Canon i9910

[tyamada]

Here is a link to information on the new Canon i9910 and the new color life inks, BCI-7 cartridges.
http://translate.google.com/transla...&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&prev=/language_tools

Canon in Japan has a new line of printers that use the BCI-7 cartridges. http://translate.google.com/transla...life/&prev=/search?q=Canon+%2BBCI-7&hl=en&lr=
Wonder if the cartridges will work in the old BCI-6 compatible printers?
The cartridges look like the BCI-6 cartridges.

If the cartridges are the same and the difference is the ink than maybe a change in firmware or driver might make the new ink useable in the old Canon printers.

Could we be so lucky?

 

[Nifty]

Very interesting, thanks tyamada!

I'm not really worried about having to replace ink supplies when I get a new printer, but I've been concerned about whether or not Canon will fall to the level of some of the other printer manufacturers and start chipping cartridges.

If the Canon cartridges remain translucent, non-chipped, and easy to refill I'll be a happy camper, and if the BCI-7 cartridges are a look at things to come, then a happy camper I will be!

 

[Grandad35]

I also wonder:
1. When and if equivalent (or almost so) inks will be available from bulk ink suppliers?
2. Will these inks work in BCI-6 carts and existing printers?

It would be nice if (for once) a printer supplier "looked after" their installed base.

 

[Nifty]

I haven't stayed on top of this, but when Epson started to use their "Durabright" inks I was told that there weren't any 3rd party ink replacements that matched perfectly with the quality of the ink. Is this still an issue? If so, can we expect that new mixtures of Canon ink may take a while to backward engineer?

 

[Grandad35]

It looks like Canon is confident that their new inks will achieve their claims of an improved image life. The following link announces that Canon has recently joined the Wilhelm Imaging Research "Certified Image Permanence Testing Program" that requires a minimum "Display Rating" of 25 years. The second link states that some current 4x6 Canon prints have a rating of 7 years.

http://www.wilhelm-research.com/pr/preview.html
http://www.wilhelm-research.com/4x6/4x6_permanence_preview.html