Printer Ink Choices
Dec 10, 2020 20:05:32 #
GLENBARD
Loc: Florida
I was just wondering if anyone has changed to aftermarket ink from original manufacturer for reason of cost and how it played out. I just picked up a new Canon printer and am researching this as I plan on running test sheets every few days to prevent clogs and am looking to have a backup set.
Dec 10, 2020 20:12:20 #
GLENBARD wrote:
I was just wondering if anyone has changed to aftermarket ink from original manufacturer for reason of cost and how it played out. I just picked up a new Canon printer and am researching this as I plan on running test sheets every few days to prevent clogs and am looking to have a backup set.
Precision ink. They are amazing. Have been using them for years. Www.precisionink.com.
Dec 10, 2020 20:14:32 #
I have a canon printer, too, but can't afford their ink. I use cheap ink and it seems to do just fine.
Dec 10, 2020 20:49:45 #
sudamar wrote:
I have a canon printer, too, but can't afford their ink. I use cheap ink and it seems to do just fine.
You don't have to use cheap ink. Precision even provides icc profiles and chip reseters if needed. Way cheaper than cheap cartridges. Take a look.
Dec 10, 2020 20:59:28 #
Be very careful with 3rd party inks. Some of them do not age well — they fade. Some require custom profiles for each paper you use. Some clog print heads.
A few are acceptable to some users.
One prints with inkjet to:
Control everything (with ICC color management, paper choices, etc.)
Maintain privacy for sensitive subjects
Print immediately
Make very large prints
Make prints with much wider color gamuts than silver halide chromogenic papers
Make prints with pigments that last 2-5 times longer than silver halide chromogenic paper dyes
Print on “special substrates” (canvas, art board, vinyl sign material, fabric...)
One should not expect inkjet printers to save money on lab bills!
A few are acceptable to some users.
One prints with inkjet to:
Control everything (with ICC color management, paper choices, etc.)
Maintain privacy for sensitive subjects
Print immediately
Make very large prints
Make prints with much wider color gamuts than silver halide chromogenic papers
Make prints with pigments that last 2-5 times longer than silver halide chromogenic paper dyes
Print on “special substrates” (canvas, art board, vinyl sign material, fabric...)
One should not expect inkjet printers to save money on lab bills!
Dec 10, 2020 21:08:19 #
tcthome
Loc: NJ
Yup, Precision inks. Check out this you tube channel. I use canon inks. I doubt you will have a clogged Canon printer if it is one of the Pro 100 & up models. I have gone 3-4 months (Canon Pro 100)without printing without any problems. It is better if you print 1-2 times a week.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9YXaSulpM90vC24lmAeZA
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz9YXaSulpM90vC24lmAeZA
Dec 10, 2020 22:17:19 #
Drbobcameraguy wrote:
Precision ink. They are amazing. Have been using them for years. Www.precisionink.com.
Uh, isn't that "precisioncolors.com". They are the ones Jose reviews.
Precision Ink Corp makes commercial printing inks, not Photo Ink Jet or Photo Pigment Ink sets for home printers.
Dec 10, 2020 22:20:12 #
wrangler5
Loc: Missouri
I've been using Precision Ink in a pair of Canon Pro 10s for several years now. I really only print at Christmas time, when I typically make ~1,000 8x8 B&W prints and bind 'em up into books to give as presents to family. They then sit for the next year, awaiting next Christmas' production run. I used only Canon inks for the first Christmas season, but after calculating the cost decided to try the Precision Inks.
They are about 1/9 the cost of Canon brand ink, and even if they had only gotten me through one printing season and then destroyed the printer, I would have saved enough to buy a new printer and still be ahead. In fact I have gone through 3 seasons with absolutely no problems from using Precision Ink, and it appears I'll get through another one. The B&W prints looked identical to those made with the Canon inks. (I never print color, so can't say if there are any differences there.)
Today I fired up one of the printers, which almost certainly has not been used since January 2020, and got what looked like a perfect test print on the first piece of paper through it. Did a nozzle check just because I felt guilty about it, and it looked perfect too. I'll fire up the other one tomorrow, but expect the same thing.
They are about 1/9 the cost of Canon brand ink, and even if they had only gotten me through one printing season and then destroyed the printer, I would have saved enough to buy a new printer and still be ahead. In fact I have gone through 3 seasons with absolutely no problems from using Precision Ink, and it appears I'll get through another one. The B&W prints looked identical to those made with the Canon inks. (I never print color, so can't say if there are any differences there.)
Today I fired up one of the printers, which almost certainly has not been used since January 2020, and got what looked like a perfect test print on the first piece of paper through it. Did a nozzle check just because I felt guilty about it, and it looked perfect too. I'll fire up the other one tomorrow, but expect the same thing.
Dec 11, 2020 07:02:35 #
Burk waves the red flags: Be very careful with 3rd party inks. Some of them do not age well — they fade. Some require custom profiles for each paper you use. Some clog print heads.
Wow!!! I would go along with this because he uses the word some... I would substitute "rarely." It should be realized that Ink is a product no longer made as in Shakespeare's time by Act 4 McBeth Double, double, toil and trouble be it fading, luggage, or off-color. Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
The science of inks is just that, a definable material that is measurable by analysis and can be duplicated; component analysis is the key. Is OEM manufactured by Canon, Epson etc. NO ! Do you think that once an ink company is supplied with the specifications for bidding on a supply contract that the formulation is forgotten, of course not. I worked in industry for 40 years and competitive analysis was the norm.
Long term stability: Quite some time ago I covered the subject of UV stabilizers. Most people do not have Xenon UV Lamps in their living rooms nor mount their photos on the roof in the Florida sun [a standard for Paint testing]. UV stabilizers are not expensive and not much is needed to stabilize the ink. Peggy Lee's song states the practical; "what will it all matter 100 years from today. The song does not specify print stability but really people, do our prints need to be archival for a museum? Of course not, mine will not be as classic painting, who will care, no one, all will be viewed electronically as many or most are today, check your phone, and turn on your 50" TV.
Head clogging. My old Epson caused a lot of problems and using isopropanol to clean the system was a twice a year ritual by necessity. A friend in England [faithful to OEM] confirms this but for her expensive newer Epson not a problem. My Canon sat idle for most of a year and to my amazement, it woke and printed fine with aftermarket ink.
Reviews chant the conservative message that Burk stated, but I sense bias and protection from liability. I have used aftermarket inks by various suppliers for well over 10 years and have had no problems specifically associated with the ink vs the design of the print heads. I trashed my old faithful Epson based on it's warning about a component failure... only later to find out the "dealer service only" component was the waste ink sponge that could have been soaked in alcohol to renew. Any ink would have clogged it after more than 5 years of use.
In summary, OEM is very expensive and perhaps the same formulation in an after-market ink is low cost. Practicality and good service is the key and it is available at low-cost. [same applies to Laser Toners]
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Go to search at the top of UHH and read or many pages of discussions of this well-covered topic.
Paper is another story, I love the Red River metallic papers. I am willing to pay the money once I have corrected any flaws in my photo or proof print.
Yes, tweaking of color profile may be necessary for some inks, but once tuned you are good to go.
Wow!!! I would go along with this because he uses the word some... I would substitute "rarely." It should be realized that Ink is a product no longer made as in Shakespeare's time by Act 4 McBeth Double, double, toil and trouble be it fading, luggage, or off-color. Fire burn and cauldron bubble.
The science of inks is just that, a definable material that is measurable by analysis and can be duplicated; component analysis is the key. Is OEM manufactured by Canon, Epson etc. NO ! Do you think that once an ink company is supplied with the specifications for bidding on a supply contract that the formulation is forgotten, of course not. I worked in industry for 40 years and competitive analysis was the norm.
Long term stability: Quite some time ago I covered the subject of UV stabilizers. Most people do not have Xenon UV Lamps in their living rooms nor mount their photos on the roof in the Florida sun [a standard for Paint testing]. UV stabilizers are not expensive and not much is needed to stabilize the ink. Peggy Lee's song states the practical; "what will it all matter 100 years from today. The song does not specify print stability but really people, do our prints need to be archival for a museum? Of course not, mine will not be as classic painting, who will care, no one, all will be viewed electronically as many or most are today, check your phone, and turn on your 50" TV.
Head clogging. My old Epson caused a lot of problems and using isopropanol to clean the system was a twice a year ritual by necessity. A friend in England [faithful to OEM] confirms this but for her expensive newer Epson not a problem. My Canon sat idle for most of a year and to my amazement, it woke and printed fine with aftermarket ink.
Reviews chant the conservative message that Burk stated, but I sense bias and protection from liability. I have used aftermarket inks by various suppliers for well over 10 years and have had no problems specifically associated with the ink vs the design of the print heads. I trashed my old faithful Epson based on it's warning about a component failure... only later to find out the "dealer service only" component was the waste ink sponge that could have been soaked in alcohol to renew. Any ink would have clogged it after more than 5 years of use.
In summary, OEM is very expensive and perhaps the same formulation in an after-market ink is low cost. Practicality and good service is the key and it is available at low-cost. [same applies to Laser Toners]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Go to search at the top of UHH and read or many pages of discussions of this well-covered topic.
Paper is another story, I love the Red River metallic papers. I am willing to pay the money once I have corrected any flaws in my photo or proof print.
Yes, tweaking of color profile may be necessary for some inks, but once tuned you are good to go.
Dec 11, 2020 08:18:32 #
I have a Canon ProGraf iPF6400 24 inch and have used Ink Owl ink for the past 3 years with no ill effects, about half the cost of Canon ink.
Dec 11, 2020 08:26:01 #
CWW
Loc: North Jersey
wildweasel wrote:
I have a Canon ProGraf iPF6400 24 inch and have used Ink Owl ink for the past 3 years with no ill effects, about half the cost of Canon ink.
Good morning, I've tried all the precision links looking for HP 3755 and HP4620 ink cartridges. Is there a better link to see there products?
Dec 11, 2020 09:00:47 #
I’ve used third party inks on almost all my printers I’ve owned.
My last Epson 7900 I exclusively used 3rd party inks with bulk cartridges. Saved a ton of money with no issues of quality. Did work for pros and sold a ton of my own work.
Instead of a test page just do a nozzle check on days you don’t use the printer. And do one before you print to insure your heads are clean. A nozzle check will insure all heads flow ink through them and you will detect any issues early on.
My last Epson 7900 I exclusively used 3rd party inks with bulk cartridges. Saved a ton of money with no issues of quality. Did work for pros and sold a ton of my own work.
Instead of a test page just do a nozzle check on days you don’t use the printer. And do one before you print to insure your heads are clean. A nozzle check will insure all heads flow ink through them and you will detect any issues early on.
Dec 11, 2020 09:34:57 #
CWW wrote:
Good morning, I've tried all the precision links looking for HP 3755 and HP4620 ink cartridges. Is there a better link to see there products?
https://www.inkowl.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAzsz-BRCCARIsANotFgNro42t4MV_4Yw4YWgre8aSCgOyfuuKxVY5QkT7jF-TbCISJkZMwfMaApOTEALw_wcB
Dec 11, 2020 11:04:00 #
Hi Glen,
I have used "499inks.com" for just over three years now, with my HP printer without a single problem and find their ink to be equal to any of the HP inks, after running exhaustive comparison tests.
Their name originated from the cost of 'most' of their ink costing $4.99 each, but some are slightly higher now, depending on your choice. Excellent ink and service. Certainly beats 'factory' prices!
I believe most printers develop problems from lack of use, more than from using the 'wrong' ink. I've had ZERO problems with their ink and highly recommend it.
God Bless,
Papa Joe
I have used "499inks.com" for just over three years now, with my HP printer without a single problem and find their ink to be equal to any of the HP inks, after running exhaustive comparison tests.
Their name originated from the cost of 'most' of their ink costing $4.99 each, but some are slightly higher now, depending on your choice. Excellent ink and service. Certainly beats 'factory' prices!
I believe most printers develop problems from lack of use, more than from using the 'wrong' ink. I've had ZERO problems with their ink and highly recommend it.
God Bless,
Papa Joe
Dec 11, 2020 11:48:17 #
Have used both Precision Colors and Ink Owl, the latter most recently, with no problems whatsoever. My Epson printer may sit for a week or so and then get fired up and print with no difficulty. Both companies utilize refillable cartridges and bulk ink. Over time, I've been unable to see any difference in color output, meaning their production parameters are pretty good.
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