What Ink Does the Canon PIXMA TS6420a Use?
Last Updated:Quick answer: The Canon PIXMA TS6420a uses PG-260 / CL-261 ink cartridges — one pigment black and one tri-color — with higher-capacity PG-260XL / CL-261XL versions available. Two cartridges in total, each with the printhead built in. If you have read that this printer takes PGI-280/CLI-281 tanks, that is a common mix-up — those belong to the TS6320 and TS8320 family, not the TS6420a.
CastleScore · October 2026
73/100 — Recommended
Canon PIXMA TS6420a
| Pillar (weight) | Score | What it is based on |
|---|---|---|
| Owner ratings (28%) | 77 | 3.97★ average across 11,880 ratings at Amazon (3.8), Best Buy (4.3), Amazon (3.8) |
| Expert reviews (18%) | 70 | PCMag 3.5/5 |
| Cost per page (24%) | 74 | About 7.5¢ per page blended (black + color) with our remanufactured PG-260XL (400 pages) and CL-261XL (300 pages). |
| Reliability (13%) | — | Not enough owner complaint data to score. |
| Features (12%) | 64 | Print, copy, scan, auto two-sided printing, Wi-Fi. No document feeder, no fax, no touchscreen. |
| Value (5%) | 76 | Running cost and owner satisfaction |
Limited data: We could not find enough owner complaint data for this printer, so that weight is spread across the other pillars.
Discontinued. Canon's U.S. store lists the TS6420a as discontinued and names no successor. This guide is for current owners.
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 7, 2026. It is not a customer review. See every ranked printer or how the score works.
The cartridges, pictured
PG-260XL + CL-261XL 2-pack3706C001 / 3724C001
PG-260XL Black3706C001 · ~400 pages
CL-261XL Tri-color3724C001 · ~300 pages
PG-260XL + CL-261XL 2-pack
PG-260XL Black
CL-261XL Tri-colorOur own remanufactured cartridges, photographed in-house.
Canon PIXMA TS6420a Ink Cartridges at a Glance
| Cartridge | Color | Approx. Page Yield |
|---|---|---|
| Canon PG-260 | Pigment black | ~180 pages |
| Canon CL-261 | Tri-color | ~180 pages |
| Canon PG-260XL | Pigment black (high-yield) | ~400 pages |
| Canon CL-261XL | Tri-color (high-yield) | ~300 pages |
The TS6420a is a compact home all-in-one with automatic two-sided printing and a small 1.44-inch OLED screen that you work with buttons (it is not a touchscreen). It is worth being precise about its ink, because it is frequently confused with the five-tank TS6320: the TS6420a is a two-cartridge FINE machine, and the cartridges are the same as the plain TS6420 and the TR7020.
Two Cartridges, One Big Trade-Off
The Canon PIXMA TS6420a is a two-cartridge printer: pigment black in one, and cyan, magenta and yellow combined in a single tri-color shell. That is what keeps the hardware cheap, and it is also what makes the ink relatively expensive per page.
The catch is all-or-nothing: when any one of the three colors runs out, the whole tri-color cartridge is finished, even if the other two still hold ink. Print a run of images heavy in one hue and you will discard usable ink. There is no fix in hardware — only in habits.
The two that actually work: set greyscale as the default in your print driver so ordinary documents never draw on the color cartridge, and buy the PG-260XL / CL-261XL versions so you hit that moment half as often.
Standard vs. PG-260XL / CL-261XL: Which Should You Buy?
Buy the XL versions. PG-260XL raises black from roughly 180 pages to 400, and CL-261XL takes color from about 180 to 300. On a printer with yields this modest to begin with, standard cartridges mean changing ink constantly.
Run the comparison on real prices with our Printer Ink Cost Calculator — on two-cartridge printers the gap between standard and XL is usually larger than people expect.
How to Replace the Ink in the Canon PIXMA TS6420a
- With the printer on, open the front cover (and the paper output tray if it is closed). The cartridge holder moves to the replacement position.
- Push down on the used cartridge to release the lock, then lift it out.
- Take the new cartridge out of the package and remove the orange protective tape. Do not touch the gold contacts or the print nozzles underneath.
- Insert the cartridge into its slot at a slight angle — black on one side, color on the other — and push up until it clicks.
- Close the cover and wait for the printer to finish preparing the ink system.
- Run a nozzle check from Maintenance if the first prints look banded, then Print Head Alignment if needed.
Keep the orange tape and packaging for a few days in case a cartridge proves faulty.
Troubleshooting Tips
The printer says a cartridge cannot be recognized: Remove it, wipe the gold contacts with a dry lint-free cloth, and reseat. If the message persists, the chip has failed and the cartridge should be replaced under guarantee.
Ink level monitoring is disabled after fitting a compatible: Expected. Canon disables its estimate for non-Canon cartridges — hold the Stop button for about five seconds to acknowledge, then judge by print quality instead.
Blank pages or missing colors: Run Cleaning, then Deep Cleaning from Maintenance. Because the printhead is built into the cartridge on this model, a cartridge that will not recover simply needs replacing.
One color gone but the others full: That is how a tri-color cartridge works — when any one color is exhausted the cartridge is done. Greyscale printing for documents is the only meaningful mitigation.
Paper feeding crooked or multiple sheets: Fan the stack and reseat the paper guides. Common on the compact Canon feeders and unrelated to ink.
Which Other Printers Use the Same Ink?
The PG-260 / CL-261 / PG-260XL / CL-261XL cartridge is used across a range of machines, which keeps compatible prices low and availability high. If you run more than one of these, a single cartridge type covers them all:
- Canon PIXMA TS5320 / TS5320a
- Canon PIXMA TS6420 / TS6420a
- Canon PIXMA TR7020 / TR7020a
Always check the number printed on the cartridge you are replacing before ordering — manufacturers reuse similar-looking numbers across families. You can also look your machine up in our Find Ink by Printer directory.
What PIXMA TS6420a 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.
Is the screen a touchscreen?
No. Canon lists a 1.44-inch OLED display with an LED status bar, and you work it with the buttons beside it.
Will it print on both sides of the page by itself?
Yes. Automatic two-sided printing is built in, so you don't have to flip the stack.
It won't connect to my 5 GHz Wi-Fi.
Canon lists Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n on 2.4 GHz only. Make sure your router's 2.4 GHz band is turned on, then connect the printer to that network.
How much paper does it hold, and which sizes?
100 sheets of plain paper in the front cassette and another 100 in the rear tray (or 20 sheets of photo paper). It takes anything from 3.5 x 3.5 in square paper up to legal size.
Canon's store says PG-260 and CL-261 are no longer available. Can I still get ink?
Yes. Canon's U.S. store lists all four original cartridges, standard and XL, as no longer available. We sell remanufactured PG-260XL and CL-261XL, made from original Canon shells.
PIXMA TS6420a quirks worth knowing
- It has two paper paths: a 100-sheet front cassette and a 100-sheet rear tray. You can keep plain paper in one and photo paper in the other.
- By Canon's own figures, the black XL holds nearly twice the ink of the standard cartridge (14.3 ml vs 7.5 ml). The color XL holds only about half again as much (12.2 ml vs 8.3 ml).
- Canon's U.S. store now lists the TS6420a itself as discontinued, along with the original PG-260 and CL-261 cartridges in both sizes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What ink does the Canon PIXMA TS6420a use? Canon PG-260 pigment black and CL-261 tri-color, with higher-capacity PG-260XL and CL-261XL versions available. Two cartridges in total.
Does the TS6420a use PGI-280 and CLI-281 tanks? No, and this is a common and expensive mix-up. Those five individual tanks belong to the TS6320, TS8320 and TS9520 family. The TS6420a is a two-cartridge FINE printer.
Is the TS6420a different from the plain TS6420? Not for ink. Canon lists PG-260 and CL-261 for the TS5320, TS6420, TS6420a and TR7020 together — the 'a' is a hardware revision, not an ink change.
Is the XL worth buying? Yes. PG-260XL more than doubles black pages and CL-261XL adds about two-thirds more color, for far less than the equivalent price increase.
Why does my printer say ink levels cannot be monitored? Canon disables its ink estimate for non-Canon cartridges. Hold the Stop button for about five seconds to acknowledge it; the printer keeps working normally.
Can I replace just the color that ran out? No. Cyan, magenta and yellow share one shell, so when any of them is exhausted the whole tri-color cartridge is finished.
Does compatible ink void my Canon warranty? No. In the US, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act prevents a manufacturer voiding your warranty purely for using a third-party cartridge.
Same ink, other models: PG-260/CL-261 also fits the PIXMA TS5320. Note that the portable PIXMA TR150 uses PGI-35/CLI-36 instead.
Other printers that use PG-260 and CL-261
Canon PIXMA TS5320 · Canon PIXMA TS6420 · Canon PIXMA TR7020
More Canon ink guides: Canon PIXMA TS3722 · Canon PIXMA TR4720 · Canon PIXMA MG3600 · find any printer
Replacing it? Our highest-rated alternatives
- Canon PIXMA MegaTank G3290 — CastleScore 88
- Epson EcoTank ET-2980 (cheapest to run) — CastleScore 90
- Canon imageCLASS MF275dw (laser) — CastleScore 81
Sources
Ratings and prices were checked on October 7, 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.