Canon Pixma iP4200 - print settings for large black (text) cartridge?

Question

Canon Pixma iP4200 - print settings for large black (text) cartridge?

I would be glad of advice as to what settings to use so that my Canon Pixma iP4200 uses its separate (for text) black ink cartridge, as opposed to its 'photo' black cartridge.

I have put screenshots of the options here:
http://homepage.mac.com/gillylal/print

Thank you very much for any advice.

G5 iMac 2GHz, Mac OS X (10.4.6), G4 iMac 800MHz

Posted on Apr 24, 2006 12:21 AM

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Answer 1

Gerardj

Level 3

955 points

May 4, 2006 1:01 AM in response to Gillylal Fordham-Lear

Click the box that says "Grayscale printing" to force the printer to ignore all color, it will the only use the pigment cartridge.

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Answer 2

May 4, 2006 1:17 AM in response to Gerardj

Thank you, but - my question wasn't clear enough - I don't need it to ignore colour but rather I need to ensure that, if my document (text only, no image) is black and white, then the large black cartridge is used.

I think, though, that I have discovered, since asking the question, that if the document isn't in colour, then the large cartridge will be used without Greyscale being selected - this is if the 'ink level information' is to be believed.

What I find puzzling, and why I don't know what to choose, is that the 4 print mode options under the Quality and Media tab don't include 'text only'.

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Answer 3

PAHU

Level 6

16,723 points

May 4, 2006 2:54 AM in response to Gillylal Fordham-Lear

Hello Gillylal,

Of the four settings listed, the best for text only printing is "Composite Document". Most of the time this will mean that black text will use the black cartidge, as opposed to using CMY to print a black equivalent. However, this can vary depending on the application and the colour value it sends to the printer for its text. PowerPoint can often send it's text data with an RGB value not quite equal to black. Therefore the printer can mix some of the other colours with the black, or use the CMY tanks to print a brownish 'black'.

As for the lack of a text only option, well this is the grayscale setting. Regardless of the colour value, only the black cartridge will be used. And if the text does have some value other than black, it will look less solid as the printer does its best to make the colour look different by using the black cartridge.

Hope this helps...

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Answer 4

May 4, 2006 3:10 AM in response to PAHU

Thanks for your input, PAHU. The thing, though, about this printer is that it has 2 black cartridges and I want to be sure to use the larger cheaper one (which, according to the documentation, is for text only), rather than the smaller 'photo' black cartridge.

Because, as I understand it, in the context of printing images (and this printer is primarily a photo printer), 'greyscale' means printing colours in different shades of grey, then I suspect that the smaller (more expensive) 'photo' black cartridge might be used if greyscale is ticked, even when there are no 'scales' of grey.

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Answer 5

PAHU

Level 6

16,723 points

May 4, 2006 3:26 AM in response to Gillylal Fordham-Lear

Hi Gillylal,

I have the iP5200 and I find that the photo black doesn't get used when Greyscale is selected, it only gets involved when you print a colour file using the 'top photo quality' option.

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