Canon MP600 duplex + fast = horrible

[fixup]

I bought a Canon MP600 recently and noticed a very strange issue. When I print in duplex and fast mode, the quality becomes horrible. If in non-duplex mode, fast mode is as good (even better to me) as normal but much faster. In duplex mode, only normal mode is acceptable. I wonder do all Canon printers work this way?

 

[KnightCrawler]

Sadly Canon worried about bleed through so they made some bad choices with duplex. You could try different paper settings like matte photo paper and see if that improves the quality.

 

[fixup]

No sense: fast mode uses less ink and thus less chance to bleed to the other side. If bleed-through is the concern, Canon should have done it to the normal mode instead of fast.

If I select other paper such as matt, fast mode is grayed out. Only Photo Paper Pluss Glossy gives fast mode option but then duplex mode is disabled.

 

[Smile]

You should try to contact canon suport about this.

 

[fixup]

Yes I will but they are usually idiots who only want to get all your personal info without any help especially on a tough issue like this one and I thought I should ask gurus here first and save me endless holding on phone.

 

[pebe]

It states somewhere in the manual or instructions that print quality will be lower in duplex mode in the MP600. I think they lay down less ink to reduce the drying time.

That said, I have just bought an MP600 and printing in fast mode (black - plain paper) is less dense on the MP600 than draught mode was on my IP4000. I used to print letters and envelopes in draught mode on the 4000, but now I need standard mode in the MP600

So I see no reason why Canon should have reduced the density in duplex/fast mode.

 

[fotofreek]

Their duplex mode has several compromises, one of which is the use of dye-based inks instead of the pigment based ink cart. It is also terribly slow. As far as I am concerned, it is a function that I have no use for. If you want to print duplex mode you can do it manually faster, and with more distinct text.

 

[fixup]

I'm not talking about the automatic duplex that takes the page back and then print the other side without human involvement; the above picture shows manual duplexing. Anyway, automatic duplexing is the same on this regard. I just don't understand why Canon put so much stupid stuff on duplexing.

 

[pebe]

But surely the duplex mode is automatic - the page turns over without human intervention?

 

[KnightCrawler]

Looking at those pictures above I would use "duplex normal". It appears to shoot out enough ink to look like fast mode on a single side and probably uses the same amount of ink.

Don't get stuck in the "I have to use fast mode mindset", if normal mode works then use it.