Canon i550 and terrible printing

  • Thread starter Thread starter Francine Mack
  • Start date Start date
F

Francine Mack

I have to clean print heads on a daily basis. Otherwise, I can't print a
complete page. I have gone back to brand name cartridges but that has
not helped very much. I would try for a replacement but I can't find my
receipt. Spending additional money is not an option at this time.
I would like suggestopns to improve this problem.
I am using a Mac with OS 10.3.3.
TIA,
Francine
 
Francine said:
I have to clean print heads on a daily basis. Otherwise, I can't
print a complete page. I have gone back to brand name cartridges but
that has not helped very much. I would try for a replacement but I
can't find my receipt. Spending additional money is not an option at
this time.
I would like suggestopns to improve this problem.
I am using a Mac with OS 10.3.3.
TIA,
Francine
Click to expand...

It is probably the paper. Get a good quality inkjet paper. For photos,
get one of the Canon papers.

Q
 
I suggest using good quality ink supplies. I refill my ink tanks too,
but I use ink supplied from AtlanticInkjet and have NEVER had to clean
the printhead in my i850 - it's always worked first time, every time.

Whatever you do, NEVER use those cheap "universal ink" refill kits. They
use very cheap ink that doesn't colour match well nor flow through the
printhead very well.

Try shopping around the net for places that use ink supplied from
Formulabs. They make OEM and aftermarket inks, and the quality is
excellent.
It is probably the paper. Get a good quality inkjet paper. For photos,
get one of the Canon papers.
Click to expand...

Why would you think it's the paper?

I use the cheapest coated "multi-purpose" copy paper I can find for
regular documents (Staples, Office Depot, etc.). For more "wow-factor" I
use medium priced 99+ brightness inkjet paper, again from whoever has
the best deal. And for photos, I use inexpensive Office Depot 8.5x11"
photo paper.

No problems with any paper, even uncoated copy paper I snagged from work
when I ran out one day worked fine. Albeit the ink soaked in a bit and
was not as crisp, but for what I needed at the time, I didn't care.
Neither did the printer. :)
 
Don't blame the PRINTER get Canon Ink's or you will get blocked heads, the
Canon Ink's are so well priced.why would you want to put crap ink's in...
 
Bill said:
I suggest using good quality ink supplies. I refill my ink tanks too,
but I use ink supplied from AtlanticInkjet and have NEVER had to clean
the printhead in my i850 - it's always worked first time, every time.

Whatever you do, NEVER use those cheap "universal ink" refill kits.
They use very cheap ink that doesn't colour match well nor flow
through the printhead very well.

Try shopping around the net for places that use ink supplied from
Formulabs. They make OEM and aftermarket inks, and the quality is
excellent.


Why would you think it's the paper?

I use the cheapest coated "multi-purpose" copy paper I can find for
regular documents (Staples, Office Depot, etc.). For more
"wow-factor" I use medium priced 99+ brightness inkjet paper, again
from whoever has the best deal. And for photos, I use inexpensive
Office Depot 8.5x11" photo paper.

No problems with any paper, even uncoated copy paper I snagged from
work when I ran out one day worked fine. Albeit the ink soaked in a
bit and was not as crisp, but for what I needed at the time, I didn't
care. Neither did the printer. :)
Click to expand...

The reason for paper is that many of the cheaper "inkjet" or
"multipurpose" papers have surface treatments that do no remain on the
surface and muck up precision print heads with talc, clays, fibers, etc.
The OP seemed to indicate using branded carts. Paper is the major
remaining variable.

Q
 
Apoo said:
Don't blame the PRINTER get Canon Ink's or you will get blocked heads, the
Canon Ink's are so well priced.why would you want to put crap ink's in...
Click to expand...


I usually buy my ink cartridges online at Staples since not only does
the Staples.com site remember what I've ordered in the past(who does
that?) they also offer free shipping over 50 bucks
 
I don't buy crap ink, I use good quality ink.

I have done so with my Canon i850 since the first ink tank ran low, and
I've NEVER had a single nozzle get clogged. In fact, I've never had to
use the head cleaning option in the printer driver, ever.

A friend has a Canon i550 and has never had a problem using the same
refill inks.
I usually buy my ink cartridges online at Staples since not only does
the Staples.com site remember what I've ordered in the past(who does
that?) they also offer free shipping over 50 bucks
Click to expand...

Geezes...for LESS than what it costs to go to Staples and buy one Canon
ink tank for each colour of my i850 (4 tanks = $83), I can have refill
kits shipped to my home that will refill all of my CMY ink tanks 7
times, and the black tank 5 times. That's about a $200 savings on ink.

For more money initially, I can order bulk ink that will refill my tanks
about 60 times (40 times for black). Yet in the long run it costs $1 to
refill.

This is the reason why I bought a Canon i850 - the clear ink tanks are
very easy to refill, with no mess and only takes a few minutes to do all
four tanks.
 
I suggest using good quality ink supplies. I refill my ink tanks too,
but I use ink supplied from AtlanticInkjet and have NEVER had to clean
the printhead in my i850 - it's always worked first time, every time.

Whatever you do, NEVER use those cheap "universal ink" refill kits. They
use very cheap ink that doesn't colour match well nor flow through the
printhead very well.

Try shopping around the net for places that use ink supplied from
Formulabs. They make OEM and aftermarket inks, and the quality is
excellent.
Click to expand...

---- trim

I looked on Bizrate.com and they list 185 online businesses that sell
aftermarket ink tanks starting at about $1.85 and going all the way to
the OEM price. Here's one example:

http://tinyurl.com/2yztc

I'm assuming that many of them are from the same manufacturers. Is
there any way to identify the cartridges that have Formulabs ink?
 
Al said:
I looked on Bizrate.com and they list 185 online businesses that sell
aftermarket ink tanks starting at about $1.85 and going all the way to
the OEM price.

I'm assuming that many of them are from the same manufacturers. Is
there any way to identify the cartridges that have Formulabs ink?
Click to expand...

Those are pre-filled ink tank cartridges. Unless you contact the
suppliers, there's no way to know what ink is inside those tanks, unless
they state it on their website.

I'm very wary of any compatible cartridges...unless I hear reports of
good quality ink.

Instead of compatibles, I refill the ink tanks. These clear tanks are
very easy to refill - no mess at all and I can do it almost as fast as
you can open a new cartridge package. :)

When my first set that came with the printer started to get low, I went
out and bought a second set while waiting for my refill kits to arrive.
I now have two sets of tanks and I simply swap them out, refill, store,
and then swap again. So far I've managed about 8 refills each and
they're still going strong. :)

By the way, if anyone has heard rumours about the CDN/US "Atlantic
Inkjet" company changing suppliers, the rumours are incorrect. Another
company in the UK by the name of "Atlantic Ink" has made a change.

Atlantic Inkjet still uses the same supplier and makes excellent refill
kits and bulk ink.

I haven't tried their compatibles yet, but I will when my original ink
tanks wear out (if they wear out!).
 
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