CLI-8 & PGI-5 Ink Refills

[saqer]

Like many of you, I've had enough of high retail ink prices and am about ready to do something abou it. I'm a student and so I do relative a lot of printing, having to change carts about every 2-3 months. I've been reading up a lot lately about all the different options including refilling, CIS and have read neil's page and some other lit for money saving tips. My problem now is I'm a little overwhelmed. So as not to overwhelm others withmy questions I just have a few unanswered questions I have not been able to find answers to and would greatly appreciate some help:

1. What are do the different kind of ink types mean and stand for (G&G, MIS, etc)?

2. I'm looking to buy a resetter (http://www.inkmaxhk.com/Canon_Resetter.aspx?) in order to successfully continue using the genuine Canon carts for refills. Wiould this be a financially sound investment? What are the consequences if I just ignore the software warnings Canon puts out and continue printing using refills?

3. Any other advice for a newbie as myself?

Thank you all...a lot of good and useful advice. I just hope I don't take too much time trying to find the best deal

 

[Zap]

Hi Sager,

For myself, I am kind of put off by any chip reseter which has to be plugged into the printer for it to work.

I just bought a stand alone reseter from RKS tech solutions out of Germany. I ordered it out through "NOVELTY! Chip Reset + ink level contol for Canon Pixma." on Ebay. I have an ip4200. (It does not look like the picture shown on Ebay) It is the same unit which is being sold by Brewhouse of Germany and is known also as the RedSetter. My cost paid through PayPal was $71 including shipping and money exchange rate. That was 38.04 EUR for unit, 6.28 EUR ship.

It did not have ink with it but then I didn't need the ink. I believe Brewhouse is including ink with theirs. You may want to look into these for comparison before buying your reseter.

The reseter that I received works like a charm. Just press the cartage down on it and it is automatic. Taking about 15 seconds per cartage to reset.

The printer instantly recognizes it as a full cartrage as soon as it is put into the printer and does track the ink usage, as it did with the OEM Carthage.

On refilling, if you ignore Canon's dire warnings that using a refill (empty) cartage will cause the sky to fall and the earth to crack into ten pieces, and the printer will shrivel up to half it's size, Nothing will happen except that you just keep on printing but the printer will no longer tell you when your ink is getting low. And if you reset the chip as well as refill the cartage then the printer will not know the difference.

Have no fear and go on and refill.

Jack

 

[stratman]

The following is a compilation of previous posts to help you get started refilling.


A) Refill Ink

Anyone of the following will give good results:

http://www.inksupply.com/ selling MIS inks(reported to be Ink Specialty inks)

http://www.precisioncolors.com selling Ink Specialty inks

http://hobbicolors.com/ selling Hobbicolors inks

http://www.alotofthings.com/viartshop/index.php selling Formulabs inks

http://www.inktec.com/english/main.asp fot InkTec inks (Google "Inktec" for retailors)

Aftermarket ink from these retailors can be added to and mixed with Canon OEM ink still left in the cartridge.

Advanced User Tip - If you want the best color output then you will need to purge the Canon OEM ink out completely (see below) (or run a couple cartridges full of the aftermarket ink to wash out the Canon OEM ink), refill with one of the inks listed above, then obtain/purchase an ICC Printer Profile for your printer, ink and paper combination. You can purchase one from places like http://www.cathysprofiles.com/. Many casual hobbyists do not purchase an ICC Printer Profile and are satisfied with their color output. You'll know whether you're happy with the colors in your photos after printing out a few pictures. Much has been discussed about ICC Printer Profiles in this forum. Do a search if interested.

CAUTION: Some bulk ink retailers sell a "pigment only" black PGI-5 ink and/or a combination "pigment plus dye" black ink for the PGI-5. Make sure to get the "pigment only" PGI-5 if you want the best results, particularly for highlighting. It will cost a bit more but has the best chance of mimicking Canon OEM PGI-5 ink.

B) Refill Methods

Most people recommend using only Canon cartridges/chips for refilling as they are well made and last a long time with less risk of failure. Having a spare set is a good idea too as this helps decrease lag time in printing when you need to refill and swap in a fresh cartridge on demand (which always seems to happen in the middle of a print job you need to expedite).

There are several methods for refilling cartridges. You could vacuum refill - search for it in this forum. Several people on this forum use vacuum to refill with excellent result, though I think it is better for higher volume refilling than one cartridge at a time like most hobbyists. Then there are the two basic needle and syringe methods of refilling - a standard hole in top of cartridge method or the Durchstich/German method with hole on side towards bottom of cartridge. You can search for both methods in this forum as well.

If you prefer the standard method of refilling, then start by looking at the threads found in the "Refilling Inkjets" Forum. In fact, most all the knowledge you seek is contained within that forum. Whatever isn't will be added when the resident brainiacs, inventors and/or problem solvers figure it out.

A link to the text instruction for the Durchstich method at http://www.druckerchannel.de/artikel.php?ID=1830

A link to instructional videos on both standard and Durchstich methods of refilling plus on about purging cartridges found in post #7 at http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=13145#p13145.

C) Cartridge Purging

Purging a cartridge entails running water through the cartridge to flush out old ink. It is useful if you change inks and do not want a mixture of previous brand ink with new brand ink, crud inside the cartridge, the cartridge is old and ink has dried up on the sponge which could impede ink flow, or there are streaks or missing ink when printing from poor ink flow out the cartridge for a yet unknown reason(though this could be a printhead issue).

A text version on purging cartridges using Grandad's Method is at http://www.nifty-stuff.com/canon-BCI-6-cartridges.php

Here is the equipment I put together for purging Canon CLI-8 and PGI-5 cartridges that evolved from that discussion:

Purging unit parts from Hope Depot.

1) 3/8" inner diameter clear vinyl tubing (outer diameter 1/2"), 3 feet ~$1.00 worth.

2) One Sweeper Nozzle, Model 56171 at Home Depot, $2.97 (similar to but with some plastic: http://lawn-garden.gillroys.com/Hoses_ &_Sprinklers/Hose_Nozzles/ BRASS_SWEEPER_ NOZZLE-s761223.html) . This screws onto my utility sink's threaded fawcet like a typical garden hose would.

3) One Hose Clamp 7/32" to 5/8" to secure #1 to #2.

4) 2mm hole drilled into the top of the spongeless area next to the edge of the decal (near where the ball is located) to let the purge water out.

The flexible tubing easily fit around the exit port of the cartridge. Warm water washed the sponge clean in well under one minute and I have no ink on my hands. I held onto the cartridge and directed the purge stream down the drain hole, but any ink in the sink washed completely out without staining.

D) Glue Gun Use For Sealing Purge Hole

1) Let the glue gun heat up to the proper temperature. This will cause a lot of waste glue to drip out on some guns, but the glue you do shoot will be hot enough to get he job done.

2) Don't use really old gluesticks that have "spoiled".

3) Use the right kind of gluestick, don't use wood glues for plastic cartridges for example.

4) Make sure the glued area is clean. Wipe off ink residue and peel away old glue if refilling a previously glued cartridge. It also helps to slice drill residue off the hole with a razor blade, as the plastic shreds can interfere with sealing.

5) Glues have different "open times" so allow the right amount of time for the glue to set.

6) For sealing holes on drilled cartridges, shoot a tiny glob to plug the hole, let sit for a few seconds, then shoot a secondary "sealing glob" over the plugged hole. Press the sealing glob flat with a flat heat resistant metal object. It helps to use a non-stick spray on your pressing object to prevent glue from sticking to it. I have found this method to be very effective in preventing leaks.

7) To remove the plug for later refilling, simply use a small needlenose pliers and peel off/pull out the glue.

E) Cartridge Resetters

There are a couple of different models of cartridge resetters now available, one from China and one from Germany. The Chinese offering is a relative unknown but may be perfectly fine. The one from Germany appears to have gotten the most press and reviews and therefore appears to be the one to consider at this time. The German model is offered at http://www.patronenhandel.de/index.php/cat/c13943_Canon-Chipresetter.html or on eBay at http://stores.ebay.com/magic-chip. I do not know if these two businesses are related or even if the resetter they sell are identical, but it seems they might be from anecdotal reporting here.

It is another matter entirely if a resetter is necessary, especially given your financial state. People have been "eye-balling" their ink levels for years and not experienced a printhead failure from no ink while printing. It is, like most things, personal preference and money.

F) Ink Level Monitoring

Simply take the cartridge out and visual inspect for ink in the spongeless side. Until you are confident, refill your cartridges just before or just when the spongeless side is empty of ink. The sponged side will always appear to have ink left in the sponge, never turning completely white and free of ink - I have heard that up to 1 ml of ink remains in the sponge even when Canon declares it empty. Best not to tempt fate, though if you do, when a color startrs streaking or missing you will know the ink is used up (OR you have developed a problem like a clogged or burned out printhead). STOP printing and refill!

Removing the cartridges in order to refill or inspect ink levels will initiate a cleaning/priming cycle after the cartridge(s) are returned to the printer. Canon's purge much less ink than Epson's, and, with bulk ink the money loss is minimal.

To cut down on these initiated ink purgings, there is a novel way of visually inspecting ink levels WITHOUT removing the cartridges. Read about it at http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2492.

Also, there is a clever program developed by a poster on Nifty-Stuff that keeps track of print jobs and helps alert you when ink is running low depending upon how YOU set it up. The program can be found at http://inkmon.org/.


For all these seemingly overwhelming instructions/tips, refilling a Canon ink cartridge is as simple as poking a hole in the cartridge, filling it with ink from a syringe and needle, and sealing or not sealing the hole (depending on the method used). The process takes 2-3 minutes per cartridge once you've done it a couple of times. Cost is about 10-15% of an new OEM Canon cartridge per refill.

 

[leo8088]

Wow!!! Really cool, Stratman. You have got everything there really. Great job!

 

[billkunert]

I'm using the InkMon program and generally like it. The only shortcoming is that it does not monitor usage when I make copies on my MP600. It will be excellent for non all in one units. I just set mine up for a higher rate of usage so it warns me in plenty of time my carts are nearing empty.

 

[stratman]

leo8088:

Thanks. If there isn't already a sticky or FAQ like this on Nifty-Stuff then there should be. It would save everyone a lot of time and effort. (Hint, hint Nifty)


billkunert:

Agreed. Your issue represents why one needs to setup InkMon to YOUR specific usage pattern. Everyone's mileage will vary. You still need to visually inspect your cartridges but with InkMon you do it less. And if you start to significantly print different things/colors, then you need to visually check your ink levels sooner or lower your MB/ml's value or raise your warning level % value to compensate.