Canon PG-545XL Black Ink Cartridge Review: My First Print
Canon PG-545XL Black ink cartridge review — early verdict: 4.4/5 after installation and one printed page. I bought a genuine PG-545XL from Amazon roughly a year before writing this article (around autumn 2025) for approximately €29, using my own money and without sponsorship, discounts or compensation. I have now installed it in my Canon PIXMA TS3351 and printed one page. Installation was extremely straightforward, it was recognized immediately, and the first page came out sharp.
My initial impression is positive, but this is not a long-term review of PG-545XL cartridge life. I previously used the regular PG-545 and know how it prints on this same machine. The new XL feels identical to use so far. I chose it because I expect the larger capacity to provide better value, but I have not yet used enough ink to verify page yield, cost per page or durability. If you want an honest buying assessment rather than invented tests, that distinction is essential.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains a paid Amazon link. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you. I bought the cartridge myself without a sponsorship, free sample, review discount or compensation. The rating is my own provisional editorial judgment, not an Amazon user rating. Full affiliate disclosure.
My test: Installed in PIXMA TS3351 · one sharp page · no recognition errors
I paid: about €29 · around autumn 2025 (recalled, not receipt-verified)
Paid link · verify PG-545XL Black and printer compatibility before checkout
Canon PG-545XL Black — High Yield Ink Cartridge
Quick verdict: A straightforward drop-in replacement that my printer recognized immediately and that produced a sharp first page. I chose XL for the manufacturer-claimed capacity advantage.
Best for: owners of compatible Canon PIXMA printers who expect to print enough black-and-white pages to benefit from the XL size.
Skip if: you have a printer not listed as compatible, or expect a proven cost-per-page or lifespan comparison from this single-page test.
Confidence: High for installation and first output on my printer; not yet established for real-life page yield or whether it outlasts a standard PG-545 by the advertised ratio.
What I like so far
- Clicked into my Canon TS3351 very easily
- Detected straight away, without error messages
- Sharp output on my one test page
- Same physical cartridge slot as PG-545
- Canon officially specifies higher volume and estimated page yield
What remains uncertain
- I have only printed one page with XL
- True cost per printed page still unknown
- Have not tested print quality when ink is nearly empty
- The approximately €29 purchase price is from memory
- Value depends on how often and how much you print
Would I choose the PG-545XL again? Based on today’s installation and first print, yes, especially when the price gap to PG-545 makes sense. I would still need to finish this cartridge before calling it a proven long-term winner. Provisional rating: 4.4/5.
What I actually tested with the PG-545XL
My Canon PIXMA TS3351 has been part of my home setup for more than five years. My previous black ink cartridge was the regular PG-545, so I know the printer’s typical document quality from ordinary use. This PG-545XL was the first XL black cartridge I specifically remember buying, around a year ago, and I installed it recently.
I removed the old cartridge, fitted the new one into the same place, clicked it into position, and the printer recognized it immediately. There was no setup puzzle, error warning, cleaning problem or other inconvenience. I printed one page, and the text looked clear and sharp, much as it does with my normal PG-545 when that cartridge is working well.
That is all the direct performance evidence I have for this XL cartridge so far. One page cannot establish consistency over hundreds of pages, lifetime costs, nozzle reliability after months of inactivity, or how it behaves as the ink level drops.
Installation and compatibility: easy in my PIXMA TS3351
This is the feature I can evaluate with confidence. Replacing it felt extremely simple: open the printer’s cartridge access, release the previous cartridge, and fit the new one into the same holder until it clicks into position. The new cartridge was recognized without any problems.
Canon officially lists PG-545XL as a compatible option for the PIXMA TS3351, alongside other printers in the TS3300 family. Do not choose by appearance alone: Canon has many similar-looking cartridges with incompatible model numbers. Confirm the exact printer model in Canon’s official compatibility list before ordering.
The cartridge’s physical dimensions do not force me to make more room in the printer: XL fits in the same holder as the normal PG-545. I have not taken formal dimensional measurements, but the successful installation directly verifies that it fits my machine.
First print quality: just like PG-545 so far
My single first print looked sharp and readable. I could not see any practical difference from a healthy standard PG-545 based on that one page. For my needs—shipping labels, travel documents and the occasional university handout—that initial result is what I wanted.
In my long-term review of the Canon PIXMA TS3351 printer, I describe my recurring annoyance with faint lines and missing sections as the standard cartridge’s estimated ink level gets low. I have not yet checked whether the XL version shows that behaviour. My prior experience should not be presented as a defect I observed in this new XL cartridge.
I also have no measured evidence that the XL cartridge prints darker, faster, more accurately, or at a higher resolution than the normal PG-545. The difference I bought it for is the capacity.
PG-545 vs PG-545XL: how much larger is XL?
Canon lists the original black PG-545XL cartridge as holding 15 ml of ink with a claimed yield of up to 400 A4 pages under its specified ISO-based test method. The standard black PG-545 contains 8 ml, with an advertised yield of approximately 180 pages. These are manufacturer figures and testing conventions, not pages I printed myself with these two cartridges. See Canon’s product specification.
| Comparison | PG-545 standard | PG-545XL (this review) |
|---|---|---|
| Ink volume (Canon) | 8 ml | 15 ml |
| Claimed standard-method page yield | Approximately 180 | Up to 400 |
| Printer slot in my TS3351 | Fits | Fits — personally installed |
| My personally tested output | Used previously over time | One sharp page, no error |
| Actual lifetime pages | Not recorded as a cartridge-specific test | Not yet known |
| My cartridge purchase price | I cannot recall the exact amount | About €29 (estimated) |
Canon’s claimed 400 ÷ 180 page-yield ratio is about 2.22×, which is why XL interests me. But real print yields depend on document density, cleaning cycles, printer use patterns and other factors. Intermittent use and a long time between prints can differ from continuous standardized testing.
Is PG-545XL actually cheaper per page?
It should have an advantage if you buy it at a reasonable price relative to regular PG-545, but I would not claim I have personally demonstrated cheaper running costs yet. I remember paying about €29 for the XL version and believed the value was better than buying standard PG-545 again. I do not have a verified exact receipt amount for this XL purchase or a matching standard-cartridge price from the same date.
Here is a transparent manufacturer-yield illustration, not an actual result I measured:
| Illustrative calculation | Result |
|---|---|
| My recalled XL price ÷ Canon’s advertised yield | €29 ÷ 400 = €0.0725 per claimed page |
| Break-even standard price at Canon’s 180-page figure | €29 × 180 ÷ 400 = €13.05 |
| What that means | If standard PG-545 costs more than about €13.05, a €29 XL would be cheaper per claimed page under those assumptions. |
This illustration ignores delivery charges, ink wasted in maintenance, pages with heavy coverage, early cartridge replacement, and any shift in today’s retailer prices. It is a purchasing formula, not an endorsement of a live price or a finding that I actually printed 400 pages.
What I like and what I still need to check
It’s easy to replace
Replacing the standard cartridge with PG-545XL is no more complicated than my previous cartridge changes. The fit was right and my printer accepted it straight away. I did not need to troubleshoot ink recognition or software prompts.
The first page was sharp
Output quality on the one page I printed was good. This supports a favourable first impression but does not say much about streaking, ink aging or printhead reliability in the future.
More capacity is attractive, but not yet verified by me
15 ml rather than 8 ml, and up to 400 rather than 180 claimed standard pages, are meaningful differences on paper. As someone who likes avoiding unnecessary cartridge changes, XL seems sensible if the price is right. My own cartridge is far too new in actual use to prove this benefit.
I don’t have enough experience to judge long-term ink problems
I have no clogging, drying, leaking or cartridge errors to report from the initial installation and first print. That is good, but it does not establish zero problems over a long period. I also have not recorded whether the full supply of ink remains usable when the software estimates a low level.
Who should buy PG-545XL?
I would consider it for: anyone with a compatible Canon printer who regularly prints black text and expects the extra ink capacity to be worth the up-front cost. If you use a TS3351 like mine, you can be confident about physical fit and recognition from my direct test.
I would compare other options for: extremely infrequent users who might not finish their ink for a long time, buyers who need a verified cost-per-page guarantee, and anyone whose printer isn’t explicitly listed as compatible. A cheaper standard cartridge could make sense depending on its current price and how much you print.
Do not buy solely because the cartridge looks similar or a marketplace headline says “Canon black XL.” Check the PG-545XL designation and printer compatibility before checkout.
How I calculated the provisional 4.4/5 rating
The numerical rating is intentionally a provisional owner first-impression score based on what I have actually experienced or can reasonably judge. I have not assigned imaginary longevity or 400-page test scores. I rate installation, the first print, the value proposition at my recalled purchase price, and how well it fits my printer.
| What I rated | My score | Weight | Weighted points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installation and printer recognition | 4.8/5 | 35% | 1.680 |
| First-page text print quality | 4.5/5 | 30% | 1.350 |
| Value for my purchase | 4.0/5 | 25% | 1.000 |
| Physical compatibility and handling | 4.0/5 | 10% | 0.400 |
| Weighted first-impression total | — | 100% | 4.430 → 4.4/5 |
Installation and printer recognition (4.8/5): Easy click-in replacement; my PIXMA TS3351 recognized it immediately without an error.
First-page text print quality (4.5/5): My one printed page was sharp and comparable to my previous standard PG-545.
Value for my purchase (4.0/5): At approximately €29 I expect better capacity-related value than PG-545, but have not proved actual lifetime cost per page.
Physical compatibility and handling (4.0/5): It fits the same slot in the printer and was straightforward to handle; durability and long-term reliability remain untested.
Formula: (4.8 × 35%) + (4.5 × 30%) + (4.0 × 25%) + (4.0 × 10%) = 4.430/5, rounded to 4.4/5. I would revisit it when I have enough real use to judge actual page count and low-ink behavior.
Frequently asked questions
Have I printed 400 pages with PG-545XL?
No. I have printed one page. Up to 400 A4 pages is Canon’s stated yield under a standard test method, not my tested result.
Does PG-545XL work with the Canon PIXMA TS3351?
Yes. Canon lists it as compatible, and I have personally installed one in my own white TS3351. It was recognized without an error.
Is PG-545XL darker or sharper than PG-545?
I did not observe a meaningful difference in the one test page. Both have produced sharp text for me when working properly, but I have not conducted a controlled head-to-head comparison.
Is PG-545XL good value at around €29?
It can be, based on the difference between Canon’s stated yields, but that depends on the current standard cartridge price and actual use. €29 was my recalled approximate purchase cost, not a verified current offer.
Does the XL cartridge take up more space in the printer?
It fits directly into the same black cartridge holder in my TS3351, as I personally verified when installing it. No modification to my printer was required.
Will it stop printing properly at 20% remaining ink?
I cannot answer for the XL yet. My past frustration with low-ink streaking relates to my older standard PG-545 and overall TS3351 printer experience. I have only printed one page with PG-545XL.
Would I buy the XL version again?
Based on the easy installation, sharp first print and claimed higher ink capacity, I lean yes if the current pricing is favorable. A firm long-term repurchase verdict would require using the cartridge much more.
Exact product, original photos and sources
The reviewed cartridge is the genuine Canon PG-545XL Black, not regular PG-545, CL-546 color or a third-party compatible ink refill. My original photographs show the box front, XL-labelled cartridge, protective pouch, electrical contacts and printhead. The same front-of-box photo is used as the featured image, product-card image and Review schema image.
Canon’s official PG-545XL product page supports the stated ink volume, page yield and model identity, and its PIXMA TS3351 ink catalog confirms compatibility. The provided Amazon product reference (ASIN B00ET01FR4) and separate paid Amazon link were supplied for this review. I have not independently resolved the final destination of the shortened affiliate link. Please verify PG-545XL Black and regional seller conditions before ordering.
For more context on my printer, including real experience with the earlier standard cartridge, see my Canon PIXMA TS3351 long-term review. Read How I Test and Affiliate Disclosure for my editorial and commercial disclosures.
