Canon PIXMA MG2522 Ink: PG-245XL / CL-246XL Cartridges | Castle Ink

Quick answer: The Canon PIXMA MG2522 uses two FINE cartridges: PG-245 pigment black and CL-246 tri-color. The PG-245XL and CL-246XL high-yield versions print ~300 pages each against ~180 for the standard cartridges. Canon also lists PG-243 and CL-244 as usable in this printer.

Canon PIXMA MG2522 Ink Cartridges at a Glance

The Canon PIXMA MG2522 takes one pigment black plus one tri-color FINE cartridge. The same PG-245 / CL-246 family fits a long list of Canon compacts, including the PIXMA iP2820, MG2420, MG2920, MG2924, MG2525, MG3020, MX492, TS202, TS302, TS3120, TS3320 and TR4520.

The printhead is inside the cartridge. Canon's own manual defines a FINE cartridge as "a replaceable cartridge that integrates print head and ink tank" — so every time you fit a new cartridge you are fitting a new printhead. That is why a badly clogged MG2522 is usually cured by a fresh cartridge rather than by cleaning cycles, and why running a cartridge bone dry is less damaging on this design than on printers with a permanent head.

Save on PG-245 / CL-246

Castle Ink's compatible and remanufactured PG-245 cartridges can save you 50–70% against genuine cartridges without giving up print quality. Every cartridge is tested, carries a 1-year warranty, and ships free on orders over $50. Shop PG-245XL Black and CL-246XL Tri-Color for the Canon PIXMA MG2522.

How to Replace Ink in the Canon PIXMA MG2522

1. Power the printer on and lift the scanning unit / cover until it locks. The FINE cartridge holder moves to the replacement position.
2. Push down on the old cartridge until it clicks, then lift it out. Black sits on the left, color on the right.
3. Take the new cartridge out of its packaging and remove the orange protective tape completely. Do not touch the gold contacts or the print head nozzles underneath — on a FINE cartridge the printhead is part of the cartridge.
4. Insert the new cartridge at a slight angle and push up on the top until it clicks firmly into place.
5. Close the scanning unit. The printer runs a short preparation cycle; wait for it to finish before opening anything again.
6. Run Print Head Alignment from the printer's maintenance menu. Because you have effectively fitted a new printhead, alignment matters more on this design than on most.

Troubleshooting Tips

Support code 1401, 1403 or 1485: All three mean the printer cannot read a FINE cartridge. Remove it, wipe the gold contacts with a dry lint-free cloth, and reseat until it clicks. Check you removed the orange tape completely — a strip left across the contacts causes this every time.

Missing color or banding: Run Nozzle Check from the maintenance menu, then Cleaning on the affected cartridge. Because the printhead lives inside the cartridge on this design, a blockage that survives two deep cleans usually means the cartridge itself is done.

"The following ink may have run out": Canon is reporting an estimate from its drop counter, not a measurement. You can acknowledge the message and keep printing, though Canon disables the low-ink warning once you do.

Prints are sharp but colors are off: Run Print Head Alignment. Fitting a new FINE cartridge means fitting a new printhead, so alignment after every cartridge change matters more here than on most printers.

Official Canon PIXMA MG2522 Resources

• Canon USA product support
• Canon inkjet page yields

Bottom Line

The Canon PIXMA MG2522 is well served by the PG-245 family, and the high-yield tier is where the cost per page actually falls. Buy the largest tier your printer supports, keep the model number written down somewhere you can find it, and ink stops being something you think about.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Does using compatible PG-245 cartridges void my Canon PIXMA MG2522 warranty?
No. Under the U.S. Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, a manufacturer cannot void your printer warranty solely because you use compatible or remanufactured cartridges. If a specific cartridge causes damage, that damage is not covered — but the rest of the warranty stands.

How are these page yields measured?
To the ISO/IEC standard for the cartridge type, at 5% page coverage on plain paper. That is a deliberately modest amount of coverage, so heavy graphics, photos or dense tables will always yield fewer pages than the rating. The numbers are useful for comparing cartridges against each other, not for predicting your exact month.

Canon's yields are measured differently for black and color — does that matter?
Slightly. Canon rates PG-245 to ISO/IEC 24711 and CL-246 to ISO/IEC 24712, and its published yields are for a replacement cartridge rather than the one that shipped in the box. The starter cartridges in a new MG2522 hold less, which is why the first set always seems to run out fast. That is normal, not a fault.

Can I use PG-243 and CL-244 instead?
Yes — Canon lists both as usable in the MG2522. They are lower-yield equivalents of PG-245 and CL-246. If you have some on hand they will work, but for ongoing use the XL cartridges cost far less per page.

Shop Compatible Ink at Castle Ink

Find the right cartridge for the Canon PIXMA MG2522 and every other printer we cover on the Find Ink by Printer page, or work through a fault at our printer troubleshooting center.

Buy the Canon PIXMA MG2522 on Amazon: Canon PIXMA MG2522 on Amazon — as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

See also: printer says ink cartridge not recognized | faded or streaky prints | printer printing the wrong colors