Any Pixma iP4000 users?

  • Thread starter Thread starter KnumbKnuts
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KnumbKnuts

Can I get some yeas or nays on this printer from owners? Most of the reviews
are favorable, but I put more stock in comments from day-to-day users. TIA.
 
Read the reviews on it at PC MAG.com. You can believe what they say. I
think this is a fantastic photo printer that does OK on business text
documents and is very fast. It has great features like full duplexing
and twin paper feeds. I use paper in the bottom cassette and use photo
paper in the tip auto sheet feeder. I also allow access to it, both
cabled and wireless, on my network.

I do wish that business documents were as dark as my HP990 but the Canon
is much faster and the HP is not a photo printer.
 
KnumbKnuts said:
Can I get some yeas or nays on this printer from owners? Most of the
reviews
are favorable, but I put more stock in comments from day-to-day users.
TIA.
Click to expand...

If you tell us what you want to use it for we will be able to give more
detailed feedback.
 
KnumbKnuts said:
Can I get some yeas or nays on this printer from owners? Most of the
reviews
are favorable, but I put more stock in comments from day-to-day users.
TIA.
Click to expand...


The only complaint I have is when trying to print CDs. The software program
seems to take forever on WinXP SP2. But once it started up, all is fine.
 
This is a superb printer. Fast, quiet, and terriffic results when using
photo paper. I have 2 Canons and 3 Epson printers in my business. The
Canons produce better prints, and use a lot less ink.

Highest recommendation!!
 
ISZ said:
This is a superb printer. Fast, quiet, and terriffic results when using
photo paper. I have 2 Canons and 3 Epson printers in my business. The
Canons produce better prints, and use a lot less ink.
Click to expand...

Do you feel that the Epsons have any advantage over the Canon. Do you
use OEM ink in both? What brand of photo paper do you use?
 
KnumbKnuts said:
Can I get some yeas or nays on this printer from owners? Most of the reviews
are favorable, but I put more stock in comments from day-to-day users. TIA.
Click to expand...
I liked the 1st one I got so good that I bought 3 more. Fast, Quiet,
Easy on ink, and with rebates -cheap. Uses most photo paper and I refill
cartridges in spite of what some say with no problem so far in about 13
changes.
 
Thanks for the recommedations. On the strength of these and the good
reviews, I picked one up today at Office Depot for $129.00. With the current
rebate of $20, this should be a good deal all around. I plan to use it
primarily for 4x6 photo printing, with the occasional text job thrown in.
 
KnumbKnuts said:
Thanks for the recommedations. On the strength of these and the good
reviews, I picked one up today at Office Depot for $129.00. With the
current
rebate of $20, this should be a good deal all around. I plan to use it
primarily for 4x6 photo printing, with the occasional text job thrown in.
Click to expand...

OK - if you had said that BEFORE you had bought it I would have said - if
your main requirement is to print 4x6 photos you would be better off going
for a specialised photo-printer which are designed specifically to make good
4x6 photos and use pigment ink, or at least a pigment inkjet printer -
prints from these are a bit more expensive, but will last into future
generations. Any standard dye based inkjet printer will not. Apart from that
the IP4000 is a great printer, but is suitable for day-to-day use, not for
family memories.
 
Mudflap said:
I liked the 1st one I got so good that I bought 3 more. Fast, Quiet,
Easy on ink, and with rebates -cheap. Uses most photo paper and I
refill cartridges in spite of what some say with no problem so far in
about 13 changes.
Click to expand...


I find it difficult to understand why some people have problems with 3rd
party ink while others do not. I was in Costco the other day and
purchase OEM HP and OEM Canon ink. The guys next to me was doing the
same for his Canon i960. I asked him if he tried 3rd party ink. He did
and said that it clogged the print head and he had to purchase a new
one. He forgot the brand/source of what he used. I said brand source
since other than Formulabs branded manufactured formulated ink, I do not
know of another manufacturer. Most of the names attached to ink appears
to come from resellers and dealers who buy brand x ink.
 
KnumbKnuts said:
Thanks for the recommedations. On the strength of these and the good
reviews, I picked one up today at Office Depot for $129.00. With the current
rebate of $20, this should be a good deal all around.
Click to expand...
A net of $100 is the cheapest I have seen on the IP4000. Frys had that
deal last month. I am sure you will like the printer. Costco sells OEM
ink for $9.00 a cart and 88inkjets.com sells Formulabs branded ink (do
not know the cartridge mfg or filler) for $5.00 with discounts for 7 or
more. They also have combo packs.
 
Caitlin said:
OK - if you had said that BEFORE you had bought it I would have said - if
your main requirement is to print 4x6 photos you would be better off going
for a specialised photo-printer which are designed specifically to make good
4x6 photos and use pigment ink, or at least a pigment inkjet printer -
prints from these are a bit more expensive, but will last into future
generations. Any standard dye based inkjet printer will not. Apart from that
the IP4000 is a great printer, but is suitable for day-to-day use, not for
family memories.
Click to expand...
He also said that he will also print text documents. Anyway, I believe
you when you say that dye based inks will not last as long as pigment
base inks but myself and others have not seen any fading since the PIXMA
series came out. The i series use the same inks. I just came from
Aaron Bros Picture Framing and spoke to the framer about this issue.
She deals with many photographers who are their clients. She told me
she has not heard much about fading from any of the photo printers.

It may be the atmosphere in certain parts of the world affect prints
differently. I hope for the best. I like the printer and the speed.
Epson is rather slow.
 
measekite said:
He also said that he will also print text documents. Anyway, I believe you
when you say that dye based inks will not last as long as pigment base
inks but myself and others have not seen any fading since the PIXMA series
came out. The i series use the same inks. I just came from Aaron Bros
Picture Framing and spoke to the framer about this issue. She deals with
many photographers who are their clients. She told me she has not heard
much about fading from any of the photo printers.

It may be the atmosphere in certain parts of the world affect prints
differently. I hope for the best. I like the printer and the speed.
Epson is rather slow.
Click to expand...

*sigh* Its not a case of believing me - it's believing the number of
scientific studies that have been conducted on this. Once they have had
experience of 50 year old prints then the experiences of individuals will
become meaningful.

I work in a film archive, and believe me - it is quite tragic to see history
fade away - this is the future of home printing if people are not aware of
the issue.
 
Caitlin said:
*sigh* Its not a case of believing me - it's believing the number of
scientific studies that have been conducted on this. Once they have had
experience of 50 year old prints then the experiences of individuals will
become meaningful.

I work in a film archive, and believe me - it is quite tragic to see history
fade away - this is the future of home printing if people are not aware of
the issue.
Click to expand...

I think that the future of home printing has not even been dreamed of yet.
 
History may fade away, but (*sigh*) digital photos do not. I can print a
thousand photos if I like, so of what possible relevance is your point?
 
I've been using 3rd party carts in my Epson for years. No problem for
general printing, but I've not used them yet for photos. I am hopeful I can
find an affordable source suitable for photos.
 
KnumbKnuts said:
History may fade away, but (*sigh*) digital photos do not. I can print a
thousand photos if I like, so of what possible relevance is your point?
Click to expand...

Your regular home user is going to keep and look after their digital files
about as much as they do their negs now. ie. not often, not well. For those
that do - they can reprint. I have no negs for any of the photos from my
parents and granparents era, and I am not unique in that. Digital files are
likely to be treated by most users in much the same way.
 
KnumbKnuts said:
I've been using 3rd party carts in my Epson for years. No problem for
general printing, but I've not used them yet for photos. I am hopeful I can
find an affordable source suitable for photos.
Click to expand...

www.88inkjets.com for Formulabs Ink fopr the IP4000
 
Caitlin said:
Your regular home user is going to keep and look after their digital files
about as much as they do their negs now. ie. not often, not well. For those
that do - they can reprint. I have no negs for any of the photos from my
parents and granparents era, and I am not unique in that. Digital files are
likely to be treated by most users in much the same way.
Click to expand...
The one thing I will agree with you on regarding digital files is that
they are like any other group of digital files. Home users have a
strong tendency of not backing up their work. One worm, bad hard disk
or some other problem, it is GoodBye Files.

Even if they had good backup software like Dantz Retrospect (the best)
that can be put on an automatic schedule at the night and backed up to a
second hard disk and then off loaded from there, most users would not
use it on a regular basis.

So this problem is even worse than lost negatives. With negatives the
user just has to store them someplace reasonable.

On the other side of the coin, negatives do fade but digital files do
not. They are always the same.

Even if you do have a point, I think the Canon IP4000 dye base printer
is better than the Epson. And the i9900 is better than the R800 for
producing the most stunning results. Since the engine of the R1800 is
the same as the R800, I would also include that.
 
I have had excellent results with MIS bulk ink refilling OEM carts. Others
report excellent results buying formulabs inks and also prefilled carts
(Arrow brand, not Rainbow) from Alotofthings. Although Meesekite has not
used any of these products, he had posted vitriolic comments about
Alotofthings because, in his view, their web site isn't professional, an
answer to an email was not to his liking, and they only sell thorugh their
ebay store. Read the comments of people who have actually done business
with these companies and can tell you from their own experience. Another
excellent source is Neil Slade's web site. The link is
http://www.neilslade.com/papers/inkjetstuff.html . Read his very long,
run-on info for excellent hands-on information and advice. I followed it
and am very happy. Meesekite is very bright and knowledgeable in many areas,
but he sometimes gives what appears to be informative advice without having
the specific experience to do so. Case in point - third party and refill
inks.
 
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