Frequently Asked Questions

• Does my printer have a Gray slot at all?

  Most in this family do not. Only four models carry the sixth, Gray slot: the Canon PIXMA iP8720, Canon PIXMA MG6320, Canon PIXMA MG7120 and Canon PIXMA MG7520. Every other PGI-250 / CLI-251 printer runs five tanks and physically cannot use this cartridge, so check for that sixth slot before ordering.

• What does a gray cartridge add to a photo printer?

  Gray is the monochrome specialist. In black-and-white photos it lays down smooth mid-tones; mixing those grays out of black alone tends to turn grainy. That is the whole job of the sixth tank.

• Which printers take the gray CLI-251XL?

  The same four six-tank models: Canon PIXMA MG7520, Canon PIXMA MG7120, Canon PIXMA MG6320 and Canon PIXMA iP8720. The complete verified list is in the Compatible Printers section on this page — check your model there before ordering.

• How many pages does the gray tank print?

  Canon rates it at up to 3,350 pages for the XL tier, measured on standard test pages at around 5% coverage — and that figure applies in the six-tank photo models that carry a Gray slot. What you print decides the real number: dense photos use far more ink than text.

• Is this the standard or the high-yield version?

  The high-yield XL. The singles we list for this family are all XL; Canon also sold a standard fill under the same family numbers, but the XL tanks hold more ink and cost less per page.

• How will the printer know when this gray tank runs low?

  A new compatible chip on the cartridge reports ink levels to the printer, so the low-ink warnings keep working. This is not a refilled original shell with a reset chip — the electronics are new.

• Can this gray tank share the printer with genuine Canon tanks?

  Yes — every slot is read on its own, so compatible and genuine Canon tanks can sit side by side and print normally. Change colors across one at a time, as each empties.

• My printer shows a message after installing — what do I do?

  Confirm the on-screen message first. Next, lift the cartridge out and press it back in until it clicks, then restart the printer. If the message returns, clean the gold chip contacts with a dry, lint-free cloth and fit the cartridge again.

• Is this a genuine Canon CLI-251XL?

  No — this gray tank is a Clever Supplies compatible, built to the CLI-251XL specification and backed by our lifetime warranty. Canon did not manufacture it; its name appears only to identify the printers this cartridge fits.

• Does it make sense to keep a spare gray tank ready?

  Yes, and the gray slot is exactly where a spare earns its shelf space. This tank drains mainly through black-and-white photo work, so it can sit almost untouched for weeks and then fall quickly during one heavy photo session. A sealed CLI-251XL Gray stored cool and dry means the sixth slot never holds a print run hostage. And with the XL tier rated at up to 3,350 pages, one spare covers a long stretch of printing before you need to think about ordering again.