Frequently Asked Questions

• How many pages does the PGI-220PGBK print?

  It is rated at up to 350 pages — the cartridge supplier's rating — Canon published no official yield table for this family. Page counts are measured on standard test pages at around 5% coverage, so your own yield moves with what you print: dense photos use far more ink than text.

• Which printers take the PGI-220PGBK?

  It fits Canon PIXMA iP3600, Canon PIXMA iP4600, Canon PIXMA iP4700, Canon PIXMA MP560 and 6 more. The complete verified list is in the Compatible Printers section on this page — check your model there before ordering.

• What is the difference between the two blacks in this family?

  The pigment black is the document tank: it prints sharp, water-resistant text and is the black your letters and reports come from. Both tanks sit in the printer at the same time and each is replaced on its own schedule.

• Does this cartridge have a chip?

  Yes — a new compatible chip that reports ink levels to the printer, so the low-ink warnings keep working. It is not a refilled original shell with a reset chip.

• Can I mix this cartridge with genuine Canon cartridges?

  Yes. Each slot is read independently, so a compatible tank beside genuine Canon tanks (or the other way round) prints normally — you can switch one color at a time.

• My printer shows a message after installing — what do I do?

  Acknowledge the on-screen message, reseat the cartridge until it clicks, and restart the printer. If the message persists, wipe the gold chip contacts with a dry lint-free cloth and reinstall.

• Is this a genuine Canon PGI-220PGBK?

  No. It is a Clever Supplies compatible cartridge built to the PGI-220PGBK specification and covered by our lifetime warranty. It is not manufactured by Canon; the Canon name appears only to identify the printers it fits.

• What if the cartridge leaks, is not recognized or prints badly?

  Stop and contact us — do not keep printing on a faulty cartridge. The lifetime warranty covers recognition failures, leaks and print-quality defects: we replace the cartridge or refund you, and returns are free for the first year.

• My letters have started to look faded — is this the tank to check first?

  Yes. The PGI-220PGBK is the document tank in this family: it lays down the sharp, water-resistant text your letters and reports are printed with, so fading or washed-out text points at this cartridge rather than at the dye black beside it, which serves a different purpose. Print a plain text page and judge that; if the text is pale while color output still looks normal, this pigment tank is the one running low. Rocking a genuinely empty tank will not restore it — once the level warning and the pale text agree, replace the PGI-220PGBK.

• How do I avoid ordering the wrong black for this printer?

  Read the marking on the tank you take out rather than relying on the word "black" in a listing. This family carries two different black cartridges side by side, and they are not interchangeable: the one that prints your documents is stamped PGI-220PGBK, with PGBK marking it as the pigment tank. Match that full code when you reorder — the printer model name alone cannot tell the two blacks apart, because the same machine uses both. If the outgoing tank says PGI-220PGBK, this is the correct replacement, and the chip on the new tank will report its levels as soon as it clicks in.