Clogging with Canon i9900 ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tiberre
  • Start date Start date
T

Tiberre

Does someone knows how avoid the clogging issues with the Canon i9900
running with Canon inks? Is there some special precautions or practices to
take with this printer?

Since two years I have a Canon i850 without any clogging, but I worry about
the 2 picoliter droplets of the i9900 (the i850 is 5 pico).

I would like to be sure that the Canon i9900 is better than the Epson
1280/1290 about clogging and worth the highter cost.

Thanks for your experience and comments.

Tiberre
 
This is the first report I have read about the i9900 clogging with Canon
inks. How often does it sit without being used?
 
I don't think he's saying it has happened...he's just worried it might, due
to the smaller holes in the print head.

Bill Crocker
 
I have a Canon PIXMA iP8500, which uses the i9900 print head, and inks. In
the software, there is a function under Maintenance, called Nozzle Check.
It prints one sheet of paper, with some color bands about 1/2" x 2", that
are very light, pastel, in color. It checks to make sure all the nozzles
are clear. It appears to user a very tiny amount of ink. I don't use this
printer very often, so as preventive maintenance, I run this check once, or
twice a week. Haven't had any problems.

Bill Crocker
 
Thanks a lot Bill and Measekit for your fast replies.

Sure, Bill is right because I dont already have a Canon i9900. I am on the
market for a new A3 printer and now - thanks to your comments - I know what
I have to do: buy a Canon i9900/9950.

If I understand what I read around the net about printers's issues, it is
clear that Canon printers give less problems than Epson. However the Epson
1290 has a very good reputation about overall printing quality... but it
clogs time by time.

Thanks again.
Have a nice Christmas and a good new year.

Tiberre
 
I do the same thing. I run the nozzle test every two to three days.
Clogging is an on going problem for all ink printers. Since I refill the
ink usage isn't an issue.



I don't use this
 
Markeau said:
I have not printed up to 2 weeks and no clogging on my i9900 ...
Click to expand...

I've gone a month or more without printing and had no clogging.

--
--
Ben Thomas - Software Engineer - Melbourne, Australia

My Digital World:
Kodak DX6490, Canon i9950, Pioneer A05;
Hitachi 37" HD plasma display, DGTEC 2000A,
Denon 2800, H/K AVR4500, Whatmough Encore;
Sony Ericsson K700i, Palm Tungsten T.

Disclaimer:
Opinions, conclusions, and other information in this message that do not
relate to the official business of my employer shall be understood as neither
given nor endorsed by it.
 
Tiberre said:
Does someone knows how avoid the clogging issues with the Canon i9900
running with Canon inks? Is there some special precautions or practices to
take with this printer?

Since two years I have a Canon i850 without any clogging, but I worry about
the 2 picoliter droplets of the i9900 (the i850 is 5 pico).

I would like to be sure that the Canon i9900 is better than the Epson
1280/1290 about clogging and worth the highter cost.
Click to expand...

I would suggest to go for Epson because of the fading problem of Canon's
inks in BCI-6 tanks. I use the same ink in my i9000/S9000 and my images
literally "faded away," causing a large part of the consumables to go
down the drain... To say the least: avoid the Canon Photo Paper Plus.

http://www.pbase.com/phototalk_thh/2004_10_12_s9000_fading

Go for the big Epson with pigment inks! It pays for itself by the
superior ink system.

Thomas
 
ThomasH said:
I would suggest to go for Epson because of the fading problem of Canon's
inks in BCI-6 tanks. I use the same ink in my i9000/S9000 and my images
literally "faded away," causing a large part of the consumables to go
Click to expand...
down the drain... To say the least: avoid the Canon Photo Paper Plus.
Click to expand...

I can't speak for the cheap "Plus" paper, but the Photo Pro paper works
quite well. I've a picture of my wife that I printed spring 2004 on
my i9900 (got it about a week after release in the U.S.) taped to my
monitor edge (windows from near floor to top of high ceiling along
entire
walls to the outside are about 10~15 feet away). Photo is uncovered
and has not faded yet.

The older un-improved Photo-Pro paper, used with the BCI-6 inks, is
rated by Wilhelm for about thirty-some years while the Epson 2200's
pigment ink was rated only a bit more on glossy paper (matte paper is
a different thing.. :-).

Canon's Pro paper had a silent upgrade about a year ago (has "Canon"'s
printed on the back side) and is rated a century for album use (dark
and air sealed).

Wilhelm numbers are here:

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,105461,pg,3,00.asp

Their site seems to be down as I write this, but it has done
that before and comes back eventualy. They still may be on
New Year vacation.... :-)

Mike
 
I can't speak for the cheap "Plus" paper, but the Photo Pro paper works
quite well. I've a picture of my wife that I printed spring 2004 on
my i9900 (got it about a week after release in the U.S.) taped to my
monitor edge (windows from near floor to top of high ceiling along
entire
walls to the outside are about 10~15 feet away). Photo is uncovered
and has not faded yet.
Click to expand...

I have a Canon S800, which uses the same BCI6 inks. I bought several
packs of Photo Pro paper when I got the printer 3 years ago, so it is
not the "improved" version. I have quite a few prints stuck up on the
cubicle at work with little magnets. They are not covered and are
exposed to fluorescent lighting for 12+ hours a day. I've found some
fading on Photo Pro paper after a year in that environment.

I also have some prints in the hall at home, in frames and under
glass. Those have shown no fading at all after 2-3 years, also on the
same "old" Photo Pro paper.

I also have some prints I did using Epson "Matte Paper-Heavyweight"
with my S800, using the setting for Canon High Resolution paper. Most
of those photos have been in that exposed environment at work for 3
years and they show NO signs of fading. When I bought the last
package of Epson paper Canon didn't have a heavy matte paper, so I've
never tried those.

The bottom line is that there is nothing wrong with Canon's BCI6 inks,
or the printers that use them. It's the paper that matters, and
environment where the print is kept.
 
Photo paper Plus cheap? You must be mistaken: Photo paper Plus is the
2nd from the top line, its a glossy paper. Canon claims now however
that only the Photo Paper Pro has 4 layers and only this Pro paper
will *under some circumstances* provide the 28-30 durability of images.
I figured that the Plus paper might be much much less durable, say 10
years, what would be just fine. I my wildest dreams I have not imagined
that that I will have to reprint so much after barely 1 year.

Paradox is that the really "cheap paper" (High Resolution, matte and
thin) holds drastically better than the expensive Photo Paper Plus.
I have a Canon S800, which uses the same BCI6 inks. I bought several
packs of Photo Pro paper when I got the printer 3 years ago, so it is
not the "improved" version. I have quite a few prints stuck up on the
cubicle at work with little magnets. They are not covered and are
exposed to fluorescent lighting for 12+ hours a day. I've found some
fading on Photo Pro paper after a year in that environment.

I also have some prints in the hall at home, in frames and under
glass. Those have shown no fading at all after 2-3 years, also on the
same "old" Photo Pro paper.

I also have some prints I did using Epson "Matte Paper-Heavyweight"
with my S800, using the setting for Canon High Resolution paper. Most
of those photos have been in that exposed environment at work for 3
years and they show NO signs of fading. When I bought the last
package of Epson paper Canon didn't have a heavy matte paper, so I've
never tried those.

The bottom line is that there is nothing wrong with Canon's BCI6 inks,
or the printers that use them. It's the paper that matters, and
environment where the print is kept.
Click to expand...

True enough, but you will never know if such adverse conditions will
devalue your images... I will that Canon prints on their paper
"May visibly fade away in one year." Well, I am curious how many
people will than purchase their printers! I would not. I believed
they would last for many years.

In the future I will go only for pigment inks, i.e. Epson!
This stuff (Ink,paper) is damn expensive, such drastic fading is
not acceptable.

Thomas
 
True enough, but you will never know if such adverse conditions will
devalue your images... I will that Canon prints on their paper
"May visibly fade away in one year." Well, I am curious how many
people will than purchase their printers! I would not. I believed
they would last for many years.
Click to expand...

The images aren't devalued - they are still stored in digital format
ready to print again whenever I want. The "copies" I print are just
that - copies. I'm not selling these prints, just sticking them up on
the wall for my own enjoyment.
In the future I will go only for pigment inks, i.e. Epson!
This stuff (Ink,paper) is damn expensive, such drastic fading is
not acceptable.
Click to expand...

Expensive? I think they are dirt cheap. But then I used to do
Cibachrome prints in my darkroom. There days I can make a print on
the Epson Matte, which costs less than $.20 a sheet with less than
$1.00 in ink. If I go for the Canon Photo Pro paper each sheet costs
closer to $1.00. So an 8x10 costs under $2.00. At that price they
are basically disposable, and if once a year I have to reprint a few
BIG DEAL.

I think it would be cheaper to just switch brands of paper than brands
of printer. As I said before, Canon BCI6 inks don't fade when printed
on Epson Matte Heavyweight Paper. If "expense" is the issue, why not
just buy a package of that and keep the printer and supplies you have?
 
Back
Top