Frequently Asked Questions

• Do I have to change all the colors at the same time?

  No. Every tank sits in its own slot and is read on its own, so you replace only the color that has run out. That independence is also why mixing works: this compatible cyan can sit beside genuine Canon tanks, or the other way round, and the printer carries on as normal — switch one color at a time, whenever it suits you.

• What part does cyan play in a color print?

  Cyan is one of the three process colors the printer blends — with magenta and yellow — to build its full color range. It does much of the heavy lifting for the blues and greens: skies, water and foliage all lean on this tank.

• The printer flagged a message when I fitted this cyan — how do I clear it?

  Start by acknowledging the message on screen. Then reseat the cartridge until you hear it click, and restart the printer. Should the message persist, take the tank out, wipe the gold contacts on the chip with a dry lint-free cloth, and reinstall it.

• How far does one cyan XXL tank go?

  It is rated at up to 800 pages, which is Canon's published summary figure for the XXL tier. Ratings are measured on standard test pages at around 5% coverage, so your mileage depends on your pages: photo-heavy printing drinks ink far faster than ordinary text.

• Which printers does this cyan cartridge fit?

  The Canon PIXMA TR7520, Canon PIXMA TR8520, Canon PIXMA TR8620, Canon PIXMA TR8620a and 12 more models. The complete verified list is in the Compatible Printers section on this page — it is worth checking your model there before ordering.

• How does the printer know how much cyan is left?

  A new compatible chip on the cartridge reports the ink level to the printer, and the low-ink warnings keep working as they did before. The cartridge is newly built to the CLI-281XXL specification, not a refilled original shell running on a reset chip.

• Why choose the XXL over the standard or XL cyan?

  Because it is the biggest fill Canon makes for this family. Canon's summary figures put the standard tier at 200/250 pages, the XL at 400/500 and the XXL at 600/800. The XXL costs more up front, but per page it is the least expensive way to run the printer.

• Is this cartridge made by Canon?

  It is not. This is a Clever Supplies compatible cartridge built to the CLI-281XXL specification and backed by our lifetime warranty. It is not manufactured by Canon; the Canon name appears only to identify the printers it fits.

• What if this tank leaks or prints badly?

  Stop and contact us — please do not keep printing on a faulty cartridge. The lifetime warranty covers recognition failures, leaks and print-quality defects: we replace the cartridge or refund you, and returns are free for the first year.