Using Canon ip4200 without pigment black?

[FordPrefect]

Can you use the Canon ip4200 without pigment black? I want to buy it then use refill kits to cheaply refill the 4 dye based cartridges but it will cost a lot more if I have to buy a new pigment black every time.

 

[Manuchau]

Why not just use a pigmented black ink designed for your ip 4200?

 

[fotofreek]

Manushau"s advice is right - and you can buy aftermarket pigmented black ink for the printer as well as the dye-based inks for refilling.

 

[Tin Ho]

You can refill PGI-5 of ip4200 with dye based black ink. But you will need pigments in the ink if you want your text to be waterproof.

 

[maverick]

From what I gather, the pigmented ink is used mainly(solely?) for text printing and seems to develop the worst clogs (hardest to clean out). If this is the case, and one doesn't need waterproof or archival ink, the switch to dye ink seems to makes sense to me. Mind you, dye based blacks for text printing is common and has never caused me any grief before.

Although, I can help but wonder about text crispness with the dye instead of the pigmented since the printer was designed for pigment text. Anyone has thoughts or experience on the matter?

If switching to dye based ink for the black what procedure do you recommend. Would inserting a dye based black and running a few cleaning cycles be OK or should one flush out all pigment ink. If so what would be the recommended method for flushing?