Universal Inks ???

[MrHammy]

Me again...

I'm trying to get a handle on all these inks, etc.

So far I've read and read and read about them, but I'm a bit confused - No surprises there , eh???

My IP5000 uses 5 Cartridges - Big BCI-3eBK, Normal size BCI-6BK, BCI-6M, BCI-6Y, BCI-6C.

OK, apart from the different colours, C, M, Y & BK, can anyone tell me what the difference is between inks used in BCI-5 & BCI-6 tanks??? (This is similar to a question in another thread so if the answer is there then can someone point it out to me...)

Now, I've read that the eBK ink is a pigment ink and the BCI-6 inks are dye based - and they shouldn't ever be mixed - great...

Then I read about universal inks - What the???

Not only do they claim to be suitable for any cartridge for my canon, but some even claim to be suitable for any brand of printer!!!

Now, I've read some articles which say that different printers use different methods to get the ink to spurt out of the print head. I've also read on some suppliers pages that there are big differences even between ink made in different countries. So how can there be an universal ink???

I don't want to start a fight or stir things up, but what sort of risks are there for me in all of this???

Cost isn't everything for me. I want to be as sure as I can be that the print head won't get gummed up.

For all I know, the Calidad inks I used with my previous printer (an S750) are 'universal'.

So I guess there are a few questions here:
- Are there any genuine universal inks?
- Are they safe to use?
- Is a kit/ink for a BCI-5 tank suitable for a BCI-6 tank? (and can they be mixed)?
- Can I cause myself problems if I refill the BCI-3eBK tank with a different type of ink? (I've read another thread that suggests that while there my be some colour intesnity issues this would be safe enough - I think...)

Remember, I am only refilling because I get a kick out of beating the printer manufacturers at their own game.
Also, I don't print photos that will ever be anything more than 'happy snaps' and haven't got a clue how to match colours or compensate for differences, etc. (YET!!!)

Please forgive me if this is already covered in other threads, I've read so much, I keep getting confused.

Thanks in advance for yoyr help and advice.

Finally -I am not having a sly dig at anyone or any company or any product - so please take these as genuine questions from someone who is trying to enter into the spirit of the forums...

Thanks again.

MrHammy

 

[drc023]

>So I guess there are a few questions here:
Q:>- Are there any genuine universal inks?
A: No. All inks are formulated for different makes and models, have varying chemistry and ingredients.


Q:>- Are they safe to use?
A: I wouldn't want to risk it. Would you want a transfusion without knowing what blood type the donor had?

Q:>- Is a kit/ink for a BCI-5 tank suitable for a BCI-6 tank? (and can they be mixed)?
A: Maybe, since the BCI-6 is the successor to the BCI-5. But, refill ink isn't that expensive and the BCI-5 is most likely well past the expiration date. I wouldn't want to risk it. Remember, you are dealing with the smallest ink jet droplet size yet with the iP5000.

Q:>- Can I cause myself problems if I refill the BCI-3eBK tank with a different type of ink? (I've read another thread that suggests that while there my be some colour intesnity issues this would be safe enough - I think...)
A: The BCI-3ebk is a pigmented black ink that is ONLY used when in plain paper mode. The BCI-6bk is the dye based black that is used in all the other paper modes. You probaly wouldn't damage the head using dye inks in place of pigment inks, but the results may be less than satisfactory. OTOH, if you used pigment inks in place of dye inks you most certainly would damage the print head.

Bottom line is that you've purchased a new iP5000 which has a very small droplet size ( 1picoliter ) for the BCI-6 inks. Refilling is safe and very cost effective if done properly. Go with an ink from a reputable supplier that is formulated spedifically for use with BCI-6 tanks.

 

[fotofreek]

About the use of dye based inks in the BCI-3ebk cart - I don't know about the Canon dyebased and pigmented formulations but I have seen warnings about doing this with some Epson cartridges without first fully purging and cleaning out the cartridge and portion of the print head that prints from that cart. There is a difference in Ph and possibly some other non-compatability problems that can clog the cart and/or the black pigmented print head jets. I don't have a printer that uses the BCI - 3ebk cart but someone who does and uses refill inks can probably get you to a site that has pigmented refill ink.

 

[Nifty]

First off, ditto to everything drc023 said. I'm pointing people to this thread next time they ask about Universal Inkjet Refill Kits. While universal inks may work some of the time and produce adequate results for many people, I wouldn't ever use them. Seeing that there are people who have problems with high quality ink formulated specifically for their printer, I can't imagine the problems that "universal ink" produces. I'd bet that many of the peolple that are turned off from refilling their printers is because they used a universal ink and ran into problems thus swearing never to refill again.

RE: Dye vs. Pigment. I don't see a lot of reasons to use a dye based ink in a cartridge designed for pigment. The cost difference is negligible between dye and pigment. I've got a little info here too: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/difference-canon-bci-3-bci-6.php

 

[Endmukbud]

You Know why these printer manufacturer keep research on these two kind of ink cause they had different function and characteristics. so what i mean is " Why they make 5 ink printer when they can make 4 ink ".........because each of the ink make's a different advantages when it spray above the paper. so i wouldn't recommend you to mix or misusage the ink composition...it's dangerous to your print head, to your print quality, and of course to your pocket ( cause it's expensive when you got your printer stuck in a dead end )

 

[brian]

Hi

The bci5 black takes the dye based ink and the bci6 takes the pigment based ink, you can't put pigment based ink into a dye based cartridge as it will block up the cartridge or either block the print head after the printer has cooled down.

Universal Inks are okay to use in most cartridges mainly canon and hp as they are very similar inks but epson and lexmark are another kettle of fish, 80% of epsons new printers have pigment inkjet cartridges in them now as pigment ink is less fade resistant than dye based ink. These days alot of people printout photos at home.

At the end of the day you have to try universal ink before you critise it!

Regards
Brian

 

[fotofreek]

Brian - I don't mean to be combative, but with the availability of good aftermarket inks that are especially formulated for the Canon printers I don't see the need to try the universal inks. many people are using MIS and Formulabs inks with good results and no more print head problems than with OEM inks (as far as we know). I guess that if someone gave me a large quantity of universal inks I might then be tempted to try them, but even at that the ones I mentioned are so cheap that I would probably just throw away any others on which I hadn't seen really good reviews.

 

[Nifty]

the bci6 takes the pigment based ink

The BCI-6 Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black cartridges all take dye based inks.

pigment ink is less fade resistant than dye based ink.

I think you meant pigment inks are MORE fade resistant than dye based inks.