How Much Ink Should You Refill Into Canon PG-545 and CL-546 Cartridges Without Causing Damage?

Question:
I’ve followed all the necessary steps to properly refill the PG-545 and CL-546 cartridges for my Canon MG2550S printer, including thoroughly cleaning the sponge inside. However, I’d like to double-check the recommended ink capacity for both the black (PG-545) and color (CL-546 – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow) cartridges. What is the maximum amount of ink I should refill to avoid flooding or damaging the cartridges?

Answer:

Ink Capacity for Canon PG-545 (Black) and CL-546 (Color) Cartridges

Your Canon PG-545 cartridge is equivalent to the PG-245 model used in the U.S. market. For this type of cartridge, here are the general refill ink volume guidelines:

• PG-545 (Black / PG-245 equivalent):

  • Standard version: Approximately 8 mL

  • XL version: Up to 12 mL
    Do not exceed these amounts to prevent ink overflow, internal cartridge flooding, or nozzle clogging.

• CL-546 (Color / CL-246 equivalent – Cyan, Magenta, Yellow):

  • Standard version: Approximately 6 mL total (2 mL per color compartment)

  • XL version: Up to 9 mL total (3 mL per color compartment)
    Each compartment in the color cartridge (Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow) should be filled separately and equally. Overfilling any one chamber can result in internal mixing or backflow, damaging the cartridge.

Be very careful not to overfill—while it might be tempting to add “just a little more,” the cartridges are not built to hold extra capacity. Once the internal sponge becomes saturated, any excess ink will either leak out or create backpressure problems that lead to poor print quality or printhead errors.

If you’d like a deeper dive into cartridge compatibility and ink behavior between different Canon models, we’ve published a detailed explanation you can refer to here:
What is the difference between PG-243/CL-244 and PG-245/CL-246 for Canon Pixma Printer
[https://bchtechnologies.com/blogs/blog/what-is-the-difference-between-pg-243-cl-244-and-pg-245-cl-246-for-canon-pixma-printer]

Addressing printer issues can be a complicated affair due to the hands-on nature of the problems. So, we're not able to provide remote troubleshooting, suggestions, or support for printer repairs. We offer an in-person evaluation and repair service via our local diagnostic facility [https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service]. Given the high demand, we operate on a first-come, first-served basis. So, it might take a few weeks before we can get your printer to drop it off. Our services are structured to repair either a whole printer or specific parts, with clear instructions on how to proceed. However, we acknowledge that our rates aren't the most economical. Thus, we highly recommend that you resort to self-help via online research. You can start by checking out YouTube or visiting our YouTube channel's homepage [https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies]. Look for specific videos using the search icon next to "About" on the right-hand side of the menu bar. I receive dozens of queries every day asking about videos for specific topics. Having created videos over the past nine years, it's challenging to remember every single one. Therefore, using YouTube's search function would be most efficient. Plus, YouTube might suggest relevant videos from other channels that could assist you.

Thanks again for your question and for being a part of the BCH Technologies community. We’re here to help as best we can!