Printer Cartridges

Does anyone share my problem?

I have a Canon Pixma MP170 printer.

John the R-T...

I have a Pixma iP3000.

I always choose to print in black with colour unchecked. Eventually, I get a mesage
to say that my b/w and colour cartridges are running low. How can the colour run
out so quickly when I hardly use it?

John the R-T...

My printer seems to go through a cleaning cycle every time it is
switched on. Yours is probably doing the same thing.

Saxman...

It might be more economical to leave the printer on continuosly?

John the R-T...

Mine switches itself off a couple of minutes after printing.

Michaelangelo...

I wouldn't leave it on continuously because the cleaning cycle is
needed to stop the printhead nozzles clogging. If they do get clogged
it can take a lot of ink to get them clear again. They can get solid
like an opened tube of glue that's not been properly re-sealed. The ink
contains solvents to help keep the nozzles clear. However, switching
the printer on and off before and after each use probably isn't a good
idea either. I would switch it on when you first need to use it on any
given day and then leave it on for the rest of the day. If you don't
use it on a daily basis I would suggest turning it on at least every
second day to keep the heads cleaned. Inkjets hate being idle. I have a
file created with a drawing program (Serif Drawplus) which has 7 quite
small coloured squares on it - RGB and CYMK - and I print that out if
the printer hasn't been used for a couple of days just to keep the ink
flowing.

Michaelangelo...

Afterthought. I'm not familiar with Canon printers but if the driver
software includes a 'nozzle check' printout option you could just print
that every two or three days. Since it will use all the ink colours to
print it out it will not only provide a check but if clogging is just
starting it should be enough to clear it, in which case you could do
without the specially created file.

How do I get rid of those irritating messages every time I print? (I know when it's
running out of ink, it fades)!

John the R-T...

Dunno and yep, it sure does.

Does anybody else share my problems?