Canon Pixma IP4000 cartridge query

We recently got this printer and we like it. We are new to digital
cameras/printing, so we have some elementary questions:

Question: how will we know when one of the cartridges is empty? Will the
printer flash and indicate which cartridge? Will it indicate on the
computer?

Also, when replacing the cartridge, I see there are 2 black cartridges:
BCI-3EBK and BCI-6BK. What are the differences between the two. I assume if
one goes, we have to replace it with the same cartridge. Correct?

Finally, any thoughts on replacement brands. Should we use the far cheaper
compatibles or stay with the Canon brand?

MB

"MB_" wrote in message
...
We recently got this printer and we like it. We are new to digital
cameras/printing, so we have some elementary questions:

Question: how will we know when one of the cartridges is empty? Will the
printer flash and indicate which cartridge? Will it indicate on the
computer?

Also, when replacing the cartridge, I see there are 2 black cartridges:
BCI-3EBK and BCI-6BK. What are the differences between the two. I assume
if
one goes, we have to replace it with the same cartridge. Correct?

Finally, any thoughts on replacement brands. Should we use the far cheaper
compatibles or stay with the Canon brand?

MB

The first black is Canon's idea of Pigmented black for text printing the 2nd
for Photo's. Don't mix them up. Canon is notorious for Oops I'm half empty -
No I ain't I's really empty, as it functions with an optical prism -
sometimes.
Tony
--
Got the picture...Print it. JetTec perfect.
http://www.aah-haa.com 30% more ink
http://www.inkylinkusa.com

I use jettec cartridges in my IP4000 and they seem to be fine. They are
however opaque compared to the transparent Canon ones and it makes me wonder
if they will notify me when the cartridge is about to run out as the Canon
ones do.

Regards

Ray Bradshaw

"Tony" wrote in message
...


"MB_" wrote in message
...
We recently got this printer and we like it. We are new to digital
cameras/printing, so we have some elementary questions:

Question: how will we know when one of the cartridges is empty? Will the
printer flash and indicate which cartridge? Will it indicate on the
computer?

Also, when replacing the cartridge, I see there are 2 black cartridges:
BCI-3EBK and BCI-6BK. What are the differences between the two. I assume
if
one goes, we have to replace it with the same cartridge. Correct?

Finally, any thoughts on replacement brands. Should we use the far
cheaper
compatibles or stay with the Canon brand?

MB

The first black is Canon's idea of Pigmented black for text printing the
2nd
for Photo's. Don't mix them up. Canon is notorious for Oops I'm half
empty -
No I ain't I's really empty, as it functions with an optical prism -
sometimes.
Tony
--
Got the picture...Print it. JetTec perfect.
http://www.aah-haa.com 30% more ink
http://www.inkylinkusa.com

"Thebrads" wrote in message
...
I use jettec cartridges in my IP4000 and they seem to be fine. They are
however opaque compared to the transparent Canon ones and it makes me
wonder
if they will notify me when the cartridge is about to run out as the Canon
ones do.

Regards

The latest models from the factory now have a transparent panel - a little
todo about patents which caused this.
Just make sure your supplier has the latest models not old stock.
Tony

--
Got the picture...Print it. JetTec perfect.
http://www.aah-haa.com 30% more ink
http://www.inkylinkusa.com

The larger black cart contains pigmented ink and is used for business
text and graphics. The smaller black contains dye ink and is used for
photo.

While the Canon does not tell you how much ink is left like a gas guage
in a car, it does alert you when you have paper out or a cart is out and
it tells you which one.

You have chosen the best inkjet and I am sure you will get good
results. The best results are with Canon Photo Paper Pro. I am also
going to try Kirkland brand at Costco. They say it is Ilford. I have
not tried it yet. Good luck.

MB_ wrote:

We recently got this printer and we like it. We are new to digital
cameras/printing, so we have some elementary questions:

Question: how will we know when one of the cartridges is empty? Will the
printer flash and indicate which cartridge? Will it indicate on the
computer?

Also, when replacing the cartridge, I see there are 2 black cartridges:
BCI-3EBK and BCI-6BK. What are the differences between the two. I assume if
one goes, we have to replace it with the same cartridge. Correct?

Finally, any thoughts on replacement brands. Should we use the far cheaper
compatibles or stay with the Canon brand?

MB

Nelson wrote:
"MB_" wrote in
:

We recently got this printer and we like it. We are new to digital
cameras/printing, so we have some elementary questions:

Question: how will we know when one of the cartridges is empty? Will
the printer flash and indicate which cartridge? Will it indicate on
the computer?

Yes, a pop-up window will let you know. Also, lift the lid, you can
see the ink level go down in the reservoir after quite a few prints.
you can continue to print for a little while when you get the low ink
warning. But DO NOT PRINT any longer when it says OUT OF INK. You can
destroy the print head.


It's always quite safe to finish current job, but only this.



I hope your camera is at least a 3.1 mega pixel. A 2.1 will be quite
grainy, even at a relatively small 4x6. A 3.1 is far better. Of
course, anything larger will give still better results.

Lots of good papers around. Costco's Kirkland brand is excellect,
dries immediately. My store only has 8.5 x 11, but I cut them to
size. I even use relatively good paper from the Dollar store. Yup, 20
high gloss 4x6 for $1.00! They take a while to dry though, and don't
handle finger prints well. The manufacturer recommends 24 hours for
drying. But this paper is great for testing or even permanent prints
behind glass / plastic. Once dry


I've read somewhere that this "mistery" of instant drying is basically in
some sort of ceramic layer at the top of the paper, so ink flows under this
layer, making you "feel" like it's dry. You can also touch such photo
immediately without any harm. But still, you must leave it several hours in
dark place in open before you close it under glass or similar.




Also, when replacing the cartridge, I see there are 2 black
cartridges: BCI-3EBK and BCI-6BK. What are the differences between
the two. I assume if one goes, we have to replace it with the same
cartridge. Correct?

One is used strictly for text (BCI-3e), the other for photos (BCI-6).
They are not interchangeable. You can't actually, one is much larger!


Finally, any thoughts on replacement brands. Should we use the far
cheaper compatibles or stay with the Canon brand?

MB

If you can easily afford it, sure, use Canon's own inks.

If you can't afford it, like me, refill with ink specifically made for
this printer model, or buy high quality cartridges preferably filled
with ink from Formulabs. NEVER use "Universal" or anything marked
"Works in all printers". I use Chinese cartridges filled with US made
Formulabs ink for my Canon iP5000. Beautiful prints at 9600
resolution. Dots so small you ain't gonna find them. There is a huge
difference between it and my lesser i860 in sharpness.

I've never had a problem using non-Canon inks. I currently run my i860
on cartridges I refill (about $5 to refill all 5 cartridges!) and the
iP500 with those Chinese cartridges (imported from Australia). I
bought 7 sets. Even with airmail and customs, they're 1/3 to 1/4 the
price of Canon cartridges. The savings in ink pay for several
printers within a year - depending on printing volume, of course.
That's why I easily run two printers. I just printed a 300 page
manual. My ink costs are neglible. Ordinary printing paper costs me
more than the ink! I can live with that ;-)

SleeperMan wrote:
Nelson wrote:

"MB_" wrote in
:


We recently got this printer and we like it. We are new to digital
cameras/printing, so we have some elementary questions:

Question: how will we know when one of the cartridges is empty? Will
the printer flash and indicate which cartridge? Will it indicate on
the computer?

Yes, a pop-up window will let you know. Also, lift the lid, you can
see the ink level go down in the reservoir after quite a few prints.
you can continue to print for a little while when you get the low ink
warning. But DO NOT PRINT any longer when it says OUT OF INK. You can
destroy the print head.



It's always quite safe to finish current job, but only this.



I hope your camera is at least a 3.1 mega pixel. A 2.1 will be quite
grainy, even at a relatively small 4x6. A 3.1 is far better. Of
course, anything larger will give still better results.

Lots of good papers around. Costco's Kirkland brand is excellect,
dries immediately. My store only has 8.5 x 11, but I cut them to
size. I even use relatively good paper from the Dollar store. Yup, 20
high gloss 4x6 for $1.00! They take a while to dry though, and don't
handle finger prints well. The manufacturer recommends 24 hours for
drying. But this paper is great for testing or even permanent prints
behind glass / plastic. Once dry



I've read somewhere that this "mistery" of instant drying is basically in
some sort of ceramic layer at the top of the paper, so ink flows under this
layer, making you "feel" like it's dry. You can also touch such photo
immediately without any harm. But still, you must leave it several hours in
dark place in open before you close it under glass or similar.


This would explain why I can wash off 100% of the ink from some
"papers", right down to the shiny white plastic, while certain instant
dry papers have little or no effect under water. In other words, no
damage at all. The only way to remove the image is to scrape it off the
sheet with a knife! Fascinating.

-Taliesyn

Although I can afford the Canon inks I refill my I960 cartridges with MIS
inks - very fast to do and costs very little. Look at the following site -
http://www.neilslade.com/papers/inkjetstuff.html for lots of info on Canon
printers and compatable inks. If you decide to refill you can buy the MIS
ink and purchase plugs only from Computer Friends. They fit the fill hole
in the OEM cartridges after you punch the sealing ball into the cartridge to
permit refilling.

The best buy I've seen in paper is the Kirkland Glossy Photo paper from
Costco - $19 for 125 8 1/2 x 11 sheets. This paper gives comparable results
to the Canon Pro glossy paper although I don't know about the longevity of
the prints. A half hour with a paper cutter (with a guide bar to make
repeated uniform cuts) and you get three 4x6 sheets from each 8 1/2 x 11
sheet. A full box yields 375 4x6 sheets at about five cents per.

It is easy to periodically open the printer lid and inspect the ink
cartridges. If you refill you should not let the ink reservoir get empty.
When I see the lowest level of all the cartridges at 2/3rds to 3/4ths empty
I refill them all.

"MB_" wrote in message
...
We recently got this printer and we like it. We are new to digital
cameras/printing, so we have some elementary questions:

Question: how will we know when one of the cartridges is empty? Will the
printer flash and indicate which cartridge? Will it indicate on the
computer?

Also, when replacing the cartridge, I see there are 2 black cartridges:
BCI-3EBK and BCI-6BK. What are the differences between the two. I assume
if one goes, we have to replace it with the same cartridge. Correct?

Finally, any thoughts on replacement brands. Should we use the far cheaper
compatibles or stay with the Canon brand?

MB

"MB_" wrote in message
...
We recently got this printer and we like it. We are new to digital
cameras/printing, so we have some elementary questions:

Question: how will we know when one of the cartridges is empty? Will the
printer flash and indicate which cartridge? Will it indicate on the
computer?

Also, when replacing the cartridge, I see there are 2 black cartridges:
BCI-3EBK and BCI-6BK. What are the differences between the two. I assume
if one goes, we have to replace it with the same cartridge. Correct?

Finally, any thoughts on replacement brands. Should we use the far cheaper
compatibles or stay with the Canon brand?


The iP4000 uses a combination optical and dot count sensor system for ink
low and ink out warnings. It will first warn you when the tank is getting
low and then when the cartridge is empty a second message will indicate this
and the printing will stop until the cartridge is replaced. You actually get
quite a number of pages/photos on a 'Low' tank.

The two black tanks are to accommodate sharp black text as well as true
black gradient in photos.

My recommendation is stay with the Canon brands. While the inks may cost a
bit more, the output is more accurate without playing with driver settings
and wasting paper to get it right. Third party carts also do not contain the
prism required for the ink sensor and refilling your own while often
successful can also lead to poor image quality and other issues if not done
right.

PC Medic wrote:
"MB_" wrote in message
...

We recently got this printer and we like it. We are new to digital
cameras/printing, so we have some elementary questions:

Question: how will we know when one of the cartridges is empty? Will the
printer flash and indicate which cartridge? Will it indicate on the
computer?

Also, when replacing the cartridge, I see there are 2 black cartridges:
BCI-3EBK and BCI-6BK. What are the differences between the two. I assume
if one goes, we have to replace it with the same cartridge. Correct?

Finally, any thoughts on replacement brands. Should we use the far cheaper
compatibles or stay with the Canon brand?



The iP4000 uses a combination optical and dot count sensor system for ink
low and ink out warnings. It will first warn you when the tank is getting
low and then when the cartridge is empty a second message will indicate this
and the printing will stop until the cartridge is replaced. You actually get
quite a number of pages/photos on a 'Low' tank.

The two black tanks are to accommodate sharp black text as well as true
black gradient in photos.

My recommendation is stay with the Canon brands. While the inks may cost a
bit more, the output is more accurate without playing with driver settings
and wasting paper to get it right. Third party carts also do not contain the
prism required for the ink sensor and refilling your own while often
successful can also lead to poor image quality and other issues if not done
right.

The BCI-6 compatibles that I use have the prism and work just like the
OEM pieces for monitoring ink. I also think you're giving the 4000
printer more sophistication that it has for monitoring ink level. I
don't think it counts dots and solely relies on the prism reading which
isn't the most accurate. But then it really doesn't matter that much
because the cartridges are clear and the ink level can be determined by
visual inspection.