- Joined
- Apr 19, 2007
- Messages
- 8,712
- Reaction score
- 7,176
- Points
- 393
- Location
- USA
- Printer Model
- Canon MB5120, Pencil
wlai:
I like having a second pair of cartridges, filled and ready to go when one runs out. The print job runs smoother that way. If you don't mind taking a few minutes to refill on the spot then that is fine as well. It's your preference and there is no wrong answer unless you forget to pop the cartridge back into the print head for hours (not sure how long) and the residual ink dries and plugs up the print head. Do it immediately and no worries. Or have a spare ready for action.
Inktec, Precision Colors, Hobbicolors --- ALL are excellent inks. Each has their strong points, and all will look great without profiling the ink and paper combo for most people. Just pick one and try.
If you are doing the German/Durchstich Method of refilling, you will need at least a 2" needle. Longer than 2" is fine. The guage of the needle is also a personal preference. I use 18 guage blunt needle, some prefer smaller 20-22 guage needle. Sharp or blunt needle will work. Again personal preference. The syringe can be any size, though I find 10 cc or greater to be best because there is enough ink usually to refill without filling the syring back up. I actually prefer Howard Electronic 4 oz squeeze bottles for storing and refilling ink. I keep the needle on the squeeze bottle and use a needle sheath/scabbard to maintain air tightness.
There are a variety of resetters on the market, especially on eBay. People recommend the Redsetter because they are known item which is reputable. I have a Chinese knockoff (blue) with a removable baseplate and three batteries. It works as expected. Some have longer warranties. If you are willing and able to be vigilant, you can skip the resetter and just eyeball the ink levels in the cartridges. If a cartridge is empty and you keep trying to print, then you run the risk of a burned out print head and a $50 or more cost for a new print head. It is, again, personal preference and amount of risk you are willing to take.
If you get the eBay resetter/cartridge auction, I suggest you flush ALL the cartridges first before refilling as you don't know how they were stored, or how low they were stored. While the CLI-8 inks are water based and will dissolve dry ink, a mold or fungus may have set up and you will not want this to remain in the cartridge. So, better to be safe and flush first. It's easy and will not hurt the cartridge. If you want to be precise in flushing, Nifty-Stuff member Pharmacist has a recipe for flushing and conditioning fluids. Do a search or e-mail Pharmacist for the info.
Some people do not wait for the cartridge to become bone-dry. I do for the most part. Once again, it's personal preference how exacting the dryness of the sponge and cartridge need to be before filling, though one should not be able to blow drops out of the cartridge - that could be too much residual water.
I like having a second pair of cartridges, filled and ready to go when one runs out. The print job runs smoother that way. If you don't mind taking a few minutes to refill on the spot then that is fine as well. It's your preference and there is no wrong answer unless you forget to pop the cartridge back into the print head for hours (not sure how long) and the residual ink dries and plugs up the print head. Do it immediately and no worries. Or have a spare ready for action.
Inktec, Precision Colors, Hobbicolors --- ALL are excellent inks. Each has their strong points, and all will look great without profiling the ink and paper combo for most people. Just pick one and try.
If you are doing the German/Durchstich Method of refilling, you will need at least a 2" needle. Longer than 2" is fine. The guage of the needle is also a personal preference. I use 18 guage blunt needle, some prefer smaller 20-22 guage needle. Sharp or blunt needle will work. Again personal preference. The syringe can be any size, though I find 10 cc or greater to be best because there is enough ink usually to refill without filling the syring back up. I actually prefer Howard Electronic 4 oz squeeze bottles for storing and refilling ink. I keep the needle on the squeeze bottle and use a needle sheath/scabbard to maintain air tightness.
There are a variety of resetters on the market, especially on eBay. People recommend the Redsetter because they are known item which is reputable. I have a Chinese knockoff (blue) with a removable baseplate and three batteries. It works as expected. Some have longer warranties. If you are willing and able to be vigilant, you can skip the resetter and just eyeball the ink levels in the cartridges. If a cartridge is empty and you keep trying to print, then you run the risk of a burned out print head and a $50 or more cost for a new print head. It is, again, personal preference and amount of risk you are willing to take.
If you get the eBay resetter/cartridge auction, I suggest you flush ALL the cartridges first before refilling as you don't know how they were stored, or how low they were stored. While the CLI-8 inks are water based and will dissolve dry ink, a mold or fungus may have set up and you will not want this to remain in the cartridge. So, better to be safe and flush first. It's easy and will not hurt the cartridge. If you want to be precise in flushing, Nifty-Stuff member Pharmacist has a recipe for flushing and conditioning fluids. Do a search or e-mail Pharmacist for the info.
Some people do not wait for the cartridge to become bone-dry. I do for the most part. Once again, it's personal preference how exacting the dryness of the sponge and cartridge need to be before filling, though one should not be able to blow drops out of the cartridge - that could be too much residual water.
