Ausjet Inkjet & Laser Supplies Blog
Inkjet Refilling Technical Bulletin
Technical Bulletin 29-08-08
PG40 & CL41 Priming Tools
We have just received in stock priming tools for the ever popular Canon Pg37/40/50 & CL38/41/51/52 range of cartridges. Priming is a critical aspect of inkjet refilling and these have been in much demand. They are also a great solution for refill kits as one side of the clip is designed for the cartridge to fit into for refilling.
Plastic Ball Plug For Cartridge Sealing
We have now sourced another plastic ball plug and are happy to offer this plug at a much reduced price over the previously available plug. The ball plug can be used in a wide range of Canon and HP cartridges. The plug is also offered as the preferred seal for the Epson evalve system.
The plug will fit the following cartridges :
BC03/BX3/Bci3s/BCi6s/Pgi5s/Cli8s/Hp15/45 and Evalve system.
Changing The Battery In The Pgi-5 Resetter
As you may be aware the battery in the resetter will eventually run out of life. These resetters are not designed for multi batch resetting as this would drain the battery very quickly. Even though the resetter looks like a sealed unit it is actually quite easy to open and replace the battery. Full instructions for replacing the battery are available as a PDF Download
Benchtop Centrifuge Currently Testing
We are currently testing a small benchtop centrifuge and so far are very pleased with the result. When used correctly this centrifuge doesn't bounce around like a lot of others on the market. Its a very quiet unit that doesn't take up much bench space and has universal cartridge cradles - so that you don't have to buy extra cradles for each different type of cartridge. Its perfect for those that want an easy no hassle way of empting ink cartridges.
Lexmark Return Program Cartridges
Lexmark has released a few more return program cartridges to the market recently. As of today and to the best of my knowledge the following information is correct.
The following return program cartridges will not work when refilled and legally can't be refilled.
#23 Black #24 Colour
#28 Black #29 Colour
#41 Black #42 Colour
#14 Black #15 Colour
#36 Black #37 Colour
An 'A' after any of these cartridges changes the situation totally - All 'A' cartridges can be refilled.
The important thing to remember is if the cartridge has 'return program on the cartridge then it can't be refilled'
Most lexmark printers that use the #23, #24, #28 and #29 cartridges can also use the Lexmark #34 & #35 cartridges. We currently have on special remanufactured Lexmark #34 and #35 cartridges. It's a good idea to have a few of these cartridges on hand to replace the appropriate return program cartridge. Remember to mention to your customer that the #34 and #35 can be refilled.
More detailed information on these return program cartridges will be available soon for download. Alternatively you can visit Lexmarks website.
I hope this information has been helpful to you.
Shane
Ausjet Technical Support
Weekly Deal 27th August
Deal of the week 20th August
|
| ||||||||
|
COUPON CODE: Sally Silver * WHILE STOCK LASTS * Mention the above coupon in your phone or fax purchase order. | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
$18.90 ($9.45 ea)
Brother PC-302. 2 per pack
$6.00 ($3.00 ea)
$9.50 ($4.75 ea)
$3.50 ($1.75 ea)
FO-6CR. 2 per pack
$5.90 ($2.95 ea)
FO-15CR. 2 per pack
$12.90 ($6.45 ea)
$0.175ea. SAVE 40%
0.025 ea save 20%
$0.03 ea. Save 25%
BC-02 / BC-05 / BC-20 / BX-3
$0.35 ea. Save 20%
HP Full colour 14 /15 /23 /29 /40 /41 /45 /49 /56 /57 /78 $0.35 ea. Save 20%
Size 35 x 53 x78mm
$0.40 ea. Save 20%
Size 27 x 81 x116mm
$0.40 ea. Save 20%
50 x 64 x 84mm
$0.40 ea. Save 20%
WHILE STOCK LASTS
Specials Ending Midnight 20th August
Toner Cartridge Deal Q2612A/E30/Q2624x
|
| ||||||||
|
COUPON CODE: Gold Medal * WHILE STOCK REMAINS * Mention the above coupon in your phone or fax purchase order. | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Queensland Holiday - Expect Delays
Please note that due to the Queensland Show Day "Ekka" Holiday there will be no Australian Air Express or Courier Service on Monday the 11th of August. We will do our best to send orders via Australia Post (Eparcel).
Despite the holiday we will be open for business.
To avoid delays due to Mondays' holiday please place your orders on Friday the 8th of August before 12pm.
Did you know?
Ausjet offer an advanced drop shipping service. We can create custom data feeds for your website or mail marketing software that contain all our product information, pricing and stock information. We also can provide images of all our products for your marketing purposes. We also have an order import function so that you do not have to manually enter orders!
Tech Bulletin: New inkjet Cartridges
Tech Bulletin : New inkjet cartridges
Canon
Canon has released a new range of inkjet cartridges. The cartridge model is a PGI-7 and PGi-9 and are similiar to the Cli-8 etc as they are individual ink tanks. The biggest difference in the Pgi-9 cartridges is that all the cartridges contain pigment inks even the colours. The printers are available in Australia in the MX7600 (RRP $549.00) and the Pimax Pro 9500 A3+ (RRP $1399) high end printers
The MX7600 cartridge uses the following cartridges
http://www.canon.com.au/products/all_in_one_printers/all_in_one_printers/mx7600.aspx
Pgi-7 Black
Pgi-9 Cyan
Pgi-9 Magenta
Pgi-9 Yellow
Pgi-9 Photo Black
Pgi-9 Clear
The Pixma Pro 9500 uses 10 different cartridges
http://www.canon.com.au/products/printers/colour_bj_printers/pro9500.aspx
Pgi-9 Cyan
Pgi-9 Magenta
Pgi-9 Yellow
Pgi-9 Photo Cyan
Pgi-9 Photo Magenta
Pgi-9 Red
Pgi-9 Green
Pgi-9 Photo Black
Pgi-9 Medium Black
We are currently in the process of sourcing pigment inks for these cartridges and developing refill instructions. We have also had some positive results with resetting the chips on these new cartridges.
Canon also has released a 4 colour cartridge (BkCMY) called the CLI-36, this cartridge is used in a Pixma Mini260 Compact Photo printer.
http://www.canon.com.au/products/visual/printers/photo_printers/mini260.aspx. The cartridge does contain a chip which looks the same as the Pgi-5/Cli-8 chip.
Brother
Brother is also soon to release a new cartridge model - overseas the model number of the cartridges are LC61 and LC65. So expect the model numbers to be different when they arrrive in Australia. The good news is Brother is sticking to its proven individual tank design without a electronic chip. Brother has also mentioned that the inks have been only very slightly modified from the ink in the LC57 cartridges. These cartridges are currently only available in the MFC-6490CW which is not available in Australia. But i would be surprised if the new cartridges aren't in Australia soon.
More info about the MFC-6490CW which is the first printer in the world which will print/copy/scan ledger size paper.
http://welcome.solutions.brother.com/BSC/public/us/us/en/model_top/colormfc/mfc6490cw_all.html
reg=us&prod=mfc6490cw_all&c=us&lang=en
Epson
Probably the main thing that everybody is talking about with Epson is the 73N series cartridges. Its eay to get confused with the 73N and the T0731-4 series cartridges.
The 73N from Epson is a replacement cartridge for the T0731-T0734 cartridges that has sold for the last few years. Epson will also be releasing new printers that the 73N will only work in.
With the Procolor compatible we currently have the T0731-4 range of cartridges, but as you are probably aware these are a very popular range of cartridges. So lets not get confused if somebody asks for a T0731 give them a procolor T0731 - these printers have been selling here for many years so there is a huge customer base out there.
Procolor will be releasing the 73N series and we will let you know when these will be available, development on the chip is still underway for this cartridge.
HP
The HP60 Black and colour is now available in Australia. The printers these cartridges come in are the D2560 and F4260. Even those these cartridges look like the HP94/95 design they feature a new design of printhead. The black cartridge has 336 nozzles and the colour cartridge 1248 nozzles. The 60 cartridges are capable of printing two drop sizes 1.3pl and 4.7pl. In reference HP mentions 3.8 billion 1.3pl drops would be needed to fit into a teaspoon. More information on the cartridge and the design can be found at
http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press_kits/2008/deskjet20/bg_inktechnology.pdf
Lexmark
Lexmark have a wide range of new cartridges that have been available for some time. Its important to remember with Lexmark inkjet cartridges is that we can't refill the return program (RP) cartridges. These cartridges are the #23,#24,#28,#29,#41,#42, but the #41A and 42A can be filled.
These cartridges include the Lexmark #14,#15,#36,#37,#41A,#42A,#43,#44. As you may be aware all of these cartridges are very similar to previous models.We are currently waiting for confirmation from Sensient to find out which inks are the best fit or whether a new ink is needed.
Lexmark have also released a report from Buyers Labs in the US - comparing Lexmark inkjet cartridges vs Remanufactured inkjet cartridges. They are using this report as a main selling point to buy genuine cartridges - the link is http://www.lexmark.com.au/vgn/images/portal/1_Lexmark_BLI_competitive_study_2007.pdf
It's not a very glowing report but if it was it wouldn't be on their website either.
As you can see there is a lot of new cartridges that have been released - when we know more information about what inks to use, how to fill you will be the first to know.
I hope this information has been helpful to you.
Shane
Technical Support
Epson Refill Special
|
| ||||||||
|
COUPON CODE: EvalvePro Mention the above coupon in your phone or fax purchase order. | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
Low Intro' Price on CLI-8 Compatibles
Just received-new chipped compatible Canon CLI-8 series inkjet cartridges.
These cartridges contain premium Sensient ink and the chips are patent free and and can be reset with our new low cost resetter.
These are well made and unlike some compatibles these insert and seat correctly into the printer cradle.
Prices are very competitive - from $5.35. We have limited quantities so please act now
Please log on for your price list.
Last Two Days of "Deal Of The Week" Ends Midnight Wed " 23rd July.
Universal silicon seals @ $0.27c each save $0.12c
H3WL3 black pigment @ $34.95 ltr save $11.60
Inkjet head cleaner @ $18.95 ltr save $7.40
Please order online or mention coupon number AUS-525 for this offer if ordering by phone or fax.
**CHECK OUT OUR LATEST LASER CARTRIDGE PRICES**
Pgi5/Cli8 Chipped Cartridges Coming Soon
Compatible Pgi-5/Cli-8 cartridges with chips arriving very soon
It's taken a long time but finally quality compatible Pgi-5/Cli-8 cartridges with chips should be available at the end of next week. These compatible cartridges are so popular the chip manufacturers currently can not produce enough chips to reach demand. You can be assured of the colour accuracy and ink quality of these cartridges as the ink is from Sensient. Pre-order now as quantities are limited.
Breakthrough in Epson 73N Series compatible cartridges
Initially it seemed Epson had again taken a huge leap forward with the new chip on the 73N. Early reports were that it would take over 6 months to develop a chip so that a Procolor cartridge could be developed for it.
But we have been suddenly informed that the new chips for 73N/93N may be launched at the end of this month. Of course there is no guarantee that everything will go to plan but it looks like 73N Series of Procolor cartridges may be available in 5 to 6 weeks.
Senator Christine Milne on Q&A tonight
The Senator will be appearing on the panel of Q and A tonight. Q&A tv show brings together five panelists - from politicians to academics and comedians to media commentators - to tackle questions posed by the studio audience, viewers watching at home and online. This is a great chance to get our industry problems in front of a tv audience.
It's too late for us to be at the studio but you can send questions in by going to the following link http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/have-your-say.htm. Remember Q&A tonight (Thursday) on ABC1 at 9.30EST.
Senator Christine Milne has also presented the following questions on notice to all Federal Ministers and the Environment Minister. The letters can be viewed on our website at the following links:
To the environment minister
To all Federal members
The above information about Senator Christine Milne has been kindly provided by ACRA.
Sage Mini - $1195.00 - We have a few remaining
If you have ever thought about purchasing a vacuum filling machine this is the perfect opportunity for you. We have a small quantity of SAGE MINIs remaining at only $1195.00 - that's a $600 saving over the normal price. This machine is ideal for small operators or multiple locations.
Myths about inkjet ink - Part 1
By learning about the properties and the formulations of inkjet inks, we arm ourselves with the knowledge to better understand cartridge problems that we encounter. In Part 1 of Myths about inkjet inks we look at a overview of the make up of inkjet inks.
Distilled or RO Water
Pure water in most inkjet inks is the largest component of the ink. Pure water is exactly neutral at a PH of 7.00 and it is important to remember that all components of the ink are water soluble or in the case of pigments are a suspension.
Glycol or other Humectant
Humectants are extremely important in a inkjet ink. Without humectants the ink would clog or dry in the inkjet cartridge nozzles in an alarmingly short period of time. Remember, most modern day inkjet nozzles are about 10-20 micron in diameter. So it's extremely important for the ink to contain the correct percentage of humectant. With inkjet inks its a trade off - too much humectant can result in long drying times. Depending on the humectant used, too much may also result in the ink being too thick (viscous).
Colorant
The pigment or dyes in the ink produce the color of the ink. It's important to remember that the quality of the dye or pigment can be the main determing factor in the quality of the ink from the customers perspective. Colorants are the main cost involved with inkjet inks, the cost of colorants cannot be hidden. A better quality colorant is more stable, more reliable, produces better colours with better light and smudge resistance and with pigments smaller and more advanced pigment dispersions. Remember that very low cost inks which are on the market cannot contain a higher grade colorant as the colorant in many cases is more expensive than what these inks sell for.
PH Buffer
A Ph Buffer effectively sets the ink at a correct PH. For example most inks are in the PH range of 7 - 9.5 (Alkaline). The PH of the ink in our case must be compatible with any existing ink remaining in the cartridge and also compatibility with the cartridge and the printers purge system. The PH of the ink must not vary too much as components like the colorant will only stay in suspension or solution at a certain PH.
So by adding various solutions into the cartridge that are not compatible with the ink - like tap water which contains chlorine etc and an unknown PH can cause issues with the ink which of course can affect printing or the cartridge reliability. It's also important to remember that the PH of tap water can be between 6 and 8 generally depending on where you live - pure distilled water is PH 7.00 and contains no additional chemicals.
So its best to clean inkjet cartridges with a dedicated inkjet cleaning solution or at the least pure water and not tap water.
Surfactants
Surfactants are commonly used all around us - most cleaning products contain surfactants. You may not know what a surfactant is but in inks it lowers the surface tension of the ink - which is critical in the ink drying time on the paper and the spread of the ink drop. Surface tension of different inks vary between cartridges and whether the ink is designed for a black text type ink or a colour or photo ink.
Co-Solvent
Co-solvents are used to change the viscosity of the ink or help a colorant or other component becoming part of the solution or suspension.
Biocide
Biocides are added in less 1% of the formulation - they are designed to prevent microbes and bacteria from growing in the ink and changing its properties which will effect the PH, viscosity, surface tension and colour in many cases. This is extremely rare and I have only ever seen ink been affected this way once in over 10 years.
Other agents
There are quite a few other agents which can be added to an inkjet ink for various reasons. UV inhibitors can be added to some dye colorants to help UV/fade resistance. Water soluble binders or resins can be added in very small quantaties to aid in reducing smudging in a ink. There are many many more additives that are used for various purposes. You wont be surprised to hear that many of these unqiue additives like many things in our industry are all patented.
SENSIENT INKS
We promote Sensient inks (a $billion corporation) because they are an ink centric company that employ all of the above factors in their manufacturing processes. They only use premium products and state of the art technology and practices which is why they are the world leader in the production of cartridge specific inkjet inks.
In part 2 we look further into the properties of ink and how it all works in a ink cartridge.
Epson 9 Pin Resetter & Remax Show News
The Remax show in Zhuhai China was quite an eye opener. Although not as large as the Rechina show in Shanghai it was really well organized by The Recycler. Suppliers were well represented, numbers of participants and visitors were up on last year and the consensus was that the show was worth while. We found it very easy to find our way around. Zhuhai city was very different from any other Chinese cities we had visited. It is a holiday/tourist area just across the border from Macau which is a serious gambling mecca and turns over more than Las Vegas. Zhuhai is a charming “old” city that was designed by a European and it shows. However it has not lost its “Chinese flavour” for friendliness or value. Four of us had a 5 course dinner in a famous Chinese restaurant and the bill came to U$35! There is a massive underground air conditioned shopping mall at the border post (10 min’s from the city centre) where you can bargain for almost anything and everything. Much bigger and better than the equivalent in Shanghai and you don’t get continuously harassed by every Tom, Dick or Wang trying to flog you a Rolex or Mont Blanc knock off!
Our main objective was to investigate/clarify certain chip issues, find out the latest on the CLI-8 compatible chips/cartridges, obtain a progress report on the 9 pin Epson chip re-setters and inspect some new ancillary refilling equipment which we will be bringing in to test.
- It’s unfortunate but from all reports Epson introduces new models and changes the firmware on existing models every three months. The biggest effect of this firmware change seems to be that a small percentage of aftermarket chips on compatible cartridges will need to be upgraded as well. So if you have a customers printer that will not accept the cartridge or shows ink out , new versions of the chip will solve the problem. So explain to your customer and inform them a newer cartridge with a upgraded chip will work and that it’s not too far away.
- Cli-8 issues. At this moment in time there are two types of compatible chips available with other chip manufacturers coming on board soon. Both current types appear to have the same functions and are both re-settable by our current re-setter. The major difference at this stage is that the chip which will be on the compatibles we will be selling from mid July will be IP free and will not impinge on any of Canon’s patents.
- Epson 9 pin re-setters. We sent 4 different sets of 9 pin cartridges to our supplier that is developing this chip re-setter. The good news is that they have already reset 2 types of cartridge and expect a break through soon to reset the other sets.
- We saw an excellent and well made inkjet centrifuge which we have ordered for testing. It spins at 1900rpm, has a twin universal cartridge holder, very small footprint and will (hopefully) retail for under $750.
- We also saw and ordered samples of a new patented refill kit. This is different to any refill kit we have ever seen as it can represent good value to re-fillers. It uses a simple vacuum system. We will keep you updated on our testing results.
- We also had a long chat with Sensient about new inks and their advanced technology they build into their inks. More information about the technical aspects of the inks will be included in future technical bulletins.
Ausjet Stocktake Closing Dates
Please note that we will be closing for our annual stocktake on Friday the 27th of June 2008.
We therefore advise that if you need stock urgently orders must be placed before 1pm on Thursday 26th of June for prompt delivery.
Our new website has been a great success already with many customers using it to place their orders, find supplies, download our latest price list and their order tracking information. Our website is open 24/7 so do check it out when you get a chance. If you have not yet received your username and password by post please contact us and we will e-mail or call you with these details.
As our website is brand new we would appreciate any feedback (positive or negative) as we realise that there is always room for improvement.
Don't Forget About Our New Range of Laser Toner Cartridges and Reman Inkjets...
We have dramatically increased the range of laser toner cartridges and remanufactured inkjet cartridge we sell as well as reduced pricing. Please contact us for a copy of our latest price list which includes these products or go online.
Additional to our current laser cartridge range include:
Brother TN8000, TNO4 SERIES,
HP 4600,HP3500/3550, HP3600, 3700, HP3800, HP4600 series
Kyocera TK17, 20, 55, 65, 110, 120, 310
Samsung 1610 universal, 1710 universal
Additional to our remanufactured inkjet cartridge range:
HP 74XL, 75XL, 98, 99, 100
Lex 16, 26, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 82, 83
Canon CL41, PG40
Samsung M40, (M50 next week)
Dell 7y743, 7y745, T0529, T0530, M4640, M4646
