TR said:
The reason I care more about the ink now than before is that before, I
was reinking HP carts which after 6-8 reinkings you get new heads with
the replacement of the cart. If I am going to be getting this Canon
i860 or i960, then I have to make sure I am not running mismatched ink
through the heads since the Canon heads are built in and not part of
the cart (more permanent and more expensive to replace).
Also... what are these head cleaner carts I see on some reinking sites
for the Canon's......
Why do a lot of reinking sites not mention the i850, i860, i950 or
i960 models. As a matter of fact, a lot of reinking sites don't list
any of the "i" models of Canon's......
Sounds like you've been visiting "one-ink-fits-all" websites.
Stay away from sites that don't offer specific inks formulated for
the "i" series printers (or others for that matter). Stay away from
anything labeled "universal" or "works in every printer".
Another question on the Canon unrelated to reinking..... I am use to
the HP type paper feed (flat tray) which worked well even on heavy
bond papers. I notice that the Canon paper feed is more of a gravity
feed from the rear in an upright position. How does this work with
heavy bond papers?
I'd say the more or less straight paper path of Canon, Epson and
Lexmark printers stands less of a chance of jamming than HPs front
load "sharp bend" path printers. In fact, I've used very thick
cardboard-like papers in my Canon i850 that specifically warned "not
recommended for use with HP printers" (because of the way it feeds).
Any issues with the i850, 860, 950 and 960 Canons out there?
I've had my Canon i850 since March of 2003 and have nothing but praise
for it. It's the first fully worthy printer I've ever owned. There is a
bit of banding with photos, depending what brands of paper I use. It's
slightly visible (by turning photo sideways) on Canon paper and really
visible on some generic papers I've tried. Others have stated that
they've seen no banding. So, go figure...
As for Canon's "gravity feed"... It's hardly gravity; the paper is
pulled in by rollers or something. It's basically jam proof compared
to my previous Lexmark Z55 and Epsons 500 and 740s, which when least
suspected would pull in a mouthful of paper like a hungry dog ;-).
It's really easy to refill, purrs like a cat with the bulk ink I use
(from Atlantic Inkjet, have you checked their website, they do list
the "i" series), never clogs, never jams, never complains, very silent.
My next printer will be another Canon, probably the i960, unless
they've discontinued the series by next year.
For the last 2 days I've been printing 4x6 and 5x7 (and one 8.5x11)
photos at the very highest resolution. After 69 photos I still haven't
received a low ink warning! Printer didn't scrap any (no funny marks
or spots) and no black roller marks on prints from ink on rollers when
feeding. These were all borderless. By the way, using bulk ink my cost
is about $5 per refill (of the 4 cartridges). I believe the newer i860
gives slightly superior prints because it uses 5 cartridges.
-Taliesyn