Alternatives to official Canon ink

irewestlad · 24-12-2023 7:47am #1

Hey all

I do occasional printing of family photos on a Canon Pro 100s. I print very infrequently and because of that I think the cartridges are drying out quickly.

I tend to buy official Canon CLI-42 cartridges which can cost over €120 a go, because they’re drying out I don’t get a good return. I tried one non official set and I wasn’t happy with the results but does anyone have a good non official brand recommendation which you think might work for me?

Thanks

Patrick

ItHurtsWhenIP · 24-12-2023 7:59pm

I know I'm not answering your question, but like yourself, I printed photos so infrequently, the ink in my old Canon Pixma was going to shyte. Now I just put whatever photos I want to print onto a USB stick and bring it to the machine in the local chemist to print there. It's much more economical for me.

irewestlad · 24-12-2023 8:12pm

Yeah I’ve considered that as well, I just enjoy the act of printing at home if I could get the ink costs down!

Firblog · 24-12-2023 8:32pm

Other option is to change the printer to an Ink tank one - much much cheaper printing.

Fogmatic · 24-12-2023 10:06pm

Have you tried 123ink.ie? I'd seen them recommended for compatible inks over the years, but hadn't looked at their website properly until spring last year. I paint as well as enjoying taking photos, and am very picky about colours. After an expensive mistake with a certain Epson all-in-one (that is, not waiting for the customer reviews to appear, with their longer-term experiences!), I used my refund to get my first Canon (Pixma) one, which was very obliging, but wouldn't accept any compatibles I tried.

When that one finally died after a long life, I chose another Pixma. The usual places had sold out of the model I wanted by then, but 123ink happened to have it. Not knowing how long the enclosed cartridges would last, (and wanting to test the printer without avoidable complications), I bought a set of original Canon ones. Then had a call from a puzzled man at 123, explaining that their compatibles are made under licence, with access to the right technology (So 'official compatibles', perhaps?) It was only then that I read the website properly, and am confident enough to have ordered a set of their compatibles, to save hassle when the first cartridges I bought start running out.

What I can't do yet, I'm afraid, is comment on them. (I'm on a tight budget but hate false economies, the XXL sizes of the 'official official' cartridges made sense, and I haven't had the spare time to do enough printing to make them run out!).