need after market ink recommendation for Canon i960

[sharon123abc]

I have a Canon i960 printer that I use for printing everything but
photos. I have used after market ink and the problem I have is that
the photos that I print tend to make people with black hair look like
they have grey hair. Is there anybody out there that actually owns
the exact same printer. If so, can you please tell me....

1. Where you purchased your after market ink at? What brand is it?
2. Where you purchased your photo paper at? Specially the 4x6 size?
3. Do I need to buy any color correction program?
4. Do I need to adjust anything on the printer?

I am tired of going to costco to print photos. Although they have
awesome prices, I want to the convenience of printing from home.
Also, with gas at $4.00 a gallon, I need to cut down on my driving.

 

[measekite]

I have a Canon i960 printer that I use for printing everything but
photos. I have used after market ink and the problem I have is that
the photos that I print tend to make people with black hair look like
they have grey hair. Is there anybody out there that actually owns
the exact same printer. If so, can you please tell me....

Do not listen to most of the people in this ng for they are members of
an ink refillers cult. If you want to generic ink and you print a great
deal then you chances for a clogged printhead is lessened but still more
than with Canon ink. If you are NOT printing photos then in most cases
you do not need the best / accurate quality so it may not make that much
difference.

Be aware that you are not saving any money. You are spending less but
you, at the same time, are getting less.

For photos I would use only OEM ink to avoid the issues you are
currently having. Generic ink stinks when it comes to photos plus the
propensity for fading is much higher.

1. Where you purchased your after market ink at? That many know.
What brand is it?

That they do not know because the vendors will not tell them. The
vendors buy who knows what from anybody in China (you know the place
where peo[le got the dog food and lead laces toys) and can change their
source anytime and will not tell you.

2. Where you purchased your photo paper at? Specially the 4x6 size?

I would take a look at Costco. I previously bought Kirkland in large
sheets that were presumed Ilford made in Switzerland and cut them
because the cut sheets (4x6) were different and not quite as nice. But
today I think that is all they sell, the paper not made in
Switzerland. Epson Heaveyweight Matte looks great with Canon OEM ink.

3. Do I need to buy any color correction program?

It will not help with generic ink

4. Do I need to adjust anything on the printer?

Yeah, purge all of the crap ink and buy Canon OEM ink if you want to
print great photos. Otherwise take your prints to Costco.

 

[measekite]

I use Office Depot Platinum Professional Photo Gloss paper with Canon
compatible inks and get very good results.

First there are no inks that are compatible with anything including
Canon. It is just a word to mean similar but similar is not the same.

You don't specify whether you use refills or compatible tanks. The bulk inks
at www.alotofthings.com

I would never consider that place. You should have read reports in this
ng from others. These reports were not very favorable and based on my
experience I believe those posters.

are very good quality. Of the Compatibles there, any
will be fine but I have preferred the G&G tanks.

Regardless of what you use, you need to have your monitor calibrated and use
proper color profiles for the ink and paper combination you use.

That will not help. I use Canon ink and Epson mattte and Costco glossy
paper without any calibration and get great results so for most cases
it is a waste of time and money unless you need to 100% match exactly a
certain color.

There's no
fast and cheap way to do this,

There sure is. Use Canon ink and the aforementioned paper and do not
bother. Photoshop and others have free calibration programs that come
close enough. Just use google.

but start with the monitor calibration and
plan to waste a stack of photo paper in getting your printer's color profile
set up.

You can also download Ilford color profiles and use them with Kirkland
paper.

Get yourself a set of color bar images to print for setting up your color
profile. You can use a smaller image and print more than once to a sheet of
paper by staggering the images. Most of the ink sellers have PDF color bar
pages for download. Just keep printing and making very small adjustments
till you get a match to what you see on your newly calibrated monitor.

Turn off Auto color on your printer and use Print Preview with photoshop
and let that do the color adjustments.

 

[measekite]

I buy all my after market cartridges from here:
https://www.neximaging.com/ProductList.asp?ID=16828&name=Canon i960
I have never been disappointed in the performance or quality of
their ink and cartridges. Plus, their prices can't be beaten.

You can dwell on cost which is expensive or you can place the results
you want as most important and use Canon ink. I know it is expensive
and I do believe it is over priced but that is the way it is.

You might want to use your Canon with the generic ink for everything
else and get a Canon IP4500 for photos. The new Canon ink is much
improved and is far more resistant to fading.

 

[sharon123abc]

I use Office Depot Platinum Professional Photo Gloss paper with Canon
compatible inks and get very good results.

You don't specify whether you use refills or compatible tanks. The bulk inks
atwww.alotofthings.comare very good quality. Of the Compatibles there, any
will be fine but I have preferred the G&G tanks.

Regardless of what you use, you need to have your monitor calibrated and use
proper color profiles for the ink and paper combination you use. There's no
fast and cheap way to do this, but start with the monitor calibration and
plan to waste a stack of photo paper in getting your printer's color profile
set up.
Get yourself a set of color bar images to print for setting up your color
profile. You can use a smaller image and print more than once to a sheet of
paper by staggering the images. Most of the ink sellers have PDF color bar
pages for download. Just keep printing and making very small adjustments
till you get a match to what you see on your newly calibrated monitor.

No printer will produce high quality, matched photos with out-of-the-box
settings. You must create a custom manual set of driver adjustments and save
it as a profile for that paper. I also suggest using the "transparency"
paper type in that Canon, it seems to produce the best match and color
depth.

Wow, that sound complicated. I should of been more clear. I want to
ultimately bypass the computer and print directly from the camera to
the printer. My camera and printer are Canon. They have this cable
that connect the camera directly to the printer. (I think it's called
PrintBridge.) The method you are telling me sound like it would be
impossible to get decent prints with aftermarket ink, assuming I am
trying to bypass the computer. All the colors, with the exception of
black look good at this point.

 

[sharon123abc]

I buy all my after market cartridges from here:https://www.neximaging.com/ProductList.asp?ID=16828&name=Canon i960 I
have never been disappointed in the performance or quality of their
ink and cartridges. Plus, their prices can't be beaten.

Would you recommend this ink if I connect my camera directly to the
printer through the PrintBridge? Also, what paper are you using to
get this result?

 

[sharon123abc]

For photos I would use only OEM ink to avoid the issues you are
currently having. Generic ink stinks when it comes to photos plus the
propensity for fading is much higher.

I don't care about fading. My main concern is that people with black
hair won't look like it's grey hair.

I would take a look at Costco. I previously bought Kirkland in large
sheets that were presumed Ilford made in Switzerland and cut them
because the cut sheets (4x6) were different and not quite as nice. But
today I think that is all they sell, the paper not made in
Switzerland. Epson Heaveyweight Matte looks great with Canon OEM ink.> 3. Do I need to buy any color correction program?

Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[measekite]

Wow, that sound complicated. I should of been more clear. I want to
ultimately bypass the computer and print directly from the camera to
the printer.

That is a poor way of doing things. It is really a gimmick for the user
to spend more for ink. You are better off editing the photos you really
like and selectively printing the best ones.

 

[measekite]

I don't care about fading. My main concern is that people with black
hair won't look like it's grey hair.

You should since the may have black hair today and light brown next week
and then gray.

 

[measekite]

We always print from the computer but I don't see any difference
between these cartridges and Canon cartridges. I use Ilford Photo
Smooth Pearl and Ilford Glossy. I like the print quality from their
photo papers.

This is proof that this guy is using the incorrect paper for his printer
type. He is using dye ink. Ilford does not recommend this paper for
dye ink due to more rapid fading. For dye ink Ilford recommends Ilford
Gallerie Classic Pearl not Smooth. Classic takes longer to dry but
works better with dye ink. Look to the Ilford website and their reading
materials.

Besides, you need to be cognizant of the Reds when using Classic Pearl.

 

[TJ]

(e-mail address removed) wrote:
That is a poor way of doing things. It is really a gimmick for the user
to spend more for ink. You are better off editing the photos you really
like and selectively printing the best ones.

Amazing. Every once in a while, Measekite writes something that actually
makes some sense. Law of Averages, I guess. This time, he's right. There
are few photos you'll take that wouldn't benefit from a bit of tweaking.
Maybe a brightness/contrast adjustment, or cropping out the kid on the
side with his tongue sticking out. Go ahead, try it. Just be sure to
make copies of the originals and always work on the copies. That way,
you can always go back to the beginning if you mess up. Playing with
this stuff is fun!

TJ

 

[Aftermarketink]

This is proof that this guy is using the incorrect paper for his printer
type.  He is using dye ink.  Ilford does not recommend this paper for
dye ink due to more rapid fading.  For dye ink Ilford recommends Ilford
Gallerie Classic Pearl not Smooth.  Classic takes longer to dry but
works better with dye ink.  Look to the Ilford website and their reading
materials.

Besides, you need to be cognizant of the Reds when using Classic Pearl.

Not true. This poster has know clue what he/she/it is talking about.

GALERIE SMOOTH PEARL PAPER is recommended for dye and/or pigment inks.
For optimum image stability, use with pigment-based inks, but you can
also use dye, as ILFORD clearly states on thier website and packaging
for this product. Check ILFORD website for further information.

As far as aftermarket ink, Canon has stated that Aftermarket inks are
as good as thier own. I have found that Canon black ink for this
printer is not as good as the Aftermarket ink I use. You said you are
not concerned about fading which is understood, you are using a Canon.
If you were concerned about fading you would be using a Epson or HP,
as Canon printer inks are not known by professionals for thier fade
resistance.

 

[sharon123abc]

Direct printing will never produce professional-quality prints, period.
Decide whether you want top-quality results and proceed. That said, the use
of quality compatible inks should not affect the results either way to any
great extent. Get a set of G & G tanks and try that.

Dan G,

You are so right. Yesterday I tried direct printer (PrintBridge) with
photo paper. The print came out so poor, that I was sure my ink head
was somewhat clogged. I then ran the head clean program, and ran a
test print. It came out perfect. I followed by going to the internet
and printing some pages that had people in the pictures. Again all
these prints came out perfect. I finally went back to the direct
print (PrintBridge) and the photos were the same, really poor.

I've come to the conclusion that when this printer prints photos, it
must go into a diffect print mode. The photos that were printed with
the after market ink was so poor, that it really looks like the
printer is broken or the head is clogged. The black was not dark
enough, there are also streaks of lines all over the photo. However,
when you print webpages, there is no way of telling if I used OEM or
aftermarket ink. Also, when printing photos, the printer prints 4
times slower then printing webpages.

Weird?

(By the way, the ink brand I have is one of the top 5 most recommended
inks. Therefore, it can't be the ink refill brand I'm using. I'm not
stating the name of the brand because the ink is still awesome to
print other stuff. I probably save hundreds of dollars using this
brand to print everything but photoes. Also, I am using Staples 4x6
glossy paper.)

 

[measekite]

Dan G,

You are so right. Yesterday I tried direct printer (PrintBridge) with
photo paper. The print came out so poor, that I was sure my ink head
was somewhat clogged. I then ran the head clean program, and ran a
test print. It came out perfect. I followed by going to the internet
and printing some pages that had people in the pictures. Again all
these prints came out perfect. I finally went back to the direct
print (PrintBridge) and the photos were the same, really poor.

I've come to the conclusion that when this printer prints photos, it
must go into a diffect print mode. The photos that were printed with
the after market ink was so poor,

Of course they were but that is expected

that it really looks like the
printer is broken or the head is clogged. That is typical
The black was not dark
enough, there are also streaks of lines all over the photo. However,
when you print webpages, there is no way of telling if I used OEM or
aftermarket ink. Also, when printing photos, the printer prints 4
times slower then printing webpages.

Weird?

(By the way, the ink brand I have is one of the top 5 most recommended
inks.

Truth is you do not have a brand. The only thing you know for sure is
the name of the vendor you got it from.

Therefore, it can't be the ink refill brand I'm using. I'm not
stating the name of the brand because the ink is still awesome to
print other stuff.

Not really. But for throwaway web pages probably good enough if the
print head does not clog.

I probably save hundreds of dollars using this
brand to print everything but photoes.

You saved nothing. You spent less and got less. That is not saving.
Take a person who ate NY Steak for 30 days and spent $300. Now take
another who ate hot dogs for 30 days and spent $20.00. According to
your logic the hot dog guy saved $280 but that is not the case. He
spent less and got less.

 

[TJ]

Dan G,

You are so right. Yesterday I tried direct printer (PrintBridge) with
photo paper. The print came out so poor, that I was sure my ink head
was somewhat clogged. I then ran the head clean program, and ran a
test print. It came out perfect. I followed by going to the internet
and printing some pages that had people in the pictures. Again all
these prints came out perfect. I finally went back to the direct
print (PrintBridge) and the photos were the same, really poor.

I've come to the conclusion that when this printer prints photos, it
must go into a diffect print mode. The photos that were printed with
the after market ink was so poor, that it really looks like the
printer is broken or the head is clogged. The black was not dark
enough, there are also streaks of lines all over the photo. However,
when you print webpages, there is no way of telling if I used OEM or
aftermarket ink. Also, when printing photos, the printer prints 4
times slower then printing webpages.

Weird?

(By the way, the ink brand I have is one of the top 5 most recommended
inks. Therefore, it can't be the ink refill brand I'm using. I'm not
stating the name of the brand because the ink is still awesome to
print other stuff. I probably save hundreds of dollars using this
brand to print everything but photoes. Also, I am using Staples 4x6
glossy paper.)

I don't know anything about Canon printers, but I do know that my two HP
printers, a Deskjet 5650 and an Officejet 6110, both can be set to sense
the kind of paper being used, and automatically set the print "quality"
accordingly. It may be the same with your Canon. Glossy paper would use
the highest quality(more dots-per-inch), while plain paper would be
printed with a lower quality (fewer dots-per-inch). The higher quality
is almost always slower than lower quality, since it takes less time to
print fewer dots, and some printers must make multiple passes on the
same line to achieve that higher print density.

Did you try transferring the photos to your computer and printing them
out from there? It could be that the photos themselves have problems, or
that the computer's drivers and software are making corrections that the
printer can't make internally. If the ink came from one of the "top 5"
recommended inks, I can't see the ink being at fault for the amount of
difference you describe.

TJ

 

[Jerry]

I am tired of going to costco to print photos.  Although they have
awesome prices, I want to the convenience of printing from home.
Also, with gas at $4.00 a gallon, I need to cut down on my driving.

I don't know about Costco, but for photo processing at Sams Club, I
don't need to drive anywhere. Log in, upload the photos you want to
print, specify quantities, get your prints in the mail in a few days.
You can ship to multiple addresses, handy for sending prints to
friends and family.

Downsides - gotta wait for the mail, gotta pay shipping charge.

Jerry

 

[measekite]

What she really needs is to buy an IP4500 and use the new Canon ink for
best results and no problems.

 

[measekite]

I don't know anything about Canon printers, but I do know that my two
HP printers, a Deskjet 5650 and an Officejet 6110, both can be set to
sense the kind of paper being used, and automatically set the print
"quality" accordingly. It may be the same with your Canon.

You are correct. You do not know anything about Canon printers.

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Not considering the gasoline, getting snapshot sized 4 x6" prints done
at a department store, either via silver halide print or some other
process is often cheaper than doing them at home for a number of reasons.

1) they pay for the errors, or even if you are displeased with the result
2) they have the machines to automatically color balance most prints
3)Their prints tend to use materials that fairly good fade resistance
4) Cost per print is usually less than the consumables at home.
5) they pay for the electricity bill
6) no clogged heads, burned out heads, need to buy ink in middle of the
night because the printer just ran out
7) you probably don't need a photo printer at home
8) very minimal (often free) basic color calibration tools all that are
required

Even if you wish to pre-manipulate the images and provide the edited
result, it still doesn't require that you make the prints at home.

Now, as to the gasoline costs.

1) you can at least upload your images on line, and that can save one trip.
2) Unless you must have them the same day (hey, we used to wait weeks
for them when we used slide film or certain other types of film), you
can wait until you have other reasons to be near the store or in it.
3) Some stores provide inexpensive/free return postage for your prints,
or pick up at the most local store.

Conclusion: In most cases, it is still less costly and will often
provide a better result to use a department/big box store or Kodak on
line (at about $.15 per 4x6" print). Lately, even larger prints (up to
about 8 x 12" are now cheaper to have printed in this manner than DIY.

Now that your original image is safe from damage, loss or "scratching"
by the big box provider, since it is digital, the concern about the
personnel training is much less of an issue. Today, the worse that
would happen is your oder gets require reprinting to correct it.

Art

If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:

http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/

 

[measekite]

You may want to consider Costco if you like glossy but they really do
misrepresent what they call matte. It is not matte but some time of
luster or semi gloss but unfortunately for sure not matte.

But in their favor they do have cheap 12x18 but most PS digital cameras
cannot produce a great print that size from such a small sensor
specifically if you crop or shoot at a moderate ISO200 to high ISO400.
Going to ISO800 you can forget about it. Noise will be more prominent
in the shadows and in the blue sky or water as the case may be.