Difference in brands of printer ink?

  • Thread starter Thread starter DaveC
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DaveC

How much difference in ink is there between printer manufacturers?

For example, do 3rd party ink suppliers distinguish between inks for Canon
and Epson printers? Of course, cartridges are different, and one brand's cyan
will be a slightly different hue than another's. But speaking strictly of the
bulk inks, is for example magenta for an Epson formulated differently than
one for Canon? Or is an ink an ink (ignoring the possible differences in
tint).

Can I use Canon CMY inks to recharge my CMY Epson printer, and vice versa
(ignoring the possible necessity to re-calibrate due to a difference in tint)
without worrying about inks formulated for a Canon clogging my Epson
cartridge (or vice versa)?

Thanks,
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DaveC
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Probably not wise.

Firstly, Epson has a least 2 different basic formulas of inks. Some use
dyes, some use pigments. They can be interchanges within the printer,
but they do not behave well together in use, and should not be mixed in
a cartridge.

But even within the dye ink formulations, they can differ considerable,
in the amount or and types of solvents.

Viscosity (thickness of the liquid) and drying times can differ between
models let along brands. Canon uses a system that boils the ink to
expel it out of the head, meaning it has to have a certain boiling
point, and extra base fluid which gets evaporated off. Epson uses a
piezo electric actuation which vibrates, but doesn't need to heat to
work, so the amount of solvent or colorant may be quite different.

All inks do have some similarities, and indeed some companies market
"generic or universal" inks. Typically, they perform badly in all the
models they "work" in.

Further, buying bulk ink in large amounts which you may use up slowly,
is probably not wise. Some inks have a shelf date and change chemically
from aging or oxidation.

Unless you are burning through a lot of ink, I would buy smaller amount
of bulk ink, and try to find ones specific to your printer model.

Art
 
As your other reply indicates, this is not a good idea. There are many
differences in ink formulations from one OEM to the next. Do not use, for
instance, use Canon inks to refill Epson cartridges, and vice versa.
 
Thanks, Art and Kevin, for the sage advice.
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