What Ink Does the Canon PIXMA G4200 Use?
Last Updated:Correction (October 2026): an earlier version of this guide said Canon had discontinued the G4200's print heads and gave them as 5943C001 and 5944C001. Owners report ordering both heads from Canon's parts line as QY6-8009 (black) and QY6-8021 (color).
Quick answer: the Canon PIXMA G4200 MegaTank uses GI-290 ink bottles. Four bottles, one per tank, and there is no XL tier — GI-290 comes in one size per colour.
Genuine Canon GI-290 bottles are often backordered at resellers. We sell compatible GI-290 bottles in all four colors.
CastleScore · October 2026
85/100 — Highly Recommended
Canon PIXMA G4200
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | — | No retailer rating with enough reviews to use. |
| Expert reviews (18%) | 80 | PCMag 4.0/5 |
| Cost per page (24%) | 99 | About 0.3¢ per page blended (black + color) with our compatible GI-290 bottles (6,000 black / 7,000 color pages). |
| Reliability (13%) | 81 | Most-reported problems: black print head clogs despite cleaning; printer stops printing black text |
| Features (12%) | 70 | Print, copy, scan, document feeder, fax, Wi-Fi. No auto two-sided printing, no touchscreen. |
| Value (5%) | — | Running cost and owner satisfaction |
Limited data: We could not find enough owner ratings for this printer, so that weight is spread across the other pillars.
Not sold new anywhere we checked. Canon still supports the G4200 but doesn't say whether it is discontinued or name 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 10, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The ink bottles, pictured
GI-290 4-pack
GI-290 Black
GI-290 CyanOur own compatible ink bottles, photographed in-house.
Canon PIXMA G4200 ink at a glance
| Colour | Part Number | Volume | Yield (documents) | Yield (4x6 photos) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pigment Black | GI-290 PGBK | 135 ml | 6,000 pages | — |
| Cyan | GI-290 C | 70 ml | 7,000 pages | 2,000 |
| Magenta | GI-290 M | 70 ml | 7,000 pages | 2,000 |
| Yellow | GI-290 Y | 70 ml | 7,000 pages | 2,000 |
Canon's own ISO figures. Note the direction — black is 6,000 and the colours are 7,000. Many retailer listings quote 7,000 for the black, which is wrong. Canon also notes these describe a refill bottle rather than the factory fill, since the first set also charges the tubes and print head.
About the Canon PIXMA G4200
The top model in this MegaTank generation: print, scan, copy and fax, with a 20-sheet automatic document feeder (5 sheets for legal) and Wi-Fi. That ADF and fax are what separate it from the G3200; the G2200 below that drops Wi-Fi as well.
Speeds are 8.8 ipm black and 5.0 ipm colour, up to 4800 by 1200 dpi, with a full dot matrix LCD. Fax is Super G3 colour at 33.6 kbps.
Two limits to know: there is no automatic duplex, and paper comes from a 100-sheet rear tray with no front cassette. For a machine with a document feeder, that rear-tray-only design is the main compromise.
The print head, and why it matters here
The G4200 uses two user-replaceable print heads — a black head and a colour head, Canon service parts QY6-8009 and QY6-8021 — which Canon designed for owner replacement. Owners on Canon's community forum report ordering both by phone from Canon's parts department, at about $29 for the black and $37 for the colour. Others couldn't find them and used third-party BH-2/CH-2 heads.
So the practical guidance is preventive rather than reactive: print something in black and in colour at least weekly. On this model that habit is the difference between a printer that keeps working and one that clogs into a part you have to track down by phone.
Common problems on this model
Black stops printing after idle periods
The defining G-series complaint, and pigment black is usually what goes. Canon's ladder is Cleaning, then Deep Cleaning, then System Cleaning — the last of which consumes a great deal of ink and is meant as a last resort. Do not make it routine.
Support code 1700 or 1701, then 5B00
1700 and 1701 warn that the ink absorber is nearly full; the printer keeps going. 5B00 means full, and the printer stops. Canon's only sanctioned remedy is service — no user reset, no user-replaceable absorber. On a machine out of warranty, that is usually the end of the road, so it is worth knowing the sequence in advance.
ADF misfeeds or pulls multiple sheets
The 20-sheet feeder is modest, so do not overfill it. Fan the stack, square the guides to the paper, and keep the feed rollers clean. Most reported ADF faults on this model are loading rather than hardware.
Colours faint despite full tanks
Usually air in the ink tubes. Repeated deep cleaning sometimes clears it.
What PIXMA G4200 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.
Are the BH-2 and CH-2 print heads sold online genuine Canon?
Not the ones we found. The BH-2/CH-2 combo we checked on Newegg is a third-party "compatible replacement" shipped from Hong Kong, not a Canon part. Canon's own heads carry QY6 service numbers.
How big is the document feeder, and does it scan both sides?
It holds 20 letter sheets or 5 legal sheets and scans one side at a time. There is no automatic two-sided scanning, copying or printing.
Which other printers use GI-290 bottles?
The PIXMA G1200, G2200, G3200 and G4200 all take GI-290, and some listings add the G4210.
What does Canon's warranty cover?
One year or 30,000 pages, whichever comes first, with InstantExchange.
PIXMA G4200 quirks worth knowing
- Color faxing is slow: about 3 seconds a page in black but about 60 seconds a page in color, with memory for roughly 50 pages.
- The black is pigment ink in a 135 ml bottle, for crisp text. Cyan, magenta and yellow are dye inks in 70 ml bottles.
- The rear tray holds 100 sheets of plain paper, or 20 sheets of 4 × 6 or 10 of 5 × 7 photo paper. A borderless 4 × 6 takes about 60 seconds.
- It connects by Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) or USB and supports AirPrint and Mopria. There is no Ethernet port.
FAQ
What ink does the Canon PIXMA G4200 use?
GI-290 ink bottles in pigment black, cyan, magenta and yellow.
Is there a GI-290XL?
No. One size per colour — 135 ml black, 70 ml colours.
Does the G4200 use GI-20, GI-21 or GI-26?
No. GI-20 fits the G5020, G6020 and G7020; GI-21 the G1220, G2260, G3260 and newer models; GI-26 the MAXIFY GX series. None fit a G4200.
What does the G4200 add over the G3200?
A 20-sheet automatic document feeder and fax. Ink, speed and print quality are the same.
Does the G4200 do automatic two-sided printing?
No. Duplex is manual on this model.
Can I still buy ink for it?
Yes. Resellers still list genuine Canon GI-290, though it is often backordered, and we sell compatible GI-290 bottles.
Other printers that use Canon GI-290 bottles
Canon PIXMA G3200 · Canon PIXMA G2200
More Canon ink guides: Canon PIXMA TS3722 · Canon PIXMA TR4720 · Canon PIXMA MG3600 · find any printer
Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives
- Epson EcoTank ET-2980 (cheapest to run) — CastleScore 90
- Canon PIXMA MegaTank G3290 — CastleScore 88
- Canon imageCLASS MF275dw (laser) — CastleScore 81
Sources
Ratings and prices were checked on October 10, 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.