Compatible ink

Rob Wright

Rob Wright

Suspended / Banned
Messages
346
Name
Rob
Edit My Images
Yes
Hi,
I have a Canon Pixma IP4600 printer which is just amazing with Ilford paper and the original Canon inks I am using at the moment.
I am considering trying 3rd party inks, can anyone advise of a decent place to get top quality ink or would you recommend I don't be so stingy and stick to original ink.....
Thanks
 
I cant speak for Canon printers and inks, I use Epson printers. However, after trying many third party inks and being dissapointed, I was advised to use Premier Inks who supply Jet Tec inks. Link The quality is, as far as I can tell, as good as original Epson inks, I have been using them for about 3 years without any problems and with consistent results. They supply most makes of printer inks plus paper and may other photographis items.
 
As above not sure on Canon but for my Epson's I use Jet Tec Ink. I would seem they do ink for your model - http://www.inkraider.co.uk/printer/canon/Canon_Pixma_IP4600.asp - that is a random google for it as the place I normally use doesn't seem to do Jet Tec stuff for that model.

Have found Jet Tec to be closest to Epson originals, must have tried about 5 different compatible brands before settling on them...annoyingly I can't remember the names of them, and didn't do the clever thing of making a note way back when :(
 
Always found Choicestationary a great place for compatables, and one of the cheapest. They are always having special offers and a 'pick & mix' service.
Give them a look HERE
 
Thank you all for your advice, seems I will have to suck it and see with a couple and choose the one I prefer.
 
I have the same printer, and of all printers Canon is IMHO the most "picky". I have tried 3rd party inks and not one of them has come up to expectations....Stick with Canon inks, is my advise to you!
 
I have a Canon printer and use Canon ink, be ready for lots of grief with compats.
 
I only use Canon ink on my Canon printer but with the Epson I use compatibles, results are really good for a fraction of the price IMO
 
The best I have found comes from Cityink express
I have one of teh CIS and can say I not go back to any other system its running cost are so cheap
teh link will take you to the inks for yours £33 for refiles with 5x 100ml of ink all with auto reset chips or better still a CIS with 100 ml inks for only £40.20 and never change a cart again
Oh and I have had mine for over 2yrs as have many at my camera clubs
 
jerry12953 said:
After advice on here I bought a set of Jet-tek cartridges for my Epson R800.

Yeeeeuch!

Say no more.
Click to expand...

I would be interested to know more about why you had bad experiences with these cartridges. I have been using then for getting on for 3 years now without a problem. When I first tried them, I did a direct comparison with my original Epson inks and the difference wasn’t discernible to the naked eye. I will say however that I only use Epson paper, the results with cheaper paper are not good, but that applies to other inks on cheap paper as well.
 
Rob Wright said:
Hi,
I have a Canon Pixma IP4600 printer which is just amazing with Ilford paper and the original Canon inks I am using at the moment.
I am considering trying 3rd party inks, can anyone advise of a decent place to get top quality ink or would you recommend I don't be so stingy and stick to original ink.....
Thanks
Click to expand...

Personally, wouldn't mess with 3rd party inks again.

Have tried them in past and spent more time cleaning blocked heads etc and print quality wasn't as good, wouldn't bother again.

Incidently, what settings do you use for the ilford paper :thumbs:
 
I used Jet Tec for a Canon printer. I gave up after the third one exploded on me on opening and left me with yellow hands (always the yellow). Also, they did not last as long as compatibles.
Colour quality wise they were fine, but I was printing colour documents, NOT images.
Wouldn't bother with compatibles again.
Oh, also tried Viking's own for a different printer - they were atrocious, colour quality wise.

A
 
Epson user here and have had nothing but problems with compat ink. Constantly having to clean print heads. Dont know if its mostly an epson problem but I stick to genuine ink now.

Steve
 
I think a lot of the problems with compatible inks are just down to bad luck sometimes (or maybe good luck for the others). Like Trev4 I have been using Jet Tec ink for a good erm...5 years maybe now, never had a problem, heads dont clog (Epson R220) never had one explode (have had a few leak which I just sent back and got refund). I must have gone through hundreds of cartridges now and just love them. It did need a bit of fiddling to get the brightness right, but think that is possibly down to my choice of photo paper.
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
I think a lot of the problems with compatible inks are just down to bad luck sometimes (or maybe good luck for the others). Like Trev4 I have been using Jet Tec ink for a good erm...5 years maybe now, never had a problem, heads dont clog (Epson R220) never had one explode (have had a few leak which I just sent back and got refund). I must have gone through hundreds of cartridges now and just love them. It did need a bit of fiddling to get the brightness right, but think that is possibly down to my choice of photo paper.
Click to expand...

Maybe we have just been lucky, but my experiences have also been all good. The only small problem I had was with a cartridge that seemed to run out rather quick (they do say you get 30% more ink in the Jet Tec ones). I returned it and it was replaced by return without argument. Neither my Epson R300 or Cx6400 have ever blocked or given a problem.

With regard to paper, I tried several different types including some cheapies, the only good and consistent results I got was with genuine Epson paper, and I found it quite reasonable in price, certainly worth the little extra for quality results.
 
I ruined my Epson by using the cheapest of the cheap compatible carts. Since then I've been using a Canon Pixma MP520.

Which I've always bought Jettec compatible carts and agree with most, they're half the price of Canons and I can't see the difference for documents/PDF's etc. However I don't print photos so can't comment on that.

I'm now onto my third set of Jettec's with no loss of quality for me. (or exploding carts!)
 
Trev4 said:
With regard to paper, I tried several different types including some cheapies, the only good and consistent results I got was with genuine Epson paper, and I found it quite reasonable in price, certainly worth the little extra for quality results.
Click to expand...

Going slightly off topic (sorry!) but I have found this paper - http://www.viking-direct.co.uk/catalog/catalogSku.do?pr=Q2D&id=976563 - to work very well with Jet Tec ink (for me at least). I have never actually tried any Epson paper though, but I would be amazed if it was a big difference.
 
Ive used black diamond 3rd party cartridges in my a4-a3 Canon printers for 3 years without a hitch.
 
I have tried compatibles with my Cannon and the picture quality was pants to say the least, switched back to Cannon originals and my prints are of an excellent quality once again
 
I have tried a few differand 3rd party inks with my cannon and i have to admit i ended up going back to cannon inks. But it could be that i have just chose the wrong inks up to now.
 
Thank you all for your valued comments, I have decided to stick with Canon inks and bought a full set from 7dayshop as their prices were very competitive indeed.
 
Trev4 said:
I would be interested to know more about why you had bad experiences with these cartridges. I have been using then for getting on for 3 years now without a problem. When I first tried them, I did a direct comparison with my original Epson inks and the difference wasn’t discernible to the naked eye. I will say however that I only use Epson paper, the results with cheaper paper are not good, but that applies to other inks on cheap paper as well.
Click to expand...

From the very first print with the very first jet-tec cartridge I started getting poor results.

I'm glad to hear you've had a better experience. At least with compatibles its not too much money down the drain.
 
My wife is a teacher and she prints shed loads at home so rather than her kill the ink on my Canon Pro 9000 I bought her a cheap and cheerful Epson SX100 and the cheapest of cheap compatible inks (£7 for full set) and it works a treat.
Granted she is only printing documents and text for school wall displays etc but they do the job. Compare them to the Epson originals and you have to ask why the manufacturers charge so much.

The vast majority of consumers are printing documents etc so it would make sense for the big brand companies to release two standards of cartridges, one for the masses which is cheaper, then one for the more discerning customer who is conscious of quality. Might get rid of some of the nasty quality cartridges and the associated companies who sell rubbish!
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
I think a lot of the problems with compatible inks are just down to bad luck sometimes
Click to expand...

some printers are just extremely picky.. our HPs at work often give consumable errors when using 3rd party carts, our brother inkjet MFPs at stores have also now started to clog and misread levels etc.

ive told people to ignore accounts ruling on 3rd party cheaper carts now.

luckily our big canon lasers and plotters in design are on lease so accounts have no say on what gets ordered.
 
Every single time I have used compatible inks/toner carts/solid inks, I have finished up throwing away the printer. Two ink-spits, one mono laser and one colour phaser. Never, ever, again.
 
Rob Wright said:
Thank you all for your valued comments, I have decided to stick with Canon inks and bought a full set from 7dayshop as their prices were very competitive indeed.
Click to expand...

VERY good move! I've used one compatible cart and found that the colour was way off so swapped it straight back out for a genuine Canon one. The few pics I did print with the compat all faded very badly very fast too. Didn't leave it in long enough for nozzle clogging to raise its head and did a print of as close to pure cyan as I could to flush the head.

It may be worth looking in your local Tesco to see if they stock any inks for your printer - they do for my iX4000 (which uses CLI-8 inks) and they're not far out when compared to 7dayshop's prices. I buy the packs of CMY ink with 50 sheets of photo paper (not the best paper - it's thinner than I would like but it's fine for albums and freeby prints for other people!) for just under £30 IIRC.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top