Image Specialists Ink, CLI-221 Yellow ink is coagulating!

Tin Ho

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slocumeddie said:
Mikling is referring to ink bottle labels.....not cartridge labels..........:old
So this means there is a problem in the ink. I just searched both at Image Specialists web site. I found nothing. I think the manufacturer owes us an explanation. Or is this another custom formulated ink? Please tell us the IS part number of this ink. I get my IS ink from a US dealer. I want to make sure my print head is safe.
 

Tin Ho

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Sure, I will try to contact Image Specialists.

Mikling, is there a IS part number of this problematic ink that you can give? You don't owe me one but I think you do need to disclose it to this forum. It's great that you are taking care of the problem. If it is an IS problem you will want to be clear and specific about it anyway.
 

stratman

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Tin Ho said:
This is a freaking scary issue.
:barnie

Sounds like you need a vacation, buddy.
 

Tin Ho

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If I do take a vacation I hope I can enjoy the time off not to think about paying a premium for IS ink then suddenly hearing that the ink will react to Canon ink to crystallize and possibly choke my print head to death.

I have looked at my CL1-221Y cartridges. None shows any problem. My ink bottles have WJxxxx numbers on them. That tells me they are authentic. If the ink has the problem and the label says CL221yD or CL-221YD I have to wonder what is going on here. Where do these numbers come from? Is it authentic IS ink? I am concerned I may get the problem too if it is. If it is not then I have nothing to worry about.
 

mikling

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Well YES I have a custom formulation for the newer cartridges.but all colors are based on IS BCI-6 and CLI-8 colors.... mixtures of each really. I do not want to get into situation of whose ink is better than whose. Let me explain. IS had initially recommended a certain combination when the smaller Canon cartridges appeared. I received many complaints about the color rendition of this set to the point I issued refunds because it did not meet the user's needs for color rendition and to which I could not refute. ( BTW, try getting refunds that with a bulk ink dealer because of color). Even when profiled, it was short. Then when the 226 cartridges appeared which was the second generation of the short cartridges. IS recommended another Cyan which was the same one from the CLI-8 series. This did not resolve the problem. Images now appeared to have a green blue cast as you will see below.

I spent many many hours if not days, testing different combinations so that I could obtain prints similar to the OEM and output with ICC profiles. I printed out over three hundred test prints and flushed cartridges a similar amount to arrive at what I have today. Should I divulge it after investing this time and effort? I could not do that. But what I am offering at essentially the same cost as the standard set. I could have sat back and just offered what was off the shelf. So if you're satisfied with a green cast and want it, just purchase a set of ink offered for CLI-8 cartridges and use it on your 221/226 cartridges. If you trust that I have carried out some work to improve what is off the shelf that's fine as well. The decent gray ramp rendition was very difficult to obtain and it is this that gives pictures certain casts.

The following image was scanned all at once so that settings remained the same for all images. Paper used..the ever popular Kirkland Professional Glossy.

LEFT is output with easy to use print setting of Glossy Photo Paper with Auto color settings with my custom inkset...what most users end up using to print a photo.

CENTER is output that has been profiled. Remember, I provide FREE ICC profiles for this inkset for paper for Kirkland, 6 papers for Red River, Staples Matte and numerous others. . My profiles represents hundreds of hours of work and there are more profiles there than even Canon offers for what is used in the real world. The ICC output represents more accurate output than using Canon OEM inks on Kirkland paper.

RIGHT is the output using the IS currently recommended inkset. Off the shelf. The gray ramp has issues and there is noticeable cast. This was not good enough for me, maybe it is for you Tin Ho.

So yes, my inkset that I curently ship for the shorter 221/226 cartridges is a custom formulation and I had to do it to provide the best that I could personally deliver and by providing custom ICC profiles for it, the user can expect superb results as well. Here is the link for the ICC profiles for it. http://www.mediafire.com/?77pods8w90a7r10

My goal was to remedy the not stellar results from the off the shelf to something that users can nice results from with just printing without the complication of messing around with color controls or complexity of ICC profiles but still provide the ICC profiles if the user is advanced enough to use it . Was the objective accomplished?
Maybe not, only the viewer can judge.

Here is one feedback that I might have succeeded.

" Thanks for your help, and between printing with the original inks and your inks, I have noticed no change in color!

Lorna Shepard "




PC221Comparison-1.jpg


I am a very small dealer compared to others. The vast majority of the others want a "universal" color for reasons of less complications and less cost of stock and space. So I am sure there is pressure to reuse colors where possible but there are compromises in such an approach as you can clearly see.
 

Tin Ho

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Mikling, thank you for the clarification. If I am not mistaken the affected ink is labeled with CL-221YD, which is one of your custom formulated ink (you have CL221YD and CL-221YD). It's great that you took care of the issue and I should be OK since I got my IS ink from a US dealer. The IS WJ797 is what I have so I am going to assume that it is fine.

I have a suggestion. I think you need to disclose how you formulate your custom ink. You should explain what went wrong in that bad batch. I can imagine that your customers will want to know. I don't think it is enough by just saying it has been taken care of.

Websnail seems know that your ink is different from his according to this post:
http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7022

This is his words: After all initial queries and confirmation that the reported issue (in the thread above) was solely related to a whole other ink...
 

panos

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I want to give Mikling a suggestion too.

He should only be responding to criticism by his customers. He has provided more than enough evidence of his diligence and customer care and anything more will be bumping a thread that unjustly hurts his business.
 

Tin Ho

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Panos, I am a customer of Image Specialists products. I am naturally concerned about any possible problems of the product I use. Presisioncolors is a distributor of Image Specialists. The presence of Precisioncolors on this forum naturally puts it in a position for any Image Specialists customers to send their queries to Mikling on this forum.

It's pity that you think my posts in this thread is a criticism to Mikling. Until I read Mikling's lengthy reply I thought the whole issue was caused by a bad Image Specialists ink. Since I asked so now I am glad that my IS ink is fine. I am sure Mikling has taken care of his customers who were affected. Why do you think my posts is a criticism?

It isn't news to this forum that Mikling makes and sells his custom formulated inks. He mentioned about this on this forum before. But it is news that the ink had caused some issues. For Miking and his business I think it is a positive thing to do to reveal the facts.
 

twcinnh

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Would appreciate some advice for my Canon Pixma MX860.

I've been reading about this issue of yellow ink cartridges that are not working. For the past month or so my yellow has been slowing, now stopped. A few weeks ago a test print looked just like the one in this post: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=7695

At first I cleaned the print head by putting it onto paper towels soaked with a cleaning solution. I noticed the solution would come up through the screens if I applied any pressure, except for the yellow.

After reading this post I remembered I'd used a cheap cartridge I noticed on Amazon and ordered to see how it worked. Worked fine, however reading this post makes me wonder if that yellow was, for me, the source of the problem I'm having. That lead to my applying the Cascade dish washer detergent and warm water solution to the yellow screen, as mentioned earlier in this post.

I used about a teaspoon of liquid detergent in about 100ml of hot water and dropped it onto the yellow screen. Did that several times, no change. Another test print shows no yellow ink, but all the others are as good as ever.

I know this is an old post, but I wanted to follow up since the issue is addressed here. If I should make a separate post I'll do that. I like the printer very much and want to keep it alive. Right now I'm waiting for new absorber pads I ordered since I'm getting the 'pads almost full' warning. But, if the printer is dead, I guess I'll be saving myself that job.

I'll appreciate any feedback.

Tom
 
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