Canon PIXMA IP6000D Digital Photo Inkjet Printer

I had an Epson 785EPX photo printer and when it worked, the prints were beautiful. However, my printer heads were constantly clogging and I wasted tons of ink cleaning the heads all the time. The ink is not cheap. So, I started researching for a new photo printer. I chose the Canon line because they have a reputation for cheaper ink. I found this to be true when I purchased the Canon i250 to replace another Epson ink hog (the 640) for my general printing. (I keep one printer for general printing, one for photos) The Canon ink cartridges ARE cheaper and last longer. After reading reviews on photo printers I decided between the Canon ip4000 and the ip6000d. The ip4000 got amazing reviews both from consumers and magazines. There weren't a lot of reviews on the ip6000d I suppose because it's newer. I decided to risk buying the ip6000d anyways because I really wanted the media input slot for convenience. I'm here to say the photos are AMAZING and of photo lab quality. I tested using the included Canon Photo Paper Pro and also my leftover Epson Premium Photo Glossy Paper. Both papers produced the same results. The printer unpacked and installed easily. For printing without the computer, the menu/LCD screen on the printer is intuitive and easy to use. For printing through the computer, the software program 'Easy Photo-Print' stands by it's name. A couple of mouse clicks and the perfect print came out. If it matters, my digital camera is a Kodak DX6490. There are two things to watch for while setting up your ip6000d for the first time. Both have to do with loading paper into the cassette tray. Make sure you load the paper PRINT SIDE DOWN and watch out for the little plastic thingy that holds the paper in place. Mine broke off and the spring flew off who knows where. It still works but just moves around easily. Since I just got the printer today I can't comment on long term use or ink usage for sure. I've printed about 10 4X6's so far and 3 of the 6 tanks show a very slim line for usage.

What's not to like about this printer? Nothing, except as with all inkjet printers you need to take out a 2nd mortgage to buy the ink cartridges.
The only real problem I've had with the PIXMA iP6000D was with a clogged inkjet in the print head... it would not print black. I called Canon Support but since it had gone out of warranty the week before, their only suggestion was to take the printer to an authorized repair center. But like almost everything else these days, it would be cheaper to buy a new printer. So I did a little basic troubleshooting, tried a number of what seemed like common sense procedures, and found a way to unclog the printhead. At $100 + for a new printhead it was worth the effort, and if your printer ever stops printing one or more of the colors, it's probably a clogged inkjet. You might want to check out the guide I wrote for unclogging the inkjets in a Canon printhead.

Other than that one problem, I have to agree with the vast majority of other reviewers that this is one of the best color printers I have ever used.

As for the ink cartridges, they are very expensive, but you can read my Guide on refilling them and you'll be able to save a lot of money on ink. I think it costs me less than ten cents to refill a cartridge! There are also great deals to be had on generic ink these days. I just found one that may make me think twice about refilling. Or not... I really like the feeling I get from filling those twenty five cent plastic boxes that Canon charges $12.00 for with ten cents worth of ink and printing page after page of color photos. But I'll post more about acquiring generic cartridges on my inkjet cartridge refill guide for those of you who want to save money but don't want to walk around with ink-stained hands.

Also, if you print a lot in black and white, consider getting a laser printer. I've got an old Xerox Docuprint N17 which I bought preowned on ebay five years ago. I use it 80% of the time and have never had a problem with it. Lasers are not nearly as complicated and therefore not as likely to malfunction as inkjets. As for the cost of printing with a laser, I've only had to refill the toner twice in five years, and the good thing about that is it has a rubber plug in the side of the cartridge you can pull out and refill it with cheap generic toner. And it just keeps on going and going.

I'll put the solution to the clogged inkjet on a Guide under inkjet printers, so if you have trouble with the print head, just read it. You'll be surprised how easy it is to fix.

JCL

I like the dual sheet feeder, where I can feed single sheets easily from the top or from the tray on the bottom, which holds tons of paper. I love it because my wife (who is technically challenged) can print her own digital pictures from her memory card, without having to use the computer. I dislike the size of it, as I have seen combination printers/scanners/fax/copiers that are the same size and can also do photos. But the price was right, and I found a local seller, so I avoided a huge shipping cost.

It is hard to find anything wrong with this printer. It is essentially a photo printer with a six color inkset using dye based inks. It has all the features one could possibly need and a few I will never need. It is one of the last of the Canon printers to use the BCI-6 ink tanks which are non-chipped and for which after market replacements are easy to get (and cheap). With this printer you can print photos (or anything else) to your hearts content without breaking the piggy bank. It is one of the last of a dying breed.

I bought this printer for my daughter for Christmas, to replace her old Lexmark printer, which was giving her trouble and costing her a fortune in ink cartridges. Having a Canon Pixma 4000 myself, I was very familiar with Canon quality and their inexpensive ink tank system (which I refill myself!) Bottom line: she LOVES the Canon and she especially likes the photo prints she can make from her digital camera....something she couldn't do before. I'm on my third Canon printer now...I keep updating and passing my previous printers on to my wife (am I a great guy or what?)