Canon i860 or i960

[Don Allen]

I'm in the market for a new inkjet, and am considering the Canon i860 or
the i960. Initially, I was looking at the i560, but decided to upgrade
for potential use with a digital camera.

Projected use is probably 75% normal printing (text, web pages, etc.) and
25% photos. I noted on Canon's website that Canon does not even spec the
i960 for speed in B&W and color printer. Does this imply the i960 is not
suitable for normal printing, and designed primarily for dedicated photo
printing? I would like the best of both worlds, but I know it's hard to
achieve.

Tnx,
Don

 

[Hipster]

I'm in the market for a new inkjet, and am considering the Canon i860
or the i960. Initially, I was looking at the i560, but decided to
upgrade for potential use with a digital camera.

Projected use is probably 75% normal printing (text, web pages, etc.)
and 25% photos. I noted on Canon's website that Canon does not even
spec the i960 for speed in B&W and color printer. Does this imply the
i960 is not suitable for normal printing, and designed primarily for
dedicated photo printing? I would like the best of both worlds, but I
know it's hard to achieve.

The i860 Desktop Photo Printer has a pigment-based black ink tank to
achieve crisp, fast, high-quality black text. The i960 doesn't have one.
All its cartridges are dedicated for photo printing. The i960 can print
black text, but not as fast or as well as the i860.

On the other hand, the i960 can print slightly better photos, which
may be hard to tell apart from the i860 unless you used a magnifying
glass.

But if text is the higher priority for you, as you indicated, this is
the printer you want. It can produce laser-like text on even some cheap
papers. You will like it!

 

[colinco]

I'm in the market for a new inkjet, and am considering the Canon i860 or
the i960. Initially, I was looking at the i560, but decided to upgrade
for potential use with a digital camera.

Projected use is probably 75% normal printing (text, web pages, etc.) and
25% photos.
[/QUOTE]
the i560 and i860 have the pigment black for text. Don't rule out the
i560, the i860 has a dye photo black for better shadows but is otherwise
similar. Look for a retailer with print samples and be surprised at how
little difference there is between 5,6 or 9.

 

[beezer]

The i860 Desktop Photo Printer has a pigment-based black ink tank to
achieve crisp, fast, high-quality black text. The i960 doesn't have one.
All its cartridges are dedicated for photo printing. The i960 can print
black text, but not as fast or as well as the i860.

On the other hand, the i960 can print slightly better photos, which
may be hard to tell apart from the i860 unless you used a magnifying
glass.

But if text is the higher priority for you, as you indicated, this is
the printer you want. It can produce laser-like text on even some cheap
papers. You will like it!

Im not sure why people keep saying that the 960 does not produce
quality text. It produces excellent sharp text as sharp as the
850/860. Its just not as black.

Even in draft mode, the 960 rips through text extremely fast with
great sharpness. So the only thing would be is the shading. Its just
not as dark but truely high quality

 

[beezer]

I'm in the market for a new inkjet, and am considering the Canon i860 or
the i960. Initially, I was looking at the i560, but decided to upgrade
for potential use with a digital camera.

Projected use is probably 75% normal printing (text, web pages, etc.) and
25% photos. I noted on Canon's website that Canon does not even spec the
i960 for speed in B&W and color printer. Does this imply the i960 is not
suitable for normal printing, and designed primarily for dedicated photo
printing? I would like the best of both worlds, but I know it's hard to
achieve.

Tnx,
Don

The 860 is a great printer with the added photo black. But overall
photo speed and just that bit more of quality if you are very critical
of your photos, can be had by the 960.

With the PC and PM, alot of color transitions are much smoother and
less posterized on a broader range of papers.

Printing photos is much faster with the 960 and text is quite
excellent as well. If you are planning on doing heavy print jobs such
as printing 400 page manuals on occasion, then go with the 860.

 

[Don Allen]

If you are planning on doing heavy print jobs such
as printing 400 page manuals on occasion, then go with the 860.

Thanks. No, I use laser printers for the big B&W text jobs . . . not
too cost-effective with inkjets!

I appreciate everyone's input on this.

Don

 

[WeInk.com Technical Support]

The i960 is a dedicated photo printer, intended
for users who print mostly photos.

The i860 is a dual use photo printer. Dedicated black
for text and dedicated black for photos. Like
the i560 it has CMY for use with photos, with the
C and M printing through 4 print head nozzle arrays.

--
WeInk.com Technical Support
------------------------------------------------------
Toll Free Support: 1-888-825-0759
Toll Free Orders: 1-800-559-3465
http://www.weink.com/
Subscribe to our newsletter and
get up to 20% off your order.

 

[Josh]

The i960 is a dedicated photo printer, intended
for users who print mostly photos.

The i860 is a dual use photo printer. Dedicated black
for text and dedicated black for photos.

Is the i865 any better than the i860?

 

[Taliesyn]

Is the i865 any better than the i860?

Yes, it can print directly on special blank CDRs. I think
that's the only difference. The i865 isn't available to
North American buyers (Canon respecting patent laws).
There (or I should say, here) it's marketed as the i860.
I have it and it's considerably larger (seems like 30%)
than the i850 it replaced.

-Taliesyn

 

[bmoag]

If you use a laser for text why would you ever print on an ink jet unless
absolutely necessary? Get real.
If you need crisp text for business you need a laser. No ink jet is as good
as a laser for text. There is no wiggle room to argue the point. Your
correspondents will see the difference and perceive ink jet users as
amateurs if important correspondence contains visible smears and bleeds.
This is why lasers will always dominate business use.
If you want to print photos with a printer you can grow into instead of a
limited printer you may rapidly outgrow get the 960. The difference in
output quality, if you know what you are doing, is overwhelming between the
860 and 960.

 

[Don Allen]

If you use a laser for text why would you ever print on an ink jet unless
absolutely necessary? Get real.
If you need crisp text for business you need a laser. No ink jet is as good
as a laser for text. There is no wiggle room to argue the point. Your
correspondents will see the difference and perceive ink jet users as
amateurs if important correspondence contains visible smears and bleeds.
This is why lasers will always dominate business use.
If you want to print photos with a printer you can grow into instead of a
limited printer you may rapidly outgrow get the 960. The difference in
output quality, if you know what you are doing, is overwhelming between the
860 and 960.

I alwalys "appreciate" the attitude of some respondents to my original
post. Certainly, the first statement above is correct - from a
qualified point-of-view. Occasionally, it makes good business sense to
include a graphic, etc. If one owns a 600dpi or 1200dpi laser, this is
no problem. However, in this case, the laser printers in use are 300dpi
PCL5 HP's. Therefore, the use of a good inkjet is occasionally needed.

In comparing the output from my HP 932C vs. either HP LJIII, the 932C's
text quality is indistinguishable under a magnifying glass from that of
the laser. No jaggies, overspray, or bleeds . . . now possible smears
if the paper gets wet, or handled directly after printing, - that's
another story.

I asked a honest question to differentiate between the i860 and i960.
And, your last two statements summarizes this well. However, one could
infer a "holy than thou" attitude from this poster, and this is not
necessary.

Don

 

[colinco]

The difference in
output quality, if you know what you are doing, is overwhelming between the
860 and 960.
[/QUOTE]
The average viewer not knowing what to look for will be less impressed.

 

[Bubba]

Yes, it can print directly on special blank CDRs. I think
that's the only difference. The i865 isn't available to
North American buyers (Canon respecting patent laws).

What patent? Is Epson the only printer to print directly on CD-Rs?

 

[Taliesyn]

What patent? Is Epson the only printer to print directly on CD-Rs?

As per this UK website... http://www.photo-i.co.uk/

"The CD-R/DVD printing option is not available on the i860 printer (US
market), this is a Patents issue and beyond Canon's control."

The above was found at their review of the i860

I haven't researched the matter any further. I print of super glossy
labels and I like them. I'd like to see an actual CDR printed directly.
Are they glossy or matt finish? Do they look any better than paper
labels?

-Taliesyn

 

[Dick]

On Wed, 04 Aug 2004 20:26:32 -0400, Taliesyn <[email protected]>
wrote:
Labels are fine for use in the home, but for the car I stay as far
away from them as possible. The extreme heat in a lot of situations
causes the labels to start coming off. Twice I have nearly destroyed
a CD player in a car because the label came loose and the CD became
stuck. Real stuck.

 

[Bubba]

Labels are fine for use in the home, but for the car I stay as far
away from them as possible. The extreme heat in a lot of situations
causes the labels to start coming off. Twice I have nearly destroyed
a CD player in a car because the label came loose and the CD became
stuck. Real stuck.

I had enquire Avbery about label coming off.
They advised that in a car, laser is very close
to teh surface and labels can potentially come off
as happened to you.

 

[Bubba]

As per this UK website... http://www.photo-i.co.uk/

"The CD-R/DVD printing option is not available on the i860 printer (US
market), this is a Patents issue and beyond Canon's control."

The above was found at their review of the i860

I haven't researched the matter any further. I print of super glossy
labels and I like them. I'd like to see an actual CDR printed directly.
Are they glossy or matt finish? Do they look any better than paper
labels?

I have seen CDs printed on Epson r200. They feel mcuh better
than the sticky ones.

 

[Michael]

If you use a laser for text why would you ever print on an ink jet unless
absolutely necessary? Get real.

The quality of images on plain paper on laser is a LOT worse than on
inkjet. If you print text & sth coloured you use inkjet. The laser is
for TEXT only. Not mentioning a b&w laser. Get real.

If you need crisp text for business you need a laser. No ink jet is as good
as a laser for text. There is no wiggle room to argue the point. Your
correspondents will see the difference and perceive ink jet users as
amateurs if important correspondence contains visible smears and bleeds.

Only on certain papers. If you use right paper your ink won't smear
even if you put it under the water. And it doesn't have to be an
expensive coated paper. Also you need a magnifying glass to see the
diffrence between laser and inkjet in terms of quality.

This is why lasers will always dominate business use.

Only because the ink for inkjets is expensive. Lasers are also faster.

If you want to print photos with a printer you can grow into instead of a
limited printer you may rapidly outgrow get the 960. The difference in
output quality, if you know what you are doing, is overwhelming between the
860 and 960.

Have you ever seen and compared the photos from these printers?
There are three main diffrences:
1. i865 prints are grainier (again, you have use a m. glass to see it
or put your nose right at the photo).
2. Certain colours are more vivid and lifelike on the i965.
3. i965 prints are sharper.

BUT

1. There CAN be more banding issues with i965's.
2. You have to spend more time to set the i965 to print right colours.
3. i965 has problems with some Canon photo papers (like PPPG).


I recommend that you buy i865. There's no more versatile printer on
the market today. Buy i965 only if you are very serious about printing
photos.

Cheers,

Mike