printer ink question

[mapdealer]

OK, I got the i9100 printer a while back and I LOVE IT but I have a problem. The ink costs are killing me!! I thought paper might be a problem but it is nothing compared to ink. I use Canon ink and paper (some Epson paper too).

I know CyberDyne said in a post a while back that he ordered some aftermarket ink and was going to give it a try. Any luck CyberDyne?

So my questions are:

1) Has anyone had luck with aftermarket ink in a i9100?

2) Is anyone aware of a bulk ink system for the i9100?

I ordered what I am sure was a total bottom of the line set of ink cartridges (set of 6 for $11), opened up a magenta (which immediatly started leaking) put it in the printer and got a terrible print. So I replaced with a Canon cartridge and everything went back to normal.

Maybe there is a higher quality cartridge out there that is more than $2 but not $11 that I am currently paying?

PS a little trick I learned is that I can get at least 2 more 8.5x11's after the printer tells me a cartridge is empty by using visual inspections.

THANKS!!

[kn_guy87]

I have the Canon i9100 printer also and I agree with you that the inks finish so quick specially the Photo Magenta and the Photo Cyan.
So I spent a few days reading lots of postings from different photography forums and I found out that many owners of Canon and Epson printers use the InkJetGoodies ink with great success.
I just ordered the "Starter Kit for Canon 6 color S and i series" for $74.95 and an empty cartridge to make it over $75 for the the free Shipping.
I will let you know how it turns out.

This is what I ordered:
http://inkjetgoodies.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=IG&Category_Code=R01

Do your own research and let me know if you agree with me or not.
Ken

[scottbergerphoto]

I'm all for saving money, but here's the rub: How do you know that your inks will be the same from batch to batch or that they will be from the same manufacturer? How resistant will they be to fading? What are you doing for printer profiles? Do you do a new profile each time you replace a cartridge? I'm not trying to be a party pooper, but I've gone through alot of trouble to color manage my system and I don't see how you can do that with non-oem ink. Also, how much will it cost to replace your print head if it clogs and you can't get it clean? Is this being penny wise and pound foolish?
Scott

[John_T]

...not aimed at anybody in particular, just everybody in general...

Well, I bought my i9100 to make quality prints on quality paper. I also accepted that in this case quality has it's price, though I don't consider it in any way excessive. This quality, which didn't exist before, a couple of years ago would have cost much, much more.

In any case, this printer has the finest droplet size on the market, and of course the print head has the equivalent tiny openings. The Canon inks are designed specifically for this factor, which may also have it's price. If you go dicking around with inks not designed for this machine, you may end up buying yourself a new print head, or at least bitching about the printer when you should be bitching about your own lack of insight and wisdom.

...and while we are at it, a monitor is for monitoring and a printer is for printing. Your monitor may be lying, but I guarantee you that printer isn't. If you are monitoring on your printer, you are shooting in the dark and wasting paper and ink for nothing. Calibrate your monitor and turn off all "color management". If your monitor and graphic card are junk, dump 'em and get something decent. If you can't afford it, learn more and get inventive.

[justme_dc]

Photography is not a cheap hobby. Nor is it a cheap profession.

http://www.canogacamera.com/
Sells canon OEM ink cartridges for $9.26 each USD and they have the lowest price on most canon paper. I get all my stuff from them. They're pretty good people.

Ink and paper ain't cheap but the alternative is even more expensive. I have a full E-6 and C-41 processing lab and a full B&W film and print lab in my spare room. You should try buying the chemicals and paper for that sometime. Ink is cheap by comparison!

Good luck to you!

[design crusader]

In any case, this printer has the finest droplet size on the market, and of course the print head has the equivalent tiny openings.

I am not sure how accurate that statement is. One of the new EPSON inkjets uses a 2-picoliter dot, which is claimed to be currently the smallest dot available. The EPSON Stylus Photo 960:

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=22403490

Who knows?

[John_T]

The i9100 also has 2pl, and 3072 nozzles. The point is that any ink that doesn't meet such fine specs will create havoc in no time, but this by far isn't the only factor.

...and things change every day.

[mapdealer]

I went to the inkjetgoodies.com website and realized they are located in the same small Utah town I am in: Moab. So I called and talked with a lady and realized she was a local friend of mine - who I trust. I went to their office and we talked extensively about ink quality and was assured, but not gauranteed, it was a very high quality ink and so I decided to give it a try.

You get 6 125 ml. Nalgene bottles of ink, 6 refillable cartridges, and 6 large syringes for 75 bucks. Each syringe should be dedicated to a color to prevent cross contamination, and washed thouroughly after 'loading' ink.

500 ml bottles of ink are $22.50. A Canon BCI ink cartridge is around $11 and holds THIRTEEN ml. of ink. You do the math. Ya, you have to manually load the cartridge with ink and it gets a little messy and you lose a little ink, but, do the math!

Anyway, then the question becomes quality. I have had a cyan refillable cartridge in for almost a week and have had no problems so far and no reduction in quality (PS I noticed an immediate reduction in quality in the $2 eBay el cheapo cartridge). I will be cycling in refillable cartridges in the next week or so and will watch my prints closely. When I have all refillable cartridges in the printer I will reprint some photos I printed earlier with Canon cartridges and literally use a magnifying glass to compare quality. I will let you know.

If the quality difference is negligable and it doesn't seem to be harming the printer, then this is a SIGNIFICANT reduction in ink cost (90% according to the inkjetgoodies people).

I'll post my results soon!

[soumya63]

I have good experience with inkjetgoodies and I have done refilling so many times. Their ink is chromatically similar to Canon, so far I have not seen any major color shift in the print which using Canon ICC profile. But the longevity of their dye is questionable. If exposed to normal air or light, it fades appreciably after few months.

I do not use them for my commercial work, where I use Epson pigmented ink on epson printer, but it comes handy for proofs and everyday printing.

I also use ProfilePrism to fine tune inkjetgoodies color output.

Hope this may help someone.

Soumya

http://www.mitraphoto.com