canon pixma mp620 ink options?

[dazzer1975]

Hi all,

Well, after my trusty epson cx3200 died a couple of weeks ago, I have been forced to appropriate the canon mp620 that I bought for my mum around 6 mths ago (she never used it so luckily it was no loss to her and it saved me having to fork out for a replacement printer...again).

I had been using compatible cartridges for the epson at around 50p a pop and have circa 50 cartridges left which pains me dearly, but the printer died and there is nothing I can do about that.

As a result, in my naivety, I went to the same site I purchased the compatible epson cartridges from and purchased a few pgi-520bk cartridges (non canon, without chips) for less than a quid a piece. Superb bargain I thought, until I realised having no chips meant I had no possibility of printing. I used my canon cartridge till empty and then placed the chip onto the new cartridge and it would not print... unsurprisingly enough I now realise.

So, I bought a couple of other compatible pgi-520bk cartridges, with chips this time, but considerably more expensive. The good thing is that they work, the bad, is that as I am due to start university again this coming month, I have been doing a considerable amount of printing and this thing absolutely eats black ink (it has been known that I have had to replace the black ink cartridge twice in one day simply printing off text documents) and at circa 6 a cartridge this is simply not viable.

Obviously, this cannot continue, so what are my options with regards ink for my canon mp620?

So far, I have found a plethora of methods: german method for refilling the original canon cartridges (appealing, but I know I would make a complete mess of things, and would simply not know where to start as to what ink to purchase and where from etc); just paying for either canon cartridges or compatible cartridges but both of these options are too expensive for me; buying auto reset chips (although I do not know how these work?); a chip resetter but I have a feeling that these are not available for the pgi-520 cartridges?

I have also been unable to turn off the ink monitoring on my printer, I have tried the method of pressing the stop button for 5 minutes but it doesn't work, although that being said, I have not encountered the correct error code referred to in the manual for this to work, so thats understandable that I haven't been able to turn this feature off yet.

So basically, as a complete newbie having to navigate my way into cheap text printing which is the most cost effective method of replacing ink?

I am more than happy with either using a resetter, if one is available and guaranteed to work, or having the ink monitoring turned off if my printer actually responded to the request.

I have a feeling, that buying a plethora of cartridges without chips would be the cheapest, but then that requires me to purchase the chips and a resetter but as explained, I am unsure of wether a resetter has actually been made available for the pgi 520 cartridges yet.

I was wondering what the best most cost effective methods out there are?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[stratman]

Great Durchstitch/German Method guide for your cartridges by Pharmacist at http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=26249#p26249.

You will be able to turn OFF ink level monitoring once you see the correct window on your monitor, You may be able to refill the "empty" cartridges and keep printing for a while before the printer stops and your must either replace the cartridge or else override ink monitoring. Until you get that warning page, continue to print.

A number of high quality third party aftermarket inks are available. Your location on the planet will determine which is the least expensive.

The following I composed for users of the PGI-5 and CLI-8 cartridges, but it applies to your cartridges as well. The big differerence is that a Chip Resetter for your cartridges may not be available yet. Others can help you with that detail.

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A) Refill Ink

Anyone of the following will give good results:

http://www.inksupply.com/ selling MIS inks(reported to be Ink Specialty inks)

http://www.precisioncolors.com selling Ink Specialty inks

http://hobbicolors.com/ selling Hobbicolors inks

http://www.inktec.com/english/main.asp fot InkTec inks (Google "Inktec" for retailors)

Aftermarket ink from these retailors can be added to and mixed with Canon OEM ink still left in the cartridge.

Advanced User Tip - If you want the best color output then you will need to purge the Canon OEM ink out completely (see below) (or run a couple cartridges full of the aftermarket ink to wash out the Canon OEM ink), refill with one of the inks listed above, then obtain/purchase an ICC Printer Profile for your printer, ink and paper combination. You can purchase one from places like http://www.cathysprofiles.com/. Many casual hobbyists do not purchase an ICC Printer Profile and are satisfied with their color output. You'll know whether you're happy with the colors in your photos after printing out a few pictures. Much has been discussed about ICC Printer Profiles in this forum. Do a search if interested.

CAUTION: Some bulk ink retailers sell a "pigment only" black PGI-5 ink and/or a combination "pigment plus dye" black ink for the PGI-5. Make sure to get the "pigment only" PGI-5 if you want the best results, particularly for highlighting. It will cost a bit more but has the best chance of mimicking Canon OEM PGI-5 ink.

B) Refill Methods

Most people recommend using only Canon cartridges/chips for refilling as they are well made and last a long time with less risk of failure. Having a spare set is a good idea too as this helps decrease lag time in printing when you need to refill and swap in a fresh cartridge on demand (which always seems to happen in the middle of a print job you need to expedite).

There are several methods for refilling cartridges. You could vacuum refill - search for it in this forum. Several people on this forum use vacuum to refill with excellent result, though I think it is better for higher volume refilling than one cartridge at a time like most hobbyists. Then there are the two basic needle and syringe methods of refilling - a standard hole in top of cartridge method or the Durchstich/German method with hole on side towards bottom of cartridge. You can search for both methods in this forum as well.

If you prefer the standard method of refilling, then start by looking at the threads found in the "Refilling Inkjets" Forum. In fact, most all the knowledge you seek is contained within that forum. Whatever isn't will be added when the resident brainiacs, inventors and/or problem solvers figure it out.

A link to the text instruction for the Durchstich method at http://www.druckerchannel.de/artikel.php?ID=1830

A link to instructional videos on both standard and Durchstich methods of refilling plus on about purging cartridges found in post #7 at http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewto 45#p13145.

C) Cartridge Purging

Purging a cartridge entails running water through the cartridge to flush out old ink. It is useful if you change inks and do not want a mixture of previous brand ink with new brand ink, crud inside the cartridge, the cartridge is old and ink has dried up on the sponge which could impede ink flow, or there are streaks or missing ink when printing from poor ink flow out the cartridge for a yet unknown reason(though this could be a printhead issue).

A text version on purging cartridges using Grandad's Method is at http://www.nifty-stuff.com/canon-BCI-6-cartridges.php

Here is the equipment I put together for purging Canon CLI-8 and PGI-5 cartridges that evolved from that discussion:

Purging unit parts from Hope Depot.

1) 3/8" inner diameter clear vinyl tubing (outer diameter 1/2"), 3 feet ~$1.00 worth.

2) One Sweeper Nozzle, Model 56171 at Home Depot, $2.97 (similar to but with some plastic: http://lawn-garden.gillroys.com/Hoses_ &_Sprinklers/Hose_Nozzles/ BRASS_SWEEPER_ NOZZLE-s761223.html) . This screws onto my utility sink's threaded fawcet like a typical garden hose would.

3) One Hose Clamp 7/32" to 5/8" to secure #1 to #2.

4) 2mm hole drilled into the top of the spongeless area next to the edge of the decal (near where the ball is located) to let the purge water out.

The flexible tubing easily fit around the exit port of the cartridge. Warm water washed the sponge clean in well under one minute and I have no ink on my hands. I held onto the cartridge and directed the purge stream down the drain hole, but any ink in the sink washed completely out without staining.

D) Glue Gun Use For Sealing Purge Hole

1) Let the glue gun heat up to the proper temperature. This will cause a lot of waste glue to drip out on some guns, but the glue you do shoot will be hot enough to get he job done.

2) Don't use really old gluesticks that have "spoiled".

3) Use the right kind of gluestick, don't use wood glues for plastic cartridges for example.

4) Make sure the glued area is clean. Wipe off ink residue and peel away old glue if refilling a previously glued cartridge. It also helps to slice drill residue off the hole with a razor blade, as the plastic shreds can interfere with sealing.

5) Glues have different "open times" so allow the right amount of time for the glue to set.

6) For sealing holes on drilled cartridges, shoot a tiny glob to plug the hole, let sit for a few seconds, then shoot a secondary "sealing glob" over the plugged hole. Press the sealing glob flat with a flat heat resistant metal object. It helps to use a non-stick spray on your pressing object to prevent glue from sticking to it. I have found this method to be very effective in preventing leaks.

7) To remove the plug for later refilling, simply use a small needlenose pliers and peel off/pull out the glue.

E) Cartridge Resetters

One from Germany, the Sudhaus RedSetter, appears to have gotten the most press and reviews. The German model is offered at http://www.patronenhandel.de/.

You can find the Sudhaus RedSetter and other models on eBay by searching for "Canon Chip Resetter".

It is another matter entirely if a resetter is necessary. People have been "eye-balling" their ink levels for years and not experienced a printhead failure from no ink while printing. It is, like most things, personal preference and money.

F) Ink Level Monitoring

Simply take the cartridge out and visual inspect for ink in the spongeless side. Until you are confident, refill your cartridges just before or just when the spongeless side is empty of ink. The sponged side will always appear to have ink left in the sponge, never turning completely white and free of ink - I have heard that up to 1 ml of ink remains in the sponge even when Canon declares it empty. Best not to tempt fate, though if you do, when a color startrs streaking or missing you will know the ink is used up (OR you have developed a problem like a clogged or burned out printhead). STOP printing and refill!

Removing the cartridges in order to refill or inspect ink levels will initiate a cleaning/priming cycle after the cartridge(s) are returned to the printer. Canon's purge much less ink than Epson's, and, with bulk ink the money loss is minimal.

To cut down on these initiated ink purgings, there is a novel way of visually inspecting ink levels WITHOUT removing the cartridges. Read about it at http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=2492.

Also, there is a clever program developed by a poster on Nifty-Stuff that keeps track of print jobs and helps alert you when ink is running low depending upon how YOU set it up. The program can be found at http://inkmon.org/.


For all these seemingly overwhelming instructions/tips, refilling a Canon ink cartridge is as simple as poking a hole in the cartridge, filling it with ink from a syringe and needle, and sealing or not sealing the hole (depending on the method used). The process takes 2-3 minutes per cartridge once you've done it a couple of times. Cost is about 10-15% of an new OEM Canon cartridge per refill.

 

[pharmacist]

Refilling with the German Durchstich method is the easiest and also the cleanest way to refill your PGI-520/CLI-521 cartridges. Stratman already mentioned my refill guide for these cartridges. Most people want to drill a hole above the ink compartment and inject the ink: but watch out because this method is more difficult to get a good result. Not only you will end up with a messy inky table cloth as the ink is escaping from your cartridge, but the sponge tends to get oversaturated. So many people wonder why their cartridges are giving stripes on printouts, not knowing that the problem is caused by too much ink in the sponge !!!

I think my pictures are very clear and easily understandable by most people. I would suggest you to give it a try. Don't forget: DO NOT inject PIGMENT black into your small CLI-521 Bk photoblack cartridge, or you will end up with a potential disaster for our printhead. So PIGMENT black only in your PIGMENT PGI-520 cartridge (the big black one).