Why does the black photo ink cart get used?

[OM2]

The black thin cartridge - I think that's the photo ink cartridge - I think that's what it's called?
Why does it get used at all?

If I don't print photos, then why should any ink from it be consumed?

Yes, I print graphics - but nothing requiring intense black

Confused

How can I make sure JUST the big black one is used?
Or is that not possible?

Thanks


Omar

 

[jtoolman]

Photo Black will be used on anything you print to in color and I belive it also kicks in when doing dual sided prnting using a duplexer and typical AIO printers. Only Black Text using Plain paper setting. Aything elso and photo ink is included in the mix.

I could be wrong though! LOL!

 

[The Hat]

It will all depend on which application you use to print your documents in,
even if there is no colour in your document it will still use the photo black cartridge and not the big black one.

Confuse well you ought to be because youre not alone; it confuses the hell out of me as well..

 

[stratman]

PGI-5 Pigment Black Ink is used ONLY For:
- Plain Paper Test (monochrome and grey scale)
- Envelopes
- Transparencies
- Duplex Printing On Plain Paper
- Camera Direct Printing on Plain Paper

CLI-8 Dye-Based Color Inks are used anytime color is printed and is used exclusively for:
- All Photo Paper types (including when Duplex printing)
- High Resolution Paper
- T-shirt Transfers
- CD-R's
- All Borderless Printing, on both PhotoPaper and Plain Paper

 

[PeterBJ]

Inks from all cartridges are also used when the printhead nozzles are primed or cleaned. So even if you print only B/W documents on plain paper using only PGBK, you will see that inks from all cartridges are used.

The printer cleans/primes the nozzles when a cleaning is asked for from the maintenance, and when changing cartridges. But it also cleans the nozzles at start up, so leaving your printer always turned on, will reduce ink usage. The printer firmware/driver also have counters and timers, that will also clean the nozzles at some interval. The cleaning is necessary to keep the printhead in good working order, all inkjet printers do this.

For an older printer like the Pixma 5200 the ink usage both in printing and cleaning is described in detail in the service manual. For those who want to study this ink usage in detail, you find links to the service manual and parts catalog for the Pixma 5200 here, I have just checked the links, and they still work: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=46779#p46779