CANNON PROGRAF 1000

[srozansky1]

I am considering buying a Cannon Prograf 1000 printer. My dilemma is we live in Florida and leave for most of the summer. My Epson P6000 ended up in the dumpster due to lack of use this past summer. Has anybody let their Cannon Prograf 1000 sit for 3 to 4 months without having to replace the printhead?
Thanks....Steve 

[IPDOUGLAS]

You need to carefully read other posts about this printer here and in other forums.  It hqs a design issue which in the case of mine caused it to be dumped after 2 years light use!

It produces fabulous prints but use huge amounts of ink especially if not printing every 2 days as it has a reputable (and I have seen this in practice) 60 hour cycle that enforces a head clean which dumps ink.  This cannot be defeated in the software.  Some users like me printed a nozzle check every two days to stop this.  Also switching it off or a break in mains power will trigger a head clean.  Initial priming of print-head and tubes etc will consume a large part percentage of the supplied ink set so be prepared to quickly replace ink (after about 33 A3 prints in my case).  Do NOT buy this printer if you want cheaper ink cost and do not print regularly it is not suitable.  great prints but a design flaw in cartridge mechanism that requires an engineer full strip down that costs more than new printer and then you need to add new ink set. 

I cant answer your question I am afraid but please look into the issues with this printer BEFORE buying.

[David Eckels]

I cannot address the first reply, but I am very happy with the pro-1000. I use QImage to print an "unclog pattern" every 4 days using a stack of regular copy paper. I have printed about 150 8.5x11 and a few dozen 13x19 color and b/w. I have been very pleased with the results, especially using QImage in place of LR, and have only gone through one CO cartridge and a maintenance tray. I keep waiting for the printer to require a new color cartridge; they are getting low though.

PS I did check out the critical posts; I think IPDOUGLAS posted a link here on LuLa. But I did not find them convincing. There are strong reviews posted here and on PhotoPXL.

[smthopr]

My Epson 3800 has died and I’m considering a replacement. Thinking about this Canon or the Epson 900.

Any advice appreciated. And... is there any other choice for 17” wide printers?

[Conner999]

Print very infrequently. Weather here is cold and dry in winter and hot and humid in summer.

Moved from Epson 38xx series to the 1000 and couldn't be happier. No work-stopping clogs, no switching inks, no $#%^& pizza wheel marks, no fouled capping station, etc. Have become Canon devotee.

Yes, the 1000 it will 'waste' ink cleaning nozzles frequently. That said, I'd happily trade more ink $ for no $%^ clogs, no ink-blowing blacks swapping, vacuum hold-down (no pizza wheel marks), clean prints and user-replaceable head. Our 38xx was half  'Wow' and half 'You bloody PoS.."

I'm of the belief that ALL inkjet printers are 21st century software poured into 'designed-by-minions-of-Satan' 15th century mechanical engineering just waiting to f*** you over, so it's a matter of picking a unit(s) with the lowest probability of ruining your day.  YMMV ;>

[srozansky1]

Thanks everyone for your responses.  I think more research is in order!

[Eric Brody]

smthopr, at this time my 3880 is working well but it is over 7 years old and I think frequently about its potential replacement. I was initially excited about the P900, (no black switching) or the Canons (also no black switching) but i use QTR RIP for my black and white work and QTR does not work on Canon's and has not yet been set up for the P900. Plus the puny 50ml ink cartridges on the P900 are insulting.

I decided that should my 3880 die tomorrow, I'd probably get a P5000. It's a sturdy, professional grade machine with 200ml ink cartridges. It does require black ink switching but the ink cost is so low (because of the 200ml cartridges) compared to the 50ml ones on the P900 that it's probably worth it. There's talk of a replacement but perhaps the last run of a solid quality machine is a better choice than a new untested one. You can read the stories about the initially not ready for prime time 7570 and 9570.

Each alternative has its pluses and minuses. Good luck in your quest.

[smthopr]

smthopr, at this time my 3880 is working well but it is over 7 years old and I think frequently about its potential replacement. I was initially excited about the P900, (no black switching) or the Canons (also no black switching) but i use QTR RIP for my black and white work and QTR does not work on Canon's and has not yet been set up for the P900. Plus the puny 50ml ink cartridges on the P900 are insulting.

I decided that should my 3880 die tomorrow, I'd probably get a P5000. It's a sturdy, professional grade machine with 200ml ink cartridges. It does require black ink switching but the ink cost is so low (because of the 200ml cartridges) compared to the 50ml ones on the P900 that it's probably worth it. There's talk of a replacement but perhaps the last run of a solid quality machine is a better choice than a new untested one. You can read the stories about the initially not ready for prime time 7570 and 9570.

Each alternative has its pluses and minuses. Good luck in your quest.

I was considering the 5000...  but it weighs 110 pounds which will require me to hire people to help me move it!  Does anyone here have experience with clogging n the 5000? Maybe I should still consider it?

[Eric Brody]

smthopr If you're interested in the Epson P5000, look for Mark Segal's excellent review, https://luminous-landscape.com/tag/p5000/
Mark's printer reviews are simply the best, most detailed and most useful I've ever seen.

[smthopr]

smthopr If you're interested in the Epson P5000, look for Mark Segal's excellent review, https://luminous-landscape.com/tag/p5000/
Mark's printer reviews are simply the best, most detailed and most useful I've ever seen.

The P5000 seems interesting. I’m hesitating about the weight and... sometimes I travel and can’t print for a while.

Might I be doomed to print head failure if I need to travel?

[greyscale]

FWIW, the Profraf 1000 was released in October 2015. Waiting for an update from Canon.

[RaffiCoffee]

I think Qimage has a schedule based test print mode if not mistaken, so when traveling it would print autopilot. I have heard very good things about the Pro-1000 and have used it, but not owned one. I have a Pro-10 that cannot handle ANY imperfect paper, so the vacuum on the canon is great. I have lots of sheet paper that from a bit of humidity change has slight curled edges, and this will cause a head strike.

I agree with Conner999's post, lol. A while back I had the Epson Pro4000, and that was the last Epson I promised to buy as I threw it out. I got the z3200 and had been really happy, yet leaving it unplugged, while it does better, it would also get clogged. Like the Canon, it is unavoidable to not run any small amount of print on a minimal weekly basis. So the printer does this on auto daily does a slight cleaning head.
I too would rather lose some ink for reliability. I almost purchased a lightly used Pro-1000 recently, but hardly had any inks in it. $700+ for the full set, while the printer is 1299 new with the inks(maybe larger inks), but still. I could not justify $500 for a "empty printer :-) but I still think that maybe it was OK.

[RaffiCoffee]

I was considering the 5000...  but it weighs 110 pounds which will require me to hire people to help me move it!  Does anyone here have experience with clogging n the 5000? Maybe I should still consider it?

I understand all situations are different but I would not let weight and a one time move limit me from getting a printer that is going to do work for me.

[smthopr]

Thanks for your advice.
After some consideration, my printer repair man said to avoid the Canon 1000 as it has an issue with the ink tank clips breaking, and added that, while the heads can be changed easily, it also requires an expensive ink purge.

A p900  became available, and I’ve ordered that. It will cost more for ink than the 5000, but I just dont have the space for the big guy.

[JohnHeerema]

If you are considering replacing your 3880 with a P800, you might want to know that the P800 will not print fine art media borderless.

It lacks the 3880's nice manual rear sheet feeder, and borderless printing is not available if you use the manual front feeder.

[raminolta]

I have had a Canon ipf6400 for a couple years now and occasionally I didn't use the printer for 2-3 months. So far, all I had to do was some head cleaning to back to work.

A few months ago, the printer ran out of red ink (and yellow was nearly empty too). Printer advice to have new ink cartridges ready at hand. Then it said I need to replace these cartridges. I was ill at the time and just ignored the message. Then I just turned off the printer to get rid of the flashing message!  One day, I turned the printer back on. Apparently, the printer tried to suck ink from the empty cartridges resulting in a printhead failure. Printer's message now was to replace the printhead.

However, I had to order new red and yellow cartridges which I did. It took quite a while until the cartridges arrived. I took my chance so didn't buy a printhead. I thought  let's try; maybe it goes back to work once I install the ink cartridges. So I did so and turned on the printer again. It went through a few cycles of checking the printheads and cleaning them. After about 15minutes or so, the printer was back to work without needing a printhead replacement. Overall, I think I couldn't use the printer for about three months.

[unesco]

If you are considering replacing your 3880 with a P800, you might want to know that the P800 will not print fine art media borderless.

It lacks the 3880's nice manual rear sheet feeder, and borderless printing is not available if you use the manual front feeder.

P800 does print FA media borderless, at least mine does...

[IPDOUGLAS]

Quote "I too would rather lose some ink for reliability"

This is from someone who does not and has not owned a Canon Imageprograf Pro 1000!

It is not 'some' of your ink but most of your ink!  Regular (at least EVERY 2 days) printers need not be so concerned.   But then there is the failed ink cartridge ejection mechanism design fault that writes off the printer ............   Great prints and paper handling but SO FLAWED.

Got one here if someone wants for perhaps a £150 for replacement parts and printhead etc?  Was less than two years old when failed.