Do multiple ink tanks really save ink?

Hello folks.
My Canon printer has just 2 ink tanks: black and color. My color tank has just "run out" and considering that most of my printing lately has had a lot of really green subject matter, I suspect that there's a lot of ink left in that tank.
It stands to reason that if you have a tank for each different color you would waste a lot less, but I wonder if people actually find that to be true in practice.
Does anybody have any info on the matter?
Thanks

ncjohn wrote in post #10716353
Hello folks.
My Canon printer has just 2 ink tanks: black and color. My color tank has just "run out" and considering that most of my printing lately has had a lot of really green subject matter, I suspect that there's a lot of ink left in that tank.
It stands to reason that if you have a tank for each different color you would waste a lot less, but I wonder if people actually find that to be true in practice.
Does anybody have any info on the matter?
Thanks

It's obvious you already know the answer to your topic question. It's still a good time to buy a Canon Pixma Pro 9000 mkII for around $250 USD. But you don't really see big savings until you invest in a printer like the Epson 3880.

ChasP505 wrote in post #10716542
But you don't really see big savings until you invest in a printer like the Epson 3880.

Why is that?

And all the 9000 mkII's I'm finding are around $500.

ncjohn wrote in post #10716562
Why is that?

Because while printers like the 9000 mkII have single color ink cartridges, their capacity is tiny. So you get savings from only replacing the empty color, but the cost per volume of ink is incredible.

The Epson 3880 uses large capacity tanks, greatly reducing the price per volume ratio. But if you only print infrequently, it can help equalize the difference. Another option is a continuous ink system or CIS.

ncjohn wrote in post #10716562
And all the 9000 mkII's I'm finding are around $500.

Check on eBay, your local Craigslist, local newspaper classifieds, and of course the Sell section here on POTN.

ChasP505 wrote in post #10716613
Another option is a continuous ink system or CIS.

I've seen those advertised. You can't get them with OEM inks, though, can you?

ncjohn wrote in post #10716663
I've seen those advertised. You can't get them with OEM inks, though, can you?

No, but there are high quality third party inks available. This option will require you to get custom ICC profiles made for every paper type you use. But for most low volume hobbyists, a CIS is not any advantage.

ncjohn wrote in post #10716562
Why is that?

And all the 9000 mkII's I'm finding are around $500.

There's a Canon rebate and alot of people are getting them for free and selling cheap. I just missed one yesterday on CL for $150.

ChasP505 wrote in post #10716613
Because while printers like the 9000 mkII have single color ink cartridges, their capacity is tiny. So you get savings from only replacing the empty color, but the cost per volume of ink is incredible.

The Epson 3880 uses large capacity tanks, greatly reducing the price per volume ratio. But if you only print infrequently, it can help equalize the difference. Another option is a continuous ink system or CIS.

I would think that the Canon is going to be a better printer for color prints vs. the Epson, whereas the Epson will be better for those that do black and white prints with occasional color photos. So you'll need to decide if black and white is a priority. Also, the Canon is a dye based ink whereas the Epson is a pigment based ink. This will have an impact on the paper choices you might need or want to use too. There are some other concerns as well such as whether or not you need the ability to use matte black ink versus glossy.

While the Canon inks likely cost more per volume than the Epson, with the $400 rebate when purchasing the Canon with a qualifying dSLR, you pretty much get the printer for free (or a reduced cost, however you want to look at it), so you're starting off at a pretty good point versus being $800 out for the Epson. That $800 can buy you almost 10 of the multipacks of the Canon inks, but from what I've read over at canonpro9000.com, the photo cyan/magenta cartridges tended to run out faster than the others, so you'd likely split your ink orders between a few multipacks and individual inks. This would probably suffice a hobbyist, but a more voluminous printer should definitely consider the ink costs as they will eventually outweigh the initial costs of the printers.

I'm trying to research how much capacity the canon inks have. Does anyone know on that front?

ncjohn wrote in post #10716562
Why is that?

And all the 9000 mkII's I'm finding are around $500.

I bought my pro9000 MkII from craigslist, $175 original package(unopen)

Poe wrote in post #10717765
I'm trying to research how much capacity the canon inks have. Does anyone know on that front?

I 've been messing around with my canon pro9000 MKII(new) on black and white prints, about 20 pages of 12X17 fine print, each print is charcoal dark on the black area and about 40% of the page, hasn't seen a drop on the black int meter yet, still 100% full.

hope it would help

Are you sure your current printer actually had green ink in it? I might be wrong, but I thought green was made from blue and yellow on cheaper printers.

Anyway, I have the pixma pro9000 with the separate ink tanks. Yeah, theoretically it saves ink, but I sure do replace the cartridges a lot. And I don't print that much.

Stefan

Stefan A wrote in post #10719280
Are you sure your current printer actually had green ink in it? I might be wrong, but I thought green was made from blue and yellow on cheaper printers.
Stefan

No, I expect it makes green from yellow and cyan (CMY). That's why I didn't say anything about green ink, just green subject matter.

ncjohn wrote in post #10716562
Why is that?

And all the 9000 mkII's I'm finding are around $500.

I will sell you one for $250 shipped, brand new

I use an older generation (2005) HP printer, the 8750. It takes 3 cartridges, with 3 colors each. The third cartridge is a 3-tone gray photo cartridge.

I'm a very low volume hobyist, and do mostly B&W prints, so my color cartridges seem to last forever and the gray cartridge has impressive longevity before it runs out.

I think that if you're a typical home printer, the Canon 9000 mkII shouldn't break the bank for ink cost.