What Ink Does the Canon PIXMA MG5320 Use?

Quick answer: the Canon PIXMA MG5320 uses five cartridges — PGI-225 pigment black plus CLI-226 in black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Two different blacks, and the printer will not run with either missing.

Before you shop, one thing that saves real money: there is no genuine PGI-225XL or CLI-226XL. Canon never made an XL tier for this generation. Every listing advertising "225XL" or "226XL" is a third-party compatible using XL as marketing language. Canon introduced XL with the next family, PGI-250/CLI-251.

Canon PIXMA MG5320 ink at a glance

These are Canon's own published figures. Note they differ from the numbers most sites quote — you will often see 341 and 510, but Canon's own yield document says 339 and 530/486/525.

Two blacks: which does what

This confuses people constantly, and Canon's own yield table explains it better than any description. Look at the two black rows above and notice they are mirror images.

PGI-225 is pigment black in a physically larger cartridge. It prints text and documents on plain paper — crisp edges, dense true black, resistant to smudging and water. On documents it drains fast (339 pages); on photos it is barely touched.

CLI-226 BK is dye black in the small cartridge body alongside the colours. It handles photo and graphics printing on photo paper, supplying shadow depth and neutral blacks that a pigment black would render with a visible gloss difference. On documents it lasts almost forever (2,945 pages); on photos it is the one that runs out.

Neither substitutes for the other. If you print mostly documents you will replace PGI-225 repeatedly and CLI-226 BK almost never — and that is normal, not a fault.

The multipack trap

Canon sold a four-pack containing PGI-225 plus CLI-226 cyan, magenta and yellow — no photo black. On a five-cartridge printer that leaves a slot empty. If you buy a four-pack, buy a CLI-226 BK alongside it. Canon's six-pack (4530B012) does include it.

There is also a genuine CLI-226 GY gray cartridge, but it is only for the six-ink MG6220 and MG8120. It will not fit an MG5320, so a "PGI-225/CLI-226" set sold with gray leaves you with a cartridge you cannot use.

Castle Ink recommendation

• Canon PGI-225 / CLI-226 12-Pack — compatible, $99.95. Covers every position including the photo black, with spares.
• PGI-225 Pigment Black — the one you will replace most
• CLI-226 Black — $8.95
• CLI-226 Cyan
• CLI-226 Magenta
• CLI-226 Yellow

About the Canon PIXMA MG5320

A 2012 home all-in-one: print, copy, scan, direct photo printing and printable CD/DVD printing. 12.5 ipm black and 9.3 ipm colour, up to 9600 by 2400 dpi, with automatic duplex printing and copying.

Paper handling is better than most machines of its era: 300 sheets total across a 150-sheet rear tray and a 150-sheet front cassette, switchable in the driver. There is a 3-inch LCD, Wi-Fi, USB, PictBridge and a full set of memory card slots.

Be clear-eyed about its age, though. Canon has not only discontinued it — it has formally ended support, with a banner stating that driver and content updates are no longer being made. On a current version of macOS or Windows you may have no supported driver path. That is the most important practical fact about buying one used today.

Common problems on this model

Error B200

The signature MG5320 failure — a print head over-current fault. Canon's official position, stated by Canon staff in their own community, is that B200 means the printer requires service. With support ended and warranty long gone, Canon's only offer is a discount on a replacement. Owner workarounds circulate (removing the head, cleaning contacts with distilled water and isopropyl alcohol, drying thoroughly and reseating; or holding the power button for 30 seconds while unplugged) with mixed results. They are not Canon-endorsed, and we would not promise they will work.

Clogged nozzles or a missing colour

Standard Canon ladder: nozzle check, head cleaning, deep cleaning, then print head alignment. One advantage here is that the head is removable, so manual contact cleaning is feasible in a way it is not on integrated-head printers.

Support code 1700 or 1701, then 5B00

1700 and 1701 warn the ink absorber is nearly full and the printer keeps working. 5B00 means full and the printer stops. Service only — no user reset, no user-replaceable pad. On a support-ended model this is terminal.

"Inner cover is open" and it will not print

Worth knowing because the cause is not obvious: the CD/DVD tray cover being ajar blocks all printing. Canon has a dedicated article for it. Related, a good share of "it is pulling from the wrong tray" reports come down to the rear-tray versus cassette setting in the driver rather than a fault.

FAQ

What ink does the Canon PIXMA MG5320 use?

PGI-225 pigment black plus CLI-226 black, cyan, magenta and yellow. Five cartridges.

Is there a PGI-225XL or CLI-226XL?

Not from Canon. XL arrived with the following generation, PGI-250/CLI-251. Any 225XL or 226XL you see is a compatible using XL loosely.

Why are there two black cartridges?

PGI-225 is pigment for text on plain paper; CLI-226 BK is dye for photos on photo paper. The printer uses both and will not run without either.

Does the MG5320 use PGI-250 or PGI-270?

No. PGI-250/CLI-251 fits the MG5420, MG5520, MG6320, MX922 and iP7220. PGI-270/CLI-271 fits the MG5720, MG6820, TS5020, TS6020 and TS8020. PGI-220/CLI-221 is the generation before this one.

Can I use a CLI-226 gray cartridge?

No. CLI-226 GY is only for the six-ink MG6220 and MG8120.

Is the MG5320 still supported by Canon?

No. Canon has formally ended support and is no longer issuing driver updates, which is worth weighing before buying one second-hand.

Shop PGI-225 and CLI-226 now

The PGI-225 / CLI-226 12-pack covers every slot with spares. Different printer? Find yours on our Find Ink by Printer page.