Compatable inks

[mrganderson]

Im sure this has been talked about many times, but i couldn't find anything on here,
I have just purchesed a canon ip4600 printer and are considering using a non brand compatable ink.
A few years ago this would have been a no no as they were nowhere near the standards of the branded inks and therefore came problems of image quality and blockages. But does this still apply. time has changed and im sure there must have been improvements in non branded inks. Your opinin would be most welcome.

Regards Garreth

[Rupert49]

I'm actually still deliberating over a photo printer myself Gareth, so I have no hands-on experience yet, but everything I've ever read - and that's quite a lot to date - says you will get the best results from OEM inks and papers. I believe with compatibles you start to run into problems with nozzle blockage etc., but wait until other forum members with greater printer experience start to respond, and I think you'll find I'm right

[mrganderson]

I have to admit it took a while to choose a printer. I have an Epson r300 which gave fantastic results but i constantly got blockages even using epson inks. ive since decided to give up on it and went for the canon ip4600 from the online canon out let store, picked one up for £59.99 with only £2,95 delivery. I have read alot of coments lately from people who have expereinced the same thing with epson. As regards non brand inks. alot of the negatiive comments are made by the big brands themselves.

[Roy5051]

Compatibles are OK, but in my experience, it pays to put manufacturers inks through the printer every so often, say one in three. I also believe that most cases of head blockages come from under-use of the printer, rather than using non-OEM inks. Under-use allows the heads to dry out, meaning regular head cleaning cycles, therefore using more ink. One thing should be pointed out, though - using compatibles will void the printer's warranty (but hey! at the current cost of printers, what the hell!)

[APchris]

I have the iP4500. Excellent printer ...but I haven't and nor will I use non OEM inks with it.

I used to use cheap ink with my previous printer, an Epson, first by refilling the carts then later I got a CIS with Lyson ink. What Rupert says about nozzle blockages is certainly true, I had no end of trouble though a lot of it could have been the fact I didn't use it all that much.

If you intend to use it regularly you might be lucky but the results won't be the same as you're used to with the OEM ink.

I get my genuine carts from eezytrade (scroll down, they put the cheap stuff at the top) with FREE postage.

[mrganderson]

Thanks for the tip,
ive checked out their website and the price is right.
as regards non brand inks. i cant see the point excepting lower quality images. But I wondered if the current inks had improved in the last couple of years.

[swanseadave]

I have the iP4500. Excellent printer ...but I haven't and nor will I use non OEM inks with it.

I used to use cheap ink with my previous printer, an Epson, first by refilling the carts then later I got a CIS with Lyson ink. What Rupert says about nozzle blockages is certainly true, I had no end of trouble though a lot of it could have been the fact I didn't use it all that much.

If you intend to use it regularly you might be lucky but the results won't be the same as you're used to with the OEM ink.

I get my genuine carts from eezytrade (scroll down, they put the cheap stuff at the top) with FREE postage.

But still a lot dearer than 7dayshop Chris

[mrganderson]

eezytrader comes out the cheaper so far on branded inks. if anyone knows any better then let us know.

[ermintrude]

eezytrader comes out the cheaper so far on branded inks. if anyone knows any better then let us know.

Eh? Dave's link def shows 7day are cheaper.

Yellow CLI-521y Canon Genuine Cartridge (9ml)
7 day shop - £7.49
Eezytrade - £8.99

Both include delivery.

[swanseadave]

Sorry.I was comparing PG1-5 and CL1-8 inks which my printer takes.They are cheaper in 7dayshop.

edit.I see Erm`s looked closer than me and your ink is cheaper too.So there!!

[APchris]

Thanks for the headsup Dave I have looked at 7dayshop before and they haven't been as competitive in the past. Obviously pays to keep checking the competition

In fact, looking at eezytrade's current prices for the CLI 8's for my printer they have gone up! £12.48 each! I'm sure I paid less than a tenner last time I bought one

[Muffin]

Canon really are a pain when it comes to OEM ink prices. My i9950 printer has 8 carts and it can cost £80 for a new set. It is an A3 printer but I have never printed an A3 print! I have just ordered an A3 from PhotoBox for £9 and that is a good price. If I tried to print an A3 and made any mistakes so that I had to do another the cost would be crippling. It is much cheaper to go with someone like Photo Box. I hope Canon are happy.

When I buy inks I must admit I only use OEM inks and I get them from www.inkemporium.co.uk. Sometimes they do an 8 pack cheaper than buying individual carts. Their compatibles look very good - anyone tried them?

The problem with the Canon printer is that the heads are not in the carts and if they block then you have problems. Some folk swear by compatible inks and some folk swear at them. I did once buy one cart of a compatible but it didn't look anything like the right colour and I was too cowardly to use it.

There isn't much point in having an ace camera and lens and then getting poor prints. I don't know how Canon get away with their ink prices and the carts have such a small amount of ink in them. It really is a rip off - just like their lens hoods! £30 for a piece of plastic and you can buy an exact copy (guess where from!) for 10% of that price.

[Muffin]

I have just written to Ink Emporium about their compatibles and I will let you know what their reply is! The compatibles certainly look good and they claim that they are identical to the OEM carts. Guess where they are made? Correct. If anyone can copy Canon inks it will be those folk.

[swanseadave]

I can`t guess
Ok,where are they made?

[Muffin]

This is the reply -

Thank you for your email.

Every customer's requirements are different.

Whilst we cannot guarantee any printer against blocked heads or odd colours
in prints, we do guarantee your 100% satisfaction or we refund you in full
on return of your cartridges.

Blocked print heads, for example, only occur if the user:

a.) Does not use the printer's OFF button after use (which "parks" the print
heads in contact with wet ink)

or

b.) Uses their printer in a warm, over-ventilated atmosphere.

You may need to adjust your printer profile to suit your own taste, we
cannot say until you try them.

Kind regards

Customer Care
Ink Emporium UK


It's fairly typical and offers you no certainties about their compatible inks! Something must be done about ink prices. I suspect I am not the only person finding the deal to be quite unacceptable. I buy a very good Canon printer for a reasonable price and then find I can't use it because it isn't cost effective when compared to Photo Box. Do Canon really want this?

[Muffin]

Dave - I think this may give you a clue! I copied it from the Ink Emporium website.

20% OFF OEM RRP: ORIGINALS

Although OEM cartridges are the most expensive option (manufacturers make massive profits from their original cartridges), they do assure the user pristine materials and parts. Ink Emporium delivers 100% genuine OEM cartridges direct from the manufacturer to your door for AT LEAST 20% less than the manufacturer’s own website shop.

60% OFF OEM RRP: COMPATIBLES

Compatible cartridges match the OEM specification in every way, often exceeding it. Manufactured to ISO9001 standard in the Far East from all new raw materials, Ink Emporium supplies black, colour and photo compatible cartridges for ease of use and major cost savings — a guaranteed 60% off the price of an OEM cartridge from the manufacturer’s website shop.

The compatibles do look attractive!

[swanseadave]

But their web prices exclude 17.5%VAT making them considerably more expensive for Canon OEMs than 7dayshop.

[john_g]

Compatible cartridges match the OEM specification in every way, often exceeding it. Manufactured to ISO9001 standard in the Far East from all new raw materials...

The compatibles do look attractive!

Muffin, being a cynic, I'm happy to accept that the cartridges match the OEM specification, but the specification will probably only detail dimensions, weight, capacity and that kind of thing. Are you taking this statement to mean that the ink formulation is exactly the same as the OEM's? I have at least two reasons for believing this to be extremely unlikely: firstly that the OEM's guard their ink formulae jealously and I wouldn't expect any third party to be privy to this information. Secondly, if the cartridges AND the inks are identical to the OEM versions, how come so many people have reported problems that they attribute to using non-OEM cartridges? Finally, in the context of ink formulation - which is at the core of this discussion - what does ISO 9001 have to do with anything? It's fundamentally concerned with process management and merely certifies that the company has properly documented procedures that cover the main aspects of its operations. Yes, it's meant to deliver quality, but my experience is that a company can achieve ISO 9001 accreditation if its processes are well managed, even if its products are rubbish; the only requirement is that it produces consistent rubbish. ISO 9001 certainly has nothing at all to do with compatibility or ink formulation.

[swanseadave]

In your usual eloquent way John you have explained that masterfully.

Cheers

[john_g]

Cheers