frizzylee
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 170 
Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes
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Post by frizzylee on Oct 22, 2020 21:34:44 GMT
Hello,
I am writing to ask about printers. Many years ago I chose an Epson XP-960 Expression photo inkjet printer for two reasons: it could print a label directly onto a DVD and it worked well with a refillable cartridge system regarding ink. It did both these things very well.
Unfortunately, it could apparently do many, many other things that I had no need of but which slowed down the performance of the printer to a snail's pace and caused me many a headache. The photos it produced were sometimes very good and often so poor that I spent a lot of time going to CostCo with a thumb drive to print them.
Last night a message came through that the printer's ink pad is at the end of its service life. Time for a new printer.
I no longer need a printer that prints labels on CDs or DVDs. I do need a printer that is compatible with CISinks. I have used the CISinks system for a very long time with different printers and am happy with it. So whatever printer I pick will need to be compatible, also.
I want a printer that, in addition to being CISinks compatible, will reliably print photos well most of the time. I sometimes print on cardstock, also. I like the 6 cartridge color system, but it's not a necessity.
Would be very appreciative of anyone who can recommend a printer they have used that meets those two criteria.
Pat
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Post by Peterj on Oct 22, 2020 22:31:16 GMT
I just recently had to replace a printer. I chose and Epson XP-8600 with which I'm very satisfied. It's a combo printer, copier, flatbed scanner that uses 6 ink cartridges so the print quality is fantastic, and takes up little desktop space. For me the ink cost is a bit on the high side, but the print quality is an offset to ink cost for me.
I have no idea about CISinks ... I think the XP-8600 requires Epson inks.
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Post by BuckSkin on Oct 23, 2020 0:08:43 GMT
I have no printer recommendation as I am not well versed in printers.
Two things I would demand in any photo printer:
1. Straight thru paper feed; none of this roll-the-paper-over foolishness that makes so many all-in-ones so finicky about which papers will feed through without wadding up.
2. Forever compatible with bulk generic inks.
Whatever printer you decide upon, NEVER EVER NEVER in a million years allow the thing to accept any updates, firmware or otherwise. -- Reason being that there is an ongoing war of wills between the printer companies, who wish to keep you tethered to ridiculously over-priced cartridges, and the manufacturers of generic refillable ink cartridges that use bottled bulk ink.
This would be a deal breaker for me if a printer did not accept bulk ink.
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frizzylee
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 170
Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes
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Post by frizzylee on Oct 23, 2020 3:07:24 GMT
Yes, BuckSkin, I am with you about the bulk ink. I believe that is what CISinks would be considered. All I know is that I have been very happy for many years using them on the six cartridges in my Epson XP-nine60. (For some reason my keyboard refuses to type a nine. aaargh! What now??)
I will definitely remember what you have said about not accepting updates, firmware etc. It's a cinch I just finished using a printer that gave me enough headaches to last the rest of my life! I am having a hard time finding a 6 ink cartridge (or even a 5 or a 4) system that will accept these refillable inks.
Thanks for the advice and observations.
Pat
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frizzylee
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 170
Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes
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Post by frizzylee on Oct 23, 2020 3:14:18 GMT
To Peterj
The Epson XP-8600 very well might accept the CISinks refillable ink system. It's the one thing my Epson XP-960 did do without any problem. The problem with my Epson printer was that it was made to do so many things and all I needed was to print documents or photos well. Sometimes I actually pushed print and it would be 4 or 5 minutes that it made all sorts of noise, and then finally, finally it would spit out the photo or doc I was printing.
I don't know if I could stand another Epson printer.
Pat
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Post by Peterj on Oct 23, 2020 3:27:50 GMT
To Peterj The Epson XP-8600 very well might accept the CISinks refillable ink system. It's the one thing my Epson XP-960 did do without any problem. The problem with my Epson printer was that it was made to do so many things and all I needed was to print documents or photos well. Sometimes I actually pushed print and it would be 4 or 5 minutes that it made all sorts of noise, and then finally, finally it would spit out the photo or doc I was printing. I don't know if I could stand another Epson printer. Pat I had a dickens of a time trying to find a printer that used 6 or more inks that was in my price range.My new Epson XP-8600 is a photo printer (6 inks) and prints a full color 8.5x11 photo page very quickly.
The 8600 is NOT one with a straight through paper path (which IMO is not really feasible for a home printer).
If you're determined to use bulk generic inks you should contact Epson first because everything I've read is it requires Epson brand ink. |
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Post by BuckSkin on Oct 23, 2020 3:34:11 GMT
You might best put your bulk ink compatibility question to some of the refillable ink cartridge people as they would know which printers will and will not accept them.
Contrary to what printer manufacturers would like one to believe, while there is a difference between laser and inkjet, otherwise, ink pretty much is ink.
Where bulk ink compatibility comes in is not the mechanics of the printer, but the chipsets that are embedded in the ink cartridge.
Most of these printers are smart enough that each individual ink cartridge has a unique identity which the printer stores in it's memory; once the printer sees that cartridge as being empty (there is still plenty of ink at this stage), it remembers this and will refuse to allow that cartridge to be used again, even after being refilled.
All refillable ink cartridges that actually work have embedded chips that are smart enough to fool the printer into thinking that they are a new cartridge.
The printer manufacturers work day and night to come up with a new firmware update that is smarter than the chip in the refillable cartridge, while the bulk ink people are busy designing new chips that sidestep the latest firmware update.
I have not priced them, but there are printers that have large ink "tanks" that are refilled from bulk ink jugs; you can also buy inexpensive kits that convert cartridge ink printers to using remote-mounted tanks.
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Post by pontiac1940 on Oct 23, 2020 3:58:16 GMT
refuse to allow that cartridge to be used again, even after being refilled. Amen to that! Great point BuckSkin Some printer carts can't be refilled and reused (some sort of death chip in them) and it is wise to figure out which brands do and do not allow carts to be refilled. I have really never printed photos and use labs so really don't need a color printer. Two years ago I got mad at the inkjet manufacturer's highway robbery and bought a black laser printer...never looked back. My wife mainly prints quilting patterns and articles. Clive PS: The last inkjet printer I used had plenty of black ink but one of the color carts was empty and the printer simply would not work (even for black only for text docs) unless I paid a king's ransom for new inkjet color carts and they could not be refilled. Worse that a Ponzi Scheme.  Bought the laser. Love it ... just can't do photos. |
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Post by Sepiana on Oct 23, 2020 4:25:37 GMT
I do need a printer that is compatible with CISinks. I have used the CISinks system for a very long time with different printers and am happy with it. So whatever printer I pick will need to be compatible, also.
I want a printer that, in addition to being CISinks compatible, will reliably print photos well most of the time. Would be very appreciative of anyone who can recommend a printer they have used that meets those two criteria. Hi Pat, I have no hands-on experience with CISinks and printers; I can't recommend a printer. However, I can suggest you check the CISinks site. They offer a catalog of their products, listing the compatibility with different models of Epson, Canon, HP, Brother, and Lexmark printers. They also have printer recommendations based on one's interest -- photos, etc. If you are happy with the CISinks system and want to continue using it, this may help you make an informed decision. CISinks Catalog - Cartridge and Printer Models |
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Post by BuckSkin on Oct 23, 2020 4:32:01 GMT
The last inkjet printer I used had plenty of black ink but one of the color carts was empty and the printer simply would not work (even for black only for text docs) unless I paid a king's ransom for new inkjet color carts and they could not be refilled. Worse that a Ponzi Scheme. Most modern consumer printers are like that = one empty color cartridge and it will refuse to print black. Also, as I hinted at earlier, what the printer calls an empty cartridge compared to how much usable ink is still in the cartridge is also a scheme aimed at separating people from their dollars. I have been using bulk bottled ink for a few years now, and it is ridiculous how many times I can refill a cartridge with a little bottle of ink. (I was going to read one of the bottles to see how many ounces, but the wife has buried the box under a ton of stuff; I am going to make a guess and say eight ounces) We have a Brother MFCJ870DW all-in-one that I have aftermarket "renewable chip" refillable cartridges; these cartridges have little gas caps where I squirt the ink in using a 5cc hypodermic syringe. Before I open the ink door, I unplug the printer; this saves me a bit of confusion and annoyance; when the printer is unplugged, it never knows I opened the door. I don't remove the cartridges, but instead refill them in place; reason being = each cartridge has a seal of sorts where it connects to the printer and repeated removals/insertions will wear and could even damage this seal, causing ink to leak. There are things I like about this all-in-one and things I do not like. Using generic bulk ink, the prints look plenty good to my eye. It does have a DVD/CD printing attachment that I use a lot. It is limited to maximum 8.5 x 14 paper size. It is one of the rollover style machines that picks the paper from the tray and rolls it over to print = very finicky as to what papers will and will not work; I believe the Brothers are probably the worst in this regard as they are rather "short" as compared to most other brands; therefore, the paper must roll over a tight radius before entering the printer. Most other brands are much taller and thus the paper has not such a tight radius to maneuver. We have a couple old HP around here that are straight-thru feed = stack the paper on a tray in back and it comes out the front; these old printers will take anything you put in the tray; I believe they would print a piece of corrugated cardboard if it were cut to size. I need to alter the cartridges to be refillable and put these old printers back in action. HP's biggest downfall is the tiny cartridges that are ridiculous expensive and the design where the cartridge clips onto the printer head and actually runs back and forth with the head. |
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frizzylee
Junior Forum Member
Posts: 170
Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes
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Post by frizzylee on Oct 23, 2020 15:14:26 GMT
Thank you to all of you for weighing in on the issue. It's not simple, that's for sure. I am going to go onto the CISinks site as Sepiana suggests and read up more closely. It's been a while since I've been on it just to read. I did talk with someone there yesterday who said she can only suggest I read what their site says!
Will let you know how it goes.
Pat
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Chris
Established Forum Member
Posts: 435
Open to constructive criticism of photos: Yes
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Post by Chris on Oct 23, 2020 19:33:03 GMT
Pat, just to let you know that you can probably repair your old Epson XP-960 printer yourself. The waste ink pad protection counter error does not mean there is anything seriously wrong with your printer. The ink pad protection counter is set rather conservatively so you can continue printing for quite a long time even after it says they are full. You just need to put a newspaper under the printer in the unlikely event the waste ink overflows after a very long time. The WIC reset programme can reset the waste ink monitor on Epson printers. It is free to install. You can get a one time free key code that resets to 90% of the full value. So you can continue using the printer for a few weeks. If you are happy with the free test you can choose to purchase the full reset key code for $9.99. This will reset the printer to 100% of its value. It worked fine with my Epson 1500W I hope this helps Kind regards Chris WIC Reset Utility Download: www.wic.support/?page_id=134Free Reset Key to 90% Full: www.wic.support/?p=198Supported Printers: www.wic.support/?page_id=7 |
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Bought the laser. Love it ... just can't do photos. 
