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TheBeat

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hello to you all,

I am new to the forum and I live in Holland.

I recently bought a new canon ipf6400 printer. The printer prints great as far as I can tell (it's my first photo printer), but so far I am very pleased with the results on different Canson papers.

I not very pleased by the software in the printer and with the Canon Printer PlugIn for Photoshop.

I thinks it's rather poor coding. But I can get over that. The printer prints fine.

Although, what surprised me most, is the bad - or better non-existing - support from Canon.

I have read through the complete user guide, only skipping specific Windows stuff as I am on OSX (about 600 pages) and it leaves me with many questions. Some very basic, some advanced.

I cannot put my questions to Canon, that means they are unwilling to answer them, unless a close a service contract with them.

I have worked professionally in the audio industry for many years and was using tons of equipment and always had a proper service behind the products. What I experienced with Canon today is beyond me.

So, finally to my question :

How is the Canon service in the USA? Or elsewhere in the world.

Is this non existing service just a dutch thing, or is it general that Canon just refuses to give service on their products? I am really curious.

Thanks, Beat
 
TheBeat said:
hello to you all,

I am new to the forum and I live in Holland.

I recently bought a new canon ipf6400 printer. The printer prints great as far as I can tell (it's my first photo printer), but so far I am very pleased with the results on different Canson papers.
Click to expand...
I agree.
TheBeat said:
I not very pleased by the software in the printer and with the Canon Printer PlugIn for Photoshop.
Click to expand...
I agree.
TheBeat said:
I thinks it's rather poor coding. But I can get over that. The printer prints fine.

Although, what surprised me most, is the bad - or better non-existing - support from Canon.

I have read through the complete user guide, only skipping specific Windows stuff as I am on OSX (about 600 pages) and it leaves me with many questions. Some very basic, some advanced.
Click to expand...
The User Guide for the ipf6400 is awful. I think it's the reason behind many of the telephone calls to Canon Tech service.
TheBeat said:
I cannot put my questions to Canon, that means they are unwilling to answer them, unless a close a service contract with them.

I have worked professionally in the audio industry for many years and was using tons of equipment and always had a proper service behind the products. What I experienced with Canon today is beyond me.

So, finally to my question :

How is the Canon service in the USA? Or elsewhere in the world.
Click to expand...
I've owned an ipf6400 for over a year and have placed calls to USA Canon Tech Support on several occasions. In general, they were pretty good.
TheBeat said:
Is this non existing service just a dutch thing, or is it general that Canon just refuses to give service on their products? I am really curious.

Thanks, Beat
Click to expand...
To sum things up,

The ipf6400 is a fantastic WF printer for all papers and especially for Canson media. Their manual (User's Guide) is a sorry piece of work at best and downright confusing at times. Their USA tech support has been good in my experience.

Enjoy your new printer. You can post ipf6400 questions on this forum and I'm sure someone will help you out.

soloryb
 
Where did you purchase the printer?

I am not excusing Canon, but in the olden days here in the US, we used to have what were called distributors. These distributors traditionally have a value beyond a higher price, i.e. having a technical support staff for maintenance, repair and the issues just discussed. My impression is that many purchase these expensive printers directly and this ...

If I were purchasing a $,2000-$10,000 printer, I would buy it from a professional graphic arts distributor, not Atlex or ITSupplies in the US.
 
Hi TheBeat,

Another resource you may want to check out is the Wiki site for Canon IPF large format printers

There is a discussion forum which I have found to be a great help over the years.

Cheers!
Londongal
 
Last edited:
Gesture said:
Where did you purchase the printer?

I am not excusing Canon, but in the olden days here in the US, we used to have what were called distributors. These distributors traditionally have a value beyond a higher price, i.e. having a technical support staff for maintenance, repair and the issues just discussed. My impression is that many purchase these expensive printers directly and this ...

If I were purchasing a $,2000-$10,000 printer, I would buy it from a professional graphic arts distributor, not Atlex or ITSupplies in the US.
Click to expand...
As far as I understand, all of the companies I refer to below are Canon USA distributors.

I purchased mine from ColorHQ. They are reputable and provide tech help.

I wouldn't hesitate to purchase from IT-Supplies. They are also reputable.

B&H is also another outfit that sells the printer, and they have the best reputation in the business.

There are other good companies to choose from; these are just my pics.

As far as tech help for the ipf6400, Canon USA has been pretty good for answering my questions and guiding me through the labyrinth they refer to as their 'User Guide.'

Another very valuable source of tech info is available from InkJetCarts in the US. I only use OEM Canon inks myself, and they sell a 3rd party ink system. The guy who runs it - Ross Hardie - really knows the ipfXX00 printers, and has a bunch of articles and videos that are excellent.

In the end, finding a distributor who will provide tech help indefinitely (or even for a few years) does sound good, but it generally comes at the price of spending several hundred dollars more for purchasing the printer.

You can also purchase an extended warranty for the printer, but at a very expensive additional price.

soloryb
 
Thanks a lot for your answers. Great help.

I have bought my printer through a kinda dealer who offers help, but is not an expert.

That's why I am so disappointed that Canon here in Holland at least does not provide any support, unless one buys an expensive support contract. I am pleased to hear that the situation is local and the support is good in the USA.

I know that I will get the info I need in the end, even if it should come from Canon.

A forum like this helps a lot and I definitely will post questions, and in due time I hope also answers, in future.

For now, thanks a lot, guys :-)

Beat
 
Your printer is considered a professional printer and is usually serviced by an authorized Canon dealer. Since you don't have Canon's Care Pack service they don't want to take the business away from their dealer. It is usually the responsibility of the dealer to provide support but not free support, unless it's under warranty. Did they refer you to a dealer in your area?
 
Yes, I am in contact with the dealer I bought the printer off. He is very nice but doesn't know a whole lot and Canon does not provide too much information to the dealers I am afraid (or to third party software developers, like e.g. Mirage). Moreover, when I asked my dealer yesterday about the Nozzle Check 1 in Service mode, he told me that he has been EXPLICITLY told by Canon not to tell the customers about it. I think that says it all.

Moreover, I asked my dealer if I could get a copy of the service manual. He told me

that even he doesn't get one. As I mentioned before, I come from the audio world, and I never, ever had any problem in getting service manuals, electronic diagrams or any other support that I wanted.

With my Ampex (2 inch 24 track recorder) f.i., I had a book, with absolutely everything in it, every electronics part was described and all the circuits diagrams where there. And even if Canon wants to keep some secrets (which always could be cracked by reverse engineering), they could provide a slimmed down version for the customers I would think. The very least, that we, as good paying customers, should get is a decent manual, but even there Canon leaves a lot to be desired.

Maybe I have to get used to the fact that things are slightly different on the visual side of the fence :-)

Cheers, Beat
 
I've had the Canon iPF 6400 for about 10 months now and I'm very happy with it. There is a little curve in learning this printer which to me was trial & error. It's a very good printer. As for tech support, I used them about 5 times in the 10 months I have the 6400 with no problem. The manual itself to me is written in hieroglyphics hence that is why I'm a trial & error person.

As for the Nozzle 1 check I was told how to do it by a Canon tech person. Here is a fast tutorial on how to do a Nozzle 1 check:

1-Put into "S" mode (Hold down Load & Navigate while turning Power On)

2-Go to Setting/Adjustment --> Click Service Mode --> Display, click right arrow 2x --> Adjust click down arrow 1x --> Print Pattern, click down arrow 1x --> Nozzle 1 --> OK

3- After you finish Nozzle 1 check make sure you put yourself back into Normal Mode or you will run into a hic-cup when your ready to print again.

Andrew
 
For those that don't know - Nozzle Check 1 runs an unmapped check. If there are bad nozzles, it will show up there. The normal nozzle check is run with mapped nozzles and will show perfect until the spares run out.

I just replace a head that showed perfect in normal check, but in nozzle check 1 about half of the nozzles were dead.
 
picman, a question: How long did you have your 6400 before you had to replace a head? I had to replace one of my heads after 6 months. I was under warranty so had no problem getting it replaced. I'm hoping this is not the norm for these printers.

Andrew
 
picman101 said:
For those that don't know - Nozzle Check 1 runs an unmapped check. If there are bad nozzles, it will show up there. The normal nozzle check is run with mapped nozzles and will show perfect until the spares run out.

I just replace a head that showed perfect in normal check, but in nozzle check 1 about half of the nozzles were dead.
Click to expand...
Could you give more details, such as how long the head lasted before dying, what your maintenance schedule was, etc.?

According to Canon, these ipfXX00 heads last between 1 and 2 years (average 1.5 years) under normal use.

My ipf6400 is now 14-months old and I'm beginning to see signs of wear on both the left and right heads. The Nozzle1 checks are showing between 2 and 6 clogs a week, and I print something almost every day - just to keep the ink flowing. Each time I see more than 3 clogs, I do a head cleaning A, which clears them.

I'm trying to go as long as possible without doing an expensive head replacement.

soloryb
 
I am also happy with my printer itself. I think it delivers great quality.

Thanks for your info. I had already learned to do a Nozzle Check 1 from soloryb.

I wonder, as I do (did) a normal nozzle check very day I do not actually print, would it be better to do a Nozzle check 1 on those days? It takes the same amount of ink to print the pattern, but one can detect a possible clog in an even earlier stage.

Or does it take a lot of ink when the printer starts up (like the office printers do)?

After having been visiting the Service menu, I have to shut down the printer to get out of the Service menu, hence the starting up again.

Cheers, Beat
 
Dutch-language support is usually very bad. Better to call USA support over Skype in the evening. It's not a Canon-only thing though. Though you might still end up with someone in India who doesn't know anything.
 
TheBeat said:
Yes, I am in contact with the dealer I bought the printer off. He is very nice but doesn't know a whole lot and Canon does not provide too much information to the dealers I am afraid (or to third party software developers, like e.g. Mirage). Moreover, when I asked my dealer yesterday about the Nozzle Check 1 in Service mode, he told me that he has been EXPLICITLY told by Canon not to tell the customers about it. I think that says it all.

Moreover, I asked my dealer if I could get a copy of the service manual. He told me

that even he doesn't get one. As I mentioned before, I come from the audio world, and I never, ever had any problem in getting service manuals, electronic diagrams or any other support that I wanted.

With my Ampex (2 inch 24 track recorder) f.i., I had a book, with absolutely everything in it, every electronics part was described and all the circuits diagrams where there. And even if Canon wants to keep some secrets (which always could be cracked by reverse engineering), they could provide a slimmed down version for the customers I would think. The very least, that we, as good paying customers, should get is a decent manual, but even there Canon leaves a lot to be desired.

Maybe I have to get used to the fact that things are slightly different on the visual side of the fence :-)

Cheers, Beat
Click to expand...
Call another dealer. Go to Canon's website and look for another service center.
 
jcampy said:
TheBeat said:
Yes, I am in contact with the dealer I bought the printer off. He is very nice but doesn't know a whole lot and Canon does not provide too much information to the dealers I am afraid (or to third party software developers, like e.g. Mirage). Moreover, when I asked my dealer yesterday about the Nozzle Check 1 in Service mode, he told me that he has been EXPLICITLY told by Canon not to tell the customers about it. I think that says it all.

Moreover, I asked my dealer if I could get a copy of the service manual. He told me

that even he doesn't get one. As I mentioned before, I come from the audio world, and I never, ever had any problem in getting service manuals, electronic diagrams or any other support that I wanted.

With my Ampex (2 inch 24 track recorder) f.i., I had a book, with absolutely everything in it, every electronics part was described and all the circuits diagrams where there. And even if Canon wants to keep some secrets (which always could be cracked by reverse engineering), they could provide a slimmed down version for the customers I would think. The very least, that we, as good paying customers, should get is a decent manual, but even there Canon leaves a lot to be desired.

Maybe I have to get used to the fact that things are slightly different on the visual side of the fence :-)

Cheers, Beat
Click to expand...
Call another dealer. Go to Canon's website and look for another service center.
Click to expand...
The Netherlands is a country with a population of 1.5x that of Ohio on 1/3th the size. You think we have a multitude of service centers? ;-)

More likely there is one center for the entire BeNeLux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg).
TheBeat said:
I think that is a very good idea.

I will also try Canon in Holland and pose as a potential buyer and see if canon is willing then to answer questions. I will report back on that.
Click to expand...
That might also work. Sales departments are usually better than support...
 
Andrew Curatola said:
picman, a question: How long did you have your 6400 before you had to replace a head? I had to replace one of my heads after 6 months. I was under warranty so had no problem getting it replaced. I'm hoping this is not the norm for these printers.

Andrew
Click to expand...
Stats on the head showed 568 days and 464,389 m dots.

BTW I'm using an ipf 8400

I could have left it longer as the mapped nozzle check was perfect. It did throw one error code that indicated a bad head. A restart will clear those and it will come back - it's a question of when. It's a good indicator to have a replacement head in stock.
 
soloryb said:
picman101 said:
For those that don't know - Nozzle Check 1 runs an unmapped check. If there are bad nozzles, it will show up there. The normal nozzle check is run with mapped nozzles and will show perfect until the spares run out.

I just replace a head that showed perfect in normal check, but in nozzle check 1 about half of the nozzles were dead.
Click to expand...
Could you give more details, such as how long the head lasted before dying, what your maintenance schedule was, etc.?

According to Canon, these ipfXX00 heads last between 1 and 2 years (average 1.5 years) under normal use.

My ipf6400 is now 14-months old and I'm beginning to see signs of wear on both the left and right heads. The Nozzle1 checks are showing between 2 and 6 clogs a week, and I print something almost every day - just to keep the ink flowing. Each time I see more than 3 clogs, I do a head cleaning A, which clears them.

I'm trying to go as long as possible without doing an expensive head replacement.

soloryb
Click to expand...
I've had the printer about 3 years and I think this is the 3rd head. The 1st was just over a year, but Canon picked up the tab.

All I do is use the printer and do occasional nozzle checks just to see if I might need to order a head to keep in stock.
 
picman101 said:
soloryb said:
picman101 said:
For those that don't know - Nozzle Check 1 runs an unmapped check. If there are bad nozzles, it will show up there. The normal nozzle check is run with mapped nozzles and will show perfect until the spares run out.

I just replace a head that showed perfect in normal check, but in nozzle check 1 about half of the nozzles were dead.
Click to expand...
Could you give more details, such as how long the head lasted before dying, what your maintenance schedule was, etc.?

According to Canon, these ipfXX00 heads last between 1 and 2 years (average 1.5 years) under normal use.

My ipf6400 is now 14-months old and I'm beginning to see signs of wear on both the left and right heads. The Nozzle1 checks are showing between 2 and 6 clogs a week, and I print something almost every day - just to keep the ink flowing. Each time I see more than 3 clogs, I do a head cleaning A, which clears them.

I'm trying to go as long as possible without doing an expensive head replacement.

soloryb
Click to expand...
I've had the printer about 3 years and I think this is the 3rd head. The 1st was just over a year, but Canon picked up the tab.

All I do is use the printer and do occasional nozzle checks just to see if I might need to order a head to keep in stock.
Click to expand...
How often were you doing Head cleaning A?

soloryb
 
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