Is clogging an issue changing from pigment to dye based ink?

[slocumeddie]

In reponding to mikling, reference post #39 of this thread,

Well, he did say the words you quoted.

Some people, even after bring TKO 'd, still won't keep their heads down...............

 

[transworld]

I have been attracted by the low price of mp980 too. The not so great reviews on the internet have kept me from taking the bait tho. I too suspect the grey ink would help the colors of color photos. I read the whole three pages at Mikling's link. This product intro article indicates that Canon aimed its spotlight on the black and white feature, not on its color mode. I can't draw a conclusion this printer will print better colors. Much of the article is a typical marketing speech and should be taken with a grain of salt. I don't think it proper to judge a printer by a product intro. I like that it has a lot of nozzles. But its ink consumption is a concern to me.

Just read a dpreview thread. A guy got one for a few weeks, printed 40 pages no photos. Ink level is half gone. Hard to believe. Anyone any real life experience in ink consumption please?

Pls keep the debate from overheating. It's a good one and don't take it personally on either side. Slocumeddie, pls don't add fuel to a hot debate. Your input helps nobody.

I am newbie here but not new to this forum. I read this forum on a regular basis for the past 6 or 7 years.

 

[Redbrickman]

If you are concerned about costs of refill ink then I suggest that printing is not for you, because compared to the costs of suitable paper refill ink costs are so low as to be insignificant.

Considering the price of that printer I think you can't go wrong really.

 

[The Hat]

I would love to know what all the hue ha is about this grey ink thats bothering some guys.

There was once a need for a pigment black, no outcry then there was a need for photo blue/magenta,
again no our cry then came red/green and it was said what are they used for
and finally the dreaded grey came on the scene, the big debate again is why the hell do we need that.

If one stands back and really looks at the newly added colours and asks why they were introduced
the reviews and or other opinions say its to improve the overall quality of the Colour/B&W pictures, so why all the scepticisms.

The high quality printers use 12 colours / Regular Black, Matte Black, Magenta, Cyan, Yellow, Photo Cyan,
Photo Magenta, Red, Blue, Green, Grey, and yes even Photo Grey.

So if there wasnt a need for them then why introduced them at all, I hear the sceptics cry "to sell more ink".
Are they right / wrong.
Anyway Happy printing..

 

[Redbrickman]

I expect the need for this new ink colour is going to remain a real "Grey Area" :

 

[The Hat]

 

[ghwellsjr]

I expect the need for this new ink colour is going to remain a real "Grey Area" :

It will until somebody does a test similar to the ones I did to determine the 8-color printer's use of red and green ink and the 4-color printers use of color inks to produce greyscale. I can't do it because I don't have one of these printers.

The question is: does the MP980/990 use grey ink for color printing? You need to make some cleaining cartridges of each color except grey and put them in your printer and print something in color and see if any grey is printed.

 

[inkadinkado]

Yes, paper can be expensive as well as ink cartridges. But, with my new refill kits and new mp990 refillable printer cartridges, I feel like I've hit the jackpot at Vegas.

Also, I've found that for my printing needs buying paper from OK paper, which is a local supplier in the Dallas area, I've hit the jackpot again. I can buy really nice print quality 24, 32, 60, and 80 lb bright white papers that print beautifully. I also get some card stock for postcards and invitations from Red River Paper here in Dallas as well. Being an artist and supplier of artwork all over the country, it is important to me to give out quality prints of my artwork and art books that I print myself.

These papers and now my new ink refill kits (I'm on my 3rd refill of an HP printer), are printing definitely to a really good standard. Are these papers as good as much more expensive papers? Probably not. But, my clients are not holding up a sample of one over the other when they receive my books and prints so they have been very happy with the quality they receive. If they are happy, I am happy, and saving this much money makes me R-E-A-L-L-Y happy. I don't have to fret over having to run several prints to get the colors a better match to the original artwork because often, what you see on the screen is not what you get on the paper.

Thanks to all for the help that you have so willingly shared.

 

[mikling]

Something that is related to all the gray inks that goes way back to what 2003 or 2004 is the Epson K3 pigment inks. While most would think that greys were strictly for B&W, it ain't so. The K3 represented 3 K or grays. These are definitely used in color printing as any owner of an Epson K3 color printer will attest to and obviously in B&W as well.

That is one reason why the 980 series are intriguing, I wanted to see if Canon indeed had followed along the path of Epson and pursued the gray ink potential.

It appears that they have.

So beyond B&W which grays are used for, they are also used to advantage in color printing. Don't ask me to explain because if I knew the answer, the engineer would not have struggled with it. It's beyond my pay grade.

Whether you believe it or not is up to you but keep in mind that this is likely the most advanced dye ink printer today. So it is not a question of need but does it improve?. And reread my comments, if you are not using color management and calibrated monitors, you need not participate in the quality aspect nor should you care. The CMYK printers will give you a punchier photo and look more contrasty and indeed be preferred by many. However, if you are into the details and have a discerning eye, you'll see that the 980 is more accurate, more capable and in certain areas superior to the Pro9000.

For the ones worrying about ink consumption, what is your option if you want new? get the CMYK variant of the 980/990 with the 225/226 carts? But wait a minute, the inks internally are the same. So just how does the CMYK variant consume so much less ink? I'd really like to know the answer to that question. My ownership of an iP4600, iP4820, MP560 and MP980 does confirm that the ink consumption relative to each other is NOT significantly different . So I really have to wonder what those comments about ink consumption are relating to ? Indeed it is rare for an individual to own and use and profile all four printers on a critical basis concurrently and this is what I did and was the basis of my recommendations if someone wanted a top notch machine for under 100 bucks.

The issue about ink consumption is really that the cartridges are small. All your options on a NEW Canon AIO are relegated to this. You have to deal with it and accept the situation.

 

[transworld]

The question is: does the MP980/990 use grey ink for color printing? You need to make some cleaining cartridges of each color except grey and put them in your printer and print something in color and see if any grey is printed.

You are right on the money. Truly great idea. Make sure the picture does not include any grey tone or the test will lead to a false conclusion.