Wonderful Pros, but worthy to note the caveats
Written: Jul 28 '04 (Updated Jul 28 '04)
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Pros: Cheap to buy/run, Lightning Fast and High Quality Printing, Sturdy Machine, potential AntiJamming feature
Cons: Print fading, Noisy paper loading, LCD-less pictbridge, Creases Cheap paper (doesn't jam), Frequent light cleaning
The Bottom Line: Despite the potential print fading, I definitely recommend the i860 as it provides a niche for those who want stunning photos and prints yet desires rock bottom price and affordability.
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| sonnetceles's Full Review: Canon i860 Photo Bubble Jet Printer 23/16ppm Print... |
Deal
I got my i860 after a $30 rebate which ended, although you can do some shopping on Office max online. Take note that they require tax, and make sure to click on the rebates link to get the special offers (a $30 rebate and a $20 gift certificate). They end I believe sometime in august.
Why 4 out of 5?
All in all I am impressed with the speed, appearance, and quality of this printer, but let me first explain the 4/5 for both ratings.
First, please note that ease of use and paper handling are not the only factors to determining a great printer. If print quality was there I'd rate it top of the pack and a 6 out of five if that were possible. SPEED is another vital factor as well and again, this printer has no competition at the time of my buying it.
Secondly, let me explain my findings briefly (I'll go into detail soon)
Ease of use is a 4/5 because the setup is not exactly intuitive to a normal computer user (disregard the computer savvy). It's not to say the manual is difficult, but let's just say I had a few spills and messes because I didn't follow the instructions. No, I don't always practice what I preach...
As for paper handling, that isn't perfect only because I am rating it on real world experience. For what it is designed for, Canon's paper loading is flawless. However, running down the list of what I can use, it seems a little bit limited. So if I were to rate it only on that, it would be 5 stars. However, people normally use the cheapest stuff they can find for printers. There seems to be a surprise though, and I created a special section below.
Appearance
Upen opening you notice the printer is a bit bulky, while the exterior is quite attractive. Being metallic silver on the top with white and gray on the sides and bottom, this big, but almost aerodynamic machine takes up a larger than average footprint than it's other cousins. The expanding top loader and frontal tray feels a bit loosely attached, and needs a little coaxing to store and expand, but the plastic itself is sturdy like the rest of the printer. The pictbridge is in front, although the lack of an lcd makes direct from camera printing less intuitive. It comes with a relatively handy 4x6 photo tray that seems to do a good job directing the paper in a perfect manner.
Cable not included
The annoyance of most printers today is that they tout great camera support but they take out the computer cable. Canon is no exception and it does NOT come with a usb cable necessary for printing from the computer. Additionally, for fans of the more expensive european/asian i865, this doesn't include the cd printing kit and storage kit. This isn't as serious though and considering how much you save, I would rather just buy some cd printing kits from avery or something.
Anyways, if you are upgrading from an ancient printer a parallel printer port IS included!
Installation
Installation is not difficult as long as you follow the steps faithfully. It's easy enough to go through the pictoral diagram without reading a single word, although yours truly did spill a little because I'm stubborn and I didn't even feel like going through that... After the printer was untaped and ready I was ready to print!
Printing
When I first started, I was alarmed by how loud the paper loading mechanism was in comparison to the quiet printing. But it seemed to have gotten quieter with time, or perhaps I am comfortably adapted to it.
Another event when you first start is that you may experience some strange cycle in the beginning that loops. It sounds like a head cleaning process but it isn't. The solution to this problem is to simply wait and not panic. Don't shut off the printer or interrupt it for about 2 minutes (look at the clock, don't simply guess). If the loop extends into 3, cancel the job and try printing from another program. There is nothing to fret about unless you simply cannot escape this loop no matter how long you wait or what software you use. Also, remember not to use the native windows image viewer to execute printing, as that caused previous problems for me on other printers. After it's done printing a sheet, it has a habit of entering a quiet looping cycle that sounds like a typical light head cleaning. While I feel this is a bit unnecessary I'll only complain if my ink well dries up really quickly. After this first time experience I have found that the printing mechanism performs consistently, quickly, and dependably. And the next section will explain the most outstanding feature of this printer: It's output.
Print Quality
Text Draft prints
I have not yet tried the default draft setting, but using a 3rd party software (Ink saver) to control the ink level, the economy prints are outstanding and speedy. You've probably already heard all the hoopla other users are exclaiming about this printer, and while I'm not one to go with the trends, I must agree. The text is sharp and clear and while there is visible dotting on the color pictures, it is still beautiful. I am afraid the default draft mode may be so-so, but I'll try it out for you and report back here.
Photo Printing
Prepare to go wild when your picture comes out looking better than what you see on screen. This is not always, of course, but for me, 3/3 STUNNING jaw dropping prints is enough to convince me this is not a common printer, though I will keep testing it. Something I have noticed is a tendency to veer to the reds. I had a painting of a sunset that I drew using my wacom and it is stunningly detailed and dotless as a printout, but the highlights on foreground elements are redder, as well as the sunset, which was a more faded red than the original. As for looking for dots, I've already gotten eyestrain trying to see them. So with a magnifying glass I can see some, but it is only truly obvious when I scan at a high dpi. I hope that gives you an idea how nice the 2PL system truly is!
Printing Features
Before printing anything, make sure you selected everything you wanted and double check. If I had a nickel for everytime I forgot to set something I'd buy myself a new computer.
Borderless:
I had to finaggle with this a little and slide the marker to the left to make it chop off less of the picture. Needless to say, TEST on a draft sheet before testing it on an expensive photo paper sheet.
Duplex printing (manual):
Also make sure to test this on a test sheet. Also, while I find the animated instruction telling you to flip kinda cute, I have to recheck that again because I ended up with an upside down back side. Anyways it's pretty interesting.
More on other features, as I continue using it
Paper
Paper selection is vital for photo output on this printer and you really shouldn't get too experiemental if you're printing photos. While on my inksaver economy mode, I can afford to fool around, and have found nice results with copy paper, the general rule of thumb for photo prints is not to use any paper other than what is "highly" recommended by avid canon users. So the choice is easy.
Canon's own line
Epson glossy paper
Ilford
I have heard good things about ilford that even says something about how it lasts much longer in terms of fade. But I feel that since this printer isn't made for archival purposes anyways, one should try to save by buying cheaper alternatives like Epson and getting careful with storage (I go into paper fading later).
WHAT? An anti-jamming feature?
My experience with using 20 lb copy paper on all printers is simply... Jamfest. Not only do printers despise copy paper but it occassionally requires one to YANK out the paper from the gears. Overall, it's not a very healthy feeling, and having had an epson photo printer that I used, unwillingly, as a very slow text printer, I really don't want to go through that all over again.
So when my canon first misfeed a copy paper sheet, I was a little disappointed. I realize it's not MADE to take 20lb paper and I was warned before by other reviews, but darn it, I'm not rich. Then what shocked and pleased me was that a second later the printer SELF corrected the jam. It first fiddled with the print heads, then with a cheerful snap, pushed out the paper, then dutifully printed it like nothing ever happened. I'm not sure if that noisy loading mechanism has something to do with it, or if this is even designed this way but it has already prevented 4 jams and it's enough to convince me that I made a pretty good buy.
Also, note there have been no misfeeds with the recommended (aka expensive) paper.
Durability of the Machine
Aftercare of the printer is garnered from online readings and a bit of first hand inspection, but not long term experience.
If you remember what others have written, i860 comes with a separate printhead you need to install. On that front, the printhead is actually like a cartridge DOWN TO how it comes in an air sealed cartridge pouch that really amused me. Everyone who's owned a printer knows that a dead printhead means a dead printer. Meaning that you have to replace the whole machine.
This is not canon specific and dead printheads happen to all machines. The advantage to owning a canon is that I have already heard from about 3 people online that they bought a printhead for about 40 something dollars and ended up saving their precious printers from a certain doom. No, It's not a steal and I'm sure it is not easy to get a print head, but it's a testament to it's durability, expandability, and some thinking on part of Canon's team. Anyways print at least one photo a day, and avoid really bad generic ink (no, not all generic inks are bad) to avoid that ugly problem.
The second issue is canon specific, and has to deal with the sponge well that collects waste ink. The famed "waste ink tank full" notice stops your printer until it is serviced and reset by a canon official. But there's a solution to this as well. If you're not in the mood to service either an aging printer, or you feel comfortable doing it on your own, go here:
http://www.neilslade.com/papers/inkjetstuff.html
I've done something similar to an epson (though they don't have that error) and it's quite easy and you're rewarded with cleaner prints. Just be careful not to get reckless in there and void the warranty by spilling ink on the hardware. Oh and I don't believe this will void the warranty but again, this requires some additional research.
Print Fading
When I first read about print fading, it almost deterred me not to buy the canon because I thought it was unavoidable. However, now that I've researched a lot more, I've discovered that both canon and Hp has this problem, and that it is rare that the fading is really bad. It happens but it's not an everyday occurence.
An simple explanation of fading is that Canon uses dye based inks that will fade when exposed to gases, and sometimes sunlight. Some colors fade more easily than others and you sometimes get prints that looks too green or yellow, etc.
Another printer, the Epson R800, uses pigment and can back a longer print life than HP and Canon. However, Epson's archival printers are significantly more expensive to run, and have their own problems (mostly printhead related) that deterred me from buying. Having owned a photo 875dc, it no longer prints as well as it did, and many users have said that the R800 has a potentially disastrous fault with a loose ink nozzle. If you're not technically savvy, wait until they fix that problem before buying it or at least ask about it. The last thing you want is expensive ink sprayed ALL over the insides of an even more expensive printer.
Anyways, I know you probably are a bit worried about fading just like myself, however when it comes down to it, all prints, even actual photos, fade and it really is up to you to protect it by keeping it in a sleeve or behind glass. And if you want something that can last all sorts of weather, go professional and get something done by ezprints or another better online dealer. Make sure to ask for archival quality.
Good luck and more to come, as I spend more time printing and calibrating my printer
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 98
Operating System: Windows
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Epinions.com ID:
sonnetceles
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Reviews written: 1
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