Canon Pro-200 vs. Epson 106 ink fading performance

[Ink stained Fingers]

Color patches are now out in the environment since 10 weeks, and a trend is slowly becoming visible that the C and M Chromalife inks of the Canon Pro200 fade slightly slower than the Epson 106 inks, I wouldn't want to give you any numbers at this time, the differences are small - just think about something like 10% , and the fading speed is again dependent as well on the paper I have used for this test. I have shown in various previous tests that the paper - the coating of the paper - has a direct influence on the fading performance of the ink. So the test just will continue several more weeks.....................

 

[The Hat]

Color patches are now out in the environment since 10 weeks

Being outdoors there is no Ozone to worry about..

 

[stratman]

Being outdoors there is no Ozone to worry about..

Tell that to the people of Los Angeles, California.

https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors/what-makes-air-unhealthy/ozone

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

tell that to the people of Los Angeles, California.

https://www.lung.org/clean-air/outdoors/what-makes-air-unhealthy/ozone

I'm getting the impression it is getting dangerous already just by mentioning the word 'ozone', but I'm happy - I'm not living there, and fun aside - there is more of such stuff outside - those NOx oxides of which some become acid in connection with humidity - placing the targets outside is a pretty strong accelerator for fading effects even in winter times

 

[The Hat]

Outside, white light bounces around and nowhere is immune or escapes its affects..
It’s exactly the same sun everywhere..

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Please let me give you an update of the fading test - Chromalife vs. Epson 106 inks, the test is running now for 12 weeks and differences between the inks are getting clearer at tlhis time - the Canon Chromalife inks of the Pro-200 are slightly better than the Epson 106 inks - I'm rather reluctant to give you a number but I can tell you at this time that the Chromalife inks - C and M in my test - are about 10% more stable than the 106 inks - it takes about 10% longer until the Chromalife inks reach the same level of a luminance change than the 106 inks -

I could put down a rating range like this

Octopus - office Canon dye inks --------~ 10%

HP GT 52 inks for the HP tank printers -~ 75%

Epson 106 Ecotank inks -------------------100%

Chromalife P-200 inks -------------------~110%

I' running a test with octopus-office dye inks in parallel - that's quick and easy - they fade that quick that the test is basically over after 2 weeks - they fade faster in 2 weeks than the 106 inks in 12 weeks. They are useless for serious printing.
And I have added the HP GT52 CMY inks for another test, I did one aleady quite some time ago, these inks for the HP tank printers perform quite well and are usable in printers with a thermo/bubble printhead. I remember some info that they work as well in Canon printers. But there is no dye black available but only a pigment black GT51.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

The Epson 114 bottled inks for the new A3+ ET8550 Ecotank photo printer are becoming available , I have a set on order and guess what I'll do - a fading test against the Epson 106 inks of the ET-7550

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Another week is gone, octopus-office inks for Epson are just not usable for serious photo printing, that's the result after 2.5 weeks

black turned into a chocolade brown already and cyan is almost gone as well.

The Epson 106 and Canon Chromalife Pro-200 inks are out in the environment now since 13 weeks - 1/4 year, the Canon C and M inks show a slight advantage of about 15% over the Epson inks - it takes them 15% more time to reach the same luminance changes as the 106 inks do. Be aware that these are ballpark/trend numbers depend as well on the type of paper you are using. I see the best ink performance - both types - on the HP Premium Plus Photo Paper - closely followed by the Aldi/Netbit glossy one and close by a 240gr glossy PE/RC paper from Poland via Ebay . The HP paper carries the lowest level of optical brighteners if that's a concern for you. It's an overall price/performance issue at the end - the Epson 106 inks are unbeatable with about 10€ for 70ml for a good and genuine Epson ink, a pricing level which Canon by far does not reach with the Chromalife inks at this time. There are signs that Canon is bringing an inktank photo printer on the market pretty soon - in the Far East business region, but I would assume that such printer will come to Europe as well in the foreseeable future - with bottled Chromalife inks apparently in direct competition to the new Epson ET-8500/8550 models.

https://www.druckerchannel.de/artikel.php?ID=4398&t=canon_pixma_g670_und_g570

 

[stratman]

Do you have results for the Epson ink on Epson paper and Canon ink on Canon paper to compare OEM vs aftermarket?

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I must admit that I'm not using Canon or Epson papers at all - I still have a small package here with the Canon PT-101 Pro Platinum A4, a few sheets are gone for some profiling, but that's about it in ~5 years, and I have few Epson 4"x6" sample sheets left from the installation of a WF-2010W some time ago. I'm using those papers for testing which I'm using as well for all other printing jobs, and there are plenty of those non-Epson or non-Canon papers around.. And I'm facing another limitation for my tests that I don't have a Canon printer around to test the Canon consumables on a Canon printer, and I'm not swapping inks around on those printers which I'm running with the 106 inks - the L1800 and L805 6-color printers. I pass all inks through the same WF2010W printer with refill cartridges, that limits the range of options - all inks through the same printer onto the same papers. I'm aware that there are other combinations possible and would make sense - with additional effort. I always think that it is simple and easy when I start another test - e.g. with 2 patch sheets for 2 inks - but it is always growing for some reason - adding another paper or two to the test - or adding another ink etc , and I get to 10 or 12 patch sheets quickly..........even without Epson or Canon papers.