On the prices we read, this is the cheapest printer to run that we cover — in mono and in color. That claim is the whole reason this page exists, so here is exactly where it comes from.
Cost to run
The G3270 takes Canon GI-21 bottles. Canon’s own G3270 specification rates a full set at up to 6,000 black pages and 7,700 color pages in its default print mode. The 170 mL pigment black bottle was $17.99 and a color bottle $12.99 at Target when we checked.
That works out at roughly 0.3¢ a black page and 0.8¢ for a four-color one. Compare that with the Epson EcoTank’s 0.4¢ and 1.1¢ on the same day, using the same method.
One honest caveat about the yield. Canon publishes a higher figure — up to 8,300 black pages — for its economy print mode. We use the default-mode number because that is what most people will actually print in, and using the economy figure would flatter the printer on a setting most owners never touch.
| If you print | Ink over 3 years | Total with the printer |
|---|---|---|
| 25 pages a month | $3 | $252 |
| 75 pages a month | $8 | $257 |
| 200 pages a month | $22 | $271 |
Supplies only in the middle column; sticker price plus supplies in the right one. Mono pages at the manufacturer’s rated yield and the supply price we read on 27 September 2026. Real cost runs higher because rated yields assume 5% page coverage. The full method.
Pigment black versus dye black
Most home inkjets use a dye-based black, which soaks into paper fibers. Pigment black sits on top. The practical consequences, all of which follow from that one physical difference:
- Crisper text on plain paper, because the ink does not spread along the fibers.
- Better smudge and water resistance, which matters for anything that gets handled, signed, or carried loose.
- Slightly less vivid on glossy photo paper, which is why dedicated photo printers use dye or a mixed set. If photographs are your priority, this is not the machine.
The catches
- Our printer price is a retailer listing, not Canon’s. Canon’s own store would not serve us a price on the date we checked, so the figure on this page comes from Office Depot and is labeled as such.
- No document feeder. Flatbed scanning only.
- Canon’s specification page did not state automatic two-sided printing, so we do not claim it. Check the current spec if a duplexer is a requirement.
- Smaller model range than Epson. Fewer options if you later want a feeder or a duplexer on the same ink.
Who should buy something else
- You print rarely. A mono laser. The best cost per page in the world is irrelevant if you print fifteen pages a month, and an idle inkjet is the one printer most likely to disappoint you.
- Photographs matter most. A pigment black is the wrong choice for glossy photo output. Look at the photo picks.
- You need a document feeder or a confirmed duplexer. The Epson ET-4800 or the ET-3850.