iP3680 vs. iP4680

[alexandereci]

I'm fed up with my MP198. Yes, and it's been just a few months after I bought it. I'm glad for its awesome scanner, but the printer functions are my priority and after my 3300, I know that this just doesn't make the grade.

Now my dealer has 3680s and 4680s on stock, and they don't sell any of the older models (even though it's still listed on the Canon.com.ph site). No other store sells the older models except for 1300s and 1980s, both of which use the 40/41 carts so those are no-good for me.

So it boils down to the 3680 vs the 4680. Both carts use the 820/821 carts, both are 5-tank systems, both can print at 1pl, 9600dpi. The 4680 has an auto-duplex print feature and DVD-VCD print option, though I doubt if I need them. My main printing task is printing out high volumes of text/pictures which I usually bind into books; photo printing is rare BUT I want my pictures (printed on plain white bond paper) to be as crisp and beautiful as possible. Therefore, the duplex print looks nice to me, but I'm not sure how it works --- does the printer turn the page over by itself?

As for the DVD printing option, can it print on ANY DVD, or do I have to look for specific DVDs? Or is it just talking about printing on DVD labels that I stick on to the DVDs?

Since both use the same carts and tout the same performance (although one is faster than the other, speed/ppm isn't an important factor for me, but DURABILITY and RELIABILITY are on the top of the list), I figure both printers mount the same printhead.

With a US$41 difference on the price tag, I'm wondering if I should go with the more-expensive option (but do I need all the extras?) or with the cheaper one (but will it survive my demands?)...

Your 2 cents would be greatly appreciated.

 

[pharmacist]

Definitely go for the IP4680 as the printing speed is considerably faster.

 

[alexandereci]

Like I said, speed and ppm aren't really important for me; a couple of pages-per-minute difference is fine. It's not like one can print 10ppm and the other 1ppm. So again, what does the 4680 have for it that would justify it over a 3680?

Again, auto-duplex print is not a big deal for me, I've grown used to flipping pages over after 100 pages or so... so that doesn't do well to justify the extra cost of the 4680.

I just noticed though, that the 4680 has more nozzles than the 3680 --- that would explain the faster ppm speed, yes? But again, aside from speed, what does the 4680 offer? Is it more durable? Or more nozzles = more opportunities for a clog to form?

 

[pharmacist]

One could also argue that more nozzles means not only faster printing, but over time less movements to produce the same amount of printouts and therefore the chances of wear of the mechanics are less with the IP4680. Concerning the other topic you started: I would go for the german KMP pigment ink, which yields marvellous deep black prints and the likelihood of clogs is very low, from what I did experience. Did you know that Inktec pigment black seems to have clogs overtime and some people mix it with some dye ink to improve the flow properties (about 1:4 parts dyeigment) ? I read this on druckerchannel.de.

 

[ghwellsjr]

Did you know that Inktec pigment black seems to have clogs overtime and some people mix it with some dye ink to improve the flow properties (about 1:4 parts dyeigment) ? I read this on druckerchannel.de.

I have been using Inktec pigment black ink for several years and never had a nozzle clog but I have had a problem with two printers getting their purge units totally clogged and so far, I have been unable to unclog them. Is this the problem that was reported on druckerchannel.de?

Also, I wish I could get the KMP ink in the USA. We need someone like you to resell it to us.

 

[pharmacist]

Hi ghwellsjr,

Not only the purge units, but also ink becoming too viscous and when you print at high speed the nozzles seem to be "clogged", but printing at lower speed there are no problems at all. By adding some dye ink the pigment ink becomes less viscous and printing will be less cumbersome. On the druckerchannel.de the problems were almost non existing with KMP pigment ink (only if the cartridge is very old and a bit dried up, but this -I think- has to do with the sponge itself being clogged with dried pigment ink).

 

[thanhhuy123]

I read somewhere in this forum saying that dye and pigmented should not be mixed. So adding a dye black to a pigmented black is ok? If yes, how to do that exactly? (I mean the number, percent...)