What Ink Does the Canon PIXMA G7020 Use?

Quick answer: The Canon PIXMA G7020 MegaTank uses Canon GI-20 ink bottles — a 170 ml GI-20 PGBK pigment black plus 70 ml GI-20 Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. It does not use GI-21 or GI-290 bottles. Castle Ink stocks compatible GI-20 bottles individually and as a 4-bottle combo pack.

Canon PIXMA G7020 Ink at a Glance

*Canon quotes the color yield for a full set of cyan, magenta and yellow bottles together.

The G7020 is a refillable "MegaTank" printer: instead of cartridges, you pour ink from bottles into four built-in tanks on the front of the printer. The black is pigment-based for crisp, smudge-resistant text, while the three colors are dye-based for vivid photos. Each bottle nozzle is keyed to fit only its own tank, so you cannot fill the wrong color by mistake.

The PIXMA G7020 is a print, copy, scan and fax all-in-one with a 35-sheet automatic document feeder, automatic two-sided printing, a 250-sheet front cassette plus a 100-sheet rear tray, and Wi-Fi, Ethernet and USB. Canon has since discontinued it, but GI-20 ink is still sold because the G5020 and G6020 use it too. Thinking about whether a tank printer saves money? See refillable ink tank vs. cartridge printers.

GI-20 vs. GI-21 vs. GI-290: Don't Mix Them Up

Canon sells several MegaTank ink series that look almost identical. The G7020 takes GI-20 only. GI-21 is for newer models such as the G3260 and G3270, and GI-290 is for older models such as the G2200 and G4200. The bottle caps and inks differ, so always match the number on your old bottle before you order.

Buying GI-20 Ink at Castle Ink

Shop compatible GI-20 PGBK black, cyan, magenta and yellow bottles, or get all four in the GI-20 combo 4-pack. Ink bottles at Castle Ink are newly made compatibles, and orders placed by 4 PM ET ship the same business day.

How to Refill the Canon PIXMA G7020

1. With the printer on, open the scanning unit / cover to reach the ink tanks on the front-right of the printer.
2. Open the tank cap for the color you are refilling (each cap is color-coded).
3. Remove the cap from the new bottle, turn the bottle upside down and line its nozzle up with the tank's inlet. Push it in gently — the bottle stands on its own and the ink flows in automatically, stopping when the tank is full.
4. When the ink stops flowing, pull the bottle straight out, then close the tank cap firmly.
5. Close the scanning unit. If prompted, confirm on the printer that the tank was refilled so the ink-level counter resets.

Refill before the ink drops below the lower line on the tank. Running a tank dry lets air into the ink tubes, which then needs an ink flush to clear.

Troubleshooting Tips

Faint or missing colors after refilling: Print a nozzle check from the printer's Maintenance menu. If lines are missing, run Cleaning once or twice; if that does not help, run Deep Cleaning. Use "Ink Flush" (System Cleaning) only as a last resort — it uses a large amount of ink. More help in why is my Canon printer not printing.

Ink-level warning won't go away: The G7020 estimates ink levels by counting dots, not by sensing the tank. After you refill, confirm the refill on the printer's screen or in the Canon PRINT app so the counter resets.

No user-replaceable maintenance cartridge: Unlike newer MegaTank models, the G7020 does not have a swappable maintenance cartridge. If you see an "ink absorber full" message, the printer needs Canon service rather than a part you can change yourself.

Printhead problems: The G7020 uses user-replaceable black and color printheads. If cleaning does not restore a full nozzle check, replacing the affected printhead is usually cheaper than replacing the printer.

Which Other Printers Use GI-20 Ink?

GI-20 bottles fit the Canon PIXMA G5020, PIXMA G6020 and G7020.

Official Canon PIXMA G7020 Resources

• Canon USA support and drivers
• Canon ink, toner and paper
• How to recycle used ink cartridges and bottles

Bottom Line

The Canon PIXMA G7020 runs on GI-20 ink bottles — PGBK black plus cyan, magenta and yellow. Don't buy GI-21 or GI-290 by mistake, refill before the tanks run dry, and pick up the GI-20 combo pack to restock everything at once.

Written and reviewed by William Elward — Founder of Castle Ink, 20+ years in the printer & imaging supplies industry. Updated October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use GI-21 ink in the Canon G7020?
No. GI-21 is for newer MegaTank models such as the G3260 and G3270. The G7020 takes GI-20 only.

Does the G7020 have a maintenance cartridge?
No. The G7020 has no user-replaceable maintenance cartridge; an ink absorber message requires Canon service.

How long does a set of GI-20 bottles last?
Canon rates the black bottle at about 6,000 pages and a set of three color bottles at about 7,700 color pages, so most home users refill only a few times a year.

Is the G7020 black ink waterproof?
The GI-20 PGBK black is pigment-based, so text is more water- and smudge-resistant than dye ink, though no inkjet print is fully waterproof.

Shop Ink at Castle Ink

Find the right cartridge for the Canon PIXMA G7020 and every other printer we cover on the Find Ink by Printer page, or work through a fault at our printer troubleshooting center. Shopping for a new machine? Try the PrinterIQ Finder, a 60-second quiz that matches you to a printer.

Buy the Canon PIXMA G7020 on Amazon: Canon PIXMA G7020 on Amazon — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

See also: ink tank vs. cartridge printers | why is my Canon printer not printing | printer printing the wrong colors