Refilling Canon with OEM ink

[martin0reg]

Canon's answer to Epson's L-series is the Pixma G-series with in-built CISS and ink bottles instead of cartridges: http://www.canon.co.za/printers/inkjet/pixma/pixma_g1400/accessories.aspx

Sadly it's an ink set without photo black... but I remembered a IP3000 not printing much different than a IP4000. Mixing the black by using C-M-Y don't have to result in poor B&W, in practice it depends on the art of mixing. Besides the amount of black ink drops in a B/W photo of a C-M-Y-K printer is pretty small.

So I got a ip3000 in good condition for around 30€, two new printheads for stock - which fortunately are still available new from canon, and ordered the "Canon GI-490" bottled ink set.
This may be hard to find, as the printers it's primarily for other markets than Western Europe, but finally I received one set.


First prints are fine, it seems to match the BCI-6 colors better than other compatibles, if you do it without profiling. And on my first three different papers the ink seems to print out fine regarding the surface, no paper-ink-mismatch or other issues.
I will do some testing, with profiles, and - most important - a fading test under UV light. To compare the light fastness with other compatibles, including epson/fuji drylab ink.
I'm very curious, because until now I haven't found any compatible ink for canon dye printers which is as light fast as fuji DL..or at least comes close to..

 

[The Hat]

You can still get OEM inks in larger sizes too, it’s about €65 per 130 ml.
click to enlarge..

 

[martin0reg]

I think that's pigment ink, right?
What I found and indeed use for my canon dye printers is BCI-1411, 330ml dye ink (made for canon dye LFP like W7200).
But I am a bit disappointed, fading resistance is not as such lables like "chromalife100+" are promising. More like a better sort of canon compatible, not claria or fuji or epson drylab ink..

 

[martin0reg]

So here is my first comparizon of the ip3000 + gi490 ink with an ip4000 + bci1411 ink.

Two prints each printer, on the same paper (TPI 180g semigloss) with the same setting (glossy paper Q2) out of the driver.
Without profiling the paper, you see the different inks as is.

Scanned all four side by side. Small prints 9x13cm / 3.5x5"


It is not to compare the color tone, it's to compare d-max of black and resolution,
how the ip3000 with only CMY compares to a ip4000 with CMYK
Here are some closer looks (crops of the original 1200dpi scan)




PS: some other prints of both inks are lying under my UV bulb... will see after a week..

 

[The Hat]

I have lots of prints stuck on the walls of my print room that have been there many years, some going back to 1998 (Calendar), they are on various different papers from glossy photo, satin photo and just plain copy paper.

Quite a number of them are printed with OEM inks, but most of them still look pretty good after all this time, so just for the hell of it, I located some of the original photos and printed them again on similar paper.

When compared to the newly printed one they all had faded considerably but my brain and eyes could not see that till I done this comparison test, the conclusion I got from that is OEM ink fades just like all the others inks do, maybe just that bit slower.

So 3rd party ink in my mind gives better prints, value and more pleasure, because I have to reprint my photos more often if I want to keep them looking good and fresh.

P.S. the pigment ink photos are still the very same, no change,
My print room receives no daylight whatsoever.

 

[stratman]

My print room receives no daylight whatsoever.

Why would the Irish Count Dracula's room have sunlight anyways?

If I ever make it to Ireland to visit I will keep Irish whiskey with holy water readily at hand just in case you get the munchies.

 

[The Hat]

Ice to Eskimos stratman, sure we got plenty of Feckin water here, just bring the booze and we’ll raise a glass to Auld Bram’s himself..

 

[stratman]

I think I've got it figured out now about the pot 'o' gold at the end of the rainbow. The pot is the distiller's kettle and the gold is the whiskey within.

I'll bring the booze. You bring the bacon and cabbage and mash!

 

[martin0reg]

Doesn't look these undead people kind of faded themselve?
Like missing pigments...

Regarding the output of my test printer and ink:
As I expected B&W can be as neutral as with a ip4000.
But the d-max of black areas seems to be weaker without the black ink channel.
And I don't find a way to compensate this. You can darken the image or print, but the deepest black remains the same, no better d-MAX, only a darker print...

[edit to add: please see posting #15 - on other sort of paper both d-max and fading turns out bettter... it's not only the ink...]

 

[stratman]

Doesn't look these undead people kind of faded themselve?

Zombie apocalypse!