Single Ink vs Fine Ink? This canon uses fine ink correct? Doesn't that mean if one color ink rans out that would mean the user would have to buy a whole new set? Why didn't canon use the single ink system instead? Seems like they are trying to milk customers for more ink. Single Ink vs Fine Ink? This canon uses fine ink correct? Doesn't that mean if one color ink rans out that would mean the user would have to buy a whole new set? Why didn't canon use the... » Read More Single Ink vs Fine Ink? This canon uses fine ink correct? Doesn't that mean if one color ink rans out that would mean the user would have to buy a whole new set? Why didn't canon use the single ink system instead? Seems like they are trying to milk customers for more ink. « Show Less
1082982
I'm not sure what you mean by the single ink system. There are two cartridges, one for black and one for color. The "fine" is just Canon's own brand description and is supposed to mean that they use fine ink so that the printing will last for a long time; Canon says up to 100 years. This is the Pixma MX410 printer. Canon makes other models which do use individual color ink cartridges. Those are supposed to be more economical to use but in my experience (with one from HP) they are not more economical. I prefer the single color cartridge that this model uses.
1082983
T. HA means that the higher-end (e.g., MX870) Canons have FIVE ink cartridges instead of two cartridges, one of which has ALL the color inks. With 5 cartridges each containing one color, you only replace what has run out. Plus, these 5 cartridges are widely available as Chinese knockoffs at insanely cheap prices making the higher-end Canons an amazing bargain to run.
1834711
If you need to use dye inks you will have to switch printers, perhaps the Canon Pro series will do you well. As for the bulk ink systems, unless you are using a system by the manufacture you can expect strong degradation in the color gamut and / or image life. Sorry to say, if you want quality prints, it doesn't come cheap!
17958
The inability to print something when any of the color cartridges is empty may be a difficulty with many (most? all?) color printers these days. I know in the past when one color ran out, I would still be able print something that just used black ink, but that's not possible with my current color ink jet printer (a Brother all-in-one). I do very little color printing, and I find it cheaper though space-consuming to own two printers, the color inkjet and a laser printer for documents that only require black ink.
1206788
When I used generic cartridges, sometimes the printer accepted it and sometimes it would not. So here's what I did: I saved all the original Canon ink cartridges that came with the new printer and then purchased a 2nd set of Canon cartridges (at a discount on eBay). When the originals were getting low on ink I then installed the 2nd set. I then "refilled" the first set with bulk ink from printerfillingstation.com. It's a Christian business that sells superior bulk ink at a discount for your particular model. When the 2nd set started to get low, I replaced it with the "refilled" cartridges. This worked because all the cartridges have the original Canon "chips" on them and you always have refilled cartridges on hand. The only thing you "must" do is monitor your installed cartridges every couple of months, so that ink does not completely run out. This is easily done because the cartridges are in clear plastic. Refilling the cartridges is also a learning process, so be patient, follow the instructions carefully. The rewards are worth it as I am now on the 3rd refills from the same sets of cartridges and my printer is working just fine.
2135925
Mine is very economical on ink. Not only that, but the 5 cartridge system is very efficient as well...with a combo cartridge you'd have to replace it any time you ran out of an individual color...run out of blue? replace the whole thing. run out of red? replace the whole thing. run out of yellow? replace the whole thing...with 5 cart. sys. you only replace the one that runs out. PLUS you can get ink cartridges for CHEAP on Ebay or Meritline.
1309879
Yes, black always runs out first. I purchase the 241XXL, lasts longer. The color has less ink as the cartridge shares the container with three separate colors. I haven't been able to purchase the color cartridge in XXL. You can set your Canon to only print in black ink to save the color for more important printings. I am a writer, so I use more black than color anyway. I plan to purchase an HP Laser to print my black print as the toner cartridges will print thousands of sheets of black type before running out, and you have plenty of notice. Worked for HP for almost 20 years. Don't get me wrong, I love my Canon color printer, but it can get pricey when it comes to toner, as all ink jets do. If you choose to refill your cartridges by injecting ink into the cartridge, you must do so when the cartridge is runnign low, as the printer has a sensor and will not allow a cartridge that has run dry to be refilled and used. I have no idea how it senses this money saving technique, but it does. You can save mucho bucks by doing this if you have the patience.
1644284
This ink is 100% brand new in Canon sealed individual packages within a single Canon box. When you purchase this ink, you are getting the exact colors that are supposed to be used in the corresponding printer. I have tried "refills" and found that sometimes the ink used is not the exact color needed, thus causing the final print out to be off color.
2114386
I don't think there is any difference between what ink goes into the cartridge. It is just a better value to pay for only ONE cartridge and get twice the ink , rather than the equivalent of 2 cartridges to get the same ink. Better cost/value.
1983366
It fills with either standard cartridges (long or short, both fit fine) or can use a converter (included) with your choice of bottled ink. As for which ink to use and what's best, that is widely debated and comes down to personal taste. My personal favorite is Waterman "Serenity Blue" (formerly "Florida Blue"). To me, it has the richness I'm looking for without being too dark for my taste. Most fountain pen ink is water-based and is considered "washable" - something to consider if you're writing checks with it. If you want PERMANENT ink that's wash-proof, you can get that as well. But you'll need to be especially careful not to let the ink dry inside the nib or section. No amount of soaking in water will fix it. It fills with either standard cartridges (long or short, both fit fine) or can use a converter (included) with your choice of bottled ink. As for which ink to use and what's best, that is widely debated and comes down to personal taste. My personal favorite is Waterman "Serenity Blue" (formerly "Florida Blue"). To me, it has the richness I'm looking for without being too dark for my taste. Most fountain pen ink is water-based and is considered "washable" - something to consider if you're writing checks with it. If you want PERMANENT ink... » Read More It fills with either standard cartridges (long or short, both fit fine) or can use a converter (included) with your choice of bottled ink. As for which ink to use and what's best, that is widely debated and comes down to personal taste. My personal favorite is Waterman "Serenity Blue" (formerly "Florida Blue"). To me, it has the richness I'm looking for without being too dark for my taste. Most fountain pen ink is water-based and is considered "washable" - something to consider if you're writing checks with it. If you want PERMANENT ink that's wash-proof, you can get that as well. But you'll need to be especially careful not to let the ink dry inside the nib or section. No amount of soaking in water will fix it. « Show Less
239418
I was able to refill cartridges, but the printer continued to say 'out of ink'. It wouldn't recognize my generic refill. It comes with fairly small cartridges and to buy Canon ink costs more than a new printer. It's a dilemma.
145206
Hi there...our ink cartridges are all replaced around the same time...we tend to go through quite a bit of ink :)
1967793
There definately is something not right with the ink system. I have owned this printer for over two years. First of all it is barely alive, never when new printed from bottom tray. Long Story short I ordered ink through amazon. I made the merchant rfeplace the ink for it evaporated in my machine in lil over a month. I am in the market for a new one!!
1090924
The ink is encased in the cartridges so I don't know how you could use your own ink. Sorry. I haven't had a problem with the ink or tried other methods of ink before.
2130222
I don't know, sorry. I always have a set of inks for when one runs out.BTW When not in use, this printer doesn't drain ink anywhere near as much as all the other printers I've owned.
1981773
These are to refill the "Continuous Ink System", or "CIS" Get is from A company called "Fantasy buy" of "Fantasy Ink" on Amazon. This is a special 6 cartage unit you snap into the place of the loose 6 cartridges in your printer. It has a huge reservoir that already comes prefilled. It will last forever. With this system, every time you receive "You need to replace your cartridge", you lift the lid on the printer, hit a reset button and it's good to go! A huge cost savings as well as time saver.These inks are for refilling that reservoir. Make sure you get "Pigment" or "Dye" being that they both have different properties and are incompatible. Pigment is waterproof but needs a little more TLC. These are to refill the "Continuous Ink System", or "CIS" Get is from A company called "Fantasy buy" of "Fantasy Ink" on Amazon. This is a special 6 cartage unit you snap into the place of the loose 6 cartridges in your printer. It has a huge reservoir that already comes prefilled. It will last forever. With this system, every time you receive "You need to replace your cartridge", you lift the lid on the printer, hit a reset button and it's good to go! A huge cost savings as well as time saver.These inks are for refilling that reservoir.... » Read More These are to refill the "Continuous Ink System", or "CIS" Get is from A company called "Fantasy buy" of "Fantasy Ink" on Amazon. This is a special 6 cartage unit you snap into the place of the loose 6 cartridges in your printer. It has a huge reservoir that already comes prefilled. It will last forever. With this system, every time you receive "You need to replace your cartridge", you lift the lid on the printer, hit a reset button and it's good to go! A huge cost savings as well as time saver.These inks are for refilling that reservoir. Make sure you get "Pigment" or "Dye" being that they both have different properties and are incompatible. Pigment is waterproof but needs a little more TLC. « Show Less
1371869
The answer really depends upon what is called the coverage ratio. Most printers assume that about 5% of the paper will be covered in ink, such as a printed page of text. However, once you go to something with much denser print (like pictures, that cover the entire page), then the number of pages you get goes down drastically -- like by a factor of 20 times (5% x 20 = 100%). What is really a good thing to do is go on EBAY, enter in the type of printer you want, then see how much ink refills are selling for. Canons are usually pretty good because the non-OEM cartridges can be purchased as cheaply as 95 cents for a black or color ink tank. However, if all you can find is OEM inks, then you better plan on paying maybe 7-10 times more for your ink. So the ink decision turns on 1. what type of printing do I want to do and 2. can I get non-OEM cartridges at a reasonable price. I usually purchase cartridges in sets of maybe 5-10 refills, meaning 50 cartridges at a time since it takes 5 tanks to make a complete set. Hopefully this is helpful in making your decision. Also realize that if the print head fails on a Canon, the printer is essentially worthless because Canon charges as much for a print head as they do for the entire printer. Again, check EBAY or equivalent to see if you can purchase replacement print heads at a reasonable cost. If you can't, then there is a pretty fair chance that the ink print head will fail, and when it does, your printer is shot and worthless to you. I run about 8 printers in my business, so I have had to learn how to watch this stuff carefully to help control what otherwise would be very high costs in producing documents. Hope this is helpful to you!
1093775
I'm sorry, but I'm still using the ink cartridges that came with the printer. That said, my experience with refilling cartridges for a Pixma mp500 was way more trouble than it was worth. Canon makes it too difficult to out smart it. You are better off buying equivalent cartridges from amazon at a discount that are ready to go.