Canon PRO-1100 cleaning and regular maintenance. Ink use for cleaning and how often to print

[@KeithCooper]

Please just ask if you've any questions? Don't forget the full categorised index of all my videos at www.northlight-images.co.uk/keith-cooper-photography-videos-index/ If you'd like to make a small donation towards my testing, I have a Kofi page: "Buy me a coffee" ko-fi.com/keithcooper If I lived in an area with intermittent power, I'd also get a UPS. My suspicion is that with the low amount of power used on standby that the UPS could keep it going for quite a while and save its cost in wasted ink. Just check that the UPS is OK with such a low power drain

[@pascals3204]

Hi Keith, do you think the new inks make this printer more susceptible to clogging issues?

[@KeithCooper]

Interesting question... Canon say not, and I've no evidence to doubt it. This is one I'll keep an eye on - it's partly why the 1100 has quite an aggressive cleaning algorithm - it lacks some of the extra sensors found in the PRO-2600/4600 [same print head]

[@dallasroberts3206]

Thanks Keith, so happy to have found your channel! I just purchased this Canon 1100 less than a week ago and your advice is quite valuable. I'm coming from a very OLD Epson that would do up to 13 X 19 but only when I wasn't fighting a clogged head etc! So far so good. I like the idea of just printing a nozzle check every few days to keep things flowing well.

[@KeithCooper]

Glad it's been of help!

[@carlb401]

For automated print options especially if you are going away, Qimage has the option to set a timed print, even just the nozzle check print.

[@Tedwill-home]

I use Qimage on an older Mac Mini to print a nozzle check every three days

[@KeithCooper]

yes, a good idea if going away See also InkjetPlumber for Mac github.com/leftytennis/InkjetPlumber

[@johnvaleanbaily246]

That's the ticket. Thanks Keith. Useful cleaning information.

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks

[@itaylorm]

As always very helpful detail. I have booked marked this to keep myself reminded of cleaning to do. I have been using my printer daily since I bought it over a month ago with no issues other than having to replace a few cartridges and the maintenance cartridge now being 3/4 full. Will take a look for any issues on the inside

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - the maintenance cart gets all the fluids from the ink lines and print head when first set up, so the first one always looks to fill up quicker than subsequent ones

[@itaylorm]

@@KeithCooper good to know

[@itaylorm]

Some odd behavior to report with my PRO-1100. I opened photoshop and went to print and it sent the print from my Mac, the printer thought out it but never printed it. Now I do have low ink warnings but it has worked fine up to this morning. I had this behavior when I didn't use my printer for 10 days while I was in Yellowstone and not there and had to first replace a cartridge and start and restart the printer. Still didn't work. Checked maintenance cartridge, at 50%. Had the same thing happen this morning. Had to replace the low cartridges and stop and start the printer. After that it worked. There has been no loss of ink when I do this and the printer is only off for around a minute. Thoughts?

[@KeithCooper]

Doesn't sound right - I'd contact Canon over this

[@willkron]

Danke für die Ausführungen!

[@KeithCooper]

Glad it was of interest...

[@puck528co]

Very helpful. Thanks!

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks - hopefully it can save some wasted ink for people...

[@DanDill]

Thanks!

[@KeithCooper]

Thanks for that!

[@mrbob581]

Thank you😊

[@KeithCooper]

Glad it was of interest

[@MichaelWinkels-hp3qx]

Just double checking the definition of "switching off" ; it is the round button on the right on the front, right ? Or is it taking the plug out of the power socket ? As I understand it from this video is to just leave the printer on after printing , assuming it goes in some sleep mode. Btw , very happy with my 1100. Coming from the 1000 I do see better prints coming out, more and deeper colours. Despite what some others suggest. May be I'm getting slightly better over time ;-)

[@KeithCooper]

Leave it plugged in and adjust the power settings so it doesn't auto - powerdown. Not switching off is the 'sleep' mode. Unplugging is the worst thing to do. However, I do feel that obvious differences should not really be visible compared to the pro-1000, it simply isn't that much different, with equal quality profiles, editing and media.

[@MichaelWinkels-hp3qx]

@@KeithCooper thank you Keith.

[@WaltherLigtvoet]

As for not powering it off, do not forget to change the energy saving option to never shut off the printer...

[@KeithCooper]

Yes - good point. This is where not being able to update/correct/expand videos is a nuisance!

[@WaltherLigtvoet]

@@KeithCooper I found out the hard way ;-). Bought a PRO-1000 recently (the intro of the PRO-1100 gave nice price drops...) and until this video I did not think about this and realised that I had to switch the printer on every day... and indeed.. standard settings is a power down after x minutes (240 I believe).

[@johnclark747]

@KeithCooper, I've had non-stop issues with the Photo Black clogging on the 1100. I nozzle check every Monday and Friday with no luck keeping that channel free from clogs.

[@KeithCooper]

My suggestion is with a new printer, that is a matter for Canon - I'd not accept it happening myself...

[@pharmacist5884]

Having ink on the overspray area is totally acceptable and normal. However the Epson SC-P900 also sprays also on the overspray when NOT printing borderless. The older P800, where the paper is aligned to the right (towards the capping station on which the print head is stationed, when in rest and cleaning cycle inks is sucked onto the removable waste ink tank), this is not the case. My previous P800 that almost never printed borderless, the overspray sponge is as dry as the desert. However: I once try to see how this overspray sponge works and I poured some destilled water on it how it works and to my surprise the water is tunneled towards the waste ink tank: so the P800 overspray sponge is connected (via a slight slope) towards the waste ink tank passively. Now the P900 the paper handling is always in the center, so the print head has to move completely towards the right side to dump the ink of cleaning on the capping station. I am not sure what the policy of Epson is concerning cleaning cycles, but when printing glossy/semiglossy paper (PK involved) the printer tends to dump ink on the overspray sponge, BUT when choosing matte/fine art papers (MB involved) the printer does NOT dumps the cleaning inks on the overspray sponge. You can see the printhead from time to time moving completely towards the right side on the capping station and you can see the print head stops for about 1 second to dump the ink on the capping station, where the ink of the intermediate cleaning cycles is sucked on the capping station that is connected with the waste ink tank. HOWEVER: unlinke the P800, the P900 overspray sponge is NOT connected with the removable waste ink tank. So why is Epson does intermediate cleaning on the overspray sponge, when it can perfectly move the printhead towards the right on the capping station, so the overspray sponge stays as long as possible clean and dry ??? Taken into account that this does NOT happen when printing with MB setting (matte papers), that does not make any sense NOT to do the intermediate cleaning cycle on the capping station, especially if you know the overspray sponge is NOT connected with the waste ink tank on the P900 and the P800 overspray sponge does....and the P800 does NOT even dump the ink of intermediate cleaning cycles during printing: it could savely do this, because on the long term the ink will drip onto the waste ink tank, safely away from the overspray sponge, but the P900 cannot....There is NO reason for the P900 dumping on the overspray sponge when using PB settings, when the MB setting does NOT....unless this is a programmed policy of Epson to accelerate obsolescence......From wasting ink between switching between MB/PK on the P800 (but no overspray sponge dumping when not printing borderless) to unwillingly saturating the overspray sponge area on the P900 (even you do not to choose to print borderless). I think Epson should introduce a new firmware that forces the print head to move the print head completely towards the right side on the capping station for intermediate cleaning cycles for PB settings, as it now does with the MB-setting printing. Probably it would increase printing time with a few seconds per print, but I prefer this.

[@KeithCooper]

Interesting observations, but getting any such info to the designers is vastly above the pay grade of anyone I know at Epson, as would be getting answers as to why they do what they do and not what you think would be worthwhile...

[@pharmacist5884]

@@KeithCooper I know on dpreview some people design a A2 template even when printing a small 10x15 cm photo card in order the printer to think it is printing on A2, so the intermediate cleaning is forced to be done on the capping station, as it cannot dump on virtual paper (as the printer thinks the whole area is paper, so it must move completely to the right on the capping station). However if you print a sheet of matte paper: everything is sane and safe, as the print head will move completely to the right to dump the intermediate cleaning ink onto the capping station. All these observations and emperical workarounds concludes it MUST be possible for Epson to release a firmware so the cleaning is done on the capping station in exchange of a slightly longer printing speed on glossy/semiglossy (PB-setting) papers.

[@KeithCooper]

@@pharmacist5884 Possible yes - likely no. Changing stuff like that is well away from anyone I've access to, or even the people I sometimes deal with when testing new unannounced kit...

[@tundrusphoto4312]

Hello, Keith: I've read some "experts" complain about Epson printers print heads. Specifically, they fail more often that those of Canon, and because the Epson print heads must be replaced by an Epson technician, this is a serious drawback. Your thoughts on print head failures and user replacement? Thanks.

[@KeithCooper]

Ah, yes, I always query the use of the term 'expert' even if it's myself ;-) The differences are overblown I feel - I'm sure that for every dissatisfied Epson user, Canon marketing can produce, Epson can produce a dissatisfied Canon user. My own 44" Canon iPF8300 was scrapped for assorted head related issues, so 'user replaceable' is not the panacea some hope for... And then there is the need to drain ink if you ever want to move or sell one of the larger Canon printers ;-) Head replacement is not a factor I'd take much notice of if I was spending my own money for a new studio for example.

[@tundrusphoto4312]

@@KeithCooper Thanks, Keith. I might be a sucker for marketing, but if a print head can be replace my a bumbling fumbling guy like me, I'd prefer that to waiting for a technician to do the job - any pay for it.

[@KeithCooper]

@@tundrusphoto4312 Two very different head technologies... not directly equivalent, which somewhat washes away the foundations of a preference ;-) But hey, Canon/Epson wouldn't pitch the idea if it didn't have some appeal to their target markets ;-)

[@ronboe6325]

I keep wondering what ever happened to HP? They make smaller consumer printers and the big plotters/printers but don't seem to be in this space.

[@KeithCooper]

They just gave up when the B9180 [?] A3+ one was killed off. Even their large format stuff, I've been unable to get them interested in any testing...

[@Gary_Hun]

I can't believe the transparent strip inside is still a thing in the case of high caliber printers... i thought it was only a cheapskate method to position the head precisely in 50 bucks machines. At least hide the dang thing away, why must i have a near heart attack every time i have to wonder around in there.

[@KeithCooper]

It's a perfectly fine solution in normal use. I only really mentioned it in an abundance of caution before someone blames me for suggesting cleaning inside a printer ;-) I've never personally paid any attention to it in any printer I've owned/cleaned - it's just a part you don't fiddle with...