Canon Pixma MX922 Printing Issues - Banding? Pinstripes?

[TamiS]

What do you want to do with your printer - text, images, both? How much of each per week or month? Do you want to refill?

Is it the 10-50 images per week you mentioned in your first post? Do you need high quality images or can they be good but not necessarily best?

I do simple shipping labels and art prints. Depending on the time of year it is 10-15 per week. And I usually print twice a week. I need very high quality since these are art prints that people are paying for. Altho as I understand it my Canon Pixma isn't really the highest quality.

But, if I decide to get out of the home printing side I'll just be needing a simple low end printer to do labels and invoices.

 

[stratman]

You will want pigment black ink for labels as pigment ink is water resistant and less likely to smear when wet. If your labels are covered in clear tape then dye-based ink may be suitable, although some shipping carriers may not like the tape.

Either Dye-based or Pigment-based ink may be pleasing to your eye. It's up to you. This is why the All-In-One MX922 was a good match for you - pigment black ink for labels and dye-based ink for your art prints.

The Maxify line of Canon printers, which use ALL pigment ink, offer the same functionality as your MX922 but the photo image quality may not meet your requirements. I thought the 4x6 glossy test print I made on my Maxify was comparable to the same image printed from an old Canon MX860, which is similar to your current printer. If you can go to a store that has the Maxify printers on display them take along a blank photo paper and have them print out a test image so you can compare with your current printer.

I do not know about the quality of other All-In-One Canon printers other than the Maxify's. To get a higher quality printer for your fine art then consider either a Canon pro-100 (all Dye ink so not as good for labels), or the Pro-300 (all pigment ink). The older models of Canon pigment ink printers such as the excellent 9500 and Pro-10 are discontinued. Finding replacement print heads for the 9500 models is near impossible and eventually will be the same for the Pro-10.

You might also consider an Epson printer. Fellow forum member @Ink stained Fingers may be able to guide you on Epson choices.

if I decide to get out of the home printing side I'll just be needing a simple low end printer to do labels and invoices.

If you do not need color then consider a monochrome laser printer. Can be relatively inexpensive to buy and feed and they are water resistant.

 

[TamiS]

You will want pigment black ink for labels as pigment ink is water resistant and less likely to smear when wet. If your labels are covered in clear tape then dye-based ink may be suitable, although some shipping carriers may not like the tape.

Either Dye-based or Pigment-based ink may be pleasing to your eye. It's up to you. This is why the All-In-One MX922 was a good match for you - pigment black ink for labels and dye-based ink for your art prints.

You might also consider an Epson printer. Fellow forum member @Ink stained Fingers may be able to guide you on Epson choices.

If you do not need color then consider a monochrome laser printer. Can be relatively inexpensive to buy and feed and they are water resistant.

Thank you for all the information. I guess the whole printer world changed while I wasn't looking. I assumed that if I only needed a simple home printer I could grab one for 30-40 bucks that took ink that cost about $20 for both cartridges. I was really surprised to see that a "simple" printer was around $70-$100 and took ink that cost at least 50 bucks for both cartridges.

Even if I change my business model it looks like a Pixma type printer is still a better deal.

 

[stratman]

You can get a new printer for $40 or less that are on sale. Canon USA has a model on sale for $40. Cannot advise you on the quality, durability or the cost of cartridges. You may find on sale or close out pricing on the internet that better suits your needs.

Edit:

 

[turbguy]

The best printer for your sipping labels would be a laser printer. Period!

Art prints will require an inkjet.

 

[TamiS]

You can get a new printer for $40 or less that are on sale. Canon USA has a model on sale for $40. Cannot advise you on the quality, durability or the cost of cartridges. You may find on sale or close out pricing on the internet that better suits your needs.

Edit:

Thanks! At least it's the right time of year to be buying stuff online.

 

[stratman]

BEst of luck in your search. Let us know how things work out.

 

[TamiS]

Update -

So I finally bought a new printer a few weeks ago. I decided on a Canon Pixma TS 6320. It was very affordable on Amazon, I paid $130 with free Prime shipping. I'm pretty happy with it and even though I plan on taking my business in a new direction I'll be keeping my new Pixma for everyday home use.

The prints are as good, if not better, than my old Canon. The colors are a little off, but I can easily tweak that. I love the size, it's way smaller and lighter than my old Canon. The rear photo paper feed is a little annoying. When it's fully extended it takes up a lot of room in the back of the printer. The ON/OFF button is goofy and kind of hard to use. And I'm not crazy about the slim cover on the front paper feed.

I'm now trying to sell my old printer for parts. No one is biting yet. I'll probably end up giving it away if someone will just come and take it out of my living room. I'm in Lakewood Ohio if anyone is interested?

Thanks for everyone's help and support.

 

[stratman]

Than ks for the follow up. Glad to hear you found a new printer that suits your needs. Best wishes from one Clevelander to another. Lovely weather we're having!