What Ink Does the Canon PIXMA G3270 Use?

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Quick answer: The Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank (U.S. model) uses Canon GI-21 ink bottles — GI-21 PGBK pigment black plus GI-21 Cyan, Magenta and Yellow — and the MC-G04 maintenance cartridge. Castle Ink stocks compatible GI-21 bottles individually and in a 4-bottle combo pack.

CastleScore · October 2026

84/100 — Highly Recommended

Canon PIXMA G3270

Pillar (weight)ScoreWhat it is based on
Owner ratings (28%) 83 4.26★ average across 1,615 ratings at Amazon (4.2), Best Buy (4.4), Walmart (4.2)
Expert reviews (18%) 80 PCMag 4.0/5
Cost per page (24%) 99 About 0.4¢ per page blended (black + color) with our compatible GI-21 bottles (6,000 black / 7,700 color pages).
Reliability (13%) 86 Most-reported problems: colors print noticeably more faded than on screen even after printhead cleaning and settings changes; pages stop part-way out, get pulled back, then a paper-jam error and orange light appear with no paper stuck
Features (12%) 56 Print, copy, scan, Wi-Fi. No document feeder, no auto two-sided printing, no fax, no touchscreen.
Value (5%) 91 Running cost and owner satisfaction

Discontinued. Canon's store marks the G3270 as no longer available, though remaining stock was still listed at $199.99 in mid-October 2026. Canon has not named a successor.

CastleScore is Castle Ink’s own editorial rating, built from retailer star ratings, expert reviews, real cost per page and owner complaint patterns, checked October 12, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.

The ink bottles, pictured

Our own compatible ink bottles, photographed in-house.

Canon PIXMA G3270 Ink at a Glance

Supply Color / Type Canon Part No. Approx. Yield
GI-21 PGBK Pigment black (170 ml) 4526C001 ~6,000 pages
GI-21 Cyan (70 ml) Cyan 4537C001 ~7,700 color pages*
GI-21 Magenta (70 ml) Magenta 4538C001 ~7,700 color pages*
GI-21 Yellow (70 ml) Yellow 4539C001 ~7,700 color pages*
Canon MC-G04 Maintenance cartridge 5813C001 ~10,000 pages (retailer rating); replace when prompted

*Canon quotes the color yield for a full set of cyan, magenta and yellow bottles together. The GI-21 pigment black bottle (4526C001) holds 170 ml, the same as our compatible bottle.

The PIXMA G3270 is a wireless print, copy and scan MegaTank all-in-one with a 100-sheet rear tray. Instead of cartridges it has four refillable tanks that you top up from bottles. Each bottle is keyed to fit only its matching tank, so colors cannot be mixed up. For our full take on the printer itself, read the Canon PIXMA G3270 review.

GI-21 vs. GI-20 vs. GI-290: Which Is Right?

U.S. G3270 printers use GI-21. The older G5020, G6020 and G7020 use GI-20, and older models such as the G2200 and G4200 use GI-290. They are not interchangeable — check the number on the bottle that came with your printer, or on the label inside the tank cover, before ordering.

The MC-G04 Maintenance Cartridge

The G3270 has a user-replaceable maintenance cartridge, the Canon MC-G04, which collects the waste ink from cleaning cycles. When it fills, the printer stops and tells you to replace it. Canon lists it as customer-replaceable, so you can swap it yourself. Note that the older G3260 uses a different part (MC-G02), and the two are not interchangeable. Castle Ink does not stock maintenance cartridges; you can find the Canon MC-G04 on Amazon (as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases).

How to Refill the Canon PIXMA G3270

  1. With the printer on, open the scanning unit to expose the ink tank caps at the front of the printer.
  2. Open the cap of the tank you are refilling.
  3. Uncap the new bottle, turn it upside down and line up its nozzle with the tank inlet. Push it in gently — ink flows automatically and stops when the tank is full.
  4. Remove the bottle and close the tank cap firmly, then close the scanning unit.

Troubleshooting Tips

"Maintenance cartridge is full" message: Replace the MC-G04 maintenance cartridge. Buy a spare before you need it — the printer will not print until it is replaced.

Faint, streaky or missing colors: Print a nozzle check, then run Cleaning and, if needed, Deep Cleaning. Avoid repeated deep cleans in a row — each one sends ink to the maintenance cartridge. See why is my Canon printer not printing and printer printing the wrong colors.

Ink level warning after refilling: The G3270 estimates ink levels rather than measuring the tank, so go by the ink you can see in each tank.

Air in the ink line: Refill before any tank drops below the lower line. If a tank ran dry, refill it and run "Ink Flush" from the Maintenance menu.

Which Other Printers Use GI-21 Ink?

GI-21 bottles also fit the Canon PIXMA G1220, G2260, G3260, G1230, G2270 and G4270, and retail listings also name the G3290 and G4280. The G1230, G2270 and G4270 share the G3270's MC-G04 maintenance cartridge, while the G1220, G2260 and G3260 use the MC-G02.

What PIXMA G3270 owners ask

These are the questions that come up most for this printer on retailer Q&A pages, Canon's support community and owner reviews, answered in our words.

Why did the bottles that came in the box run out sooner than my replacements?

Canon says the starter bottles yield less because some of their ink is used to fill the print heads during setup. That is normal.

My prints look more faded than the photo on screen, even after cleaning. What next?

In the Canon forum case, cleaning and paper or settings changes didn't fix it, and Canon sent the owner to phone or chat support through a My Canon account. If cleaning hasn't helped, contact Canon rather than running deep cleans over and over.

It reports a paper jam, but nothing is stuck. Is it broken?

Owners have seen pages stop part-way out, get pulled back and then trigger a false jam warning. Canon's advice was to contact technical support through My Canon for diagnosis or service.

Will it connect to 5 GHz Wi-Fi?

Yes. The G3270 has dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5 GHz, 802.11ac), unlike older G-series MegaTanks that are 2.4 GHz only.

Can I still buy a G3270 new?

Canon's store now marks it discontinued, though it still showed remaining stock at $199.99 during a mid-October 2026 sale. GI-21 ink isn't going anywhere, since several newer G-series models use it.

PIXMA G3270 quirks worth knowing

  • It can print custom banner lengths up to 8.5 x 47.2 in from the rear tray, and it works with Canon's PosterArtist web software.
  • Canon lists both the print heads and the MC-G04 maintenance cartridge as customer-replaceable, so neither a worn head nor a full waste-ink cartridge has to mean a service trip.
  • Its rated duty cycle is 3,000 pages a month, lower than the 5,000 of the older G6020 and G7020.
  • The control panel is a small 1.35 in backlit LCD, not a touchscreen.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use GI-20 or GI-290 in the G3270?
No. The U.S. G3270 takes GI-21 only. GI-20 is for the G6020/G7020 and GI-290 for older G-series models.

Is MC-G04 the same as MC-G02?
No. The G3270 uses MC-G04. The MC-G02 is for the G1220, G2260 and G3260 and will not fit.

Does the G3270 print two-sided automatically?
No. It is a simplex printer; two-sided printing is manual.

How many pages will a set of GI-21 bottles print?
Canon rates about 6,000 black pages per PGBK bottle and about 7,700 color pages per set of three color bottles.

Other printers that use Canon GI-21 bottles

Canon PIXMA G3260

More Canon ink guides: Canon PIXMA TS3722 · Canon PIXMA TR4720 · Canon PIXMA MG3600 · find any printer

Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives

Sources

Ratings and prices were checked on October 12, 2026 and will change over time.

Need replacement Canon ink cartridges? Shop Canon ink cartridges at Castle Ink. Remanufactured, up to 70% less than OEM, and shipped the same day when you order by 4 PM ET.

Written and reviewed by — Founder of Castle Ink, 20+ years in the printer & imaging supplies industry.

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