considerably faster than text pages.

• Which models accept the CLI-226GY?

  The Canon PIXMA MG6120, Canon PIXMA MG6220, Canon PIXMA MG8120 and Canon PIXMA MG8120B are confirmed, with 1 additional model on the list. The complete verified set appears in the Compatible Printers section of this page — confirm your model there before ordering.

• Is this cartridge made by Canon?

  No. It is a compatible cartridge from Clever Supplies, built to the CLI-226GY specification and covered by our lifetime warranty. Canon did not manufacture it, and the Canon name is referenced only to identify compatible printers.

• How does the printer read the ink level in this tank?

  Through a new compatible chip fitted to the cartridge, which reports the level to the printer so low-ink warnings keep working. The chip is newly made — this is not a refilled original shell relying on a reset chip.

• Can the gray slot hold a compatible while the other slots hold genuine Canon tanks?

  Yes — slot-by-slot reading means each tank is assessed on its own. A compatible gray beside genuine Canon cartridges prints normally, and you are free to convert one color at a time rather than the whole set.

• A message popped up after installation. How should I respond?

  Acknowledge it on screen first. Then reseat the cartridge firmly until it clicks and restart the printer. If the message survives that, remove the tank, wipe the gold chip contacts with a dry lint-free cloth, and reinstall it.

• What if the cartridge leaks or the printer refuses it?

  Stop printing and contact us — continuing on a faulty cartridge helps nothing. Recognition failures, leaks and print-quality defects are all covered by the lifetime warranty, which entitles you to a replacement or a refund; returns are free during the first year.