SKU:

CS-CN-42-LGY

Condition:

New (compatible)

OEM Part #:

CLI-42

Color:

Photo Gray

Ink Type:

Dye

Page Yield:

835 pages

Chip:

Yes — new compatible chip

Warranty:

Lifetime Warranty

Returns:

1 Year

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the lightest ink in the system actually for?

This CLI-42 Photo Gray cartridge — the light gray of the family — handles the tones closest to white in the Canon PIXMA PRO-100. Highlight detail in a wedding dress, pale sky, mist, or a bright portrait background is built from this diluted gray. Without it, near-white areas print blank or grainy.

How is Photo Gray different from the regular Gray beside it?

CLI-42 Gray is the deeper midtone step; this light gray is the final, palest step before white. In a black-and-white print, gray shapes shadows and the middle, while Photo Gray keeps highlights luminous and smooth. They occupy different slots and run out independently, so replace each on its own reading.

Why is this tank rated at 835 pages, higher than most colors?

The rating is about 835 pages. Highlight tones use small ink volumes per test page, so a light ink's standardized rating reads high next to saturated colors. Real use varies: a high-key portrait series draws it down much faster than dark, moody work. Read the number as a comparison figure, not a promise.

Which printer takes it, and where does it install?

Only the Canon PIXMA PRO-100, listed under Compatible Printers on this page. Install it in the light gray slot, not the gray one; the tanks are labeled differently for a reason, and swapping their roles would distort the tonal scale. Match the label on the removed tank whenever you are unsure.

What do highlights look like when this tank is nearly empty?

The brightest parts lose fine detail first. Pale skies go flat and slightly patchy, bright skin highlights turn chalky, and white-to-gray ramps develop a visible step where the light ink gave out. If a print looks harsh in its brightest quarter while shadows stay fine, check this level before anything else.

Is Photo Gray only useful for black-and-white printing?

No. In color work it supports the palest neutral areas — fog over a landscape, white products on light backgrounds, bright overcast light — keeping them clean instead of tinted. It works alongside CLI-42 Photo Cyan and CLI-42 Photo Magenta, the faint color highlights. Color photographers use it slowly, but its absence still shows.

Will the printer recognize it and report the level for this slot?

Yes. A new compatible chip is fitted, and the PRO-100 reports this tank's level normally. Should a Canon firmware update trigger a recognition warning, reseat the cartridge and restart the printer; that resolves most cases. If it still will not print, the lifetime warranty covers a replacement or a refund.

Should I stock a spare, or buy the complete set instead?

For monochrome and high-key work, a sealed spare prevents a stalled session, and spares store well upright at room temperature. If several slots are also low, the CLI-42 Set of 8 refreshes all eight at once — this light gray, CLI-42 Black, and every color. If only this level is low, buy the single.

What protection comes with this light gray cartridge?

The Clever Supplies Lifetime Warranty covers leaking, recognition failure, and poor print quality, with replacement or refund, and returns are open for 1 year. It is a compatible cartridge built to the CLI-42 specification with dye ink, not a Canon original. A print problem traced to this cartridge will never be your loss.