Canon PIXMA TR4520: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Canon PIXMA TR4520 right for you?

The TR4520 made fax, an automatic document feeder and auto duplex available for about 100 dollars, which is why it shows up in so many small home offices. It runs on the two-cartridge PG-243 / CL-244 system, so running costs are high and the standard cartridges are tiny; the XL versions from the PG-245 family fit and last longer. The ADF is light-duty and will mis-feed curled pages, and the mono two-line display makes error codes terse.

Best for: Tiny home offices needing the cheapest fax and ADF combination

Setting up the Canon PIXMA TR4520

Hold the Wi-Fi button until the lamp flashes and use Canon PRINT's Easy wireless connect, or enter settings from the two-line display using the number keys. Plug the phone line into the LINE jack and run the fax setup wizard to set your header and dial tone detection. Install from ij.start.canon so the IJ Scan Utility and fax driver are both added.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the ink cartridges, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use Canon's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Canon PIXMA TR4520 uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• PG-243 black
• CL-244 color
• PG-245XL / CL-246XL compatible
• UK: PG-545 / CL-546

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications