Canon PIXMA TR8620a: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Canon PIXMA TR8620a right for you?

The TR8620a is the current version of Canon's all-round home-office printer, and apart from the model suffix it is the TR8620: five individual inks, fax, a 20-sheet ADF, duplex, Ethernet and a touchscreen. It suits people who want one machine for contracts, school projects and the occasional glossy photo. Keep the printhead wet with weekly use and plan for replacement printheads to be an eventual expense on any five-ink PIXMA.

Best for: All-purpose home office printing, scanning, copying and faxing

Setting up the Canon PIXMA TR8620a

Pick the TR8600 series on ij.start.canon; the TR8620a uses the same driver as the TR8620. Ethernet is the most reliable link; if using Wi-Fi, stick to 2.4 GHz and set a DHCP reservation. Run alignment after the first ink charge and set the cassette paper size on the touchscreen so phone prints do not throw mismatch errors.

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 TR8620a uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• PGI-280 PGBK
• CLI-281 BK/C/M/Y
• XL / XXL sizes

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