MIS, Atlantic Inkjet, and Formulabs inks for Canon

[Jonas]

I'm thinking about refilling carts for my new Canon Pixma ip4000, which I haven't done before. As most of you already know, the inks for this printer are:
Cyan: BCI-6C
Magenta: BCI-6M
Yellow: BCI-6Y
Black: BCI-6BK
Large, pigmented black: BCI-3eBK

This whole subject is a little scary to me, since when I put 3rd party (DataProducts) carts into my old Epson, they destroyed the printer immediately (permaclogged). I think I'll still try refilling the Canon carts, though.

I've been reading lots of posts on this forum -- very educational -- but I still have several questions...

MIS: I couldn't find ink for the Canon ip4000 on the MIS website, but I emailed them and they responded that they sell them even though they're not on the site. Their email suggested that I phone them to order (long-distance call) but didn't tell me what size bottles were available or what they cost. They also said they'll have refill kits and continuous-feed for that printer in a few months. I don't understand why they didn't add the inks to their lists on the site if they're already selling it; makes me wonder if perhaps their inks for my printer are still in "beta" or not ready for prime time yet?

Atlantic Inkjet: They list the inks for my printer. Anybody know how their ink compares to MIS?

Formulabs: Their site doesn't seem to sell in retail quantities. Does anyone know how their Canon ink compares to MIS and Atlantic? Or where I can buy it in small quantities?

Finally, a somewhat peripheral question -- I just bought a new Canon cyan cartridge because the print dialog said my original cart is running low. I haven't put the new cartridge in yet. If I'm thinking of refilling the original cartridge that's in there (later on, when I buy some ink), should I pull it out now, while there's still a little ink in it, to prevent the sponge from drying out completely? If so, would a piece of gaffer's tape over the hole below the sponge be sufficient to keep it sealed? Perhaps I should also store it upside down so the hole is on top? Or maybe I should just let it run completely empty and then seal it for a future refill?

Thanks for any information! I'm so newbie at this I haven't even replaced a single cart on this printer yet.

Best,
Jonas

 

[drc023]

A BCI-6 or BCI-3 cartridge is the same regardless of the machine model. The i860 is frequently listed on vendor sites. It's the previous model of what is now the iP4000 and it uses exactly the same cartridges/ink. MIS is good ink and so is Atlantic Inkjet, but I'm partial to Sensient-Formulabs Ink. In the US www.alotofthings.com is the vendor that I use. They also have an eBay store and the prices are a little better there. I recommend alotofthings, but you won't go wrong with the other two either.

 

[Nifty]

should I pull it out now, while there's still a little ink in it, to prevent the sponge from drying out completely? If so, would a piece of gaffer's tape over the hole below the sponge be sufficient to keep it sealed? Perhaps I should also store it upside down so the hole is on top? Or maybe I should just let it run completely empty and then seal it for a future refill?

Jonas, welcome to the forum!

Personally, I'd leave a bit of ink in the sponge to insure that you don't get air bubbles in there which can be tricky to remove. Make sure you seal up the outlet hole and the air maze hole above the sponge. Put it in a ziplock bag with all the air removed. Some suggest putting them in with a moist paper towel to decrease the chance of drying out.

Good luck and keep us posted!