Canon Pro 100 - Low Ink Remaining Number of Dots?

[robert_digrazia]

The Pro 100 uses no. 42 ink tanks.

When an ink tank is low (not empty), how many dots can the tank print before going empty?

Is there any research on dots/tank?

I asked Canon chat, which gave me this link to estimated page counts.  Not helpful.
https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/index?page=content&id=FAQ100319&actp=search&viewlocale=en_US&searchid=1715790600081
 

 

[Sandy Vongries]

Been using a PP100 for years.  Never found a way to predict cartridge life because so much depends on the images.  I simply made it a habit to keep a couple of sets of replacements on hand.  Not the answer, but I never found one either!

[robert_digrazia]

There is a business opportunity here for anyone willing to buy a few dozen ink tanks and spend a few months "counting" printed dots.  Reasonably sturdy plain paper ought to be adequate.  The unwasted ink would balance even a hefty price for a report.

[digitaldog]

As an Epson user I print until it stops, pop in a new cartridge and it picks up where it left off, even mid print. No Canon experience but it might do the same. The warning is really: have a new cartridge nearby. 

[Sandy Vongries]

Actually, I was given a PP100 by a professional photographer who owned a camera store.  He was so enraged by being unable to figure out the cartridge life that he was going to take it to the dump.  This was a gent with notable expertise. It prints excellent and durable photos.  I have a dozen on display that don't appear to have changed in years of exposure to late afternoon sun. I suppose I'll need to update, it is no longer new and time marches!

[robert_digrazia]

12 hours ago, digitaldog said:

As an Epson user I print until it stops, pop in a new cartridge and it picks up where it left off, even mid print. No Canon experience but it might do the same. The warning is really: have a new cartridge nearby. 

I asked Canon's "chat":
When an ink tank goes empty during printing, can I replace the tank and resume printing with no adverse effect to the print?

Canon's response:
"When an ink tanks is empty the output may not print as expected. You would need to cancel printing, replace the empty tank then reprint the content. Please open the following link in a new tab within the web browser for steps to replace the ink tank.
LINK ==> https://ij.manual.canon/ij/webmanual/Manual/W/PRO-100S series/EN/BG/bg-ink1000.html ".

Their chat supporter answered promptly, but with a disappointing answer.

So... after printing 18" of a 12.5x18.5, I have to start over.  And then, Murphy's law says another tank will go empty.  And I will wind up replacing eight tanks. 

[robert_digrazia]

11 hours ago, Sandy Vongries said:

Actually, I was given a PP100 by a professional photographer who owned a camera store.  He was so enraged by being unable to figure out the cartridge life that he was going to take it to the dump. ...

That is understandable.  He probably printed large photos.  Repeating a print because ink runs out could get costly.  Shame on Canon.

[robert_digrazia]

13 hours ago, digitaldog said:

As an Epson user I print until it stops, pop in a new cartridge and it picks up where it left off, even mid print. No Canon experience but it might do the same. The warning is really: have a new cartridge nearby. 

Interesting...  Which model Epson do you use?

[digitaldog]

Its been that way for decades. Currently using 3880, P800 and P900.

[paddler4]

I have always just popped in a new cartridge when the old one runs out and let the printing re-start. The worst case would be having to print that print again, but I don't recall ever having to, with any of my canon printers, which included in the past a 100.

A count of dots would be useless because the number of dots per line of printing varies with the image and the type of paper.

[Robin Smith]

My experience is that you can print until the cartridge runs out and the printer requests a new cartridge in order to continue. I have not found this impacts the final print. I think it possible that there are in reality a few missing drops, so part of a line is not perfectly rendered in the correct color, but probably this is only really visible if you take a magnifying glass to the print and search for an interrupted line.

[Ed_Ingold]

It's easy to check the status of ink cartridges on the printer's web page. You get a "low" alert long before the cartridge fails. However, the printer shuts down before that cartridge starts sucking air, which would present a monumental problem restarting the printer, possibly requiring replacement of the print head. 

I keep a complete set of cartridges on hand, and order individual replacements each time one is replaced.