Inconsistent black, duplexing causing grey-ish blacks?

[inkoholic]

I got a problem with my MP610 for quite a while. Sometimes black text is really black and crisp (like it should). But mostly it's just grey, so not really black. Recently I found out the good kind of black is only printed when I select the standard settings in the print dialog screen. But as soon as I add the option "automatic duplexing" BAM! No more crisp black and it turns grey-ish again. I have a hunch the good black consists of pigment and dye black. The bad black (grey) being only pigment. So the inevitable question: what's going on? How can I print pure black with duplexing enabled?

By the way, blackness has improved since I switched from compatible cartridges to refilling with IS inks.

 

[gigigogu]

To my knowledge for standard (one sided) printing it is used only the big black cartridge (with pigment) - your "good" black. For any kind of duplex, either automatic or manual, it is used a combination of black pigment, cyan, magenta and maybe yellow - your "bad" black. Photo black is not used for plain paper.
The only workaround is not to use printer duplex option. Some programs have manual duplex option. If no, is a bit more difficult.

 

[ruffin]

Yes, lighter black is correct for duplex printing (printing both sides of paper). This is intentional to preclude darker print from interferring with the readability of print on opposite side. No workaround as per gigigogu.

 

[inkoholic]

WHAT?!


Light black is deliberately being printed when using duplex?! All these years... So duplex printing is really supposed to be less black. I am using sturdy Double A paper and readability is excellent when printed on both sides. I would really like to figure out a way to print in duplex with rich black. I could do manual double sided printing but it's kind of tricky.

 

[emmaachile]

Get Ocp black dye inks for your printer. IS black dye inks are the poorest i have seen so far.

 

[Tudor]

What software/version do you use to print your documents? If your software supports manual duplexing then it's easy to print with pigmented black. All you have to do is check "preview before printing" in printer's settings. When the time comes to print the second side you just put the paper in the rear tray and in Canon preview window select "rear tray" as paper source.

 

[ghwellsjr]

Get Ocp black dye inks for your printer. IS black dye inks are the poorest i have seen so far.

This effect is when using the pigment black ink on plain paper. When printing on both sides of the paper, the Canon drivers will cut the amount of pigment black ink in half and add in equal parts of cyan and magenta dye inks.

Unfortunately, OCP's pigment black ink is one of the lightest I have ever seen.

 

[ghwellsjr]

What software/version do you use to print your documents? If your software supports manual duplexing then it's easy to print with pigmented black. All you have to do is check "preview before printing" in printer's settings. When the time comes to print the second side you just put the paper in the rear tray and in Canon preview window select "rear tray" as paper source.

Make sure that the application software is taking care of the duplexing so that the printer isn't aware of it because if you tell the printer that you want to do manual duplex, it will also cut the amount of pigment black ink in half and add in cyan and magenta.

 

[Tudor]

What software/version do you use to print your documents? If your software supports manual duplexing then it's easy to print with pigmented black. All you have to do is check "preview before printing" in printer's settings. When the time comes to print the second side you just put the paper in the rear tray and in Canon preview window select "rear tray" as paper source.

Make sure that the application software is taking care of the duplexing so that the printer isn't aware of it because if you tell the printer that you want to do manual duplex, it will also cut the amount of pigment black ink in half and add in cyan and magenta.

In Word2010 I have 3 options:
1. Print one sided
2. Print on both sides - the software automaticly activates duplex in printer's settings -> gray text
3. Manually print on both sides - the software actually prints two documents - odd pages, then even pages - and the printer thinks it's one sided document -> black text

When option 3 is selected, the software (word in this case) will ask you to take the pages that were printed on one side and put them again in the input tray. If you have "preview before printing" enabled in your printer's settings you can put the pages in the rear tray and select "rear tray" in the popping "preview". This is easier than putting them in the default paper source, which is the casette (plain paper).

 

[geocha]

try printfab or other similar RIP software. I solved this issue once for all! Also you can control accurately the colors
With IS ink i have absolutely NO CAST on b/w prints! It's just amazing!