# What's the difference between black ink and photo black ink?

> A number of inkjet printers require both a black ink cartridge and a photo black ink cartridge. Many people ask if these cartridges can be used interch...

Source: https://support.ldproducts.com/en_us/what's-the-difference-between-black-ink-and-photo-black-ink-BkOS7Fy8P

Last updated: 2022-04-01T23:21:38.836Z

A number of inkjet printers require both a black ink cartridge and a photo black ink cartridge.  Many people ask if these cartridges can be used interchangeably, or if your printer will work if one of the cartridges is installed and not the other.  The short answer is, no.  If your printer requires both types of cartridges, you will need them both for the machine to work properly.  The main difference between the two is the type of ink that's inside the cartridge.  

**A regular black ink cartridge uses pigment based ink, and is typically used to print black and white text.** 

**A photo black ink cartridge is designed specifically for photo printing.  It uses a dye based ink, which helps produce more defined shades of black when printing a photo.**

Many HP photo printers, like the HP Photosmart 7510, require both a black and photo black cartridge.  If your inkjet printer has 5 cartridge slots, there is a good chance it requires black cartridge and a photo black cartridge.  Make sure to double check your printer manual before you go out and buy a cartridge you won't need.  HP photo black cartridges include a small camera icon on the box for easy reference.