Canon i550 ink tank replacements from Staples

[John D.]

To all who have the Canon i550, i850 and might be considering using
the generic ink replacement tanks from Staples;
There is a design flaw in the "tab" that locks the ink tank in place.
This tab sticks out so the tank tray cannot move back and forth and
will jam up the printer. FYI

I was looking forward to comparing ink, but did get the opportunity!



JD

 

[Ron Cohen]

Are you saying the tab is too long and hits part of the cover? If so,
couldn't you cut it off to be the same length as on the Canon tanks? When
you say generic that also is a problem. Unless the ink is formulated
especially for the printer you could be asking for problems. Stick with a
known supplier of quality ink such as alotofthings.com. I hope you haven't
discarded the original Canon tanks. They are very, very easy to refill.

 

[John D.]

Hi Ron.
No, the tab is not just longer, it can't snap "inwards", it snaps
outwards and covers the "YELLOW" (or Cyan, Magenta) label.
Hope that explains it!

I have discarded many tanks (sorry!). I tried the refill method on an
older Canon Printer (BJC-250) with not so good results.
Are you saying you've refilled them, and printed quality photos
afterwards?? If so, I may take another crack at that. Best Buy has the
3 colors for around $30, so it's not too expensive. I looked at BJ's
(my local wholesale club), but they did not carry the ink tanks we
use.

In my original message I meant to say that I was unable to compare,
FYI.

John D.

 

[Bill]

I have discarded many tanks (sorry!). I tried the refill method on an
older Canon Printer (BJC-250) with not so good results.
Are you saying you've refilled them, and printed quality photos
afterwards?? If so, I may take another crack at that.

The Canon ink tanks are VERY easy to refill. I suggest you try it again
with a quality refill kit.

I use AtlanticInkjet and get fantastic results - I can't tell the
difference from genuine Canon ink. On good quality photo paper like
Canon's own or Office Depot, the prints are identical to Canon. They're
waterproof, lightfast, and colour is matched perfectly.

I hear RedRiver paper is also a very good alternative to pricey Canon
photo paper.

 

[John D.]

Thanks Ron. I'll follow up with you via e-mail as well.

For the other posters who are interested, check out the following web
sites for a review of the Canon i950:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/canon_i950.html

http://www17.tomshardware.com/consumer/20030509/

 

[John D.]

Thanks Bill.
I've also heard that the Canon printers don't play nice with Kodak
paper (someone even e-mailed me on that one!).

I can vouch for Staples High Gloss Photo Paper as being better than
Kodak's best paper. I know, it doesn't seem to make sense.

I am considering buying the ink, and filling the tanks myself.

John D.