We’ve all been there. You have a critical document to print—a term paper, a concert ticket, a shipping label—and your printer flashes that dreaded “Low Ink” warning. It’s a moment of pure frustration, compounded by the knowledge that a new set of tiny plastic cartridges will cost a small fortune and likely run dry again in a few months. For years, I felt trapped in this cycle, spending far too much money on what felt like half-empty sponge cartridges that would clog or dry out if I didn’t print constantly. The waste, both financial and environmental, was galling. This perpetual problem is precisely why the promise of a “supertank” or “megatank” printer is so alluring. It represents a fundamental shift in home printing, away from a model of cheap hardware and expensive consumables to one where the long-term cost of ownership is the primary focus. The search for an affordable, reliable printer that doesn’t hold your wallet hostage is what led us to rigorously test the Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank Wireless All-in-One Printer.
- Print, Copy, Scan: The Canon MegaTank G3270 is a true colour printer scanner copier all in one that is compact, versatile and easy-to-use with a fast and easy-to-load rear paper tray and a 100-sheet...
- Efficient Document Printing and Scanning: These wireless printers for home use scan up to legal size multi-page documents efficiently and print from your favourite mobile devices using the free Canon...
What to Consider Before Buying an Inkjet Printer
An Inkjet Printer is more than just an item that puts ink on paper; it’s a key solution for students, families, home offices, and creative hobbyists. It bridges the digital and physical worlds, turning pixels into tangible reports, vibrant photographs, and professional-looking flyers. The main benefits lie in their versatility and superior color reproduction compared to laser printers in the same price bracket. They can handle a wide variety of media, from plain paper and envelopes to glossy photo paper and even custom sticker sheets, making them the swiss army knife of home printing.
The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing the high recurring cost of ink cartridges and who prints regularly, but not necessarily in massive daily volumes. This includes students printing research papers, parents printing school assignments, or small business owners creating their own marketing materials. The value proposition of a tank printer like this one hinges on trading a higher upfront hardware cost for drastically lower long-term running costs. However, it might not be suitable for those who need lightning-fast, high-volume black-and-white printing, where a monochrome laser printer would be more efficient. Similarly, professional photographers might seek a more specialized, wide-format photo printer with a broader color gamut.
Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:
- Dimensions & Space: Printers can be surprisingly bulky. The Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank Wireless All-in-One Printer measures 33.8 x 41.7 x 17.8 cm, which is reasonably compact for an all-in-one. Before buying any printer, measure your intended space to ensure a proper fit, leaving room for ventilation and for opening scanner lids and accessing paper trays.
- Capacity/Performance: Look beyond just print speed. Consider the paper tray capacity—the G3270 holds 100 sheets in its rear tray, suitable for home use but might require frequent refilling in a busier office. Most importantly, for a tank printer, the key performance metric is page yield. With up to 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages from one set of bottles, this model’s performance is defined by its incredible ink endurance.
- Materials & Durability: Most consumer-grade printers are constructed from plastic. While the build of the G3270 feels solid enough for its intended home environment, it’s not designed for the rough-and-tumble of a high-traffic commercial setting. The key durability factor here is the print head and ink system, which are designed for longevity to match the high-capacity tanks.
- Ease of Use & Maintenance: A printer should simplify your life, not complicate it. Features like wireless setup, a clear user interface, and simple maintenance routines are vital. While the ink refilling process on the G3270 is remarkably easy, we found, and some users confirm, that the initial wireless setup can be challenging. The small 1.35-inch LCD screen can also make navigating menus more difficult than on models with larger touchscreens.
Choosing the right printer is about matching its features to your specific needs. While we found the Canon PIXMA G3270 to be a compelling option, it’s just one piece of a much larger puzzle.
While the Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank Wireless All-in-One Printer is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:
- Print, Copy, Scan: The PIXMA TS3720 is a true colour printer scanner copier all in one that is compact, versatile and easy-to-use with a 60 sheet rear tray that reduces the need to refill paper as...
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― No more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges (2)
- FROM CANADA'S MOST TRUSTED PRINTER BRAND – The DeskJet 2855e is perfect for homes printing to-do lists, letters, financial documents and recipes. Print speeds up to 5.5 ppm colour, 7.5 ppm black.
First Impressions: Unboxing the Ink Revolution
Pulling the Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank Wireless All-in-One Printer from its box, the first impression is one of compact efficiency. It’s a dense, well-constructed unit with a sleek black finish that fits neatly into a home office aesthetic. There are no flimsy parts or rattles; it feels like a quality piece of hardware. But the real “wow” moment comes when you unbox the ink. Instead of tiny, foil-wrapped cartridges, you get four substantial bottles of ink—Black, Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow. Holding these bottles, you immediately grasp the value proposition. The sheer volume of ink is impressive and provides a tangible sense of relief from the “ink anxiety” that plagues cartridge printer owners.
The initial setup involves installing the print heads and filling the tanks, which we’ll cover in detail later. One design choice that stands out immediately is the small 1.35-inch square monochrome LCD. In an era of smartphone-like color touchscreens on everything, this feels like a deliberate cost-saving measure. It’s functional, but not elegant, and as one user noted, “the only negative is the tiny screen but with glasses I can read it.” It gets the job done, but it lacks the intuitive feel of more premium interfaces. Overall, the unboxing experience solidifies the printer’s identity: it’s a utilitarian workhorse focused on one thing above all else—delivering an incredible amount of ink and a low cost-per-page, a promise you can explore in its full feature set.
Key Benefits
- Massive page yield significantly lowers long-term running costs
- Excellent print quality for documents and everyday color tasks
- Simple, mess-free ink refilling with keyed bottles
- Versatile all-in-one functionality (print, scan, copy)
Limitations
- Lacks automatic two-sided (duplex) printing
- Wireless setup can be unintuitive and frustrating for some
- Small, non-touch LCD screen feels dated
A Deep Dive into the G3270’s Performance
An all-in-one printer is a complex machine with many moving parts. To truly understand its value, we have to break down its performance feature by feature, from the initial setup to the final printed page. We spent weeks with the Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank Wireless All-in-One Printer, using it for everything from printing multi-page reports and scanning receipts to creating vibrant flyers and even some hobbyist sticker sheets. Here’s our detailed breakdown of how it performed under real-world conditions.
The MegaTank System: A Game-Changer for Ink Costs
The single most important feature of the Canon PIXMA G3270 is its MegaTank ink system, and it does not disappoint. This is the antidote to cartridge-based printers. The process of filling the tanks for the first time is surprisingly satisfying and clean. Each ink bottle has a unique keyed nozzle that only fits the corresponding color tank on the printer, making it impossible to accidentally pour magenta into the yellow tank. You simply open the printer lid, uncap a bottle, invert it over the correct tank, and it drains automatically without squeezing. Once the tank is full, the bottle stops draining, preventing any overflow. The whole process is mess-free and takes just a few minutes.
The true benefit, however, is the sheer economy. The included set of bottles is rated for up to 6,000 black pages and 7,700 color pages. To put that in perspective, a standard ink cartridge might yield 150-200 pages. You would need to buy over 30 standard black cartridges to match the output of the single black bottle that comes in the box. This fundamentally changes your relationship with printing. You no longer hesitate to print a long PDF or a color handout for fear of depleting your ink. As one user who switched from a cartridge model exclaimed, “With this one the ink is super affordable and goes a long time… Best purchase I’ve made tbh.” This liberation from cost-per-page anxiety is the core appeal of the Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank Wireless All-in-One Printer. While we had a flawless setup, it’s worth noting the cautionary tale from one user who received a unit that had leaked ink everywhere in the box, a stark reminder of the potential hazards of shipping liquid-filled devices.
Setup and Connectivity: A Tale of Two Experiences
This is where our experience with the G3270 became more nuanced. The physical setup is a breeze, but the wireless connectivity portion can be a point of friction, a sentiment echoed strongly in user feedback. The included instructions guide you to use Canon’s mobile app to connect the printer to your Wi-Fi network. For us, this process worked on the second try. The printer failed to connect initially, requiring a reset of the network settings before it was successfully recognized. Once connected, it was stable and reliable.
However, we can easily see how this could become a major hassle. One user described a frustrating ordeal involving “3 youtube vids, 2 apps and 2 networks” to get it working. The small, non-touch LCD screen doesn’t help matters. Manually inputting a complex Wi-Fi password using only a few buttons is tedious and prone to error. In contrast, another user reported being “printing within 20 minutes” and found it “super easy.” This split in experiences suggests that the setup’s success may depend heavily on your specific network configuration and technical comfort level. Once connected via USB cable, the printer was immediately recognized and worked flawlessly. Our advice: try the wireless setup first, but have a USB-A to USB-B printer cable on hand as a reliable backup if you run into trouble. This mixed bag of setup experiences is a critical factor to consider when evaluating if this is the right printer for you.
Print Quality and Performance: A Document Specialist with a Major Omission
When it comes to output, the Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank Wireless All-in-One Printer shines brightest as a document printer. Text documents are its forte. Using the pigment-based black ink, it produces sharp, crisp, and dark text that rivals the quality of entry-level laser printers. It’s perfect for essays, reports, and any text-heavy work. Color documents, like presentations with charts or school projects with graphics, are also handled very well. Colors are vibrant and accurate, making for professional-looking results on plain paper.
Where it’s less impressive is with high-quality photo printing. While it can produce decent borderless 4×6 photos on glossy paper, the colors lack the depth and nuance of a dedicated photo printer. One user confirmed this, noting that after calling support, “the gal said that the model I picked was better suited for documents rather than photos.” This is an important distinction for anyone looking to print family portraits for framing. For casual photos and document graphics, it’s more than adequate.
The print speeds of 11 pages per minute (PPM) for black and 6 PPM for color are respectable for a home printer, but the machine’s single biggest weakness becomes apparent when you need to print a double-sided document. The Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank Wireless All-in-One Printer lacks automatic duplex printing. This means to print on both sides of a page, you must print the odd-numbered pages first, manually remove the stack, flip it over, re-insert it into the paper tray, and then print the even-numbered pages. This is a shocking omission for a printer at this price point in the modern era and a significant workflow interruption for anyone who frequently prints multi-page documents. As one user bluntly stated, “This printer does NOT support automatic duplex printing. You have to manually flip the pages.” This single missing feature could be a deal-breaker for many office and student users, and it’s a critical flaw in an otherwise highly capable machine. You can check the latest price and availability, but be sure this limitation fits your workflow.
What Other Users Are Saying
Diving into feedback from other owners provides a well-rounded view of the Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank Wireless All-in-One Printer, and the sentiment is largely positive but punctuated by some consistent frustrations. On the positive side, the praise for the MegaTank system is almost universal. One happy customer, comparing it to a previous HP printer, celebrated that “the ink is super affordable and goes a long time,” and that it “doesn’t print out unnecessary adjusting pages each time u change the ink to waste your ink.” Others call it “great quality for the purposes I was looking for” and highlight that it’s “fast and the printing is overall clean.”
However, the negative feedback often centers on a few key areas we also identified. The lack of automatic duplex printing is a major complaint. The wireless setup is another common pain point, with one user calling the experience “a bit of a hassle.” More severe issues, though less common, include one user who received a product that had leaked ink during shipping, creating a massive mess. Another user reported significant performance problems, stating, “It doesn’t print the entire page and will stop mid print,” and that it would “freeze after 3 print jobs.” This suggests potential quality control inconsistencies or driver issues that, while not widespread, are certainly possible.
How Does the Canon PIXMA G3270 Compare to the Alternatives?
No product exists in a vacuum. The Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank Wireless All-in-One Printer competes in a crowded market, especially against its main rival, Epson’s EcoTank series. If you’re considering this printer, it’s crucial to know what else is out there and how they stack up. Here are three key alternatives.
1. Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Wireless All-in-One Printer
- Innovative Cartridge-Free Printing ― No more tiny, expensive ink cartridges; each ink bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges (2)
- Dramatic Savings on Replacement Ink ― Save up to 90% with replacement ink bottles vs. ink cartridges (1) – that’s enough to print up to 4,500 pages black/7,500 colour (3)
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 is the most direct competitor to the Canon G3270. Both are entry-level all-in-one printers with refillable ink tanks, targeting the exact same user: someone fed up with expensive cartridges. The ET-2800 also boasts an impressive page yield and low running costs. The primary differences are subtle. The Epson uses a Micro Piezo Heat-Free print head, which is a different technology from Canon’s thermal inkjet heads. In terms of usability, some users may find Epson’s setup process and mobile app more intuitive. However, like the Canon G3270, the ET-2800 also lacks an automatic document feeder (ADF) and, crucially, also lacks automatic duplex printing. The choice between them may come down to brand preference or which model is available at a better price point.
2. Epson Expression Photo XP-970 Wireless Photo Printer
- Epson printing system is specifically designed to be used with Epson Genuine Cartridges. Use of non-genuine ink could cause damage not covered under the printer’s ltd. wnty.
- Brilliant, borderless photos up to 11" x 17" — 6-colour Claria Photo HD Inks deliver smooth gradations and amazing skin tones
If your printing needs lean more towards creativity and high-quality photos than office documents, the Epson XP-970 is a superior alternative. This is a specialized photo printer. It uses a six-color Claria Photo HD ink system (compared to the G3270’s four-color system), which produces photos with a wider color gamut, smoother gradations, and more accurate skin tones. It can also handle larger media, printing borderless photos up to 11×17 inches. You trade the extreme ink economy of a tank system for unparalleled photo quality. The XP-970 is for the hobbyist photographer or scrapbooker who finds the G3270’s photo output merely “good enough” and is willing to pay more per print for exceptional results.
3. Epson XP-7100 Wireless Photo Printer
- Epson strongly recommends the use of genuine epson inks for a quality printing experience non epson inks and inks not formulated for your specific printer may cause damage that is not covered by the...
- This printer is designed for use with epson cartridges only, not third party cartridges or ink; cartridges described as compatible, re manufactured, refilled or refillable may not work properly or at...
The Epson XP-7100 represents a step up in office productivity features compared to the Canon G3270. While it is a cartridge-based printer (and thus has higher running costs), it addresses the G3270’s biggest weaknesses head-on. The XP-7100 features a 30-page Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) for easy multi-page scanning and copying, and it supports automatic two-sided printing, scanning, and copying. It also includes dedicated paper and photo trays for more versatile media handling. This printer is the ideal choice for a user who needs more advanced document-handling features and is willing to sacrifice the ultra-low cost-per-page of the MegaTank system to get them.
Our Final Verdict: Is the Canon PIXMA G3270 Worth It?
After extensive testing, our verdict on the Canon PIXMA G3270 MegaTank Wireless All-in-One Printer is a strong but qualified recommendation. This printer’s core strength is undeniable: the MegaTank system is a triumph, liberating users from the tyranny of expensive ink cartridges and delivering an astonishingly low cost per page. For students, families, and home offices where document and occasional color printing are the priority, the long-term savings are a massive selling point. The print quality for text is excellent, and its all-in-one capabilities make it a versatile hub for a home office.
However, the recommendation comes with two significant caveats. First, the lack of automatic duplex printing is a glaring omission that feels out of place in 2024 and can be a serious workflow impediment. Second, the wireless setup can be a frustrating hurdle for less tech-savvy users. If you primarily print single-sided documents and are comfortable troubleshooting a potential network connection issue, this printer offers phenomenal value. But if you require frequent two-sided printing or need a completely seamless setup experience, you should look elsewhere. For those who fit its profile, the G3270 is a reliable workhorse that will save you a fortune in the long run. If you’re ready to break free from the ink cartridge racket and its limitations don’t deter you, we encourage you to see the full specs and make the investment today.
Last update on 2025-11-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API