Canon PIXMA TR8620a Review (2026): Honest Pros, Cons & Who It's Really For

Last updated: October 25, 2026.

Heads up: this post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through them, Castle Ink may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Castle Ink also sells remanufactured Canon PGI-280XXL and CLI-281XXL cartridges. Pricing and availability change frequently — always check the current price before buying.

Still comparing options? See our Best Home & Small Office Printers in 2026 roundup for more home-office picks.

Quick Verdict

The Canon PIXMA TR8620a is a genuine 4-in-1 — print, copy, scan and fax — with a 20-sheet automatic document feeder, automatic two-sided printing, Ethernet, an SD card slot and a 4.3-inch touchscreen, in a printer that sells for $150 to $200. Its five-ink system (a pigment black for text plus four dye tanks) produces some of the best photos you can get at this price, and each tank is replaced individually.

Owners rate it about 4.3 stars at Best Buy and around 4 elsewhere, praising print quality, the touchscreen and the feature set for the money. The complaints are consistent too: the plastic feels thin, the control panel has to be tilted up before it will print, there is no proper output tray, it goes to sleep aggressively, and genuine Canon ink is expensive — about 11 cents per text page on standard cartridges. Buy XXL tanks (or remanufactured ones at a fraction of the price) and the running cost drops to 2 to 8 cents.

→ Check the current price of the Canon PIXMA TR8620a on Amazon

Canon PIXMA TR8620a Specifications

Type	5-ink color inkjet all-in-one: print, copy, scan, fax
Print speed (ESAT)	Approx. 15 ipm black, 10 ipm color; 4" x 6" borderless photo in about 37 seconds
Resolution	Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi
Ink	PGI-280 pigment black + CLI-281 black, cyan, magenta, yellow (standard, XL and XXL sizes; mix and match)
Auto duplex printing	Yes
Document feeder	20 sheets (5 legal), single-sided — two-sided scans and copies are manual
Scanner	Flatbed + ADF, 1200 x 2400 dpi optical
Paper handling	200 sheets: 100-sheet front cassette + 100-sheet rear tray (rear tray also takes 20 sheets of 4" x 6" photo paper); borderless up to 8.5" x 11"
Display	4.3" color touchscreen
Connectivity	Wi-Fi, Wireless Direct, Ethernet, USB, SD/microSD card slot; AirPrint, Mopria, Canon PRINT app, Alexa
Fax	Super G3 color fax, about 250-page memory
Monthly volume	Maximum duty cycle 1,000 pages
Size and weight	17.3" W x 13.8" D x 7.5" H closed, 17.4 lb
Warranty	1-year limited with Canon InstantExchange
Typical price	$149.99 at Staples to $215.99 list; Canon lists it at $199.99 (October 2026)

TR8620 vs TR8620a: they are the same printer. Canon says the only difference is that the original TR8620 has Bluetooth hardware and the "a" version does not. Both take the same PGI-280 / CLI-281 ink.

Who This Printer Is For

• Home offices that still need fax and a document feeder but do not want to pay $300 for an office-class machine.
• Families who print photos. The five-ink system with a dedicated dye black gives noticeably better photos than four-ink rivals at this price.
• Mac, iPhone and Chromebook households. AirPrint and Mopria work out of the box, and the touchscreen makes stand-alone copying and SD-card photo printing easy.
• Anyone who wants a wired network connection. Ethernet is rare under $200.

Who Should Skip It

• Heavy printers. Canon's duty cycle is 1,000 pages a month and genuine ink is costly; a laser or an EcoTank is cheaper to run at volume.
• Anyone who scans two-sided documents in bulk. The 20-sheet ADF scans one side at a time.
• Anyone who wants a big output tray. Pages land on a short fold-out flap and can slide onto the floor.
• Buyers who want a rock-solid build. It is light and the plastics flex; it works fine, but it does not feel like a $400 office printer.

What Owners Say

We read through the review pools at Best Buy, Staples, Quill, Walmart and Lowe's in October 2026.

Retailer	Rating	Reviews
Best Buy	About 4.3 / 5 (86% would recommend)	1,140+
Quill	4.1 / 5	500+
Staples	4.1 / 5	480+
Walmart	3.9 / 5	225
Lowe's (Canon syndicated)	3.8 / 5 (78% would recommend)	124
Amazon	4.0 / 5	see current listing

What people love:

• Print quality leads Best Buy's tagged themes with about 370 mentions; photos get singled out as the standout.
• The touchscreen and setup. Nearly 300 Best Buy reviewers mention ease of use; the 4.3" panel makes copying and scanning without a computer simple.
• Features for the money. ADF, duplex, fax, Ethernet and an SD slot at this price is the recurring reason for a five-star review.
• Individual cartridges. Owners like replacing only the color that ran out.
• Canon support. Several reviewers praise phone support and the InstantExchange replacement program.

The legitimate complaints:

• Flimsy build. Thin plastics, a wobbly rear tray and a control panel that must be raised before the printer will print.
• Paper handling. About 44 Best Buy mentions: no real output tray, cumbersome cassette loading, occasional multi-feeds.
• Auto power-off. The printer sleeps and needs a manual wake before wireless jobs go through. Turning on Auto Power On in the Eco settings fixes it.
• Ink cost. Five tanks at $21–$27 each for standard sizes is the single most common one-star reason.
• False "low ink" warnings with non-Canon cartridges — press and hold Stop for about five seconds to continue.
• Slow initial Wi-Fi connection for some owners; not a widespread drop-out pattern once it is set up.

How It Compares

	Canon PIXMA TR4720	Canon PIXMA TR8620a	HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e	Brother MFC-J4335DW
Price	~$80–$110	~$150–$200	~$190–$200	~$190
Print speed (black / color)	8.8 / 4.4 ipm	15 / 10 ipm	22 / 18 ppm	up to 20 ppm
Document feeder	20 sheets	20 sheets	35 sheets, duplex (dual-pass)	20 sheets
Auto duplex printing	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Fax	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Display	2-line LCD	4.3" touchscreen	2.7" touchscreen	1.8" LCD
Ethernet	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ink	PG-275 / CL-276 (2 cartridges)	PGI-280 / CLI-281 (5 tanks)	HP 936 / 936e (4 cartridges; HP chip required)	LC406 INKvestment (4 cartridges)

Cheaper Alternative: Canon PIXMA TR4720

Our Canon PIXMA TR4720 review covers Canon's budget 4-in-1. It keeps the 20-sheet ADF, duplex printing and fax, but drops to a two-cartridge ink system, a two-line LCD and no Ethernet, and it is noticeably slower. Canon has marked it discontinued, so stock is thinning.

Upgrade Picks: HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e or Brother MFC-J4335DW

If you need office speed and a bigger, duplexing document feeder, our HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e review covers a 22 ppm machine with a 250-sheet tray at about the same price — with HP's ink restrictions as the trade-off. If running cost matters more than speed, our Brother MFC-J4335DW review covers a 4-in-1 whose INKvestment cartridges hold up to a year of ink.

Ink Costs: What the TR8620a Really Costs Per Page

The TR8620a uses five individually replaceable tanks: a PGI-280 pigment black for text and CLI-281 dye black, cyan, magenta and yellow for graphics and photos. Each comes in standard, XL and XXL sizes, and you can mix sizes freely. Both blacks must have ink for the printer to run.

Tank	Standard	XL	XXL
PGI-280 pigment black	~250 pages	~400 pages	~600 pages
CLI-281 cyan / magenta / yellow	~230–260 pages each	~515 pages each	~820 pages each
CLI-281 dye black	~750 pages	~3,120 pages	~6,360 pages

Cost per page using those yields and October 2026 prices (Canon's from major retailers; Castle Ink's from our product pages):

Ink	Text page (PGI-280 only)	Color page (all four CLI tanks)
Canon standard tanks (~$21–$27 each, ~$110 a set)	10.7¢	27.8¢
Canon XL tanks (~$31–$35 each)	8.7¢	18.9¢
Canon XXL tanks (~$35–$47 each)	7.8¢	13.7¢
Castle Ink remanufactured XXL 5-pack ($59.95 — best value)	2.7¢	4.2¢
Castle Ink remanufactured XXL singles (PGI-280XXL $15.95; CLI-281XXL $11.95 each)	2.7¢	4.6¢

The takeaway: XXL tanks cut Canon's own cost per page by a quarter to a half, and remanufactured XXL tanks cut it by another 70 percent or so. If you print 200 pages a month, that is the difference between roughly $250 a year on standard Canon tanks and well under $100 on remanufactured XXLs. Part numbers, which tanks fit which model and how to clear the non-genuine-ink prompt are in our What Ink Does the Canon PIXMA TR8620 Use? guide and our cheapest ink for the TR8620 series post.

Setup Tips That Prevent the Most Common Complaints

• Turn on Auto Power On (Settings → Device settings → ECO) so wireless jobs wake the printer instead of stalling.
• Tilt the control panel up before you print — the output path runs underneath it.
• Use Ethernet or 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi if the initial connection is slow; the Canon PRINT app is the easiest path for setup.
• Load photo paper in the rear tray and plain paper in the cassette so you never swap stock.
• Extend the output flap fully and keep the printer back from the desk edge; it has no real output tray.
• If a non-genuine cartridge triggers a warning, press and hold Stop for about five seconds to continue.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Canon PIXMA TR8620a use ink tanks or cartridges?

Cartridges. It uses five individual PGI-280 / CLI-281 cartridges (Canon calls them tanks), not a refillable bottle system like a MegaTank or EcoTank.

Does it have an automatic document feeder?

Yes, a 20-sheet ADF for copying, scanning and faxing. It is single-sided; two-sided originals are scanned manually.

Does the TR8620a print both sides automatically?

Yes. Automatic duplex printing is built in.

Does it have an Ethernet port?

Yes. Wi-Fi, Ethernet and USB are all supported.

Is it compatible with Alexa?

Yes. Canon lists Amazon Alexa smart-assistant support alongside AirPrint, Mopria and the Canon PRINT app.

What is the difference between the TR8620 and TR8620a?

Only Bluetooth: the original TR8620 has it, the TR8620a does not. Specs, speed, screen and ink are otherwise identical.

Can I use compatible or remanufactured ink?

Yes. The printer may show a non-genuine-ink message; hold Stop for about five seconds and it continues. Remanufactured XXL tanks cut running costs by roughly 70 percent.

Bottom Line

The Canon PIXMA TR8620a packs a 4-in-1 feature set — ADF, duplex, fax, Ethernet, touchscreen, SD slot, five-ink photo quality — into a printer that often sells for under $200. It feels cheaper than it prints, it needs a couple of settings changed to stop the sleep and panel annoyances, and Canon's standard tanks are expensive. Buy it for the features and the photos, run it on XXL or remanufactured ink, and it is one of the best-value home-office printers around.

→ Check the current price of the Canon PIXMA TR8620a on Amazon

Shop Compatible Ink at Castle Ink

Save on ink for the TR8620a: Canon PGI-280XXL / CLI-281XXL 5-Pack ($59.95 — best value) · PGI-280XXL Pigment Black ($15.95) · CLI-281XXL Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow ($11.95 each) · All Canon ink

See Also

• What Ink Does the Canon PIXMA TR8620 Use?
• Cheapest Ink for the Canon PIXMA TR8620 and TR8620a
• Canon PIXMA TR4720 Review (2026)
• HP OfficeJet Pro 9125e Review (2026)
• Brother MFC-J4335DW Review (2026)
• Best Home & Small Office Printers in 2026
• PrinterIQ Finder — find your next printer in about 60 seconds

This review is part of our Best Printers Buying Guide, covering top picks for every use case and budget.

By William Elward, Founder of Castle Ink — 20+ years helping people solve printer and ink problems. Last updated October 25, 2026.