i950 ink level

Taliesyn wrote in message ...
BF wrote:
Does anyone know how often the printer drivers check to see how much ink is
left. I don't think it is continuously checking.


I assume it's done the same way as my i850 - an optical ink sensor
checks the ink level every time you turn it on (there's a prism at
the bottom of the reservoir section of the cartridge). You probably
won't get your first warning until the sensor determines only 20%
ink is left in the reservoir of any color. But until that time the
ink level will always show as full. The next warning will be that
you're out of ink. If you refill, it is recommended that you do it
at the "low ink" warning.

-Taliesyn



Yeah it's kinda weird. The driver can show that the cartidge is full
of ink and after printing another page you get a warning that the xxx
colour is running low.

BTW.
Don't believe in that message saying that "the ink is running low and
soon you will have to replace the whole cartidge". I printed almost 50
pages of text (std. quality) on black ink which was, according to the
driver, running low (there was no ink in the main reservoir). And when
it told me to replace the cartidge immediatly after this printout - I
printed 20 pages of text more which gives a total of 70 pages - wow.

After resembeling the cartidge (it's REALLY hard to open it) I noticed
that there was still some ink remaining at the bottom (I could print
about 10 pages more).

Wayne

Wayne wrote:
Taliesyn wrote in message ...

BF wrote:

Does anyone know how often the printer drivers check to see how much ink is
left. I don't think it is continuously checking.

I assume it's done the same way as my i850 - an optical ink sensor
checks the ink level every time you turn it on (there's a prism at
the bottom of the reservoir section of the cartridge). You probably
won't get your first warning until the sensor determines only 20%
ink is left in the reservoir of any color. But until that time the
ink level will always show as full. The next warning will be that
you're out of ink. If you refill, it is recommended that you do it
at the "low ink" warning.

-Taliesyn

Yeah it's kinda weird. The driver can show that the cartidge is full
of ink and after printing another page you get a warning that the xxx
colour is running low.

BTW.
Don't believe in that message saying that "the ink is running low and
soon you will have to replace the whole cartidge". I printed almost 50
pages of text (std. quality) on black ink which was, according to the
driver, running low (there was no ink in the main reservoir). And when
it told me to replace the cartidge immediatly after this printout - I
printed 20 pages of text more which gives a total of 70 pages - wow.

After resembeling the cartidge (it's REALLY hard to open it) I noticed
that there was still some ink remaining at the bottom (I could print
about 10 pages more).

Wayne

It's understandable. Canon gives the "ink out" warning early because
the print head can be ruined by running it "dry".

Also, if you refill, it is best to fill at the low warning because
you might have trouble getting the ink flowing again if you wait to
refill only after the "ink out" warning. I know I did.

-Taliesyn

I can tell you from experience that the i950 doesn't work quite like that.

You can watch the levels go down in about 20 or 25% increments. Then the
first warning comes at 20%. I used to replace the carts at this first
warning until I learned how it worked. Now, I understand there is another
stage where it actually tells you when it's empty. I don't know how long
that is after the 20% warning, or what it looks like, because I haven't seen
my first instance of it yet. I'm close, though, because the black has been
at warning for a few days now. Shouldn't be long.

I was replacing at the first warning because I was worried about toasting a
nozzle driver, but it's been said here there IS another warning when it's
actually empty.

-Larry

"Taliesyn" wrote in message
...
BF wrote:
Does anyone know how often the printer drivers check to see how much ink
is
left. I don't think it is continuously checking.


I assume it's done the same way as my i850 - an optical ink sensor
checks the ink level every time you turn it on (there's a prism at
the bottom of the reservoir section of the cartridge). You probably
won't get your first warning until the sensor determines only 20%
ink is left in the reservoir of any color. But until that time the
ink level will always show as full. The next warning will be that
you're out of ink. If you refill, it is recommended that you do it
at the "low ink" warning.

-Taliesyn