Suggestions for HP Refill Ink for Photosmart Premium

[kgvickers]

I've got the HP Photosmart Premium that reviewed here: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4715

I'm still using the ink from inkproducts.com and Costco/Kirkland branded photopaper. I'm very, very happy with the photo print quality - but not so happy with the picture fading. I'm basing that on the few prints that I've hung on my cubicle wall at work where they are exposed to fluorescent lighting for about 12 hours each day during a normal work week.

After doing a little net reading I've found that I'm certainly not the only person with this problem. Seems to be particularly bad for dye-based inks . . . which, of course, is what my printer uses.

I'm considering trying a different brand of ink and I've heard good things about MIS (inksupply.com).

Any opinions on MIS or suggestions for a better alternative?

Thanks,

Keith

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

I have the same printer, same problem. Since there are only two HP owners on this forum, we've got to stick together and pool resources. (Joke -- I think)

I have a couple of threads summarizing what I've found so far on ink fading for HP564.
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6192
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6247

I've found a few inks available for that printer ignoring some no-names (in no particular order, and not endorsing any of them:
InkTec
Image Specialists (Precision Colors home.eol.ca/~mikling has these in small quantities)
MIS
OCP -- available in fairly large quantities
Nano ink

According to Image Specialists (e-mail message), the inks for HP564 are
WJ 1020 black
WJ 244 C
WJ 6053 M
WJ 7006 Y
WJ1008 PK

Doing a little cross-correlation with Precision Colors Web site, it appears that the HP 564 uses the same inks as HP 57+ (Vivera color) and HP 58 (PK). HP 56 is K and HP 59 is gray. Aardenburg, aka Mark McCormick has a little info on HP and alternative inks (mostly for Canon and Epson, however). The HP ink does somewhere between fairly well and fairly well, as do the replacement inks.

I've found conflicting info on InkTec. It's either the worst or the best. I'll be doing some informal tests on that and others, and will report back some time.

 

[kgvickers]

I have the same printer, same problem. Since there are only two HP owners on this forum, we've got to stick together and pool resources. (Joke -- I think)

Ha! I think you're right.

You posted a few replies to my "review" of this printer so you know my history with it. From day one I was planning to get a CIS. I'm actually pretty good at refilling carts but I hate!hate!hate! having to do it. Course, the CIS brings along its own set of problems.

If you look at CNET's customer reviews you'll see this printer does not get high marks. Most of that is due to the crappy job HP does with software. I did manage to find a posting that gave very good instruction on loading the software and drivers for Windows 7. The key is to load only a few items and not all the infinite crap that HP puts in the installer. If you're interested I'll find the link and post it.

For the most part I really love this printer but it has taken me a while to work out the hardware kinks with the CIS and the software issues. My latest problem is duplex scanning to Adobe. The scanner goes through the motions and appears to scan everything but when it finishes Adobe just sits there forever and appears to be locked up. Fortunately it works fine when I do the manual duplex - but only if I limit the number of pages to about 20. If I fill the handler to its advertized limit of 50 pages the page order gets screwed up in Adobe. All the pages are there but not in the correct order!

Back to the fading question - I'm very interested in seeing your results when you finish your own testing!

Thanks,

Keith

 

[ink_junkie]

Thanks for the information kgvickers. I would really appreciate a link to that information regarding the download from HP.

 

[ThrillaMozilla]

There are some tricks to installing it on Windows, especially running it over a network. I posted what I know here: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1615776&page=3 . As far as I know, you do NOT need all that HP software on the CD. You can install just the driver.

I didn't have any luck getting the driver from the HP Web site, however. EDIT: According to my notes, it came as an executable file, which crashed.

 

[kgvickers]

Thanks for the information kgvickers. I would really appreciate a link to that information regarding the download from HP.

I followed the directions in the last post in this thread: http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printe...rinter-in-Windows-7/m-p/178032/highlight/true

I'd also add that after installing, you may want to remove the shortcut "HP Digital Imaging Monitor" from the startup folder. No need to have that stupid thing always running in the background.

Keith