Canon: why are there two black ink tanks?

PGBK and BK have different jobs, so a smaller black tank can have a different page yield.

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The PIXMA TS6120 uses a PGI-280 PGBK tank and a separate CLI-281 BK tank. They are different supplies, even though both print black.

What the two blacks do

PGBK is the pigment-black supply used mainly for text documents.
BK is the dye-black supply used mainly with the other colors for photographs and illustrations.
The printer chooses inks according to the paper type and print settings. One black does not take over when the other runs out.

Replace the tank named on the screen. Keep every required tank installed, and match PGBK or BK on the slot rather than choosing by color alone.

Technical references