Canon PG-645 vs PG-645XL: Standard or XL Ink? 🖨️

The Canon PIXMA MG2560 and TS3160 are two of the most common home printers in Australia — and the PG-645 / CL-646 cartridge range is everywhere. But should you grab the standard or the XL? Ollie's been fetching answers (literally), and Noodle has done the number-crunching. Here's what you need to know. 🐾

Which Printers Use Canon PG-645 and CL-646 Ink?

The Canon PG-645 (black) and CL-646 (colour) cartridge range fits these popular Australian Canon PIXMA models:

• Canon PIXMA MG2560 — budget-friendly home inkjet, very widely used in AU
• Canon PIXMA MG2660 — updated MG2560 with Wi-Fi
• Canon PIXMA TS3160 — compact all-in-one, excellent home printer
• Canon PIXMA TS3460 — current-generation compact all-in-one

These are entry-level home printers, but their cartridges are among the most-purchased in the country. The XL versions make a meaningful difference on cost.

Page Yield: Standard vs XL

| Cartridge | Standard | XL | |-----------|----------|-----| | PG-645 / PG-645XL (Black) | ~180 pages | ~400 pages | | CL-646 / CL-646XL (Colour) | ~180 pages | ~300 pages |

Yields based on Canon's ISO standard test pages at 5% coverage.

The XL black delivers more than double the pages of the standard. The colour XL gives you roughly 67% more pages than the standard CL-646.

Cost Per Page: Genuine vs Compatible

At typical Australian retail prices:

| Cartridge | Genuine Price (approx.) | Pages | Cost per Page | |-----------|------------------------|-------|--------------| | PG-645 Black (standard) | ~$13 | 180 | ~7.2¢ | | PG-645XL Black | ~$20 | 400 | ~5.0¢ | | CL-646 Colour (standard) | ~$13 | 180 | ~7.2¢ | | CL-646XL Colour | ~$21 | 300 | ~7.0¢ | | Compatible PG-645XL (FetchInk) | ~$7–9 | 400 | ~1.8–2.3¢ | | Compatible CL-646XL (FetchInk) | ~$7–9 | 300 | ~2.3–3.0¢ |

Compatible XL cartridges from FetchInk land at roughly 3–4× lower cost per page than genuine standard cartridges. For a printer that's primarily used for school notes, documents, and everyday home printing, that's a big deal.

The XL Combo Pack Advantage

If you're buying both black and colour, the PG-645XL + CL-646XL combo is worth considering. You lock in high-yield cartridges for both, minimise how often you're placing orders, and stretch your ink spend further.

Noodle's annual printing cost estimate for a typical AU household printing ~150 pages/month:

| Scenario | Annual ink cost (est.) | |----------|----------------------| | Genuine standard (PG-645 + CL-646) | ~$260 | | Genuine XL (PG-645XL + CL-646XL) | ~$175 | | Compatible XL from FetchInk | ~$55–70 |

Compatible XL saves roughly $190–$205 per year compared to genuine standard. That's not nothing. 🐾

When to Choose Standard vs XL

Choose standard PG-645 / CL-646 if:

• You print very rarely (a few pages per month at most)
• You need a cheap short-term replacement
• You're not sure if you'll keep the printer long-term

Choose XL (PG-645XL / CL-646XL) if:

• You print regularly — school work, documents, homework, invoices
• You want fewer cartridge changes and less hassle
• You're buying compatible (the economics strongly favour XL)

For most Australian households with a PIXMA MG2560, MG2660, TS3160, or TS3460 — compatible XL is the clear winner.

Australian Consumer Law & Warranty

You can use compatible ink cartridges without voiding your printer warranty. Under Australian Consumer Law, Canon (and any other manufacturer) cannot legally void your warranty simply because you used a compatible cartridge. This has been confirmed by the ACCC.

The only scenario where warranty could be affected is if a compatible cartridge directly caused damage — which quality-tested cartridges from FetchInk won't do. We test our compatibles to match the print quality and yield specifications of the genuine Canon cartridge.

FetchInk Compatible PG-645XL and CL-646XL

For Canon PIXMA owners in Australia, we recommend going straight to compatible XL cartridges for everyday printing. The savings are substantial and the quality is there for documents, school work, and home printing.

Browse our compatible Canon PG-645XL and CL-646XL range at FetchInk — flat-rate $18 shipping or free over $200.

Summary

• ✅ PG-645XL prints ~400 pages (vs ~180 for standard) — more than double the yield
• ✅ CL-646XL prints ~300 pages (vs ~180 for standard) — 67% more colour pages
• ✅ Compatible XL from FetchInk: ~1.8–3.0¢/page vs ~7.2¢ for genuine standard
• ✅ Fits PIXMA MG2560, MG2660, TS3160, TS3460 — among AU's most popular home printers
• ✅ Compatible ink does not void printer warranty under Australian Consumer Law
• ✅ XL combo (PG-645XL + CL-646XL) is best value for regular home printers