Frequently Asked Questions

• My printer belongs to the PGI-280 / CLI-281 family — can it use Photo Blue at all?

  Only if it has the sixth slot. Just six models carry one: the Canon PIXMA TS8120, Canon PIXMA TS8220, Canon PIXMA TS8320, Canon PIXMA TS9120, Canon PIXMA TS9520 and Canon PIXMA TS9521C. The remaining printers in this family run five tanks and have nowhere to put this cartridge.

• What does the Photo Blue tank actually improve?

  It stretches the blue end of the color gamut and smooths out visible grain in skies, water and other large blue areas of a photo. Think of it as a dedicated photo tank — it is not simply a second cyan under another name.

• How many pages does this tank print?

  Up to 800 pages, per Canon's published summary figure for the XXL tier. Those ratings rest on standard test pages at around 5% coverage, so your own yield will follow your workload: dense photos use far more ink than text.

• Which models should I look for on the compatibility list?

  This cartridge fits the Canon PIXMA TS8120, Canon PIXMA TS8220, Canon PIXMA TS8320, Canon PIXMA TS9120 and 2 more. The complete verified list is in the Compatible Printers section on this page — check your model there before ordering.

• Is Photo Blue sold in smaller fills as well?

  This listing is the XXL — the largest fill Canon makes for this family. Canon's summary figures rate the standard tier at 200/250 pages, the XL at 400/500 and the XXL at 600/800. The XXL costs more up front and the least per page.

• Will the printer still report ink levels with this tank?

  Yes — a new compatible chip reports ink levels to the printer, so the low-ink warnings keep working. It is not a refilled original shell with a reset chip.

• Can this cartridge share the printer with genuine Canon tanks?

  It can. Each slot is read independently, so a compatible tank beside genuine Canon tanks (or the other way round) prints normally — you can switch one color at a time.

• A message came up after I installed it — how do I proceed?

  Acknowledge the on-screen message, reseat the cartridge until it clicks, and restart the printer. If the message persists, wipe the gold chip contacts with a dry lint-free cloth and reinstall.

• Is this made by Canon?

  No. It is a Clever Supplies compatible cartridge built to the CLI-281XXL specification and covered by our lifetime warranty. It is not manufactured by Canon; the Canon name appears only to identify the printers it fits.

• Will everyday documents use up the Photo Blue tank?

  This tank is a photo specialist, and its ink goes where blue dominates a photograph — skies, water and other wide blue areas. Ordinary paperwork is not what it was made for, so in a document-heavy home the CLI-281XXL Photo Blue often outlasts the colors that do the everyday work; in a home that prints photographs every weekend, the opposite is true and it can be the first tank to fall. Keep a spare sealed until the level warning appears, because a tank used this selectively rewards patience rather than early swapping.