Archived from groups: comp.periphs.printers (
More info?)
I may as well jump in on the duplex vs. non duplex arguments. I just did a
test print with my iP4000. The document was created in Microsoft Publisher
and had two columns on each page. Each column was completely filled with the
words 'Duplex print darkness test'. A heavy, bold font set to 48 pts was
used for one column and the other had the same text, but printed with 12 pt.
Times Roman. A mixture of colors was used for the text - black, blue, red,
green, yellow, purple, teal. A portrait photo was also on the page. The
print test was run with the top cover of the printer open and a tightly
rolled scrap of paper was used to hold down the cover switch to prevent the
cover open message from popping up. I used 24# Weyerhaeuser Premium Multi
Purpose paper for this test.
The following tests were run:
1.- Duplex mode, plain paper, print quality = standard
2.- Duplex mode, plain paper, print quality = high
3.- Single sheet mode, plain paper, print quality = standard
4.- Single sheet mode, plain paper, print quality = high
5.- Single sheet mode, high res paper, print quality = standard
6.- Single sheet mode, high res paper, print quality = high
With the cover open it's very easy to see if the wide path from the BCI-3ebk
nozzles for pigmented black or if the narrow print path from the BCI-6 photo
black nozzles is used. In all cases only black ink appeared to be used for
black text, composite black for text was never observed. Also, smearing the
black output with a moist tissue did not pick up any color other than black,
nor did viewing the output with an 8x loupe.
For plain paper, the pigmented black is utilized for both text and photos.
Print quality could be high or standard, but pigmented black is used for
either setting. For other paper modes(i.e. high res paper) pigmented black
is not used, only photo black. The same ink usage characteristics are seen
regardless if duplex or single sheet mode is utilized and regardless if
print quality = high or standard is specified. Note: duplex is not an option
with any paper types except plain and photo paper plus double side.
When the output from duplex is compared to the output from single side there
is an observable (slight) difference in print intensity. In plain paper mode
using duplex the output (both black and color) isn't as dense as in single
sided prints and is a bit lighter which nearly eliminates any bleed through
of the ink to the reverse side. In single side mode the bleed through is
very noticeable, enough so that printing on the reverse side would be
useless. This can be overcome if the intensity setting is moved to the
extreme left. Note that bleed through is only a problem with pigmented
black - BCI-3ebk - and not with any of the BCI-6 colors, including photo
black. The usage of pigmented black can be eliminated by specifying a
different paper type other than plain paper. This also results in crisper
text than if using pigmented black.
Duplex is a nice feature and in certain situations works very well. There is
a time lag to flip each page, but it can be shortened a little by adjusting
the drying time setting. If you have an application which allows printing on
even side/odd side only then duplex may not be so necessary. However, if you
have applications which don't support even/odd side printing - i.e.
Microsoft Publisher - then the duplex feature comes in quite handy. Just be
prepared to take a little break or do something else if you are printing a
long document.
One other note: The resident troll is likely to say the cause of the
pigmented ink bleed through is the result of using third party ink
(Formulabs). It is true that bleed through did occur using Formulabs ink,
but I also ran the same set of tests using OEM Canon ink and the results
were the same as were all the colors.
--
Ron
"Taliesyn" <taliesyn4@netscape.net> wrote in message
news:11jh8ell6j8kg14@corp.supernews.com...
> George E. Cawthon wrote:
>
>> Taliesyn wrote:
>>
>>> Mikey wrote:
>>>
>>>> I am using CANON ink and top quality paper.
>>>>
>>>> I am also only talking about a standard word document.
>>>>
>>>> I have printed out two versions of the same document. The only
>>>> difference is that one is set to DUPLEX and the other single sheet.
>>>>
>>>> It defiantly looks like each document uses the different Black ink.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Mike
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Yes, you are absolutely correct. This has nothing to to do with
>>> what kind of ink you are using - OEM or compatible - as Measekite
>>> would like you to believe.
>>>
>>> I get the same results as you using duplex with my iP5000 - which I
>>> hate duplexing with, by the way. It's agonizingly slow. When printing a
>>> document using duplex, your printer doesn't use the large pigmented
>>> black cartridge. It mixes the three CYM colors to imitate black, thus
>>> you get that dark grey text, so to speak, that you mentioned. I checked
>>> the duplex printout with a strong magnifier and could plainly see CYM
>>> dot splatters of red and blue (yellow is harder to see). This mixing
>>> colors to make "black" ink is intentional. My best guess is that Canon
>>> is doing this is because they know they would get smudging of the ink
>>> since pigmented black ink takes a lot longer to dry than the dye ink
>>> colors.
>>>
>>> I never ever use the duplex feature. I consider it inferior, now more
>>> than ever since it mixes colors to make black.
>>>
>>> I duplex manually. When I print one side of a page I often have to blow
>>> on it before showing it back in for the flip side. Smudge risk.
>>>
>>> So either accept the lighter shade of pale or flip and get genuine
>>> black. I prefer the latter.
>>>
>>> -Taliesyn
>>
>>
>> Well damn, and I just got an iP4000. I haven't compared a duplex to a
>> non-duplex yet. My old HP 970 works just fine with duplexing with
>> pigmented ink. But like you I find the duplexing, especially the wait
>> for the second side to be a big bore. It isn't much more trouble and way
>> faster to just turn the pile of paper over and print the back side.
>>
>
> If you duplexed 20 pages automatically and then the same 20 manually
> (print the even, then the odd pages), you'd find you'd save several
> minutes. I did this test once, maybe just 10 pages, and was amazed
> at the difference. I don't remember the time each took. Anyway, manual
> felt like half the time. One day when I'm bored I'll set it do the 20
> pages automatically while I go out and watch a two hour movie. They should
> be ready by the time I return. . .
🙂
>
> And auto duplexing gives you that rather crummy looking black (dark grey)
> compared to bold black pigmented from manual duplexing.
>
> -Taliesyn
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