CIS for my printers / Photo Papers

[jessarooy2k]

Hi! Before I go buying a CIS for my new HP 309g, can anyone tell me where the best place online is to purchase? Also, of the success or failures to date of this particular model? Obviously, I would like to avoid "the ruin" of a $100 unit and save a few bucks. The best paper purchase I have found so far was at Sam's Club of "HP Premium Photo Paper". 150 sheets of 8.5"X11" Glossy 64lb under $38. That's around 25 cents a sheet. Also found a similar deal at wally world for HP 4"X6" Advanced Photo Paper at two for the price of one, or 200 precuts for under $15. The prints I get from Mfr carts are excellent; I am currently looking at a CIS from "inkproducts.com" for $80. Sounds like a good deal, but again I'd love to hear if I am actually getting a good deal or stepping off into "Pain & Woe Ville"? I also have a Canon PIXMA 250 that no matter what I do, with or without mfr carts and paper, simply can not compare to the quality I'm getting from the HP309g. All my images are from Nikon DSLRS. Any help out there?

Thanks,

Jesse G.

 

[The Hat]

jessarooy2k..
Hi jesse you seemed to have posted this question twice. you got mail..

 

[kgvickers]

I have the c309a with the CIS from www.inkproducts.com and you can see my review here: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=4715

I'm extremely happy with the printer and the CIS. I've been using Costco branded paper and I'm happy with the prints but I suspect the Hp paper probably works better with this printer. I may drop by Sam's and give it a try.

Keith

 

[Tin Ho]

Costco Kirkland Professional Glossy Photo Paper is only $18 for 150 sheets 8.5x11. It is a better paper than HP Premium Photo Paper.

 

[jessarooy2k]

Thanks Guys. I feel a bit more confident about the CIS from inkproducts.com; and after I burn through the HP paper I have I will give "Kirkland Signature" a shot. I sure wish I knew where I could get bulk "Vivera Ink".
While I'm on that subject, a funny thing happened with this HP 309g. It did do exactly what others had said it would do when the ink got low. But its what happened after that that struck me wierd. After it gave me the 1st & 2nd warning, I decided I would milk it for all I could get so I kept printing full 8.5X11's. I did 7 more full size prints with no evidence of fading before I called it an evening, all were borderless 8.5X11's. I went ahead and purchased a new ink refill kit, and at present count I've done only 2 more prints of that size with the new carts. I kept the used ones for their chips on the CIS I have ordered. This time I'm going to milk them until I do see fading...I will post the results. Again, thanks for all the info.

Later,

Jessaroo

 

[l_d_allan]

After it gave me the 1st & 2nd warning, I decided I would milk it for all I could get so I kept printing full 8.5X11's. I did 7 more full size prints with no evidence of fading before I called it an evening, all were borderless 8.5X11's. I went ahead and purchased a new ink refill kit, and at present count I've done only 2 more prints of that size with the new carts. I kept the used ones for their chips on the CIS I have ordered. This time I'm going to milk them until I do see fading...I will post the results. Again, thanks for all the info.

I'm a printing newbie, so "consider the source". However, I've read in several places that the approach of "milk it for all I could get" can be hard on your print head.

My (uninformed?) understanding is that the ink provides the equivalent of lubrication between the print head and paper. A "dry" print head is getting some abrasion from the paper. Or perhaps it could get "gummed up" from the paper coating?

[Edit] No ... the print-head "flies" above the paper and should never, never, never touch the paper. The cooling happens because the ink droplet within the nozzle does the equivalent of evaporating. That carries away heat from the nozzle circuit that rapidly caused that ink droplet to boil explosively enough to spray on the nearby paper.
[/Edit]

But perhaps this doesn't apply as I believe I read somewhere that HP cartridges come with heads, rather than the Epson and Canon design of heads and cartridges being separate. So they are in some sense, disposable? (on a non CIS setup at least).

Plus if you are intending to refill that cartridge, it seems like false economy to "milk it for all I could get". You haven't really saved any ink.

But I could very well have no idea of what I'm talking about. Guidance for Canon vs HP vs Epson might be significantly different. I'd appreciate input to currect the "error of my ways" from forum members with lots more experience than myself (which is about everybody else on this forum).

 

[ghwellsjr]

My (uninformed?) understanding is that the ink provides the equivalent of lubrication between the print head and paper. A "dry" print head is getting some abrasion from the paper. Or perhaps it could get "gummed up" from the paper coating?

No, the print head does not contact the paper. It flies right over it though. The ink actually has horizontal velocity as it is traveling so the printer has to "predict" where the droplets will land. Actually, that is what an alignment is all about, making sure that the droplets that are deposted when going in one direction will be in the proper position with the ones deposted going the other direction.