Evaporating printer ink or Canon conspiracy

[trof2]

Okay, so here's the thing... I have a Pixma Pro9000 II, which I have been using for about two years now, and for the same two years I have been repeatedly and increasingly frustrated with its ink usage until I have to hold myself back from throwing the POS out of the window (such as today).

I KNOW I put in brand new cartridges a month ago, and in this interval, I printed maybe 50 black and white pages of text at low quality, and maybe a handful of photos. Now this thing is telling me I'm out of cyan and magenta. WTF?! All other ink levels are more or less full.

Now look, I did not print a handful of cyan and magenta posters this month. We're talking 4x6 balanced exposures here. This sort of random ink depletion happens with other random colors too. In fact, I don't even need to print to see the ink levels drop before my eyes. All I have to do is turn the printer on and off, and the ink is visibly lower than seconds prior! Some drop, while others remain. Tomorrow, when I turn in on, it's probably going to tell me that I'm running low on red, although today it's full.

It costs me around $80 to fill this piece of sheisse up with ink each time, so I'm sure you understand my frustration.

Based on my observations, I have arrived at the following hypotheses:
1. Every time the printer does its stupid buzzing and clicking cleaning cycle, it actually sprays geysers of color like Ron Jeremy after eating a kilo of Skittles.
2. My printer heads may dry out periodically because of low humidity or something, and the printer decides to flush the contents of its cartridges to get anything through.
3. The ink evaporates.
4. Canon deliberately programmed this thing to engage in ink wasting cycles other than printing my photography or timed the cartridges to deplete after a certain period of time.

I'm curious if anyone in this community has ever experienced anything of the sort, and what you have done to remedy this.

 

[privatebydesign]

The answer is 1.

Don't switch it off unless you have to, in the utilities see if there is an option to turn auto cleaning off, there is in my Epson.

 

[trof2]

The answer is 1.

Don't switch it off unless you have to, in the utilities see if there is an option to turn auto cleaning off, there is in my Epson.

This would be easy in a perfect world with no friction or air resistance. Alas, there is no option to disable auto cleaning.

 

[rpt]

This business of printers burning off ink is the reason I don't have a printer since 2006! A three minute walk from my house are two printing places and a photo studio. So I can have the pick of printers I want to print on.

 

[privatebydesign]

This business of printers burning off ink is the reason I don't have a printer since 2006! A three minute walk from my house are two printing places and a photo studio. So I can have the pick of printers I want to print on.

I would venture to say for most people and home printing it isn't about the money, it is about making it yourself and having complete control in the final output, hell if we wanted to talk finances how many of us need a 5D MkIII over a 7D and L lenses over EF-s lenses to make the images we do?

 

[Loswr]

I have two printers - an HP All-in-One and a Canon Selphy CP900. The HP does pretty good with ink, although it's probably used more as a photocopier than a printer. The Selphy is Canon's little dye-sub 4x6" photo printer - Canon sells packs of paper + 'ink' (transfer film rolls) in matched numbers, but every time it's turned on it 'burns' one print worth of the ink, so you end up with excess paper, especially if you only print a couple at a time and power it off in between (to store it in a drawer, for example)...so, there may be something to your 'conspiracy theory'.

FWIW, I don't print 'real' prints on either printer (and not at 4x6"), those go to a lab. I have the Selphy because I have young kids. Seems they often need to bring in a picture of their family/pet/favorite whatever on short notice. It also comes in handy as a fallback option for alphabet show and tell - I just go to my Birds library (Anhinga, Bluebird, Catbird, Duck, Egret, etc. ).

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

The conspiracy theory has been going around for at least 20 years. The fact is that printers tend to consume ink even if they are not used.

A laser printer is much better in that regard, but they can use excess toner as well, just not very much.

I long ago found high quality 3rd party ink for my inkjet printers, and third party toner for my color laser. That cuts the cost down.

I also have a Kodak Dye Sub. It only uses the ink film when I print, but if its turned off too long, I may have to do a couple of prints and toss them because they come out splotchy.

You can't win.

 

[danski0224]

Has anyone tried one of those Xerox solid ink printers?

 

[distant.star]

.
The following formula solved my problem with regard to Canon printers and their ink "issue."

1. Find alternative ways to print. I've found several that do not cause me to own a printer.

2. Favorably describe your printer in a posting on Craig's List.

3. When the CL buyer hands you a $50 bill, hand him the printer.

4. Use part of the $50 for a bottle of good bourbon.

5. Problem solved.

I'm glad the damn thing is gone and haven't missed it for even one minute.

 

[rpt]

.
The following formula solved my problem with regard to Canon printers and their ink "issue."

1. Find alternative ways to print. I've found several that do not cause me to own a printer.

2. Favorably describe you printer in a posting on Craig's List.

3. When the CL buyer hands you a $50 bill, hand him the printer.

4. Use part of the $50 for a bottle of good bourbon.

5. Problem solved.

I'm glad the damn thing is gone and haven't missed it for even one minute.

+1 on each of those points except #4. You get a 10 for that

I guess unlike some of the folks here I don't need to print much. The kids are all grown up and all that...

 

[Ruined]

I am pretty sure the PRO-100/10 have an option to disable auto cleaning, suprised the 9000 does not.

 

[danski0224]

I am pretty sure the PRO-100/10 have an option to disable auto cleaning, suprised the 9000 does not.

What happens when this is disabled? How long can an inkjet printer sit before ink dries up inside?

I found something called "Execute ink quality maintenance automatically" with a checkbox (Pro-10 properties).

The ink appetite has kinda surprised me. It has been almost 10 years since I last owned an inkjet- switched to laser. But I wanted to print stuff at home without going out.

I suppose it is just a matter of time before 3rd party inks come out for this printer...

 

[privatebydesign]

Yep disable that, it sounds like an auto throw away of ink every time you turn it on.

There should be an option for manual cleaning/maintenance, each time you go to use it print a test pattern and run a manual clean if it needs it.

 

[takesome1]

There is no savings printing with the 9000 over taking photos to a lab.

The only reason to use it is convenience and if you want to control the output of your work.
The 9000 gives better results than my local labs. If those reasons do not justify the cost of the ink, take your stuff to a lab and avoid the stress.


Cost wise;
On small prints it will cost you more to use the 9000 than the labs.
Large prints it balances out somewhat.

AND; Stop printing text, it is an incredible waste of money.

 

[mackguyver]

AND; Stop printing text, it is an incredible waste of money.

+1 on that - even a cheap laser will save you TON$$$ of money over any inkjet.

 

[trof2]

.
The following formula solved my problem with regard to Canon printers and their ink "issue."

1. Find alternative ways to print. I've found several that do not cause me to own a printer.

2. Favorably describe your printer in a posting on Craig's List.

3. When the CL buyer hands you a $50 bill, hand him the printer.

4. Use part of the $50 for a bottle of good bourbon.

5. Problem solved.

I'm glad the damn thing is gone and haven't missed it for even one minute.

I think I will follow your example. I should take a look at the market price... My hunch is that I could get at least $150 for it with some paper and extras. Bourbon x 3

 

[iam2nd]

...
Based on my observations, I have arrived at the following hypotheses:
1. Every time the printer does its stupid buzzing and clicking cleaning cycle, it actually sprays geysers of color like Ron Jeremy after eating a kilo of Skittles.
2. My printer heads may dry out periodically because of low humidity or something, and the printer decides to flush the contents of its cartridges to get anything through.
3. The ink evaporates.
4. Canon deliberately programmed this thing to engage in ink wasting cycles other than printing my photography or timed the cartridges to deplete after a certain period of time.

I'm curious if anyone in this community has ever experienced anything of the sort, and what you have done to remedy this.

Definitely #1, and perhaps a bit of #4 (but it would be all companies and not just Canon).

Inside virtually all inkjet printers is an absorbing pad that sits under the ink cartridges when they are in the "home" position. Under that pad is rubber tubing that leads to a pump (some types resemble a kidney dialysis machine pump). Yep, there's a real mechanical pump in there, and it sucks away the ink that's spewed out when you turn on the printer, and when it runs it's scheduled cleaning cycle, into a little reservoir.

As a few others said, try leaving the printer on, and disable any self-cleaning options if available.

Only one thing with printers has frustrated me more, and that was a Kodak all-in-wonder printer I used to have. In their infinite wisdom, the engineers decided to NOT allow printing in only black&white when even a single color ink was out, even when B&W was selected in the print options. AND... here's the kicker, it wouldn't even let you SCAN a document if ink was out; the software simply showed the error and returned an error back to the print driver. Needless to say, I have not bought another Kodak printer.

 

[danski0224]

There is no savings printing with the 9000 over taking photos to a lab.

The only reason to use it is convenience and if you want to control the output of your work.
The 9000 gives better results than my local labs. If those reasons do not justify the cost of the ink, take your stuff to a lab and avoid the stress.


Cost wise;
On small prints it will cost you more to use the 9000 than the labs.
Large prints it balances out somewhat.

AND; Stop printing text, it is an incredible waste of money.

Well, I got my Pro-10 because I wanted to print stuff at home, and I picked it up with a rebate, so the price was good. I have been printing non-photo items on a laser printer for a long time.

First few prints were pretty rough with an uncalibrated monitor and no additional adjustments. I didn't get what I saw, so that would have been interesting if I outsourced the print.

I was kind of hoping it would be a wash with compared to farming stuff out, but I'm not sure. I do have oodles of paper now... :

Who knows, maybe it will come down to getting rid of it, or limit the size to 4 x 6 (maybe 5 x 7) for proofing and farm out bigger prints. My internet connection sucks, so uploading big files is an issue.

A 4 x 6 print is 24 square inches, 8 x 11 is 88 square inches and a 13 x 19 is 247 square inches. I guess the use of ink makes sense in those terms.

 

[privatebydesign]

I did an extensive cost analysis when I got my Epson 4900.

Ink usage works out at 0.01 ml per in², I pay around $0.50 per ml for genuine ink. I use Epson Premium Lustre roll paper from their Signature range it costs $0.0036 per in².

A 16" x 24" print that I make costs me $1.92 in ink and $1.38 in paper. $3.30 for a high quality 16" x 24" print that I have complete control in making, of course if you factor in time and the printer cost, $1,145, but offset that against printer resale value (around $800) and the fact that I like printing, I still end up with pretty reasonably priced prints.

 

[ablearcher]

I have the 9000 and a smaller one MP630 (?) Yes, printing at home is bloody expensive. But I can't take every shot I want/need to print to the lab. There are some on the artsy/wild side which clients prefer to be done "in-house". And every time i bring them 13x19 metallic or art rag paper print after their glam session - they do go WOW. These prints cost them, but they already know that. So it is a win-win. I don't need the printer for regular clients. ;D

Also, all the labs i use are in the US (I'm in Canada). So there is always that delivery $$ issue. If I don't have a lot to order (say just a print or two for framing) then paying $50 and waiting does not make a lot of sense. But yes, I still use the labs for bulk orders.

Printer is just a tool - so you either need it or not. Just like anything else.