Canon PIXMA™ iP3000 InkJet Printer

Okay here We go! I personally have about 50 printers. Several brands and many models. I will not go in depth about the tech spec as this would be more trouble then its worth. But I would like to give you an educational review on printers in general and Canon ip 3000,4000 and 5000 models. All three have similar operating principles. The 3000 has three color inks and 1 pigment black ink. The 4000 and 5000 have 5 ink systems. 1 pigment black tank, 1 dye based black tank, and dye based cyan magenta and yellow tanks.
Though I have a couple of each model the reason I prefer the ip3000 over the other 2 is not that it is a better do all printer,(for photos the ip4000 and ip5000 definately get the nod) but because it seems to do everything very well. There is an extra step in performing proper maintenance on the 4000 and 5000. This is printing a small(4x6) photo on regular paper a few times a month to weekly depending on the inks you use. The dye based black isn't used in regular printing from the web etc. unless you use the photo settings.
Unlike most other printer brands the Canons and Epsons have fixed printheads that facilitate ink tanks rather then cartridges which bring us to the cost saving and the assumed cost savings with these printers. FIRST OFF aftermarket compatibles fall short on almost all objectives but cost. But if you have to replace printheads from using these it gets very expensive. 40- 50 bucks for Canons and much more for Epsons as the Epsons have to be replaced by a professional usually at a much higher cost then replacing the printers. I have personally thrown out over 20 printers some that I have ruined or received ruined from testing aftermarket cartridges. What turned out as a quest for cheaper printing turned into a professionally serious venture as to what the real costs were. I have bought several gallons of test ink from various manufacturers and many brands of compatibles. A few printers I have purchased had aftermarket cartridges and I found out why they were being sold. Usually at the cost of another print head on another printer. This gets expensive. the cost of this review? Well over 2 thousand dollars on printers, printheads, cartridges and inks. There are a couple of brands of inks and or vendors that I would definately stay away from. As a rule i stay away from imported inkcartridges. The cost savings arent great when you think of the cost of a printhead after just 2 (8x10) photos.I ruined 2 printhead back to back.
If refilling your own OEM cartridges purchase ink from only reputable ink venders or manufacturers.Refilling Oem cartridges do an admirable job but need to be refilled before running empty to ensure proper flow of ink. The most reasonable solution is to print often and leave printer on to minimize clean cycles.
AVOID buying fixed head printers with no ink tanks in them as they dry and clog extremely fast and are expensive to replace. In all, due to lower print cost, SPEED and quality. It is very hard to beat the fashionable CANON IP3000. But these printers are skyrocketing in both used and new prices.Fixed printhead models of Lexmark, Canon and HP offer what alot of people consider reasonable alternatives. But, 2 cartridges can run you over 70 dollars for some brands,driving actual costs of oem inks from a couple to several thousand dollars a gallon.But factor in all the overall costs the IP3000 is a Champ. For more photos opt for the ip4000 or ip5000. Speed and versitility? ip3000!!!!

Have 6 ip3000, ip4000, and ip5000. Make great color prints with cartridges that cost $1.50. Cleaning print head by soaking in alcohol is easy. IP3000 with 4 cartridges makes as good a print as the IP4000 and IP5000 with 5 cartridges and has less problem with plugging heads. Print many color CD's with print tray available on Ebay and Acoustica label printer software. Gives good near professional results.

Using widely available non-Canon ink cartridges, you can get low per-page cost. The printer features low-noise/quick print performance. I've printed over ten thousand pages with no significant maintenance. This printer was recommended to me by Canon servicers, when I had problems with earlier models. This print will save you money long-term if you print alot of pages, and use non-Canon ink suppliers (such as Ink Oasis). It is also a great color printer and photo printer. Believe me, you'll love it!