Canon Printer Cartridges -- Be Sure To Get The Right Ones!

[Steven O.]

I already posted about my problem -- I put in new cartridges, and
suddenly the colors were messed up -- but the solution struck me as so
unexpected -- the kind of thing that could trip other people up --
that I thought it's worth having an entire separate thread.

I don't know if this can happen with other brands, but it turns out
that Canon makes printers that use identically SHAPED ink cartridges,
but where the cartridges are subtly different colors. For example,
they have plain Cyan, Yellow, and Magenta; and then they also have
PHOTO Cyan, PHOTO Yellow, and PHOTO Magenta. (They even have these
subtle shade differences for black.)

Further confusing the matter is that the listings of the printer names
and types can be similar. So, here's my sad saga. I go to the store
and look for cartridges for my i860, and I see a cartridge that looks
like the right shape, and it's for some very similar model number (I'm
not sure what it was, the i800, or the i960, something like that).
Even the model number for the cartridge itself is VERY SIMILAR,
something like 6Y (for plain yellow) and 6PY (for photo yellow).
These things are easy to miss if (like me) you are more "conceptual"
oriented than "detail" oriented.

The point is, I get it home, and it fits just fine, except now the
colors are coming out funny. Turns out, after calling Canon tech
support, that I in fact had the wrong cartridge, which is why the
colors were off.

So, the moral is, you have to be very careful to buy the exactly right
type of replacement cartridge. I can understand that Canon wants to
use the same cartridge technology in different models, since I'm sure
it saves money to not redesign the shape for each new printer. But
you'd think they'd at least label them dramatically differently.

On a plus note for Canon, Tech Support had an 800 number that worked
(800 828-4040 in the US, in case anyone needs it), was open until
midnight on a week night, no charge for the call, I got through very
quickly, and the tech support representative was reasonably
intelligent and resolved the problem quickly.

The only downside was that neither the manual that came with the
printer, nor the Web site, ever suggested that the cause of the "off
color" problems might be that you are using the wrong darn ink! That
would have saved me some time....

Hope this can be of help to someone else.

Steve O.


"Spying On The College Of Your Choice" -- How to pick the college that is the Best Match for a high school student's needs.
www.SpyingOnTheCollegeOfYourChoice.com

 

[Ben Thomas]

I already posted about my problem -- I put in new cartridges, and
suddenly the colors were messed up -- but the solution struck me as so
unexpected -- the kind of thing that could trip other people up --
that I thought it's worth having an entire separate thread.

I don't know if this can happen with other brands, but it turns out
that Canon makes printers that use identically SHAPED ink cartridges,
but where the cartridges are subtly different colors. For example,
they have plain Cyan, Yellow, and Magenta; and then they also have
PHOTO Cyan, PHOTO Yellow, and PHOTO Magenta. (They even have these
subtle shade differences for black.)

Further confusing the matter is that the listings of the printer names
and types can be similar. So, here's my sad saga. I go to the store
and look for cartridges for my i860, and I see a cartridge that looks
like the right shape, and it's for some very similar model number (I'm
not sure what it was, the i800, or the i960, something like that).
Even the model number for the cartridge itself is VERY SIMILAR,
something like 6Y (for plain yellow) and 6PY (for photo yellow).

I thought a 6Y was a 6Y and was suitable for any printer that uses the BCI-6
cartridges.
--
--
Ben Thomas - Software Engineer - Melbourne, Australia

My Digital World:
Kodak DX6490, Canon i9950, Pioneer A05;
Hitachi 37" HD plasma display, DGTEC 2000A,
Denon 2800, H/K AVR4500, Whatmough Encore;
Sony Ericsson K700i, Palm Tungsten T.

Disclaimer:
Opinions, conclusions, and other information in this message that do not
relate to the official business of my employer shall be understood as neither
given nor endorsed by it.

 

[pete]

I thought a 6Y was a 6Y and was suitable for any printer that uses the BCI-6
cartridges.
--

The OP had a problem when trying to use photo carts in his Canon i860.
The Canon i860 is NOT a photo printer.

It's a case of RTFM to see what the printer is for, how to use it, and the ref.
of the cartridges.
A photo printer will accept and print with photo cartridges.
A non-photo might accept but might not print with photo cartridges.
A bit like a car with a fuel tank will accept both petrol and diesel but might
not run if the wrong fuel has been inserted.

 

[colinco]

The OP had a problem when trying to use photo carts in his Canon i860.
The Canon i860 is NOT a photo printer.
[/QUOTE]
You shouldn't be that emphatic that the i860 isn't a photo printer.

The OP would have had the same problem if he had been careless enough to
put PC or PM carts into the C or M slots in an i960.

 

[SK]

I thought a 6Y was a 6Y and was suitable for any printer that uses the BCI-6
cartridges.

In the message that you quoted, he says "6Y (for plain yellow) and 6PY
(for photo yellow)" . So yes, a "6Y [is] a 6Y" but a 6Y is NOT a 6PY.

 

[Steven O.]

A bit like a car with a fuel tank will accept both petrol and diesel but might

not run if the wrong fuel has been inserted.

Which is why they make different nozzles for diesel fuel, nozzles that
won't fit in regular car tanks, because even smart people can make
errors -- so the technology should be designed to safeguard against
them. (Same reason they put asymmetic notches on memory chips, so you
can't insert them the wrong way on your motherboard.)

Occasional user error should be anticipated in design, if not, it's
the design that's flawed, not the user.

Steve O.

The OP had a problem when trying to use photo carts in his Canon i860.
The Canon i860 is NOT a photo printer.

It's a case of RTFM to see what the printer is for, how to use it, and the ref.
of the cartridges.
A photo printer will accept and print with photo cartridges.
A non-photo might accept but might not print with photo cartridges.
A bit like a car with a fuel tank will accept both petrol and diesel but might
not run if the wrong fuel has been inserted.

"Spying On The College Of Your Choice" -- How to pick the college that is the Best Match for a high school student's needs.
www.SpyingOnTheCollegeOfYourChoice.com

 

[Steven O.]

The OP would have had the same problem if he had been careless enough to

put PC or PM carts into the C or M slots in an i960.

The OP (me) was not careless, the product design and packaging were
both inadequate in failing to anticipate easily-made errors. Tell me
you've never grabbed the wrong product or item off a shelf when two
different items were none-the-less very, very similar.

Steve O.

The OP had a problem when trying to use photo carts in his Canon i860.
The Canon i860 is NOT a photo printer.

You shouldn't be that emphatic that the i860 isn't a photo printer.

The OP would have had the same problem if he had been careless enough to
put PC or PM carts into the C or M slots in an i960.[/QUOTE]


"Spying On The College Of Your Choice" -- How to pick the college that is the Best Match for a high school student's needs.
www.SpyingOnTheCollegeOfYourChoice.com

 

[Ben Thomas]

I thought a 6Y was a 6Y and was suitable for any printer that uses the BCI-6
cartridges.

In the message that you quoted, he says "6Y (for plain yellow) and 6PY
(for photo yellow)" . So yes, a "6Y [is] a 6Y" but a 6Y is NOT a 6PY.

True. I've never seen a photo yellow cartridge before though. I though it was
only cyan and magenta that could be made different and called photo whatever.

--
--
Ben Thomas - Software Engineer - Melbourne, Australia

My Digital World:
Kodak DX6490, Canon i9950, Pioneer A05;
Hitachi 37" HD plasma display, DGTEC 2000A,
Denon 2800, H/K AVR4500, Whatmough Encore;
Sony Ericsson K700i, Palm Tungsten T.

Disclaimer:
Opinions, conclusions, and other information in this message that do not
relate to the official business of my employer shall be understood as neither
given nor endorsed by it.

 

[colinco]

True. I've never seen a photo yellow cartridge before though. I though it was
only cyan and magenta that could be made different and called photo whatever.
[/QUOTE]
In the BCI-6 range the only "photo" colours are Photo-cyan and Photo-
magenta. In the BCI-3e range there is a BCI-3ePBk Photo-black as well as
the larger pigment cart BCI-3eBk. Canon don't have a single cart Photo-
yellow in any range.

 

[colinco]

The OP (me) was not careless, the product design and packaging were
both inadequate in failing to anticipate easily-made errors. Tell me
you've never grabbed the wrong product or item off a shelf when two
different items were none-the-less very, very similar.
[/QUOTE]
Canon did put a strip with the cart type eg 6BK,3eBK,6Y,6M and 6C on the
printhead carrier where you insert the carts.

One of the local brands of compatible carts has labels with rabbits,
bananas, apples etc on them so that conceptual types can remember which
one they need.

 

[Dave Balcom]

}Occasional user error should be anticipated in design, if not, it's
}the design that's flawed, not the user.

True, but I am sure Canon shares the different cartridges to save money. It
is cheaper to make and store 100 of one design (with different labels) than
to make 100 of 10 different designs. The downside is you have to read the
labels carefully...

Later,
Dave

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Gee, Pete,

Once again you provide such wonderful insight. It must be all that
bottom posting that allows you such a gift.

This person was brave enough to post what he himself recognizes was a
bit of a silly assumption on his part, but he did so to help others who
might make the same mistake.

The fact that the Canon Tech Support recognized the problem, implies it
isn't the first time it came up.

And, yes, I think if you went into a "Petrol" station and the gas pumps
looked very similar and the markings were somewhat vague and you filled
your petrol car with diesel and it ran like crap, you might be a bit
miffed at both yourself and the petrol station for not making the
difference more obvious.

Anyway, the point is the poster could have simply not posted the
solution, but he revealed it because he thought it might be helpful.

Is there really a reason, other than because it makes your poor ego feel
better, for your posting (BELOW) ;-)

Art

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Absolutely. Human engineering for human use. We make these types of
errors, we should design product that at least makes an effort to help
us avoid them.

Art

 

[SK]

In the BCI-6 range the only "photo" colours are Photo-cyan and Photo-
magenta.

You are right... I just opened up my i960 since I am the idiot that
said 6PY and there was a 6PC and 6PM along with the usual 6C, 6Y, 6M &
6BK.

Regards,
SK

 

[GP]

Absolutely. Human engineering for human use. We make these types of
errors, we should design product that at least makes an effort to help
us avoid them.

Yes, yes, absolutely, I agree. No animal engineering for human use! I make
these kind of errors too. We should primordially build "product" than will
"help us avoid them"! It's a must. Otherwise we're heading fast towards a
Brave New World and cake eating will never be the same again.
-----------------------------------

Art... I would have liked to understand your message, but your top posting is
downright ridiculous. I don't want to read the whole thread to see if there's
anything to get out of what you "try" to say here. Had you quoted a paragraph,
it might have given me some idea of what you're talking about.

Some things you wrote indicate you make enough sense to understand basic
nettiquette. I mean, you're not a 13 years old dimwit. What the hell is going
on? Is it your employer who forces you to top post so that only the person
you're answering to can make something of the lingo you're spewing here?

I'm dumbfounded.

GP

 

[MCheu]

I thought a 6Y was a 6Y and was suitable for any printer that uses the BCI-6
cartridges.
--

A 6Y is a 6Y, but I'm told the regular 6Y is a pigmented ink and the
Photo cartridge (6PY) is dye based (or is it the other way around?).
Anyways, they're supposed to mix like oil and water, so if you mix and
match a Cyan 6Y, a Magenta 6PY, and a Yellow 6Y in the cartridge
cradle, you can get some extremely weird results, as the dyes could
repel each other. Normally, they'd mix to form intermediary colours
like orange, green, etc. If the inks just don't get along, that's not
going to happen.

 

[colinco]

A 6Y is a 6Y, but I'm told the regular 6Y is a pigmented ink and the
Photo cartridge (6PY) is dye based (or is it the other way around?).
Anyways, they're supposed to mix like oil and water, so if you mix and
match a Cyan 6Y, a Magenta 6PY, and a Yellow 6Y in the cartridge
cradle, you can get some extremely weird results,
[/QUOTE]
Nowhere near as weird as this post. Y = yellow. All the BCI-6 ink is dye
based.

 

[Wayne J.]

And, yes, I think if you went into a "Petrol" station and the gas

pumps looked very similar and the markings were somewhat vague and you
filled your petrol car with diesel and it ran like crap, you might be
a bit miffed at both yourself and the petrol station for not making
the difference more obvious.

Ha! Lucky for me the diesel nozzle is too big to fit into the gas cap
opening. Otherwise, I would be in trouble myself.

Wayne

 

[MCheu]

A 6Y is a 6Y, but I'm told the regular 6Y is a pigmented ink and the
Photo cartridge (6PY) is dye based (or is it the other way around?).
Anyways, they're supposed to mix like oil and water, so if you mix and
match a Cyan 6Y, a Magenta 6PY, and a Yellow 6Y in the cartridge
cradle, you can get some extremely weird results,

Nowhere near as weird as this post. Y = yellow. All the BCI-6 ink is dye
based.[/QUOTE]

Oops. Yeah, most of that post was pretty messed. I'm responsible for
the care and feeding of 3 different brands of printers, so I'm not
always clear on the naming conventions for a particular brand or
model. I just used the naming convention a previous poster was using.

As for whether all the BCI-6 ink is dye based? Are you certain of
that? My personal printer is a Canon i560 (recent purchase, so I'm
not 100% familiar with it yet). The store clerk warned me about
mixing the photo and regular inks for the reasons I stated, so if
they're both dye based, what's the real difference then, aside from
the photo inks being $2 more per cartridge.

 

[Ron Cohen]

All BCI-6 ink is dye based. There is not photo yellow, just yellow. The only
designated (by name) photo inks are Photo Cyan and Photo Magenta which are
not as dark in color as the base cyan or magenta. Mixing the inks would
result in no damage to the printer but the colors would be way off. The only
pigmented ink used in Canon printers using BCI-6 cartridges is the BCI-3BK
which is used for text printing and not for photos. This cartridge isn't
used on the six color photo printers such as i950, i960, s820, etc.., but it
is used on the five cartridge models such as i860, ip4000 and four tank
models such as the i560 or ip3000.
--
Ron Cohen

Nowhere near as weird as this post. Y = yellow. All the BCI-6 ink is dye
based.

Oops. Yeah, most of that post was pretty messed. I'm responsible for
the care and feeding of 3 different brands of printers, so I'm not
always clear on the naming conventions for a particular brand or
model. I just used the naming convention a previous poster was using.

As for whether all the BCI-6 ink is dye based? Are you certain of
that? My personal printer is a Canon i560 (recent purchase, so I'm
not 100% familiar with it yet). The store clerk warned me about
mixing the photo and regular inks for the reasons I stated, so if
they're both dye based, what's the real difference then, aside from
the photo inks being $2 more per cartridge.
[/QUOTE]