My MAXIFY 5350 is on refill ink

[stratman]

Yes, plain paper is the intended primary food of the Maxify's. Text on plain paper is excellent with my Maxify MB5120, as should be expected from a SOHO type printer. Just like any other printer, the paper used is one determinant of output quality. The ink used is another determinant.

As far a "king", it is fast, has excellent text quality, adequate photo image quality in the business environment, has large capacity cartridges for fewer changes, and is easily refillable.

As you noted, Pigment Black is used for text on Plain Paper for many Dye-based printers and text quality is often excellent It all depends on the complex interaction of printer's print head, printer firmware, printer software (ICM and the application used to print), inkset, and paper.

The same variables apply for photo images with Dye-based printers where Dye-based Black only is used with photos. Maxify printers are all Pigment ink printers and are NOT photo printers (unlike the Canon Pro series that either use all Dye-based or all Pigment based inksets). Maxify's give serviceable printed images, but they are not anywhere near presentation quality. It is, after all, an office-grade printer.

The Maxify also does not offer as many choices of Media as a photo printer. Look at the specifications on the Canon web site.

I am very happy with the quality of print outs of articles, which may include charts, photo images and X-rays. I am not looking to hang images on the wall with the Maxify. Color fidelity with OEM ink is sufficient but needs tweaking to be more lifelike. I haven't tweaked a thing.

Unfortunately, the days of quality built, long lasting, easily refillable, great performing at a reasonable cost All In One printers that could do very good image quality as well as text are gone. Now you must make a choice over what functions are more important. Bottom line, if you are more interested in image quality then look elsewhere.

If possible, go to a brick and mortar store that has a Maxify on display and print out a demo page.

 

[ColourKid]

Thanks for the write-up. The king (or queen) part was mostly for the fact that it uses four-ink pigment carts. That's unlike any printer I've seen before. They all use dyes for the colours. So since pigment inks produce so much sharper text on plain paper (compared to dyes in my experience) I look forward to see how colour prints will look like on plain paper with four colour pigment inks.

As for photos hanging on the wall... well if you use a good quality paper (maybe non-gloss, since that's better with pigments I believe) then the results should be quite good, considering it's pigment ink, so it does not fade as rapidly and you don't have to pay for some expensive OEM dye ink that only has the claim of lasting a hundred years.

Of course a dye printer on glossy photo paper should come out more vibrant and true, but with colour calibration (indeed an ICM profile) it should be quite okay on this printer, if you want to print the occasional photograph. Or temporarily hang something on a wall. @The Hat just showed me a comparison: https://www.printerknowledge.com/th...-black-cartridge-for.13821/page-2#post-120069

In any case, I'm leaning towards the Maxify. Four pigment all-in-one that does semi-adequate photo prints with cart capacity to rival a CISS. I'm excited!

 

[stratman]

Let us know how things work out.

 

[The Hat]

One additional concern: say I print on glossy paper with the pigment ink. I guess it should be given some time to dry? Or doesn't the ink wipe off in any case? I mean, the reason that semi-photo printers have an additional photo black cartridge is that the pigment black cannot be used for glossy paper right? (I'm confused!)

No the ink does not wipe off the surface of the paper and I used Sihl Glossy inkjet paper from Lidl..

Here’s a webpage I printed out on 80gm copy paper from the Maxify…
click to enlarge..

 

[stratman]

Here’s a webpage I printed out

That dog does NOT look happy. You should do a caption contest: What Is The Dog Thinking?

Has Mrs. The Hat bought you one of those collars? We can start a GoFundMe page for her.

 

[ColourKid]

Ok, so wiping off is not an issue. Great!

Still a bit confused though. What is actually the reason that dye-based printers have a dye-based black next to a pigment black? Does the dye flow nicer with the other colour dyes or something? (I know dye makes nicer colours on photo paper, which is the only reason why people use it I think? But surely that's not the case with black? I mean black is black whether it's pigment or dye.)

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I

What is actually the reason that dye-based printers have a dye-based black next to a pigment black?

I hope this thread explains some of it

www.printerknowledge.com/threads/what-is-a-photo-black-cartridge-for.13821/page-2#post-120069

 

[palombian]

Ok, so wiping off is not an issue. Great!

... What is actually the reason that dye-based printers have a dye-based black next to a pigment black? Does the dye flow nicer with the other colour dyes or something? ...

Indeed, the dyes are for printing photos and the pigment black for office paper, dye ink can't print sharp letters.

Although PRO photo printers have both photo and matte black ink this is no necessity, the latter is only for the deepest black possible on matte papers.

 

[stratman]

What is actually the reason that dye-based printers have a dye-based black next to a pigment black? Does the dye flow nicer with the other colour dyes or something?

From the manual of my old MP830:

PGI-5 Pigment Black Ink is used ONLY For:
- Plain Paper Text (monochrome and grey scale)
- Envelopes
- Transparencies
- Duplex Printing On Plain Paper
- Camera Direct Printing on Plain Paper

CLI-8 Dye-Based Color Inks are used anytime color is printed and is used exclusively for:
- All Photo Paper types (including when Duplex printing)
- High Resolution Paper
- T-shirt Transfers
- CD-R's
- All Borderless Printing, on both PhotoPaper and Plain Paper

I recall someone stating Duplex printing on Plain Paper used the Dye-based ink to make black.

 

[ColourKid]

I hope this thread explains some of it

I know that thread, you explained there what the advantage is of pigment on normal paper. Basically this part:

Pigment ink photo printers have a matte black ink for matte papers - no glossy surface , and a glossy black ink for prints on glossy papers - both pigment inks.

But I'll continue in that thread, which makes matters slightly more organised.