Canon CLI-65 Gray and Photo Cyan: Picking Ink for B&W Prints
By Firstcall Photographic | Published: 2026-11-04
Category: Buying Guides
Gray ink carries the neutral tones in black-and-white printing, while photo cyan mostly serves colour work. Here is how to decide which CLI-65 cartridge to buy for your PIXMA PRO-200.
Quick answer
For black-and-white work on the Canon PIXMA PRO-200, the Canon CLI-65 Gray cartridge is the one to prioritise: it supplies the gray ink that produces neutral tones and smooth gradations. The CLI-65 Photo Cyan cartridge is a colour ink and mainly matters when you print colour or tinted images, so buy it only if your colour output needs it.
Why gray ink matters more than photo cyan for monochrome
A monochrome print is built from neutral tones, and the CLI-65 GY cartridge is the dedicated gray ink in the PIXMA PRO-200 set. Canon states that it helps produce smooth gradations and neutral gray tones, which is exactly the job you want an ink to do when colour casts are the enemy.
Photo cyan is a colour ink. Nothing in the supplied catalog describes it as a monochrome ink, so treat it as a colour-printing consumable rather than a black-and-white one. If your printing is mostly B&W, your ink budget should follow the gray cartridge first.
The trade-off: one printer, two different ink priorities
The PIXMA PRO-200 uses both cartridges, so this is not an either/or purchase in the long run. The decision is about which one you restock first and which one you keep as a spare. A photographer who prints a mix of colour and monochrome will eventually need both; a dedicated monochrome printer will run through gray far faster than photo cyan.
There is also a practical limit to what the catalog tells you. Canon's supplied facts do not include page yields or ink volumes for either cartridge, so you cannot calculate a precise cost per print from this listing alone. Plan your restocking around how often you actually print in each mode rather than around a yield figure that is not published here.
When photo cyan still earns its place
If you print colour photographs, landscapes, or images with cool shadows and skies, the CLI-65 Photo Cyan is part of the colour set and belongs in your drawer. The supplied facts describe it as delivering vibrant, true-to-life prints in the PIXMA PRO-200, which is a colour-printing benefit, not a monochrome one.
The exception worth naming: if you only ever print black and white, buying photo cyan now is stock you may not use for a long time. Buy it when a colour job is actually on your calendar.
Decision rules for buying CLI-65 ink
- You print mostly black and white: Buy the Canon CLI-65 Gray cartridge first and keep a spare on hand. It is the ink tied to neutral gray tones and smooth gradations in the PIXMA PRO-200. Treat gray as your primary consumable, not an occasional top-up.
- You print colour photographs regularly: Add the Canon CLI-65 Photo Cyan cartridge to your order alongside gray, because it is a colour ink for vibrant colour output. Colour printing is the trigger for buying photo cyan, not monochrome printing.
- You are unsure which cartridge is low: Check the printer's ink status before ordering. The catalog does not publish yields, so the printer's own indicator is the reliable guide to what needs replacing. Order against the printer's status, not against an assumed page count.
- You want to avoid cast-prone monochrome prints: Keep the gray cartridge genuine and installed rather than substituting a colour cartridge for monochrome work; the supplied facts describe the gray ink as the one for neutral tones. Genuine gray ink is the safer choice for neutral B&W output.
Product facts at a glance
- Canon Ink Jet Cartridge CLI-65 PC - Photo Cyan: Genuine Canon CLI-65 Photo Cyan cartridge designed for the PIXMA PRO-200. It is a colour ink, so it supports colour prints rather than the neutral tones of black-and-white work.
Canon Ink Jet Cartridge CLI-65 PC - Photo Cyan - Canon Ink Jet Cartridge CLI-65 GY - Gray: Genuine Canon CLI-65 GY gray cartridge for the PIXMA PRO-200, described as helping produce smooth gradations and neutral gray tones. This is the cartridge that directly serves monochrome printing, making it the first restock for B&W users.
Canon Ink Jet Cartridge CLI-65 GY - Gray
Who should buy which cartridge
Best for
- Photographers printing black-and-white work on the Canon PIXMA PRO-200 who need neutral gray tones
- PIXMA PRO-200 owners who print a mix of colour and monochrome and want both cartridges on the shelf
Not for
- Printers other than the Canon PIXMA PRO-200, since these cartridges are designed for that model
- Buyers looking for a single cartridge to cover all printing, because gray and photo cyan serve different colour roles
