2011
How to use the other black ink cartridge when one is empty on your Canon Pixma MX850 Printer!
My Canon Pixma MX850 printer is one of the Canon series that uses the 4 small CLI-8 color cartridges (black, yellow, blue and magenta) and then has the large PGI-5 black cartridge, which is what the printer uses when printing regular black and white text. The smaller CLI-8 black cartridge is only used for printing photos and colored documents that require black coloration… now, in the world that us simple folk live in, you would think that if one black runs out, it would use the other black as a backup, right? Not so my friends, the Canon doesn’t use that kind of logic and there’s no way to bypass it within the printer’s menu. BUT FEAR NOT! With a couple of clicks, you can trick the printer in to using the other cartridge.
First off, this applies to when your large black cartridge is empty… the one used for printing standard black and white documents. So if you’re printing out your thesis at 4AM when everything is closed and run out of ink mid-way through, this will save your ink-starved derriere! Here’s how to force the printer to use the smaller ink cartridge:
- Click on print to get the print options window in whatever program you’re using… This is the window where you normally select the printer you want to use, how many copies etc.
- Within that window, you should see a link, button or icon that allows you to adjust the printer settings, such as paper, paper source, ink use etc.
- Switch the paper type from regular paper to “high resolution paper”.
- Click OK and close the settings window.
- Print your document.
- Post a comment on this post telling me if it worked.
- Mail me
your underweara check.
Hope that helps someone out there! It saved my ass last weekend when I had to print tickets with barcodes 20 minutes before leaving for the St. Sauveur Aquapark!
Dan
Great suggestion. It Worked. Thanks!
Mate you are a SAVIOUR! I have been trying to get around this problem for a LONG time! Annoying how the thing doesn’t even let you scan things if it runs out of ink, even send a fax, totally ridiculous, ink expensive and wish i had NEVER bought it.
Badly need to send off some documents so a big thanks!
Glad to help guys
hey man, thanks a bunch
been having one of those ‘have to print something out in 10 mins but not enough time to get to printer shop’ crises! and im all good now 
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! It worked perfectly!!!!!
Thanks, very useful – a great way to save!
it worked, thanks a lot!!!!
Genius, thanks
Legend, Thanks
I also had to pretend I had replaced the cartridge by taking it out and putting it back in before it would print.
HERO
I love you more than anyone else in the whole world.
You are a life saver…. THANK YOU!
Can anyone tell me if there is a way to do the inverse? I have used up the smalll cartridge and need it to use the large one..
awesome! finally a solution! thank you
you are a life saver!
*kisses with tongues*
woooohooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Will you marry me?
Perfect fix for my problem awesome.
This is a great workaround for those “must print” situations. I’ve been searching for this kind of solution for a while. Thanks!
Dan, my MX850 will print only in green when printing out .pdf files or from the web. Any ideas what is wrong? Thank you Canon guru!
Hi found a way from following your instructions to force printer to use the large black cartridge if the small black has run out.
1. Change printer settings on pc to high resolution (I also changed to greyscale although this may make no difference so might not be needed)
2. Hold down the “stop” for 5 secs to reset the printer
This is as you say only a temporary fix to get you out of trouble.
Thanks for you efforts
you are the man!
Thanks so much
Worked perfectly! You rock! Thanks for posting!
you are brilliant. thank you!
Does this work with other printers ie HP 309g?
I imagine it would, give it a shot.. just change from normal paper to photo paper and then if that fails try photo paper with highest quality print out.
Dan,
Thanks a million! I can’t tell you how much time this simple fix save me today!
Cheers,
Brandon
OH MY GOD THANK YOUUUUUUU!!!
It did not work for me. I have a Canon MX850 printer.
Just make sure you select high resolution paper or one of the photo paper options and it should work fine.
My printer was printing a blank page even though I had a FULL black cartridge, one of five. Along the lines you suggested, I had to selected ‘Photo Printing’, as opposed to ‘Standard’ and it worked. THANKS… Junior was able to print out his homework and hand it in.
These printers now days are a total scam. Just another tip.. when my printer (Cannon MX880) says I’m out of ink, it stops printing and you feel like you want to cancel, but if I give it a few minutes, it starts printing and most of the time, the print looks good. It’s a total fake out scam, they just want to through away full cartridges and buy new. When are teachers going to accept emailed assignments for god sakes!!!
Oh…my…god. Needed lyrics and a setlist for a gig. Ran out of blue and magenta when all I needed was BLACK ink (which I had PLENTY of). Followed instructions…loaded paper into the back tray and BAM! You just saved my musician in a cover band career!
Thanks, you saved my day!
Glad to help guys
Nice! It works for the ix6520 too.
OMG….I can’t thank you enough!!!! Made a late late night run to Walmart at 1am only to be disappointed by them being out of ink
I am so thankful that you made this post…..thank you!!!!!
Yes, you totally saved my derriere. Thank you
Genius! There’s a blockage on the printer head of my large black which means there are white strips all over my printout; you solved it. So here’s another solution I found; this works on my iP4000 but might work on other Canons too. Select-all your document and give it a faintly coloured background; if you go into custom colours you can give it a background so faint that it doesn’t actually print! This tricks the printer into using the colour head for the printout instead of the large mono head. Obviously it works best in Word docs, but if you get some cheap pdf editing software you could do it to pdfs as well perhaps.
Was in a bind and needed my printer to print just 1 sheet asap! Thanks so much!
Actually, my problem was the other way around. All of my small cartridges were empty, except the big black one( which my printer doesn’t use alot of). There was absolutely nothing in the small black one. I followed your instructions, and it still worked for me. What a save and a relief from tons of trouble!
Fantastic! I used your info and was finally able to get my Canon MX 860 to print. I can’t figure out why the printer will not (until using your trick) print using black ink. The colored inks are fine, just no black. All cartridges are new. From everything I’ve read … perhaps the large black nozzle is clogged. Any suggestions? The problem just came up suddenly. Thanks for your tip.
Thannnnkkkkksssssss so much I’m working on my capstone i was about to have a heart attack. Such a life saver
THANK YOU! I ran out of black ink and needed to print few shipping labels with bar-codes. I could pay for shipping in person but when printed on-line delivery confirmation is included for free with USPS First Class (eBay specifically). I tried saving labels to .pdf with “CutePDF Writer” and changing color with Photoshop to dark blue, but it was not sharp print so I doubt it would be scanned right. This is a GREAT tip you shared. Also, my printer is HP but it had option for highest resolution so I used that option and photo (highest) quality paper settings while printing on plain paper. Worked great!
You’re very welcome guys, glad to help out
Here is another scenario: I want to print a document in BW. There is ink in the large BW cartridge, but two of the color cartridges are out (magenta and yellow). Printer is refusing to print since “ink may have run out” and pointing to Magenta and Yellow. I am trying to print in Greyscale. Any suggestions?
Hi guys,
Did you know you can get generic cartridges, at a 1/5 of the original’s price?
Great ! Even works in Lao PDR with a MG5170 printer.
this really sucks beef
No but I have an MP970 =(
Praise. Jesus. You just saved the world from a loud shrieking scream.
thanks so much, saved my a$$ today.I had to print tickets with barcodes for the aquarium today.
worked for me canon mx860
Thank you so much!!! I have been trying to figure this out for months now! You are AWESOME!!!!
GENIUS!! I had to replace a brand new PGI-5 black cartridge with my empty one to get anything to print. For some reason my new PGI-5 black cartridge won’t work and I have no idea why. Thanks for the help!!
Thank you!!!!!
you saved my ass, this works on Canon mx870, thank you thank you thank you
Ha! This is so cool, glad to help out so many ppl that were on the brink of tossing their printer or PC out the window
Thanks man! One relieved girlfriend got her boarding card just in time
What a lifesaver!!! Thank you very much for sharing. This worked on an HP 7525.
WUUUHUUUU