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I am curious why my Canon printer, an MG6320 (but I have also seen this on MG5320 and MG5220), requires me to use two black ink cartridges, one labeled BK and the other labeled PGBK. When I do a nozzle check, the one labeled BK prints a grid, while the one labeled PGBK prints a black rectangle. Which one is used for which purpose?

gparyani
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2 Answers2

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The PGBK (PaGe BlacK or PiGmented BlacK) ink does not adhere well to coated stock.

So that ink is used for regular printed documents.

In contrast, the BK cartridge holds dye-based black ink that is designed to last longer and retain its color longer when printed on coated photo paper.

So it is used for photos.

Source

Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007
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Asked: Which one is used for which purpose? two blacks, two diff purposes.

  • One will have more nozzles being able to print more area and FASTER than the other.
  • One will have better resolution, that will be used for high resolution images and used depending the paper you select.
  • One will use diff ink than the other, giving best results for graphics and text, while the other will be used for photos, and yes both will look VERY different on high resolution paper, specially coated paper, one will look opaque, the other won't.

Why gray ink? to increase resolution in certain ranges. Not every gray can be created equal with black ink, CMY or CMY+K ink, some printers need gray just as some other printers need light cyan, light magenta, etc.

The previous addresses exactly what you ask. Why some printers have it and some doesn't? because that was your personal choice and they were created to expand features. Yes you can get away with a printer having CMY and just one black, but in the long run they produce very... very different results.

Hector R.
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