Which ink does the Canon PIXMA MX490 use?
The Canon PIXMA MX490 (inkjet, 2015) uses PG-245XL, CL-246XL, PG-243, PG-245, CL-244, CL-246.
Third-party cartridge risk: Low no firmware lockout is on record for this printer, so compatible and remanufactured cartridges should work.
The Canon PIXMA MX490 uses ink cartridges that come in standard and XL sizes for both black and tri-color printing. If you're looking to print a lot of pages, consider buying high yield cartridges which are available in XL size and offer more pages per cartridge compared to their standard counterparts. You can also opt for genuine or compatible cartridges as there is no firmware DRM restriction on record.
Compatible cartridges
| Cartridge | Color | Yield | Pages | OEM price | Cost/page | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PG-245XL | black | XL | 300 | $28.00 | 9.3¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| CL-246XL | tri-color | XL | 300 | $30.00 | 10.0¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| PG-243 | black | standard | 180 | $21.00 | 11.7¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| PG-245 | black | standard | 180 | $20.00 | 11.1¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| CL-244 | tri-color | standard | 180 | $23.00 | 12.8¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
| CL-246 | tri-color | standard | 180 | $22.00 | 12.2¢ | OEM · AmazonCompatible |
XL (high-yield) cartridges cost more upfront but lower the cost per page, which is better if you print a lot.
The Canon PIXMA MX490 is not on our firmware-lockout list, so third-party ink should work. By list price its high-yield PG-245XL works out to about 9.3 cents per page, roughly 16% less than the 11.1 cents of the standard PG-245. If you print often the high-yield cartridge is the better value, and a well-reviewed compatible version lowers the cost further.
Frequently asked questions
Which ink does the Canon PIXMA MX490 use?
The Canon PIXMA MX490 uses CL-244, CL-246, CL-246XL, PG-243, PG-245 and PG-245XL.
Does the Canon PIXMA MX490 take XL cartridges?
Yes. Besides the standard cartridges it accepts CL-246XL and PG-245XL. A high-yield XL holds more ink and costs less per page, which is worth it if you print often.
Will third-party ink work in the Canon PIXMA MX490, or will firmware block it?
The Canon PIXMA MX490 is not on our firmware-lockout list, so compatible and remanufactured cartridges should work. Firmware can change with an update, so it is worth checking before buying a large supply.
How many pages do the Canon PIXMA MX490 cartridges print?
Rated yields run from about 180 pages (CL-246) to about 300 pages (CL-246XL), depending on the cartridge. Real-world yield depends on how much you print and how much ink each page uses.
What is the cheapest ink for the Canon PIXMA MX490?
By list price the lowest cost per page here is the PG-245XL at about 9.3 cents per page. A reliable compatible or remanufactured cartridge can lower that further.
Related Canon PIXMA MX printers
Last reviewed . Compiled by MyCartridgeFinder from manufacturer cartridge finders and retailer cross reference tables, then checked against this printer's database record. Cartridge numbers and yields come from that record, never from guesswork. See our methodology and data sources.