BulkInkJetCarts

[JV]

nifty,

Thanks for looking at the post. The graph was a Microsoft Excel Worksheet or Workbook and I did not know how to get it to this site, so I downloaded the graph as a photo. If you want the worksheet instead of the photo please tell me how to do it.

JV

 

[Inky]

JV,

thanks for the info on the ink quantity, but how about some qualitative info on the color? Got any prints you can scan to show skin tones and such?

Also, you mentioned that someone said all the Canon inks are from 3 Chinese makers... I think many are, and probably most of the relabeled small retailers are.

However, Formulabs is subsidiary of a large American or European company that's long been in the ink bussiness (Sensient) http://www.formulabs.com. I think Inktec is European.

They may or not have factories in Asia, but they're not simply resellers buying bulk ink cheap from China.

 

[JV]

Inky,

Thanks for looking at the post and your comments.

I have prints comparing OEM and BulkInkJetCarts colors and skin colors using Test.jpg in www.photo-i.co.uk from the iP8500 review. I am getting scans and will post them as soon as I can. I will also post a scanned face print of a model showing skin color from www.luminous-landscape.com (see What's New, 5/18/05 Aptus22 First impressions) printed with Bulk ink.

You and others could also download these or other photos and show comparisons to help us find the best inks.

The reference to the 3 Chinese manufacturers in Post #9 was, I believe, for Canon compatible carts rather than ink. I have found 3 Chinese manufacturers of Canon carts on the internet and many more for HP or Epson and they usually use imported ink.

JV

 

[JV]

After a number of tries,I have good scans of the prints described in Post #13.

I have to thank grandad for directing me to forums.dpreview.com (see "another formulab ink test..,Post #5) where the suggestion was to have the prints in sunlight with the camera in the shade when scanning. Sunlight gives the most uniform lighting and a full spectrum of color. I tried scanning on my friends HP psc 2410xi, but the colors changed too much.

With a Minolta A2 camera on a tripod using a custom white balance and the camera Raw quality, I photographed the prints.

All editing of the photo scans was done in Photoshop using exactly the same adjustments for all scans. If I edited each scan with different adjustment, I could have made the scans look more alike, but then we would not see the change in color due to ink. There was not much editing required and the edited scans on my monitor look very nearly like the original prints.

I need to calibrate and profile my monitor and to re-edit the scans to have more accurate colors. I plan to get Eye-One-Display 1 for $60 from jr.com (thanks to grandad in above Post #5) or something in the same price range with better specs if available. I am retired and that is the best that I can afford for now.

Also, I plan to get Profile Prism for $79 for printer profiling to reduce the color difference between my monitor and prints and to improve colors of the prints, if possible. My present quality of scans seems good enough for Profile Prism. Rather than buying custom printer profiles I would like to experiment myself and, hopefully, learn more.

JV

 

[JV]

In testing BCI-6 compatible BulkInkJetCarts from Chinese Manufacturer #2, I have printed 35 photos and 31 plain sheets 8.5 x 11. The carts come in white boxes and look like OEM carts. There have been no problems with the carts.

I am getting a green cast in black and brown colors that I have partially corrected with Photoshop CS/ Image/ Adjustments/ Selective Color/ Blacks, Magenta +16%, Cyan -6% and Black +5%. Otherwise the colors look good to me.

This type of adjustment is described in more detail in www.photo-i.co.uk in conclusions for the iP8500 printer review where it was used to correct the red color in OEM ink.

The colors should improve after I profile my monitor and printer.

JV

 

[JV]

The green cast in black and brown colors was completely corrected using the Profile for Old InkGrabber Ink/Kirkland Glossy Photo paper/Canon i9900 by Grandad35 from the Printing Photos and Photo Software section. Thank you Grandad.

All colors on test prints look as good as with OEM ink.

I have printed 50 photos plus 50 plain sheets 8.5 x 11 without problems.

JV
________________________________________________________________
Using iP8500 printer with BulkInkJetCarts from Chinese Manuf.#2 (www.inklabcartridge.com) and Kirkland paper

 

[Grandad35]

JV,

I'm glad that the profile worked for you. Would you add a post at the thread containing the profile (http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=130), listing your printer, cart and paper information and color results? This information will then be available to help others who are searching for a profile suited to your combination of carts and paper.

It sounds like InkGrabber's previous supplier may have been "Chinese Manuf.#2".

 

[modeler]

At times the other pursuits of my life keeps me away from using my Canon Inkjet printers for a while. Print Head can be removed and the cartridges could be installed "outside of the printer" for storage in say a TupperWare container with wet paper towels to create a "Humidor" (like for Cigars) for our purposes. I am thinking about doing this because I am fighting a clogged head now with my i560 which has the same printhead as a IP3000. What do you think about a "Humidor"? Maybe someone already does this, I would not be surprised.

 

[Grandad35]

Modeler,

I've been doing this for several months. Others expressed concerns about mold/fungus/etc. growing in the moist atmosphere, so I started adding a little rubbing alcohol along with the water just in case.

What do you do about your print head while it is in storage? You almost guarantee a clog if it is stored full of ink. Both new and replacement heads are shipped in a sealed package with the ink channels/nozzles filled with a clear liquidi to prevent them from drying out. I flush my spare head with water, then compressed air, and store it in a similar container with the head sitting on a folded paper towel soaked with print head cleaning solution.

 

[RC]

Modeler:

I filled empty cartridges with a 50/50 mix of windex and alcohol and a few drops of ink. I then run a few deep cleaning and leave them in until I need to reuse the printer. Since I do that, I have not experienced any clog. That may be just coincidence but it works for me.

Robert