Posted on 18th Apr 2016 @ 3:01:39 PM

As anyone who has enquired about the Pro-10 / PGI-72 inkset will know, the original inks were not as good as we'd hoped and, despite considerable time and effort spent on them, we recently decided to go back to the drawing board.

Having spent considerable effort testing a number of new ink products we have been able to improve on our first offering, particularly with regard to colour matching the original inkset and while some issues still exist with some Gloss media and the Photo black, the situation is vastly improved compared to previous inks.

Colour Rendition/Matching

Our new inkset improves significantly on our first offering with excellent black and white rendition, and a close colour match, particularly with regard to the red which previously required a massive boost from custom profiling to come close. The new red is a major improvement.

Gloss Media Adhesion

This issue has remained with us throughout and affects Canon branded Gloss media in particular. Historically our first inkset could be brushed off with minimal pressure whereas now we find that even papers like Canon Pro Platinum will hold the ink reasonably well against careful handling but can be scraped off if more than light pressure is used.

Interestingly, third party media such as Fotospeed, Permajet, Kodak and Sihl have all provided an excellent surface for the ink and there are virtually no issues when using these inks.

Solutions

The most obvious solution would be to use a third party media of similar quality to the Canon papers as there's few, if these do not experience any problems with adhesion.

But, if you must use Canon media then these are the work-arounds you can use:

We have idenfitied a suitable but expensive solution to this issue with a Photo Black ink formulation that emulates the original PGI-72BK but has a considerably higher cost than the rest of the ink set. Because not everyone uses the affected Gloss media we've come up with two ink sets so that those who need the fix can purchase the Gloss Enhanced version, while those happy to proceed with Matt, Lustre or similar medias can purchase the standard ink set.

That said, it's also still possible to use work-arounds with the standard ink set and use these to reduce the cost or tailor things to your specific needs:

1. Use Canon original PGI-72BK cartridges for affected media. The original Canon ink provides a stable option that stops the problem completely and ensures an excellent result.
2. Use a lacquer or other protective coating/surface to protect the print.

We appreciate that this is not ideal but given the reduction in cost offered by our inkset, the ability to replace 90% of the inks with high quality compatible inks is still a significant saving while giving some excellent results. Obviously if you arent using Gloss media the issue is not a problem anyway.

Summary:

• The issue only affects some Gloss media (currently only Canon Pro Platinum and Plus Glossy II are demonstrated as affected)
• Caused by the way the different inks combine with most compatible Photo Black inks, making it unable to adhere/bind properly with the media surface.
• Solution provided by Gloss Enhanced Photo Black ink or use of original/OEM PGI-72BK cartridge.
• Does not cause problems with Matt(e), Lustre or other non-gloss media, substrates or coatings.

Old / New Ink Availability & Replacement

• Older PGI-72 inks will be made available at significantly discounted prices to clear old stock and will be made available shortly on an as-is basis.
• New inks will be on sale as soon as stock is available (ETA: Approximately mid to late May 2016).
• Any customers who purchased the original/older inks will be contacted shortly to offer replacement inks.
• Cartridge flushing will be recommended to ensure best results.