bungle said:
Canon inks are specially designed for canon printers. Using other
inks might not have the same density and the big reason to use canon
inks is their image permanance. I am refering to the article in PC
mag about using 3rd party inks. Very good article.
Except the article, if I recall correctly, only covered cartridges, not
bulk ink. Many third-party cartridges are filled with cheap ink that
does not match the original specifications.
I use quality bulk ink and colour matched refill "kits" from
AtlanticInkjet here in Canada. In the US, Re-Inks is their sister
company. It's very easy to refill the clear plastic tanks, and the
colour match is identical to Canon because they use Formulabs ink.
Longevity of the prints is also excellent, and a lot depends on the
quality of photo paper used. I happen to like Office Depot photo paper
which works perfectly and is half the price of Canon.
Using bulk ink to refill, and Office Depot paper, I can print photos at
home for less than it costs to get a roll developed and printed at any
photo outlet. This is part of the reason I've switched over from
negative film to digital.