Observations on Chroma Optimizer (“CO”) Usage Canon Pro-1000 Printer

[Mark D Segal]

Replaced a full maintenance cartridge today, as it demanding it when starting a print job (4 A4 pages). Total ink consumed in Accounting Manager jumped from 924ml before print start to 1020ml after maintenance cartridge replacement and the four pages. Yep, that's roughly 100ml. Just a data point.
I didn't weigh the cartridge. If someone is super excited to have that done, I might do it though.

There's something very wrong with this. Replacing a maintenance tank should consume no ink and making 4 A4 sized prints should consume only several ml - nothing like 100ml. Was there a long delay at any point with the printer sounding as if it may be cleaning itself extensively? I don't know what else would explain this, unless there is something amiss with the accounting.

[MHMG]

Replaced a full maintenance cartridge today, as it demanding it when starting a print job (4 A4 pages). Total ink consumed in Accounting Manager jumped from 924ml before print start to 1020ml after maintenance cartridge replacement and the four pages. Yep, that's roughly 100ml. Just a data point.
I didn't weigh the cartridge. If someone is super excited to have that done, I might do it though.

Replacing the tank didn't cause the ink consumption. Starting your new print job did right after you put the new maintenance cartridge in. You can pull a maintenance tank in and out of the printer at any time and no ink gets consumed. It's the start of the print cycle where the printer decides to preemptively run a cleaning cycle which causes the ink consumption. If your printer hadn't printed in a while it initiates increasingly aggressive cleaning cycles corresponding to how long the printer has sat from last use. Also, fully unplugging the printer or brief power failures at the outlet supplying the Pro-1000 will reset the internal timer and cause the Pro-1000 to "think" a big power cleaning cycle is required.

That said, I usually see about a 58ml jump in the weight of the maintenance tank if the Pro-1000 has not been used for about two months even if it was left in sleep mode and now power failure occurred. If it has printed a few days before, a much smaller cleaning cycle (a few ml) will be performed. At around 2-3 weeks of non use, several ml of ink will get consumed. The mother of all cleaning cycles (58ml every time I checked by weighing the maintenance tank before and after this major cleaning cycle) occurs at around 45-60 days of non use. That seems to be the extreme situation. Hence, you may be the new record holder for ink consumed when getting your printer back up and running, or the Accounting manager got it wrong.

[Mark D Segal]

Replacing the tank didn't cause the ink consumption. Starting your new print job did right after you put the new maintenance cartridge in. You can pull a maintenance tank in and out of the printer at any time and no ink gets consumed. It's the start of the print cycle where the printer decides to preemptively run a cleaning cycle which causes the ink consumption. If your printer hadn't printed in a while it initiates increasingly aggressive cleaning cycles corresponding to how long the printer has sat from last use. Also, fully unplugging the printer or brief power failures at the outlet supplying the Pro-1000 will reset the internal timer and cause the Pro-1000 to "think" a big power cleaning cycle is required.

That said, I usually see about a 58ml jump in the weight of the maintenance tank if the Pro-1000 has not been used for about two months even if it was left in sleep mode and now power failure occurred. If it has printed a few days before, a much smaller cleaning cycle (a few ml) will be performed. At around 2-3 weeks of non use, several ml of ink will get consumed. The mother of all cleaning cycles (58ml every time I checked by weighing the maintenance tank before and after this major cleaning cycle) occurs at around 45-60 days of non use. That seems to be the extreme situation. Hence, you may be the new record holder for ink consumed when getting your printer back up and running, or the Accounting manager got it wrong.

Yes, your added detail to what I said just above coheres with my experience while I still had the printer. No way it should be consuming 100ml even on the heaviest cleaning cycle.

[henrikolsen]

Replacing the tank didn't cause the ink consumption. Starting your new print job did right after you put the new maintenance cartridge in. You can pull a maintenance tank in and out of the printer at any time and no ink gets consumed. It's the start of the print cycle where the printer decides to preemptively run a cleaning cycle which causes the ink consumption. If your printer hadn't printed in a while it initiates increasingly aggressive cleaning cycles corresponding to how long the printer has sat from last use. Also, fully unplugging the printer or brief power failures at the outlet supplying the Pro-1000 will reset the internal timer and cause the Pro-1000 to "think" a big power cleaning cycle is required.

That said, I usually see about a 58ml jump in the weight of the maintenance tank if the Pro-1000 has not been used for about two months even if it was left in sleep mode and now power failure occurred. If it has printed a few days before, a much smaller cleaning cycle (a few ml) will be performed. At around 2-3 weeks of non use, several ml of ink will get consumed. The mother of all cleaning cycles (58ml every time I checked by weighing the maintenance tank before and after this major cleaning cycle) occurs at around 45-60 days of non use. That seems to be the extreme situation. Hence, you may be the new record holder for ink consumed when getting your printer back up and running, or the Accounting manager got it wrong.

I have had some of the ~58ml jumps previously as well, and have also previously seen big jumps together with the forced replacement of full maintenance tank (two times). It made a several minutes long whining after the new maintenance cartridge came in. Sounded very intense. If it sounded as the previously observer ~58ml I don't recall. I was making me a coffee after installing the cartridge, and worried somewhat as I could here the faint screaming of preparing printer.
The printer has been idling for 2-3 weeks, but done so several times before with much less cleaning. And as I've seen before, the biggest jumps have been related to full maintenance cartridge replacement (triggered by print job) - those have been bigger than normal. Have yet to experience a forced cartridge replacement jumping less than ~50ml.
Total print time was almost 40 minutes for those four pages (highest quality), so it did play around quite a white within those minutes while preparing.
Indeed the ~100ml is at least a personal record. Not a proud one. Prints came out fine though, but at that total cost, they better do .

[Panagiotis]

Replaced a full maintenance cartridge today, as it demanding it when starting a print job (4 A4 pages). Total ink consumed in Accounting Manager jumped from 924ml before print start to 1020ml after maintenance cartridge replacement and the four pages. Yep, that's roughly 100ml. Just a data point.
I didn't weigh the cartridge. If someone is super excited to have that done, I might do it though.

The "Total ink consumed" calculation in the Accounting Manager app is untrustworthy. For example, the total ink in ml I have installed in the printer is 2880 ml / 36X80ml  (and there is a lot of it still in the printer cartridges). The "Total ink consumed" reports 3300ml. Impossible.

[PeterDewar]

My usage experience so far.

Bought a Canon Pro-1000 printer in May 2018 as a replacement for my dribbling 10 year old Epson 3880 (a great machine until the end!). My typical usage is low at about 6 prints per month (50/50 B&W and colour) spread over two weeks.

After the initial installation the Pro-1000 ink levels were all showing about 50%. (But that's to be expected.)

From 18 May 2018 to 5 July 2018 printed 22 mainly A3 images using a reported 27.29 ml ink.

Went overseas for some weeks. Printer was switched off.

Started printer again on 29 Aug 2018. The start-up sounded just like a normal pre-printing start-up. Not the excessive start-up that I was half-expecting.

Printed 4 off A3 images on 29 Aug. After that the CO cartridge was indicated as running low. Shut down printer. Subsequently ordered CO plus some other cartridges.

Next started the printer on 4 Sept 2018. The start-up sounded normal. Printed 1 off A3 matte image and shut down again.

Started printer on 10 Sept. The start-up was ridiculous - didn't time it but it went on for something like 10 minutes! Thereafter 11 ink tanks and the maintenance tank were all showing a low warning. I printed 3 off A3 matte images. At this stage the Accounting Manager was showing 37.486 ml of ink used for a total of 30 off mostly A3 prints.


regards - Peter

[Panagiotis]

My usage experience so far.

Bought a Canon Pro-1000 printer in May 2018 as a replacement for my dribbling 10 year old Epson 3880 (a great machine until the end!). My typical usage is low at about 6 prints per month (50/50 B&W and colour) spread over two weeks.

After the initial installation the Pro-1000 ink levels were all showing about 50%. (But that's to be expected.)

From 18 May 2018 to 5 July 2018 printed 22 mainly A3 images using a reported 27.29 ml ink.

Went overseas for some weeks. Printer was switched off.

Started printer again on 29 Aug 2018. The start-up sounded just like a normal pre-printing start-up. Not the excessive start-up that I was half-expecting.

Printed 4 off A3 images on 29 Aug. After that the CO cartridge was indicated as running low. Shut down printer. Subsequently ordered CO plus some other cartridges.

Next started the printer on 4 Sept 2018. The start-up sounded normal. Printed 1 off A3 matte image and shut down again.

Started printer on 10 Sept. The start-up was ridiculous - didn't time it but it went on for something like 10 minutes! Thereafter 11 ink tanks and the maintenance tank were all showing a low warning. I printed 3 off A3 matte images. At this stage the Accounting Manager was showing 37.486 ml of ink used for a total of 30 off mostly A3 prints.


regards - Peter

It cleaned itself.

[Panagiotis]

An update on Canon PRO-1000 ink consumption for anyone interested. I just replaced the fifth waste tank. I change a waste tank every four months. I have printed 120 square meters of paper. Total ink on paper 1330ml. Total ink in the five waste tanks 1100ml.

[MarkFarber]

I'm seeing the same.  In 12 months with the Pro-1000, I just installed the 5th maintenance cartridge.  In a few days under 5 years with the Epson 3880 (still going strong in another location), I'm on my 3rd.  Usage is about the same, though not measured.

Ink cost per year in my spreadsheet is $1,582 (including one full set in inventory) for the Pro-1000 and $554 for the 3880.  While the Pro-1000 has excellent print quality, I regret the purchase.

[Panagiotis]

I'm seeing the same.  In 12 months with the Pro-1000, I just installed the 5th maintenance cartridge.  In a few days under 5 years with the Epson 3880 (still going strong in another location), I'm on my 3rd.  Usage is about the same, though not measured.

Ink cost per year in my spreadsheet is $1,582 (including one full set in inventory) for the Pro-1000 and $554 for the 3880.  While the Pro-1000 has excellent print quality, I regret the purchase.

Hi! It would be interesting if you could calculate (when and if you have time) the total printed surface for the Canon, it's very easy with the Accounting Manager application you just export all the print jobs to excel and sum up the printed area column, in order to better relate the ink consumption to actual usage.
Thanks!

[Mark D Segal]

Hi! It would be interesting if you could calculate (when and if you have time) the total printed surface for the Canon, it's very easy with the Accounting Manager application you just export all the print jobs to excel and sum up the printed area column, in order to better relate the ink consumption to actual usage.
Thanks!

That's useful but not sufficient. To make this comparison properly you need to know how many square feet of ink coverage have been done with both printers, and you need to know the NET amount of ink used for each, whether for laying down on paper, or for maintenance. To do this, you need to calculate the sum of ink acquired from the beginning to date whether with the initial purchase of the printer or thereafter and subtract from that the estimated amount of ink that you have in the printer and in inventory outside the printer. The result of that calculation is net usage for both purposes, which you can then compare on a per square foot printed with each machine. Knowing what we know about information the manufacturers make available to us, there is no other reliable way of making this comparison than to use this kind of an inventory-based approach for deriving net ink consumption. Unless the comparison is soundly based in proper accountancy it's just impressionistic - you won't know with any accuracy which printer model is overall more efficient than which.

[Panagiotis]

That's useful but not sufficient. To make this comparison properly you need to know how many square feet of ink coverage have been done with both printers, and you need to know the NET amount of ink used for each, whether for laying down on paper, or for maintenance. To do this, you need to calculate the sum of ink acquired from the beginning to date whether with the initial purchase of the printer or thereafter and subtract from that the estimated amount of ink that you have in the printer and in inventory outside the printer. The result of that calculation is net usage for both purposes, which you can then compare on a per square foot printed with each machine. Knowing what we know about information the manufacturers make available to us, there is no other reliable way of making this comparison than to use this kind of an inventory-based approach for deriving net ink consumption. Unless the comparison is soundly based in proper accountancy it's just impressionistic - you won't know with any accuracy which printer model is overall more efficient than which.

I keep a very detailed log for my printer (Canon PRO-1000). I compared the information about consumption (paper/ink) provided by the accounting manager software plus an estimate of the amount of ink in the printer plus what is wasted (by weighting the full maintenance tanks) with my actual purchases of ink (from the beginning) and I came to the conclusion that I can trust the Accounting manager software. If MarkFarber provided the total amount of paper his Canon printed and the total amount of ink it used (easily obtained from the AM application) I can compare his usage pattern with mine and make an estimate of how frequent or infrequent printing affects ink consumption for the PRO-1000.

[Mark D Segal]

I keep a very detailed log for my printer (Canon PRO-1000). I compared the information about consumption (paper/ink) provided by the accounting manager software plus an estimate of the amount of ink in the printer plus what is wasted (by weighting the full maintenance tanks) with my actual purchases of ink (from the beginning) and I came to the conclusion that I can trust the Accounting manager software. If MarkFarber provided the total amount of paper his Canon printed and the total amount of ink it used (easily obtained from the AM application) I can compare his usage pattern with mine and make an estimate of how frequent or infrequent printing affects ink consumption for the PRO-1000.

Yes, you can trust the accounting manager software for ink laid on paper, but it's not useful for ink used on maintenance. Weighing the full maintenance tanks and subtracting the weight of an unused tank is one way of going about it, but the result needs to be adjusted by the specific gravity of the ink to derive an accurate liquid measurement of ink in the tanks.

[Panagiotis]

Yes, you can trust the accounting manager software for ink laid on paper, but it's not useful for ink used on maintenance. Weighing the full maintenance tanks and subtracting the weight of an unused tank is one way of going about it, but the result needs to be adjusted by the specific gravity of the ink to derive an accurate liquid measurement of ink in the tanks.

I have already calculate that by weighting a full and an empty ink cartridge. The difference is 88 grams. So 80ml is 88 grams.

[Mark D Segal]

Yup, that's about the correction factor I determined as well when I was into that issue some time ago.

[henrikolsen]

Bad news.

With firmware 2.050 I started a print today and was asked to change the maintenance cart (MC) after that there was about 6 min different noises and I got 58grams in the MC.

Men that hurts!!

I also experienced power loss for several hours as the power grid went off two days ago for the whole night and my USP run out of battery.

So the questions are: Do we get this cleaning activated on every new MC? Do we get this cleaning after power loss, because of reset of internal timers? Will this cleaning happen if we change the MC before requested by the printer?

Next things to test:

1. is to unplug the printer from the wall socket for one night and see if it will get the 58 grams and if not maybe we can add 58g ink price to the price of the MC.

2. Change MC before it is full.

So after all maybe it's not about days off...

As yet another data point:

I was asked to replace the MC and after replacing it an initiating the next print it did the whole long whining exercise once again - last time was 201807. It is 7-10 minutes of expensive draining, 60 grams of ink in the MC after that print (measured; accounting manager clocked in a total ink consumed delta of 94ml). Last MC replacement was the very same process.

It should be noted that the prints just before this MC replacement (same day) were perfect and had initiated with what seemed as a regular small cleaning/preparation.

[Alan Goldhammer]

I'm replying to this old post because I'm trying to decide between the Epson P800 and the Canon Pro-1000.  I came across this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GCZy78FhVg done by Jose Rodriguez who compares both printers (it also turns out that he lives pretty close to me in Maryland).  Look starting at minute 5 of the video where he talks about the Canon programmed cleaning cycles.  He says that it does a programmed clean 60 hours from the last print job.  "If" this is true one ought to be able to print an image every other day and reset this clock which is what he states (he has both printers mentioned). 

His group of videos are plentiful and the ones I've watched pretty informative.

[Panagiotis]

I'm replying to this old post because I'm trying to decide between the Epson P800 and the Canon Pro-1000.  I came across this video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GCZy78FhVg done by Jose Rodriguez who compares both printers (it also turns out that he lives pretty close to me in Maryland).  Look starting at minute 5 of the video where he talks about the Canon programmed cleaning cycles.  He says that it does a programmed clean 60 hours from the last print job.  "If" this is true one ought to be able to print an image every other day and reset this clock which is what he states (he has both printers mentioned). 

His group of videos are plentiful and the ones I've watched pretty informative.

I believe that this is not how it works. It is way more complicated. For example the printer will perform a cleaning routine even during continuous heavy printing sessions. I am keeping a record of the printer ink consumption. The attached screenshot gives a summary after two years and a little more.

It is very difficult (if not impossible) to improve on the 50/50 ink on paper/ink in the maintenance tank figure. Only after printing almost 40 square meters per month (this is roughly 160 A2 pages) the figure was 80/20 (the last row in the spreadsheet).

As a general comment I say that it is a fantastic printer, very well build, capable of heavy use with excellent output quality. I recently added a PRO-4000 which now is taking almost all the load but I am still using the 1000 for printing small jobs and cut sheets and I am planning to keep using it. 

[Alan Goldhammer]

Yes, I made a mistake in reporting on what he said in the video.  The Canon printer does a peremptory cleaning regardless at defined intervals.  One can over come this by regular printing.

[Tibor O]

It is very difficult (if not impossible) to improve on the 50/50 ink on paper/ink in the maintenance tank figure. Only after printing almost 40 square meters per month (this is roughly 160 A2 pages) the figure was 80/20 (the last row in the spreadsheet).

Thank you for this info. After reading this thread I decided to go with the Epson SC-P5000 instead of Canon Pro-1000.