MIS & ColorBat Cyan problems

[Nifty]

RC,

First off, don't worry about your spelling. If I didn't have "IEspell" installed on my computer all my posts would be atrocious (I only spelled that correctly because IEspell found it!

Personally I'm very curious about different ink suppliers. I'm not as worried about perfectly matching colors because I can adjust for that in my controls, and my family's eyes aren't that discriminating. Longevity isn't really an issue either since I can, as you say, just reprint later.

BUT viscosity, particulate matter, etc. that all relate to plugging up my printer... that's a very different matter and is extremely important to me.

I think the goal of every ink manufacturer is to match the OEM ink as closely as possible. If they can't get the color right or the longevity right, then I'd also be concerned about their ability to get the other factors right.

I'm not speaking of a specific company, because for the most part I've not had any terrible success with any of the inks I've tried. When I do have problems I often have an issue of determining if it is something I caused during the refill process, a bad cartridge, etc.

 

[Nifty]

Robert (RC) can you post a link to your 38 image test document, or send it to me and I'll upload it and post a link?

 

[BlasterQ]

the owner of colorbat has replied to my e-mail asking for an update on the problem inks. he has replied 3 days ago and said on the e-mail that he will be posting new information regarding the inks in the afternoon. but until now, i see no update on his website, maybe he still hasn't found a good supplier he can rely on.
so in the meantime, i'll go on with my purchase of inks from alotofthings.

 

[neilslade]

I don't agree with the latest opinion that MIS inks are problematic.

What I found to be a CONSISTANT problem was NON-STANDARD Canon replacement carts that are claimed to be IMPROVEMENTS over the standard Canon design.

NONE of these carts worked for me over anything longer than a short period. Leaking ink, non-flowing ink. I live in Denver, 5200 feet elevation and at first thought MAYBE this was the problem--- then others in different cities reported problems.

My advice is to stick to the original designed cartridges made by any manufacturer-- avoide special tubes in carts, redesigns, etc. They're not necessary, and in my experience just made matters worse.

The kind of ink used made NO difference, since I have a back stock of older MIS ink. In stock cartridges the ink always worked perfectly-- in the non-standard carts- and I've tried two different kinds from Colorbat--- neither worked well at all.

POTENTIAL GOOD NEWS:
Although there are many alternative ink suppliers out there, alas, I don't have time to test them all.

I've been a fan of MIS (and Colorbat) inks and quite satisfied with their bulk Canon inks (4 oz bottles) and found them very close to Canon colors, and for all practical purposes a perfect alternative.

For FILLED cartridges, I have recommended Inkgrabber Inks, for the money they are very good bargains. $2-$2.50 per cart-

The only drawback has been their cyan and photo cyan ink- good for general work, but unfortunately, grays and mid-tone grays take on a slight green/blue tint- depending on your print. For casual photos, its not an issue, especially considering that the inkgrabber carts are 1/6th the price of Canon and half the price of MIS filled carts.

HOWEVER--- I've been testing their new line of inks made by a different manufacturer, and hopefully they will be replacing their previous "Rainbow" brand with these very soon- I will make the announcement when its official...

The cyans are a MUCH MUCH better match to Canon, unlike the Rainbow brand.
This results in perfectly neutral gray mid-tones in prints--- impossible and a detriment to the Rainbow colors--- the Rainbow cyan was always off a bit, and so gray colors came out green/blue tinted. This brand eliminates that problem. Blacks are black and grays are gray.

The orange clip to seal the outlet hole is also a big improvement over EVERYTHING else, including Canon carts-- this clip is easy to remove and prevents ink splattering everywhere.

Stay tuned-- I'll let everyone know when these are available at Inkgrabber-- they will be an ASTONISHING FANTASTIC BUY.

Neil

 

[fotofreek]

Neil - How are the inks from Computer Friends? After reading your web site info I bought their kit for the plugs. Haven't used the ink yet as I am happily using MIS inks. If they are not up to MIS standard I won't bother to use them.

 

[BlasterQ]

oh why did you just reply now?
i just ordered a bunch of inks from alotofthings that would probably last me a year.

 

[RC]

Neil:

I have used MIS Ink for about 8 years, and I have from time to time had some clogging problems. In testing the inks I found out that it was the ink.

As for the ink problem with the canon 960, I have used many kinds of cartridges to test the clogging, including taking a brad new canon cartridge, removing the ink with a syringe, and replacing it with the MIS ink. The problem repeated itself immediately.

As I said, I also had the print-head replaced, and I still have the problem.

It must be the ink for the simple reason that I only experience the problem with the cyan.

I also ran another test. I placed the cyan cartridge in the photo-cyan slot, and I placed the photo-cyan cartridge in the cyan slot, and the problem repeated only with the cyan ink.

I do not understand why some users have the problem and others dont, but I am glad to know that others are experiencing the same problem. I was beginning to think that maybe it was my printer.

I am not saying that their ink is completely bad, I am saying that there is a problem with the viscosity of the ink. In some cases one can see the difference visually. If you shake a Canon cyan cartridge vs an a cartridge filled with MIS ink, you will notice that the ink that sticks to the wall of the cartridge will take longer to drop back down in the MIS one over the Canon.

I dont know the exact reason, but one thing I know is, that I cannot use MIS, ColorBat or ACSI cyan in my printer.

By the way, I have spent over $500.00 in different ink brands, just for testing the cyan problem.

I also would never question your motives for defending MIS, for I believe your web site is one of the few with integrity and honesty, and for that I congratulate you.

PS: I agree that the color balancing of MIS and ColorBat are among the best out there.

Robert

 

[wrbjr]

For what its worth, I still have the original Canon black ink tank in my i960. I took it out and it seemed to be thick and slow when the tank is tilted over.

 

[RC]

To wrbjr:

The problem I am having is not with the MIS Cyan ink been to thin, but it is just to thick and it does not flow fast enough, the rest of the colors work fine.

As to some of the leaks that other have experienced, I also had some cartridges leaking. One was the old spongeless cartridges from ColorBat, his new ones are superb. The other times I had leaks, I found that the problem was the plug. Some of the plugs dont fit perfect and, sometimes, while the cartridges are sitting in the printer, they slowly start slipping out. Since I purchased the new plugs, I have had no leaks.

Robert

 

[spooky]

Aloha,
Great forum, glad I found it. Seems some of you have had success with colorbat as for me, all I've had is problems. As far as Demon-Drool ink from Colorbat, I would not recommend buying this ink. This is absolutely the worst ink I have ever used, and tech support at Colorbat was extremely defensive and rude. The Demon drool ink on Epson Premium glossy paper did not saturate well, even with a new profile set. And yes, the Cyan still runs and drips through my cartridges, even with the new ink that he claims to be fixed. Have any of you had positive results with Demon-drool ink or even the Weasel Widget CIS systems he sells ? All I've had is a bad experience..bad...bad..bad.

Mark