Frequently Asked Questions

• Why does the yellow tank always seem to run out first?

  Yellow is one of the three process colors, mixed with cyan and magenta to build the printer's full color range — and it gets called on constantly. In photo-heavy printing it is often the first tank to empty, which is exactly the workload this high-capacity version is aimed at.

• What yield is the yellow XXL rated for?

  Up to 800 pages — Canon's published summary figure for the XXL tier. Page counts are measured on standard test pages at around 5% coverage, so your own yield moves with what you print: dense photos use far more ink than text.

• What makes this the XXL and not the XL?

  The fill. The XXL is the largest Canon makes for this family: standard is rated 200/250 pages, XL 400/500 and XXL 600/800 in Canon's summary figures. It costs more up front and the least per page.

• How are ink levels tracked with a compatible cartridge?

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

• Which printers take this yellow cartridge?

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

• Can I mix this cartridge with genuine Canon cartridges?

  Yes — the printer treats every slot separately, so this yellow works happily beside genuine Canon tanks, and genuine tanks work beside it. Swap colors in one at a time as they run dry; there is no need to change them as a set.

• The printer showed a message after I installed it — what do I do?

  Confirm the message on the printer's screen, then lift the cartridge out and press it back in until it clicks, and restart the machine. Still showing? Clean the gold contacts on the chip with a dry, lint-free cloth and fit the cartridge once more.

• Is this a genuine Canon CLI-281XXL?

  No — this is a compatible cartridge from Clever Supplies, made to the CLI-281XXL specification and backed by our lifetime warranty. Canon did not manufacture it; we use the Canon name only so you can match the cartridge to the printers it fits.

• What if the cartridge leaks, is not recognized or prints badly?

  Do not keep printing on it — take the cartridge out and contact us instead. Recognition failures, leaks and print-quality defects all fall under the lifetime warranty: we will send a replacement or refund you, and returns cost you nothing during the first year.