Ok, I missed the reanimation of this thread or would have put in my two bit earlier. Here is my semi-scientific report on the performance of CISS with T11.
My Tx101 conked (see my previous posts in this thread) and as I take a lot of prints, I was looking for something reliable and cheapo(like myself!). I decided to go for an inexpensive printer that would take a CISS - Epson T11 was the only choice. This was some months ago - T13 was out then but without a compatible CISS at that time.
I bought the printer + CISS from a shop at Nehru Place. The CISS cost me about 2000/- which, even though I had not researched the CISS options and prices, seemed a bit expensive. Anyway, I went ahead with the purchase because it was late and the shops were closing, and I had to print and send a project the next day and because the shopkeeper was going to install and test the CISS then and there and assured to solve any future problems with the kit. Having never tried a CISS before and not too sure of my ability to install one, I took his word at face value. Now I know it is not too difficult to install a CISS on one's own. But this is now and that was then.
Anyway, I'm a curious type and to see how mnay pages a CISS can print I have kept a record of my printouts, a record which is continuing. A 1000 years hence a future archaeologist will discover it and wonder.
I have divided the kinds of printouts in four broad categories-
A) Full page images or two large ones(>5x7") or four images(>3x5")on a page which are near equvalent of a full page image.
I mostly use matt photo paper as the inks in the CISS are PIGMENT inks and not the usual dye ones. These are supposedly more suitable for matt rather than glossy paper. I take a lot of photo prints and this is the main reason for having an affordable printing solution.
I print with the quality setting set at 'Text' mostly. There doesn't seem to be any great perceivable difference by setting a higher quality. Photos printed on A4 at this setting come out just fine.
B) Books with images -
I also tend to print full books, which in my case are books full of graphics, illustrations, diagrams. So these are not just plain BW text.
Again the quality setting is set at 'Text' which is my default for all printouts.
C) Mostly text-
these are mostly text printouts, mostly BW but with some graphics occasionally, like school projects.
Quality setting is, well, 'Text'
D) Drafts -
prinouts taken at 'draft' setting, of course. Unlike my prevous Canon printers(God bless their souls!), the draft prints are too faded to be comfortable.I could use Canon's draft prints normally, not Epson's. I have taken some drafts mostly to check out the print layout.
The inks used are branded 'Odyssey'. These are, as I mentioned, PIGMENT inks. I believe the Epson Durabrite inks also pigment inks. Pigment inks are supposed to last longer but also clog the printhead faster, so you should take a few prints every 3-4 days. I suppose the CISS came filled with 100ml of each color. When the inks went below 50%, I went and bought a set of 100ml each at Rs 650/-. So I have bought inks worth 1300/- so far.
By a visual estimation(non-scientific,I know), I have used up about 110ml of black and between 80-100ml of the other colors.So I have burnt about Rs. 800 -850/- worth of ink.
For this moolah, this is what I got-
A) Full page images or equivalent -
364 pages at print quality 'Text'
40 pages at print quality 'Text-Image'
1 page at print quality 'Image'
Total- 405 pages
B) Books with images - 1308 pages
C) Mostly text- 276 pages
D) Drafts - 103 pages
E) Cleaning cycle - 6 times (yup, I was stupid enough to ignore my own advice of printing frequently)
So that is 2092 pages at say Rs.850/- max(likely less), of which 405+1308=1713 pages are graphic intensive or semi-intensive. Not too bad!
Had I bought Epson inks for all these printouts, I would probably have been reduced to kuccha-banian(undergarments) . CISS saved my izzat.
A note about the print quality - the photo prints are comparable to those I took with the original Epson ink. In fact, it is hard to tell much difference.
My only regret - I might have looked around and got a better deal, had I the time and done my research. Also I understand OCP brand inks are better for a CISS for Epson. Might try next time.
Whew! Finished at last.