bkyser Loc: Fly over country in Indiana

Actually, I'm the ink buyer here at work. Tthere is actually a difference between refilled, remanufactured, and compatibles. Compatibles use new cartridges usually purchased from the same places that OEM manufacturers buy their empties, refills are just refilled, and remanufactured they actually test out or change the chips that may tell your printer that the cartridge is empty when it isn't (HP's way of making sure people don't refill their own cartridges.) I used remans for a long time, switched to compatibles, but ended up going back to OEM. I think printers are getting more and more fussy, and we just had too many problems. The amount we actually print is so low now, pretty much just proof type stuff, it is as cheap to send out to get real prints made. At least that's my 2 cents worth.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Lente said: Only by living in the dark can you truly see the light.
Yes, Lente, I will confess that my life was chronicled by my ol' friend Andy Warholin his movie.... Blood for Dracula!! He did not show me true, I am an albino Vampire looking for a lustful Vamp. I must admit the light is not good for "us" or HP inks. If you had seen many of my photos you would know why High ISO is important to me!!

Reality, now... If you display your photos under old fluorescent bulbs, then there is a fair amount of UV. This can be counteracted by using UV glass in the framing. This glass is sold at most shops. Few of us hang our photos on the outside of our homes on the south wall where the sun shines bright as in the song "My OL' Kentucky Home".. and even if in the home, the home with the blinds open the light has passed thru glass and is at an angle and then only for few hours a day.... analyze why you need strong UV resistant ink! As independ studies have shown stabilizers are commonly used in all inks... the stuff is cheap... er a "low cost".

Clogging... well there is a print program that prints at boot with the express purpose of keeping the jets warm and moist. The only problems I have had have been after a long vacation. or running out of ink. Cleaning with isopropanol, rubbing alcohol, (but do not rub blot) does the un-clog trick.

I suggest you Cloggers enjoy your dancing and the inkjet clog-er complainers and Epson Ink only people read the following.....

http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/32239/Keep-Your-InkJet-Print-Head-Clean
The author, John Simmons / outlaw programmer, 4 Jan 2009, includes a free program down load.....

"I own a couple of inkjet printers. As most of you probably know, the most egregious problem with inkjet printers is their tendency to foul the print heads if not used on a frequent and regular basis. This utility allows you to exercise your print head while not wasting a lot of ink (or paper) in the process." The article goes on at length...

jimward Loc: Perth, Western Australia

I read a letter in the IT section of the paper a couple of years back from a professor who said he NEVER bought cartridges, OEM or other. He just worked the printer until the ink ran out then bought another one. He obviously didn't have any need for high quality output and was probably working at the bottom end of the food chain, but an interesting approach and a worrying comment on our disposable society.

RedIris Loc: MN, USA

Well, when you can buy a new printer for under $40 with ink cartridges, it makes sense. I just spent $100 on black, cyan, yellow, and magenta cartridges for my HP printer! The newer printers use more ink than the older printers too.

Personally, I'd rather spend $40 on a photobook printed and delivered to my door.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

For those prices you could by a 7" display and have a wall covered with them...ever changing ... humm, may take my own humor seriously and do just that... lets see 4' x 8' = 32sq' and each is about 3/4 so 48 would be solid!!! Wow! At $30 each eash figure 50 units, that is $1500 not bad.... at the price of ink for each unit holding 100 shots.... that is 5,000 shots for $1500 or 30 cents each.

Considering that most of today's students have their pads and have photos on them and if they want big they use the 52" HDTV to show photos on .... are the days of printing while not numbered, perhaps declining. What do we do with those prints? Store them? Why are we worried about "archive quality?" Do you really expect people to care about your photos 100 years from today?? So stop the purist clap trap and listen to Peggy Lee tell you about archiving anything for 100 years
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70FjFoZ4e1o

At times I think you guys would rather bicker about trivia like ink and not look at facts... or read research articles that have well controlled results or download a program to keep heads clean. If indeed you enjoy the bickering... then that is OK it is a form of recreation... and with enough of that type of practice you will qualify for congress... no the political type.

PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

When dealing with 44" width Epsons, it's best to use OEM and to print all the time. Clogged heads on 9000 series Epsons will set you back hundreds at the least for the fix.

Actually, just changing from gloss to matte black costs about $100 in ink on the older 9000 series printers.

RedIris Loc: MN, USA

I LIKE that idea. My husband suggested a digital photo frame.. a big one in the middle of the wall a while back.......

Nikon_DonB Loc: Chicago

My 2 previous Epson printers clogged and died shortly after using cheap ink. My current CX9400f has been going over 5 years without a cleaning with factory ink. She prints great pics too.

GO FIGURE! Just M H O.

The Watcher

I've spent quite a bit of time researching third party inks and have yet to find any, that I would trust.

Recently I've been checking the OEM ink prices at online sites and have noticed, if you order online to store from Walmart, the prices seem to be a lot less than their shelf price or the Epson store price. Tomorrow the wife says, we're going to Walmart, so I'll check the prices.

WNC Ralf Loc: Candler NC, in the mountains!

Google John Cone if you want to find a great replacement for your Epson inks. Been using them for almost two years, no problems at all and beautiful prints.

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

You are in rare form lately Pullum. Don't stop!

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

A quotable quote if there ever was one! :thumbup:

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

I believe the UV from today's CFLs is still of some concern (more health related than impact on inks however).
UV filtering glass is the only way to go if you are spending over $100 to get something you care about professionally matted and framed.

Festina Lente Loc: Florida & Missouri

Oh boy! Another specialized free app!
I have so many apps that are trying to fix, control or protect me from other technologies that sometimes forget what I have. Compound this with the fact that I have several other avocations in addition to photography, and the list of software solutions begins to become a problem. I may now need a program just to manage all my other programs.

The flotsam and detritus of the digital age may be our Achilles heel!! Arrrg!

I must confess that I am rapidly migrating in two directions with regard to enjoying and sharing my "photographic images".

Direction #1: I am more frequently sending my print work out to be printed. It has become easier and far more gratifying than maintaining printers, buying paper and inks, tweaking color profiles and keeping my jets clean.
I think it may be cheaper too, but I really don't want to know - "easier and gratifying" trumps saving a few bucks lately.

Direction #2: Those wonderful 60" organic LCD displays are thinner than my picture frames, and are sufficiently vivid and sharp that they may replace my prints altogether. My unmanageable collection of prints of all sizes may be excising the vestigial Luddite in me! I'm almost 100% digital - from camera sensor to LED display. No inks, no paper - just glorious dynamically changing imagery on the wall.
Unlimited wall space, no UV print fading concerns, and no picture hangers. Who could ask for more?

Yes Pullum, Peggy Lee was right; who will know (or care) a 100 years from today?

rebride

[quote=Festina Lente]

Went in a photo gallery in Monterey that was just wall to wall big LCD panels (32"+) with photos changing every few minutes. No prints to be seen anywhere.