Canon Megatank G3290 Review | Best Budget Megatank Printer
The Canon MegaTank PIXMA G3290 is a wireless all-in-one inkjet printer designed for people who print frequently and want to avoid the recurring expense of ink cartridges. Part of Canon’s MegaTank lineup, the G3290 replaces traditional cartridges with large, refillable ink tanks that can deliver thousands of pages before refilling. This design targets students, small business, and home offices that deal with steady print volumes and want predictable, low running costs without stepping up to an office-class machine.
Unlike entry-level inkjet printers that emphasize a low purchase price but quickly become expensive to maintain, the G3290 is built around long-term value. It combines print, scan, and copy functions in a single unit and adds practical features such as automatic duplex printing, a 2.7-inch color touchscreen, and broad mobile printing support. In this Canon MegaTank G3290 Review, we take a close look at how well it handles everyday printing tasks, how its performance stacks up for home use, and whether its ink-tank system truly delivers on the promise of lower costs over time.
- Refillable MegaTank system keeps ink costs very low
- Auto duplex (automatic two-sided) printing
- 2.7″ color touchscreen makes walk-up use easier
- Reliable wireless + mobile printing for phones/tablets
- Strong everyday output for text, color docs, and casual photos
- No ADF (multi-page scanning/copying is manual)
- Not a speed-focused printer for heavy office workloads
- Larger footprint than many cartridge-based home printers
- Touchscreen menus can feel basic compared to pricier models
We chose the Canon MegaTank G3290 because it delivers a rare combination of exceptionally low running costs, practical everyday features, and solid print quality in a budget-friendly all-in-one printers. The refillable MegaTank ink system stands out dramatically compared with traditional cartridge-based printers, allowing thousands of pages before you need to replace ink — a big advantage for students, small office, or home offices that print regularly.
Beyond low per-page cost, the G3290 also includes automatic two-sided printing and a 2.7-inch color touchscreen, features you don’t always find at this price point. These details make daily tasks like printing homework packets, color documents, or scans more convenient without adding complexity. With broad wireless and mobile support, it fits easily into today’s phone-and-tablet-first workflows. Overall, the G3290 struck the right balance of value, usability, and performance for high-volume home printing.
The Canon MegaTank G3290 is best suited for homes, students, and small home offices that print frequently and want to keep long-term ink costs as low as possible. It’s an excellent choice for families managing schoolwork, teachers printing lesson materials, or users who regularly handle forms, worksheets, handouts, and color documents and don’t want to deal with constant cartridge replacements.
Thanks to its wireless connectivity, mobile printing support, and touchscreen controls, the G3290 also works well for multi-device households where printing from phones, tablets, and laptops is common. Users who appreciate the convenience of automatic two-sided printing will find it especially practical for everyday document printing.
However, it’s not aimed at users who need high-speed office output, multi-page scanning with an ADF, or professional photo printing. For those needs, a more office-class or photo-focused printer would be a better fit.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Brand | Canon |
| Model | Canon MegaTank PIXMA G3290 |
| Printer Type | All-in-One Wireless Supertank Inkjet Printer |
| Functions | Print, Scan, Copy |
| Printing Technology | Inkjet (MegaTank / Refillable Ink Tanks) |
| Printer Output | Color |
| Display | 2.7-inch Color Touchscreen LCD |
| Automatic Duplex Printing | Yes (Automatic Two-Sided Printing) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, USB |
| Mobile Printing | Canon PRINT app, Apple AirPrint, Mopria |
| Ink System | Refillable MegaTank Ink Reservoirs |
| Rated Ink Yield | Up to ~6,000 black / ~7,700 color pages (approx.) |
| Scanner Type | Flatbed Color Scanner |
| Scan Resolution | Up to 600 × 1200 dpi (optical) |
| Print Resolution | Up to 4800 × 1200 dpi |
| Paper Input Capacity | Up to 100 sheets (plain paper) |
| Supported Media Types | Plain paper, Glossy paper, Matte paper, Photo paper, Envelopes |
| Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) | No |
| Color | Black |
Design & Build Quality
The Canon MegaTank G3290 has a larger footprint than most cartridge-based home printers, mainly due to its integrated ink tanks. While it takes up more desk space, the trade-off feels reasonable given the increased ink capacity and reduced maintenance. The matte black finish is understated and practical, blending easily into home offices or shared spaces without drawing attention.
Build quality is solid for its class. Panels and trays feel stable, and the printer doesn’t flex or creak during use. The front-mounted 2.7-inch color touchscreen adds convenience for walk-up tasks and is easy to read, even though the interface prioritizes function over visual polish.
Setup & Ease of Use
Initial setup is slightly more involved than cartridge printers due to the ink-tank filling process, but Canon makes it manageable. The ink bottles are clearly labeled and designed to fit only the correct tank, minimizing mess. Once filled, the printer completes a short initialization process before it’s ready to use.
Wireless setup is straightforward using either the touchscreen or Canon PRINT app. Everyday operation is simple, with intuitive menu navigation and reliable mobile printing. Even users unfamiliar with ink-tank printers should find the G3290 easy to manage after initial setup.
Print Quality & Performance
Text printing is a strong point for the G3290. Black text appears dark and well defined on plain paper, with clean edges that remain legible even at smaller font sizes. Multi-page documents such as reports, worksheets, and forms maintain consistent ink density from start to finish.
For typical home workloads, performance is dependable rather than fast. The printer handles mixed text and light graphics smoothly, though print speeds slow slightly on higher-quality settings. Overall, the G3290 focuses more on clarity and consistency than raw output speed.
Color & Graphics Output
Color graphics are well balanced for everyday use. Charts, presentations, and school projects print with accurate colors and smooth gradients, avoiding overly saturated or washed-out tones. Diagrams and shaded areas remain clear, making the printer suitable for instructional materials and casual business documents.
While it isn’t designed for professional graphic design, color output meets expectations for a home ink-tank printer. Results are reliable across plain and specialty papers, providing consistent quality for common household and student printing needs.
Photo Printing Performance
Photo printing is solid for casual use, especially when using glossy or photo paper. Images show good color accuracy and reasonable contrast, producing pleasing results for family photos, school projects, and occasional creative prints.
On plain paper, photos appear softer with reduced detail, which is expected for this class of printer. While it can’t replace a dedicated photo printer, the G3290 delivers dependable photo output for users who want occasional prints without investing in specialized hardware.
Speed & Duplex Performance
The Canon MegaTank G3290 is rated at approximately 11 ipm (black) and 6 ipm (color) under standard conditions. These speeds are typical for ink-tank printers focused on efficiency rather than office-class throughput. Single-page documents start printing quickly, while longer jobs proceed at a steady pace.
Automatic duplex printing works reliably and helps reduce paper usage on multi-page documents. Two-sided printing naturally takes longer than single-sided output, but the convenience outweighs the modest speed reduction for everyday home printing.
Copy & Scan Performance
Copying and scanning are handled through a flatbed scanner, which delivers clean and accurate results for documents and photos. Copies maintain good contrast and sizing, making them suitable for forms, worksheets, and personal records.
Scanning quality is sufficient for archiving and sharing, though scanning multiple pages requires manual placement since there’s no ADF. For occasional copy and scan tasks, performance is dependable, even if it’s not designed for heavy document digitization.
Ink & Running Costs
Low running cost is the G3290’s biggest advantage. Canon rates the MegaTank system for up to around 6,000 black and 7,700 color pages per ink set, dramatically reducing cost per page compared with cartridge printers. This makes it ideal for frequent printing.
Refilling ink is straightforward once familiar with the process, and replacement bottles are far more economical than cartridges. For students, families, and home offices with regular print demands, the long-term savings are substantial.
Connectivity & Compatibility
The G3290 supports Wi-Fi wireless printing and USB connections, covering most home and small-office setups. Mobile printing is handled through the Canon PRINT app, along with support for AirPrint and Mopria, allowing easy printing from smartphones and tablets.
Compatibility with Windows and macOS is solid, and setup across devices is painless. While there’s no Ethernet port, wireless performance is stable enough for everyday multi-device households.
Canon MegaTank G3290 vs Epson EcoTank ET-2800
Both the Canon MegaTank G3290 and the Epson EcoTank ET-2800 are entry-level ink-tank all-in-one printers designed for users who want very low running costs and cartridge-free printing. They target similar home and student workloads, but their feature sets and day-to-day usability differ in ways that can make one a better choice depending on how often and how you print.
Canon MegaTank G3290
The Canon MegaTank G3290 focuses on convenience and everyday efficiency. It includes a 2.7-inch color touchscreen, which makes walk-up copying, scanning, and settings adjustments far easier than button-only interfaces. The G3290 also supports automatic duplex printing, allowing two-sided documents to be printed without manual page flipping — a major advantage for homework packets, reports, and multi-page documents. Its MegaTank ink system delivers high page yields, while Canon’s color output tends to be slightly richer for graphics and casual photo printing. Overall, the G3290 is better equipped for feature-driven home use where ease of control and paper savings matter.
Epson EcoTank ET-2800
The Epson EcoTank ET-2800 takes a more basic, document-focused approach. It uses a refillable EcoTank ink system with similarly low running costs, but relies on physical buttons instead of a touchscreen and does not support automatic duplex printing. Printing two-sided documents requires manual page reloading, which can slow down workflows. The ET-2800 is compact and known for consistent text printing, making it suitable for users who mainly print single-sided documents and prefer a simpler interface without advanced controls or extra features.
| Feature | Canon MegaTank G3290 | Epson EcoTank ET-2800 |
|---|---|---|
| Printer Type | All-in-One Ink-Tank (Print / Copy / Scan) | All-in-One Ink-Tank (Print / Copy / Scan) |
| Ink System | Canon MegaTank (refillable tanks) | Epson EcoTank (refillable tanks) |
| Display & Controls | 2.7″ Color Touchscreen | Physical buttons (no touchscreen) |
| Automatic Duplex Printing | Yes (auto 2-sided) | No (manual duplex only) |
| Mobile Printing | Canon PRINT app, AirPrint, Mopria | Epson iPrint, AirPrint, Mopria |
| Wireless Connectivity | Wi-Fi, USB | Wi-Fi, USB |
| Rated Ink Yield | Up to ~6,000 black / ~7,700 color pages | Up to ~4,500 black / ~7,500 color pages |
| Print Quality Focus | Stronger color output and graphics | Very consistent text printing |
| Ease of Walk-Up Use | Easier (touchscreen interface) | Basic (button navigation) |
| Best For | Homes/students wanting duplex + easy control | Basic single-sided document printing |
Why the Canon MegaTank G3290 Is the Better Option
The Canon MegaTank G3290 stands out because it offers more usable features without sacrificing ink economy. The combination of a touchscreen interface, automatic two-sided printing, and strong wireless support makes it more versatile for everyday home and student use. For users who print frequently and want both low long-term costs and better convenience, the G3290 is the more well-rounded choice in this comparison.
Ready To Buy?: Canon MegaTank G3290 Final Verdict
The Canon MegaTank PIXMA G3290 is an excellent choice for users who print frequently and want to minimize long-term ink expenses. Its refillable ink-tank system, automatic duplex printing, and touchscreen controls make it more practical than most cartridge-based home printers.
While it lacks features like an automatic document feeder and isn’t built for high-speed office output, those trade-offs are reasonable given its low running costs. As highlighted in this Canon MegaTank G3290 Review, it’s a strong long-term investment for home users focused on value and everyday reliability.
