Long term storage for Canon printer? I have a new Canon Pro-100 printer and will be enjoying it's use for the summer and into the fall. In the winter I will be part of the annual...

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

I have a new Canon Pro-100 printer and will be enjoying it's use for the summer and into the fall. In the winter I will be part of the annual snowbird migration for retired folks. My printer will sit idle for three or four months.

What is the best way to store it and its 8 ink cartridges?

Thanks.

Bill

EstherP

bsprague wrote:

I have a new Canon Pro-100 printer and will be enjoying it's use for the summer and into the fall. In the winter I will be part of the annual snowbird migration for retired folks. My printer will sit idle for three or four months.

What is the best way to store it and its 8 ink cartridges?

Thanks.

Bill

I tried to look it up for you, but can't access the manual as it is a file for Mac.
so, have you checked the manual to see if it says anything about storage?
Common sense would tell me: room-temperature, dry, electricity disconnected. Maybe covered with a towel or inside a large plastic bag to keep the dust off.

EstherP

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

bsprague wrote:

I have a new Canon Pro-100 printer and will be enjoying it's use for the summer and into the fall. In the winter I will be part of the annual snowbird migration for retired folks. My printer will sit idle for three or four months.

What is the best way to store it and its 8 ink cartridges?

Thanks.

Bill

I think the opened ink cartridges would be your main concern, and here's a link.

http://www.inktechnologies.com/blog/how-to-store-open-inkjet-cartridges/

As for the printer itself, I would say clean it, cover it, and store it in a cool, dry place. There might be more info online.

JR1 Loc: Tavistock, Devon, UK

DO NOT remove the cartridges as the HEAD will dry out leaving clogged nozzels which are a devil to clean again, just leave.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

EstherP wrote:

I tried to look it up for you, but can't access the manual as it is a file for Mac.
so, have you checked the manual to see if it says anything about storage?
Common sense would tell me: room-temperature, dry, electricity disconnected. Maybe covered with a towel or inside a large plastic bag to keep the dust off.

EstherP

Esther,

I have searched the manual that came on the disk, the Canon support site and Googled some. I found nothing. So either it is a non-issue that I've obsessed over or nobody knows!

Thanks for your reply and effort.

Bill

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

jerryc41 wrote:

I think the opened ink cartridges would be your main concern, and here's a link.

http://www.inktechnologies.com/blog/how-to-store-open-inkjet-cartridges/

As for the printer itself, I would say clean it, cover it, and store it in a cool, dry place. There might be more info online.

Jerry,

I have a low cost HP similar to the one in that article. In that case, you can change from "regular" to "photo" ink cartridges. So, buy definition, you may always have a partially used cartridge out of the printer.

Thanks for the reply!

Bill

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

JR1 wrote:

DO NOT remove the cartridges as the HEAD will dry out leaving clogged nozzels which are a devil to clean again, just leave.

JR,

I have left other, ordinary printers alone for months. Worst case was that I had to replace a cartridge sometimes.

The reason I posted the question for this particular printer is that it uses 8 cartridges at about $18 each!

Thanks for your reply.

Bill

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Thanks all for the help. t sounds like the best choice is to leave the printer alone with a dust cover over it.

FWIW, my first few color prints on this printer are making me happy. I've read that not all owners love the B&W output, but most do.

It has been a long time since I tried to make "wall hangers". I've stumbled on what seems an affordable approach. Ikea has a frame with a cut matte and glass called RIBBA that takes advantage of almost all the 13" x 19" print. The frame is $15. With paper and ink the print is about $3. So for a little under $20 I get something suitable to hang on the wall.

For the printing process, I worked out a Lightroom preset to match (as closely as possible) the RIBBA cut matte dimensions.

Canon is pushing this printer pretty hard now. If you find it on sale and apply the current rebate, you can get it for about the price of a set of cartridges. One person on another forum posted she bought two. The second was to provide her first set of replacement cartridges!

Bill

Searcher Loc: Kent, England

I was told by Kodak to always leave the power switched on so the printer can occaisionally squirt ink through the print head. (Prior to this conversation I had got through 2 print heads through drying up.) I don't know if this applies to Canon printers, but both my Lexmark and Kodak printers now stand for a few weeks at a time without a problem. It does mean of course the cost of ink goes up but it is still cheaper than replacing print heads.

I have just watched a video put out by Epson, they say turn the printer off but only by using the power switch on the printer, then disconnect from the supply but leave the cartridges in place.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Searcher wrote:

.....I have just watched a video put out by Epson, they say turn the printer off but only by using the power switch on the printer, then disconnect from the supply but leave the cartridges in place.

Thank for the reply. The Canon instruction emphasize turning off with the power button too. When turned off there is commotion inside, a little racket, the button flashes and 20 or 30 seconds goes by.

Perhaps the head and cartridges are parking properly for a rest, long or short term.

Bill

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

bsprague wrote:

JR,

I have left other, ordinary printers alone for months. Worst case was that I had to replace a cartridge sometimes.

The reason I posted the question for this particular printer is that it uses 8 cartridges at about $18 each!

Thanks for your reply.

Bill

Someone mentioned a particular model printer here a few weeks ago. I looked it up and saw that buying a "money-saving" package of all the cartridges would cost about $850. I don't recall the make, model, or number of cartridges. That ink cost knocked all other information out of my head.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

jerryc41 wrote:

Someone mentioned a particular model printer here a few weeks ago. I looked it up and saw that buying a "money-saving" package of all the cartridges would cost about $850. I don't recall the make, model, or number of cartridges. That ink cost knocked all other information out of my head.

When I had a wet color darkroom in the 70s, printing was expensive. It was made worse by the reject rate. There was no such thing as a preview on a monitor. Contact sheets had a lot to be desired.

Even with $18 ink, and adjusting a little for inflation, I think I'm printing cheaper now.

Bill

gmulberry

I have a Canon Printer MP620 that is stored in Arizona for 8 months, April through Dec., each year for the last 4 years. I leave the cartridges in place unplug the printer and place in a white plastic kitchen garbage bag. Seal the bag and let it set in a room that reaches 90 degrees in the summer.

It has always worked perfectly when reconnected to the computer in January.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

gmulberry wrote:

I have a Canon Printer MP620 that is stored in Arizona for 8 months, April through Dec., each year for the last 4 years. I leave the cartridges in place unplug the printer and place in a white plastic kitchen garbage bag. Seal the bag and let it set in a room that reaches 90 degrees in the summer.

It has always worked perfectly when reconnected to the computer in January.

It appears you may be a snowbird as well! Thank you for posting that it works OK for you.

Bill

UP-2-IT Loc: RED STICK, LA

bsprague wrote:

I have a new Canon Pro-100 printer and will be enjoying it's use for the summer and into the fall. In the winter I will be part of the annual snowbird migration for retired folks. My printer will sit idle for three or four months.

What is the best way to store it and its 8 ink cartridges?

Thanks.

Bill

I would suggest remove the ink cartridges, seal them individually in a zip-lock type bag with as much of the air removed as possible . Wrap the printer, unplugged, in a plastic laundry bag, the type that covers a suit when retrieved from the cleaners. Again emove as much air as possible and seal tightly. That should be sufficient.