# What are the differences between Canon® PGI and CLI ink cartridges?

> If you own a Canon inkjet printer, you may have noticed that their inks have either a “PGI” or “CLI” at the beginning of the cartridg...

Source: https://support.ldproducts.com/en_us/what-are-the-differences-between-canon(r)-pgi-and-cli-ink-cartridges-SkbNmF1IP

Last updated: 2021-03-10T23:29:53.429Z

If you own a Canon inkjet printer, you may have noticed that their inks have either a “PGI” or “CLI” at the beginning of the cartridge name.  Canon labels their ink cartridges in this way to reference the ink type inside a particular printer cartridge.  “PGI” stands for pigment based ink.  Pigment based ink is ideal for printing documents; providing, rich, dark text and sharp output.  Pigment ink tends to resist water and UV light better than dye-based ink, and is able to resist fading for up to 200 years.  Some popular Canon “PGI” printer cartridges include the PGI-220, PGI-225, PGI-270 and PGI-280. 

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“CLI” stands for ChromaLife, a term that Canon created for labeling it’s dye-based ink cartridges.  Dye-based ink prints bright, vibrant colors that are perfect for photo printing.  They are more economical than pigment based ink cartridges but can be susceptible to smudging, with many prints tending to fade after 25 years.  A few common “CLI” printer cartridges include the CLI-221, CLI-226, CLI-271 and CLI-281.

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