When your Canon PIXMA G6020 successfully prints black during a hardware nozzle check but refuses to print black from a word processor, it means your black print head and ink lines are physically functional. The problem lies entirely in a mismatch between your software print settings and the physical layout of the printer's two distinct black ink systems.
The Cause: Pigment vs. Dye Black
The PIXMA G6020 uses two completely different types of black ink:
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PGBK (Pigment Black): This ink is dedicated strictly to text documents printed on standard paper. The printer hardware nozzle check tests this grid directly.
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CLI (Dye Black/Color system): When you print a photo, choose high-quality photo paper, or select certain graphics settings, the printer intentionally bypasses the large PGBK tank. Instead, it creates a "composite black" by mixing its color inks or using the color printhead's dye ink.
If your word processor or print driver is telling the printer that you are printing a photo, using premium paper, or bypassing normal formatting, the computer will refuse to signal the PGBK tank, resulting in either completely blank text or faint color text.
Step 1: Correct the Media Type Settings
Word processors pass paper configuration profile commands directly to the print queue. If this is incorrect, the PGBK nozzle will not trigger.
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Open your document in your word processor and click Print.
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Click on Printer Properties, Preferences, or System Dialog (depending on your software).
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Navigate to the Main or Quick Setup tab.
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Locate Media Type and ensure it is strictly set to Plain Paper. (If it is set to Photo Paper, Glossy, or Matte, the printer will completely shut off the pigment black nozzle).
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Locate Print Quality and set it to Standard or High. Do not select "Fast" or "Draft", as this can sometimes skip certain cartridges.
Step 2: Disable Grayscale Composite Printing
Counterintuitively, checking "Grayscale" or "Black and White" can sometimes force the computer to mix color inks to create shades of gray, completely bypassing the true physical black nozzle.
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In your printer's Printing Preferences menu, check the Grayscale Printing box.
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If it is already checked, uncheck it and try printing the text natively in standard color mode. Because your text is black, a standard color command on plain paper will force the machine to utilize the true PGBK tank.
Step 3: Switch the Print Driver to Canon IJ
If the settings above look correct but the issue persists, your computer is likely using a generic Microsoft or Apple AirPrint driver. Generic drivers often fail to differentiate between the G6020's dual-ink system and try to map black text to the color head.
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On Windows: Go to your computer's Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners. Click your G6020 and select Manage. Look at the driver properties. If it says "Generic" or "Maturity Driver", go to the Official Canon Support Page to download and install the dedicated G6020 MP Drivers package.
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On Mac: Delete the printer from your System Settings > Printers & Scanners. Click Add Printer, and ensure you select the Canon IJ Series connection driver instead of the automatic AirPrint profile.
Step 4: Clear out Word Processor Formatting
Sometimes hidden document attributes block black delivery.
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Copy the text from your document.
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Paste it into a bare-bones text editor like Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac).
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Attempt to print from there. If it prints perfectly in black, your word processor has a corrupt layout, font profile, or font color setting (such as text set to an "automatic" color that is registering as a very dark blue/rich composite rather than true black).
To help target the exact solution, are you using Windows or Mac, and what specific word processor (like Microsoft Word or Google Docs) are you printing from?
