mikeoregon
Member
I've owned this printer for about two years and have used it to print photos on Canon's Platinum Pro papers (8.5x11 and 13x19 sizes). This printer and paper combination is capable of making high quality prints. However, there are disadvantages to consider.
The printer was inexpensive to purchase ($225). I bought it on eBay during a time when Canon gave them away as a promotion for buying camera equipment, and people who didn't need them sold them online.
However, the printer goes through ink quickly, as the ink cartridges are small, especially when printing on 13x19 size paper. Individual ink cartridges cost $16 retail, and there are occasional discounts available. The inks that run out first are the Photo Cyan and Photo Magenta, which are not sold as a set like, for example, Red, Green, Yellow and Black. Ink costs have more than offset the initial savings in buying the printer itself.
Recently the Canon CL8 inks for this printer have been disappearing from stores in my city of Portland, Oregon. Office supply store used to carry all 8 colors as individual cartridges, and two multi-ink sets (R,G,Y,Bk and a full set of 8 inks). Now they only carry the multi-ink sets and one or two of the individual cartridges. Availability at our local professional photo supply store is spotty, at best.
Similarly, Canon's Platinum Pro paper, a good match for this printer, has been disappearing from office supply and photo stores. I have had to switch to buying the 13x19 paper online. The 8.5x11 paper is no longer found at the office supply stores, and only occasionally at the pro photo store.
If you prefer to buy ink and paper locally, you might want to confirm that there is a reliable vendor in your community.
I have tried other photo papers, but ran into the fact that some paper suppliers do not provide icc profiles for this printer. Since I don't have a way to make my own profiles, this has been a limitation.
I bumped the extended output tray that supports large prints and it broke off. I have not been able to figure out how to get it back on, so I jury-rigged some chipboard to replace it. My opinion is that the tray is flimsy.
I recently made black-and-white prints (on the Platinum Pro paper) for the first time. As the first print emerged in my office it looked to have a distinctly magenta cast. When I looked at it under daylight, and under fluorescent light, it had no cast. My office lights are incandescent halogens.
So that's my experience--a good printer with some limitations.
The printer was inexpensive to purchase ($225). I bought it on eBay during a time when Canon gave them away as a promotion for buying camera equipment, and people who didn't need them sold them online.
However, the printer goes through ink quickly, as the ink cartridges are small, especially when printing on 13x19 size paper. Individual ink cartridges cost $16 retail, and there are occasional discounts available. The inks that run out first are the Photo Cyan and Photo Magenta, which are not sold as a set like, for example, Red, Green, Yellow and Black. Ink costs have more than offset the initial savings in buying the printer itself.
Recently the Canon CL8 inks for this printer have been disappearing from stores in my city of Portland, Oregon. Office supply store used to carry all 8 colors as individual cartridges, and two multi-ink sets (R,G,Y,Bk and a full set of 8 inks). Now they only carry the multi-ink sets and one or two of the individual cartridges. Availability at our local professional photo supply store is spotty, at best.
Similarly, Canon's Platinum Pro paper, a good match for this printer, has been disappearing from office supply and photo stores. I have had to switch to buying the 13x19 paper online. The 8.5x11 paper is no longer found at the office supply stores, and only occasionally at the pro photo store.
If you prefer to buy ink and paper locally, you might want to confirm that there is a reliable vendor in your community.
I have tried other photo papers, but ran into the fact that some paper suppliers do not provide icc profiles for this printer. Since I don't have a way to make my own profiles, this has been a limitation.
I bumped the extended output tray that supports large prints and it broke off. I have not been able to figure out how to get it back on, so I jury-rigged some chipboard to replace it. My opinion is that the tray is flimsy.
I recently made black-and-white prints (on the Platinum Pro paper) for the first time. As the first print emerged in my office it looked to have a distinctly magenta cast. When I looked at it under daylight, and under fluorescent light, it had no cast. My office lights are incandescent halogens.
So that's my experience--a good printer with some limitations.
