The PGI-9 Print revival..

[The Hat]

The PGI-9 cartridge seems to have fallen off the radar lately and I just want to revive it somewhat for any interested folks.

Its by far the easiest of all Canon cartridges to refill even if you dislike refilling cartridges altogether, and you'd be dumb to ever consider using a compatible cartridge as a good replacement, because there are none.

The PGI-9, PGI-7 and PGI 72 OEM cartridges are all exactly the same, just with a different chip of course and with the new USB redsetter it couldnt be easier to reset and refill using the I.S. inks as a near 100% replacement for OEMs, its a real win win situation.

The most common refill method for the PGI-9 cartridge is by far the dribble method,
using SquEasy bottles but when refilling a dozen or so cartridges all together there is a refill clip available which can be faster to use just clean them later, if you dont have one then make one of your own its easy.

The biggest complaints of the PGI-9 cartridges are that its too small (15 ml.)
but they are as big as the CLI-8s or bigger depending on how they are both refilled.

When printing on 9500 and you notice one cartridge shows low ink (Yellow Triangle)
then you immediately change all of the cartridges (10) together and put in all replacements and carry on printing.

By changing all the carts together the printer wastes very little ink and time before returning to print once more, so its essential to have at least one or more complete sets of cartridges kept aside for the changeover, which can be reset and top up to full again for use later.

Of all of the Pro Canon printers on the market at present the 9500 has everything going for it right now and no waiting, like Low purchase price, easy refill cartridges, resetter for all chips and good quality pigment inks specially formulated for just this printer.

The new Pro 10 will be a very good replacement printer for the 9500 but it will take a bit more time to get formulated inks ready for it
(Probably this year) but sadily youll still have to wait on a resetter for its PGI-72 chip..

 

[rodbam]

Excellent summery Hat & I agree the pro9500 is a terrific printer & so easy to refill & reset cartridges. I have been refilling the pro9000 with CLI8 cartridges for well over a year now & I find the PGI9s a lot easier to refill with the dribble method as the ink goes in really quite fast & as they are being weighed while filling nothing seems hit & miss.

 

[Grey]

I just bought a 9500 mk2 3 days ago from a local shop in Singapore. Came with a ton of free paper. So far the Lucia ink works great, can't wait for the I.S. ink kit to arrive !

 

[Smile]

OCP still has no inks and for 9500 pro I wonder how American based companies have since the biggest companies are inktec and OCP.

 

[The Hat]

OCP still has no inks and for 9500 pro I wonder how American based companies have since the biggest companies are inktec and OCP.

OCP released a statement some time last year to the affect that they were in the process of formulating a colour ink set for the Pro 9500,
which of course you now know they havent as yet.

Im still waiting, waiting, waiting

 

[Smile]

Well better later then never, the 9500 is in the market for ~5 years or so. Where were they all that time is very interesting. I too keep on waiting and thinking that a Epson 1500W is better (1.5pl droplet vs. 3pl on canon) and has less carts if you need pigment A3. But hey canon is more expensive to run because more carts, but better color gamut and dedicated gray tanks.

On the negative side the pigment can't be used to make true glossy prints despite how others overcoat whole page with gloss optimizer.

 

[The Hat]

Smile On the negative side the pigment can't be used to make true glossy prints despite how others overcoat whole page with gloss optimizer.

Nope sorry, thats incorrect when you use OEM paper and ink it works very out well and is hardly noticeable at all.
When your using I.S. inks and other glossy papers that's when the bronzing is a little bit more prominent
but the gloss optimiser coating does eliminates most of the problem.

Try the Canon iX7000 it has far less cartridges has its own optimiser on board and uses pigment ink too.
The new Pro 10 has that angle covered also

 

[Smile]

As I build profiles for others and myself I like to experiment by using other papers and obviously ink. I would like not to be limited to canon paper only, they do make nice paper like platinum pro. Very expensive but it has this top layer that looks as inks get below it the gloss is very good if using dye inks.

Perhaps there is other paper less expensive with such features as pro platinum? But I doubt the gloss can be compared with pigment inks on same platinum paper as its certainly not the same.

Bronzing is the very extreme what happens, I'm talking about gloss differential, condition where certain parts of the image have different gloss, even unprinted paper vs. printed areas. Unless you overcoat entire page it is really annoying problem. Over coating also limits you to the gloss level of the optimizer, if the paper had somewhat better gloss you will loose it, the paper can't have more gloss than the optimizer.