Best Settings for Canon Pro-1000?

[*Rich]

Just unboxed a new Pro-1000 and now in the process of setting up.

I have read posts and reviews about the Pro-1000 using a lot of ink due to the auto-maintenance routines it runs. Some settings are user adjustable, but then there is the risk of nozzle clogging if not routinely cleaned.

Anyone have experience with running a Pro-1000 w. settings to conserve ink, yet w/o being plagued w. ink clogs? Any suggestions for "best practices"? Thanks.

 

[The Hat]

The Pro 1000, WONT clog up, that’s fairy stories, and please don’t worry about auto maintenance, they are your best friend, not a scourge, just let the printer get on with them.

Just use the printer as it was intended, load your paper, and set the Media setting to reflect your paper choice and just click print and see what happens.

When you have done that enough times you’ll get to understand the printer a little better and you can then experiment with some of the other setting, because you’re a novice you need to start small and work up to find your feet, beware of the experts that know everything...

 

[Emulator]

Interesting that the Pro-1000 costs just under £1000 and that the 12 ink set of 80mL OEM cartridge replacements just under £500. This suggests that the printer body costs only about £500.

 

[mikling]

Interesting that the Pro-1000 costs just under £1000 and that the 12 ink set of 80mL OEM cartridge replacements just under £500. This suggests that the printer body costs only about £500.

Once you get over the crazy rebates on the 13" carriage models in NA, the Pro-1000 packs a lot of hardware for the money relative to Epson.
At the given selling prices, you need to consider it is mini floor standing wide format machine that sits on a desktop. Now compare it to the Epson P800. Vacuum Holdown for media handling ...at this pricing? really. The laydown of CO is superb and better than what was seen on the Pro-1 and 10. Then a built in densitometer that maintains ink jetting characteristics ON THE PAPER, that takes care of ink, media and printhead variations. This is aspect is lost on many unless they are fastidious with their color output. This is not a printer for starting out with. Built in ink agitation on their internal ink tanks. Then there is the printer management software that tracks and estimates ink useage by print. The only shortcoming that is a Canon teaser is lack of panorama printing. This aspect will force many to move to the Pro-2000 which allows it....and comes with a hard drive.

Simply put, the Epson P800 has been out teched by a large margin within the same product space. Not just teched but in actual results. No comparison. But the lack of panorama is certainly a drawback. This is NOT a machine meant to print once a week. It wants to work and does waste more ink than normal printers. But when you play in this sphere...........you kinda expect high maintenance.

Like high maintenance GFs and trophy wives............Wanna look good (not only the prints), then usually something is attached. ( I'm gonna get slammed for this)

Oh BTW, make sure you set up the Pro-1000 on something really sturdy. It also has built in inertia sensors. This machine needs to be level and does NOT like shaking surfaces when it prints. Do NOT move it when it is powered up or else you'll be sorry, very very sorry and expensive mistake.

 

[Emulator]

Now there is a professional printer!!!............... both man and machine.

 

[*Rich]

Now there is a professional printer!!!............... both man and machine.

Thanks Emulator. If I ever need my ego reinforced after a few bad prints, I will certainly come to this forum.

And yes, once you look at the price of the printer, less rebate, and free paper from B&H as well as full-size ink tanks standard, you have to conclude either the printer is being sold at or below cost by Canon, and/or the mark-up in their ink products is well over 100%. The entry price is very attractive, but as one poster lamented, it's now time for me to "Pay to Play." After using an Epson 3880 over the last seven years, I am used to that, so choosing the PRO-1000 over the Epson P800 as a replacement wasn't too much of a stretch.

 

[Inkboy]

Just unboxed a new Pro-1000 and now in the process of setting up.

I have read posts and reviews about the Pro-1000 using a lot of ink due to the auto-maintenance routines it runs. Some settings are user adjustable, but then there is the risk of nozzle clogging if not routinely cleaned.

Anyone have experience with running a Pro-1000 w. settings to conserve ink, yet w/o being plagued w. ink clogs? Any suggestions for "best practices"? Thanks.

Unfortunately many printers waste a ton of ink due to print head maintenance. Have you considered using a 3rd party ink? Precision Colors is offering a solution for your printer, you should reach out to them to see what they can do to help you... Good luck!

 

[WilsonLaidlaw]

I am about to bin my Canon Pro-1 printer due to the amount of ink it wastes in cleaning, very slow start up times (sits grinding away for ever) and never ending paper feed problems. This was an expensive purchase and a total waste of money. I will give it one last chance by taking it over to Canon's UK service centre and see if they can sort it out. Compared with the Epson Stylus Pro 3880 we have at our French base, which starts up quickly, uses very little ink in head cleaning and will feed every size, finish and weight of paper you could desire, the Canon is a waste of space. I will try to buy another refurbished 3880 to replace the Canon. I certainly would not buy another Canon printer. This is the second time over a fairly short period that a Canon printer has been a dog. Twice bitten.....

 

[The Hat]

@Inkboy, In my opinion, there’s no point in owning a great printer and then switching it to 3rd party ink, it’s truly a commercial printer for the professional photographers intending to sell their work, so no extra value can be had by using cheaper inks.

@WilsonLaidlaw, Some printers can behave very badly if you don’t work with them, gone along with its rules and it will preform for you impeccably, but try and alter the way the printer works, and it can bite back at you, The Pro 1 doesn’t waste ink, it uses some ink to keep it in perfect printing condition.

If on the other hand you don’t use it regularly, then it can spend a lot of time in the bathroom cleaning the hell out of itself, as for misfeeding, there can be a few things that can cause that, but are easy fixable.

Taking it to a Canon Service Centre, I wish you luck, Ouch...

 

[*Rich]

I am about to bin my Canon Pro-1 printer due to the amount of ink it wastes in cleaning, very slow start up times (sits grinding away for ever) and never ending paper feed problems. This was an expensive purchase and a total waste of money. I will give it one last chance by taking it over to Canon's UK service centre and see if they can sort it out. Compared with the Epson Stylus Pro 3880 we have at our French base, which starts up quickly, uses very little ink in head cleaning and will feed every size, finish and weight of paper you could desire, the Canon is a waste of space. I will try to buy another refurbished 3880 to replace the Canon. I certainly would not buy another Canon printer. This is the second time over a fairly short period that a Canon printer has been a dog. Twice bitten.....

I feel your pain, Wilson. My Pro-1000 used 60% of the entire ink-set just to initialize the first time. That's about $400US to fill the feed lines, reservoirs and the head. I don't recall my Epson 3880 doing that. But to Canon's credit, full size ink carts were included w. the Pro-1000, as compared to Epson's "starter" carts that come with the P800.

I knew this prior to my purchase, so I made an informed choice. And I'm glad I did. The tonal range, depth, blacks and color gamut of the Pro-1000 exceed what I was producing over seven years with my 3880 -- landscapes and fine art photography, captured w. a full-frame Nikon. I feel (hope) the extra production cost can be recovered in increased sales of my work due to the "best in class" results.

However, for others that may not be true. If your market does not require this marginal increase of quality, but rather production speed and quantity at lower cost, then a 3880 may be a better choice, if you can still find a good one. The non-replaceable head and black ink switching valve on my 3880 was near end-of-life, as well as the paper feed becoming less reliable. Canon's paper air-feed system is much better so far. And if you are producing large prints, as I am, the non-firing nozzle compensation system can save you a lot of money in wasted paper and ink. So for me, it's pay to play time w. hope of recovery over time.