Canon Pro-1000 - Worth the Investment? 

You forgot to mention that to replace the printhead is $726... I have been using Canon PRO printers for 15 years. Currently using a PRO 2000 24" but looking at getting a PRO 1000 for printing smaller cut sheet prints (The PRO 2000 does not have a paper tray for handling cut sheets) I love the results and the PRO 1000 uses the same inks, print head and processor as the PRO 2000...

Thinking about pulling the trigger on one of these, this was helpful. Great video.

This is beyond helpful. Thank you so very much, Mallory.

Good comments about owning a Pro 1000. I have owned one for about 1 1/2 years. I got it because I do print larger size prints....usually 16"x20" or 16"x24" of my astronomy photos which I sell. I also print any smaller sizes such as 8"x10" for my normal photo business.I also print small 4x6" prints for family photos such as vacations. I previously owned two Epson pro printers that could also print that size. Both had lots of problems with spitting of ink and finally both died.... that is why I went with the Canon which to date has been problem free. Those who think the printer uses a lot of ink don't realize that the ink is not used directly from the cartridges. Instead it is pumped into feeder tubes so a new print will draw ink into the tubes so it seems after loading the tubes you have used about 40% of the ink.... that isn't correct.... it is in the machine waiting to be used. The next set of inks you get will show a more realistic remaining ink in the printers display. The most important thing is you need to print every day or two.... doesn't have to be a big print.... a tiny print say 4"x6"is all it takes. Some even print a tiny 1" block but I like the idea of using all the nozzles to keep them cleanr. I use QPrint which is an excellent app to print from with some features beyond the built in one in Adobe Photo Shop. The neat part is you can setup an automatic print so it will print a very small print each day at a specific time using all the nozzles. The Qprint has that ability built in. The other way to reduce ink usage is DO NOT turn the printer off. If you do each time you start it up it will go through a purge cycle and waste ink. In my case I even got an inexpensive batter UPS that prevents the printer from turning off in the event of a power outage. You most likely won't be able to print but at least the printer will stay on as you wait for the power to come back on. Many of these tips and tricks I learned from Jose Rodriguez who has some wonderful videos on RU-vid. You implied this.... but I found it cheaper to buy the paper in rolls and than you can cut them to the exact sizes you need. I am a professional photographer and astronomer so I tend to print standard sizes as well as odd sized so being ablel to get the most efficient useage of my paper is an advantage. I recommend is taking those cut sheets and placing under a board with weight on it to flatten the sheets so they feed smoothly. I found that Epson doesn't have replaceable print heads whereas Canon Pro 1000 does. I haven't needed mine replaced but that is a nice advantage so you don't end up with a doorstop as my two previous Epsons. Finally MAKE sure you have updated the firmware of your Canon to the latest. The newer firmware has more efficient use of ink and now allows a maximum print size of 17"x48" so real panos are now possible. There are companies that sell aftermarket ink cartridges and also there is a couple of companies that sell what you need to use their cheaper inks and refill you old cartridges. I am not a proponent of that but there are any that do refill or use aftermarket inks. I have found on other printers you do save money but consistency or print life span may degrade. Some colors are very hard to match such as Canon Red and Purple so that may be problematic. Finally while the Canon Pro 1000 is a fantastic printer people need to be realistic about how much they will use it and what print sizes. For hobbiests who only print a few prints it is not a smart choice. You would be better with an outside processing company or get a cheaper smaller max print size printer and use a print service for the few large prints. The Canon has a utility that you an use to tell you exactly how much each print costs. That is a good tool to use to keep your printing costs in control.

Thank you for such a comprehensive review, all the best.

Thanks for your video. It's IMPORTANT to use the Canon Accounting Management (CAM) software, made for these types/level of printers. Using the Canon Accounting management software, we can obtain more exact printing costs because it takes readings in real time from the printer based on parameters entered for the cost of paper and ink, which can be entered manually. It's pretty simple, except initial setup, not so much, and Canon doesn't offer proper support for setting up the CAM software. I'm happy to help if anyone needs! The CAM software is the BEST way to know what is being spent for ANY given photo. I have started an Iris Photography business, aside from my headshot and event photography. Iris as in one's eye. Pretty iris photos with a black background, mostly using luster paper, and mostly Black ink, Gray and some minor other color inks and Chrome Optimizer. For example, an 8 x10 inch print using Canon Pro Luster paper on 8.5 x 11 inch paper runs on average, $1.50 for ink and paper. Average cost using Pro Luster A3+ paper and printing an 11 x 14 inch photo (on A3+ paper) is $2.20 - $3.10 each (paper & ink). Again, this is Canon OEM ink and Canon paper. I have decided after long hours of research to now start using Precision Color Inks and the Precision Color Ink Warning System. Inks are on average, HALF the cost of Canon OEM! I am not an affiliate nor do I get any kick back from this company but the guy who runs/owns the company (Mike) is SUPER helpful with understanding how his warning system operates and his ink prices are a fraction of the Canon OEM inks. www.precisioncolors.com/ ALSO, QImage printing software is one of the best ways to print since it allows a higher level of control - PLUS - QImage allows a schedule to do a nozzle check so we're not wasting more ink for head cleanings. It can be set to run a full or half page nozzle check at any time of the day that works. Canon's Professional Print & Layout software is good but QImage is bit more straight forward. Sincerely! Richard

Thank you very much Mallory for your video, I am an amateur landscape photographer but when I think about sending out to make a print I always cringe at the cost of big prints... I was hesitant to buy the pro1000 until now but the more I see videos like yours I am more and more convinced that I need to print my own work... Thank you!!!!

Great info with a fantastic video presence. You flow through the info very nicely. Keep it up.

Hi Mallory, thanks for a very valuable clip: you set things out nicely, and your reasons are certainly valid. Writing from Australia, I was quite surprised to find - after checking current exchange rates - that the numbers for printer and paper were similar Down Under, although our ink replacement cost is around USD$180 less. I'm going through much the same thoughts and process as you do in this clip, and shall look up your "1 year on..." clip. Like you, I like the idea of the image made "real" in my hand or on my wall - I feel that the job is incomplete until I do.

Excelent, thank you very much for putting down the numbers!

Thank you Mallory foe detailed video!

Simply love your video Mallory.

Hi Mallory, great that you mentioned the ink going into the maintenance cartridge. I print a moderate frequency, but I still have more ink going into the maintenance cartridge than onto paper! I previously had an Epson P900, which used much, much less ink. But its paper feed mechanism was terribly unreliable, so I got the Pro-1000, which has proven very reliable. Even with the ink the Pro-1000 "wastes", ink is still a relatively small cost of a big print (including paper and mounting, and really you should camera and lenses and time taken) and is tiny compared to the price the print is sold for.

Thanks for such a detailed explanation, much appreciated.

Great review spot on! I have had this printer for about 2 years now and I can say for sure that you need to use this daily even if for a small print to keep it from going into a maintenance cycle. In the 2 years I have changed the maintenance cartridge twice and have about 1/4 full on the third. I have gone through 1 1/2 complete sets of ink and most of that went into the cartridges. So if you are thinking about this printer make sure you print daily! On top of the costs of the ink I also live on an island where we pay 22% import duty on most things so it gets even more expensive to not use it and dump ink vs using it!

Super helpful video! Thank you for the detailed cost breakdown.

Great review and production level is up in each video!

What a great idea for a video. Haven’t seen anything like this from any other contributors. Perfect information for a dedicated amateur considering the expensive step into printing at home. Great quality production too. Really glad I found your channel!

That was very interesting and helpful. You have a calm demeanour and your videos are very easy to watch and I find that I absorb the messages in a lasting and simple way. I only produce imagery for my own personal use and find photography a valuable kind of therapy for the good of my mental health. But I admit that just viewing the results on a computer screen often feels somewhat pointless and I would probably benefit from displaying printed pictures from time to time. This particular printer certainly isn't aimed at the likes of me, but I now know more about what I could potentially get for my money and if I keep looking at lesser Canon models I ought to be able find something suitable. Your images are beautiful and I can see that the way you organise yourself maximises your many obvious talents. Thank you for sharing all this with us.

V/good information, so very well presented. Keep it going and good luck ........👌🤞

Great video! Lots of interesting information!

Thank you for video and calculating cost. I don't print often, so it's not worth buying this printer. But I couldn't know without your video. Thank you very much. Greetings from the Czech Republic, Milan

thank you for your perspective on the printer. Are you going to add more video's on this printer. such as set up and down loading of ICC files along with monitor and printer calibrations?

Very helpful! I’ve been thinking about this printer, a long time.

Very informative, thank you. I hope to also find similar info on the 200 and 300 models. I gave up on home printing years ago but still miss the convenience. Epson 740, Canon i960, ALPS sub dye … all suffered from infrequent use (and more).

Yes helpful. I too have this printer and printing is the closer to any photography journey on any given day.

Thanks for the video. I'm trying to get motivated to print again! These 17x22" prints are such an impactful way to show our work, much better than a website when showing someone in person.

Hi Mallory. I sell prints and use an Epson P800. I bought it instead of the Pro1000 because at the time, the 1000 would only print 17x22 as you mentioned. The P800 had a roll paper option which swayed me to the Epson. Since then, Canon updated the firmware to allow the 1000 to print longer. One thing you might mention at some point is that the bigger the ink cartridge is, the less ink costs per milliliter. The ink cartridge for the old Pro 100 was about $1.30 per ml. My P800 with an 80ml cartridge is about $.70 per ml. Jump to the 160ml and beyond, the price per ml drops further.

Thanks, Mallory for an informative review. I'm waiting for an upgrade to the Pro-1000 which is overdue.

Love your videos on this printer! I have one myself. You can actually print panoramas up up to 47 inches

Thank you for breaking down the costs, this video was really helpful! I'm buying a second hand pro 1000 next week from a professional photographer so I'll hopefully save a little money there!

For small prints, I really enjoy using the Canon Selphy CP1300.

thank. you .... your info was very helpful I do have a P1000 and will start using it more

Thanks for this

What a wonderful video. When I saw the astrophotography images I wondered if you lived out in the country. I agree owning the whole process certainly adds more to the craft. I myself went for the Pro-300 which uses the same pigment ink as the Pro-1000 and will print A3+ and apparently panoramic rolls (to a certain length). I was shocked when you said how much the Pro-1000 ink costs, that is the price of the Pro-300 printer!!, You do get a lot more ink though, the Pro-300 cartridges are 14 ml each. Also being in the UK I have to ask, those sweets called Smarties on your desk, here in the UK smarties are similar to M&M's (the chocolate only ones) the Smarties you have on your desk look like a sweet we call refreshers.

Thank you for the video, I like quality prints, but I don't print often enough. I got the answers to my dilemma , "to buy or not to buy". ;)

Thank you for this video. 😊

Thanks for your video. Here is my experience using the pro 1000 printer the past 2.5 years. Yes, print a lot and never switch it off. This printer is very reliable. I print about 800- 900 prints a year. Mostly A4, A3+, A2 and some panos up to 1.2m. Never smeard or failed so far. If you only print up to A3, the Epson ET8550 is a good alternative or ET8500 up to A4.

This would be fun and saves more with film photography also!

Awesome review! I had no idea about the 60 hour window on these printers.

Thanks Mallory...I absolutely have to take the process from beginning to end. Printing teaches you so much about your work. I exhibit my prints so I enjoy the best printer like the Canon Pro 1000. Here in NYC you can buy this printer at BH for $1249.00 and the refill cartridge for $15.00. I print mostly very large but I love your tip of making small prints to keep the printer happy...something I only do as tests..sometimes I stick one of those images on a blank greeting card and it makes for a lovely presentation! Thanks again and keep printing. Im with you! Jan in NYC

Gracias, me ha servido de mucha ayuda. El costo por impresión compensa si imprimes unas copias cada semana.

Thank you for sharing this information. I am pretty new to the field of photography but has been a passion of mine for most of my life. I am actually about to purchase one of these printers and have been sleeping on the idea of wether or not to do so, mainly due to the cost. I am a new subscriber to your channel and will probably be viewing more of it over the next few days but perhaps if you wouldn’t mind maybe answering a few questions that I may have about the business and operation of this particular printer in the near future. Also, your photos are top notch. I’m impressed. Again, thank you for sharing, many blessings to you and yours. Peace

Interesting. Great info!

Thank you 👍

Great video, that for sharing. I love my pro-1000 but can't seem to get it to print fully on 4 x 6 or 13 x 19 paper, the printer wants to add a margin around it and can't get it to bypass it. Any suggestions? Thx

Thank you for the detailed breakdown on printing costs. You did a fantastic job!!! Cheers. I have question about the printer head replacement? Someone is selling this printer for $200 however, it’s been collecting dust for a minute so there is a good chance the printer head will need to be replaced. At a glance, the printer head costs almost $800!!! Have u had issues with printer head errors etc? Moreover, do you think the printer’s existing printer head is salvageable with a good cleaning? Please advise when time permits. Thanks MD Xx

Thank you a lot for the vídeo!

This was useful information

I have the Pro 200 and it's great albeit a little expensive to run with the inks costing around £150.0 per set. The results are fantastic but I don't use it that much, I have smaller printers for smaller images and test prints. I would love to have the Pro 1000 but the ink costs are crazy for home use.

Such a cool video... I've been into photography both professional and personal for about 20 years and the amount of printing I do is about 1% of ALLL photos I take. I archive everything on hard drives and my iPhone but yea it totally gets lost in the mix. I know that outsourcing some larger prints is for sure $$$ and I like that control which is sometimes hard to find and consistency. Photography isn't my main source of income but I wouldn't mind selling or trying to sell a few larger prints here and there. I Do however like the idea of your photo album.... I have two girls under 2 and I've created a cool photo book of the 1st one being a year but I think moving forward it would be cool to create books like you shared to look back on just like I remember growing up with when I was growing up. Would you say you need to print something pretty much weekly to keep up with the maintenance?

Dead Hollywood, Ca. photo labs are all closed now it's just not like the 80's anymore.. Samy's camera has a Pro 1000 that I'm interested in and you've answered all of my questions. Thank you.

Great video

I also had the Canon pro-1000 and bought a 17 inches roll Canon paper and cut it to size myself that works perfectly and saves a lot of money. Now have the Canon pro-2100 and it is very nice that you can put a roll in it. It's a pity that you don't have a roller system on the pro-1000. I think it is possible an equal Epson. Nice video...

I now live about 3½ hours away from Austin and San Antonio, out in West Texas. I bought my Sony A7R2, used, from Precision Camera in Austin, back when I lived near their store. Being out in West Texas is definitely taking some getting used too. But I'm starting to think of some unique photo opportunities out here.

I think as a photographer you have to decide if the convenience is worth the cost. To me, it absolutely is, and to have the freedom and ability to control the process from beginning to end is invaluable. Great video!

Would you recommend canon pro 200 or 300 for color photos mainly for home use? I love the vivid color of the 200 and the speed of print, but the color realism, black (on color prints) and longevity of print on the 300 is nice too.

So what do you do when you are going to be away from your printer for a month or three?

Excellent video, but not clear to me is how you calculated the ink/print costs. Did you use an app to measure that? Or if not, the printer comes with ink cartridges that may only be filled partially and the purpose if that ink is to fill the lines between the ink cartridge and the print head/nozzles. There's some "bonus" in there but the cartridges will not be empty all at the same time, so making penny precise calculations, is difficult from this. Anyhow, printing with an A2 printer too, my conclusion is the same. And we can choose whatever (top) paper quality we want, while using top quality inks. With the printing companies it is not always transparent that you get museum quality prints (or a notch less good "archival" quality, that still may be better than the print company's). The maintenance cartridge is a fact of life and probably making one print per week already is enough to prevent the printer from ever going into maintenance mode to dump stale ink or prevent clogging of the nozzle. Personally, I invested on top of the printer, inks, and paper in a calibration device for my monitor and for prints, too. That and making test prints adds to the costs and hassle. But with the calibration, testing is reduced to a minimum. No, I cannot earn back the material costs of calibration but not having to make as many test prints (time) is worth it.

Great review 👍

Thank you so much smart and pretty ! Please continue

Thanks for your informative video. I am close to investing in the Pro 1000. Your sums were very helpful. I do have questions. How will this printer perform on canvas and will just printing black and white reduce ink costs ie by just replacing black. Cheers from Australia.

The cost breakdown is helpful info. Trying to justify a printer purchase now.

I'm lucky as far as printer paper is concerned. I'm an old school buddy of the general manager of a major paper manufacturer here in Oz and I can get pretty much all of my paper at a substantial discount😊😊 Including all of the premium photo papers. I'm an Epson fan and I want to get myself their big desktop photo printer, the SureColor P5070. It's quite a bit more expensive than the Canon, but it's a fantastic printer. Though, the Canon is a good printer and if the cost is substantially less, then it could be an alternative. I could also get an Epson P906, which is pretty much like the Pro1000, but the inks are a lot cheaper than the Canon inks. $25 per cartridge cheaper. The printer is a little dearer, though, but not by much.

As you are using OEM inks you can get a more realistic ink usage by using the software in the printer. Also i am pretty sure there was a firmware update that allows a custom print size of up to 1.2mtrs (4ft) now .

How many prints 17x22" high quality typically you can get from one set of cartridges ?

I’m thinking about buying this product. I’d seen that B&H video a great deal on an open box product. But the associated cost of printing has me a little afraid to take this printer on.

Thanks for the honest review and I hope Pro 1000 print heads are cheaper and last longer! My IPF6400 print heads need replacing every 4-5 years and they cost $490x2!! maintenance cartridge $80/year plus ink that runs approximately $85 for 130ml cartridge X 12 and I am not a heavy user!! But prints are gorgeous color or black white. I have not experienced head clogging with IPF6400 like I did with my Epson large format printer but certainly Epson print heads lasted much longer.

I checked out youtube before buying the Canon pro 1000 and now I wish I didn't because I find I'm constantly throwing money at it. I try and print a test page everyday but then if the power goes out or you forget a day or teo next thing your $40 Canon Maintenance cartridge is full because this printer is hell bent on wasting ink everytime it starts up. I love how it prints but if you don't plan on using it often then I don't recommend this printer.

Well said I'm customer Canon with my Pixma Pro 200 that I print on un-conventional papers, but a great results :)

Maybe we can look at it this way ... What is the overhead cost per day of just having the printer sit there not doing anything? How long would it take for the cleaning cycles to use up all the ink?

Thanks for the informative video. Figuring the cost of ink per ml is easy enough, but how did you figure the amount of ink it takes to print a, lets say, 17 x 22? I also am a new subscriber.

After a lot of research I’ve realized my canon PIXMA pro 100 is really killing me on ink prices. So after doing the research I’ve realized there is six more times the ink in a canon PIXMA pro 1000 And I would be saving almost $60 per color ink cartridge from the pro 100 by upgrading to the prograf 1000. So if I bought six cartridges for $19 of one color that equals $114 and that would be the same amount for the canon PIXMA proGraf 1000 $55 ink cartridge for just one color. So by upgrading to the pro graph 1000 it’s going to save me a lot of money ink alone. Thank you for sharing this video it’s really going to help a lot of people deciding. I wish I would’ve saw this video or had this video available before I did all my research but it never hurts to do your own research. My new Canon Prograf 1000 should be here within the next week or so it’s on back order. I can’t wait to upgrade

So is the ink pigment or die that makes a huge difference it can't be called fine art if it's not pigment. I've been looking for a good printer to print my Astrophotography photos this printer is too small for me though so im looking into a large format printer to do 36 x infinity.

Very well explained Mallory. I will be purchasing this printer very soon. Question for anyone here: what is the smallest and largest this printer will do? Thanks in Advance!

great video, thanks. I think you made a mistake calculating the ink cost for the 17x22 print.

I am in between getting Pro 1000 used (closed box still) for $800 or !3k for pro 2100 large format

Do you know for 17” x 22” size paper … how many page I can print by one set of cartridges?

My pro 1000 is six years old and one of the best purchase ever!

Great video, thank you. I happen to be in the market for a photo printer and the Pro1000 is on my short list. I'm curious though, what formula did you use to determine the ink cost per photo.

As plenty of others have written before me, what an amazing review! I'm literally inches (if not millimeters haha) from buying this printer and I loved this! However I have one question: where did the printing with ink cost come from? I mean, I understood the paper cost, but then I got lost on how for eg a 4x6 went from being $0.14 to $0.22c. Thanks and great vid :D

Nice video. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Hello Mallory, great video, I've been on the fence about buying this printer cause I'm waiting for the next upgrade since this one came out about 8 years ago, but seems like it'll be a while since a replacement comes out so I probably buy it in the next couple of months. I live in Monterrey, Mexico, just about 5 hours from San Antonio and I'm wondering where do you buy the white frames you have on your wall? Thank you very much!

Thanks

Thanks so much for the video. I am an avid amateur photographer, I am going to retire from my 'day job' next year and plan on doing nature and pet photography as a second career. I currently have the Pro 100, which works fine for friends and family, but will probably need to upgrade if I plan on selling my photos (I also live in a rural area so printing my own will probably be a must for me in a lot of cases). There are tons of videos that compare print quality, issues, etc, but I have been looking for weeks for a video that actually talks about ink costs per copy, yay for you 😁. I assume you arrived at ink costs per copy by tracking roughly how many prints you got per set of cartridges? It sounds like my printing would be similar to yours, so my costs would roughly be the same if that is true

A fellow Texan!! Awesome!! 🤠 👍🏼

How much pictures size 4x6 inch can be printed by this print ?

What kind of ink does it use? Idk it pigment, inkjet or something else?

thank you for touching on costs. I am coming to grips with replacing an older printer

Great video, thank you 🙏 When you say often, do you mean like a bunch of photos once a week or once a month, or is it better to print a photo everyday or so?

Does the pixma pro 300 also need to make 1 print every 60 hours??

Obrigado... Desde São Paulo, Brasil.

I just don't do enough to justify it. Easier and cheaper (due to love volume) for me to use a lab. I do have a Dye Sub photobooth printer so I can print 6x8 prints maybe I should do that more often as I only really use it for events.

first thank you for the video and your content, I have this one and I had the previous model. I wanted to know how have you over come the dreeded cleaning cycle, I had stopped using it for a bit and now its a concern, thank you for any response.

Do printing services, such as MPIX for example, use a high-quality printer such as the PRO-1000 when a customer orders a print from them? Generally, the prints I have had made through many of these printing services have not been good. I spend a great deal of time editing my photos to the colors I desire. So many of the prints come back not even close--often even muddy colored. And then when I ask the printing services what photo printer is used, it is less quality then the Canon 1000. If a printing service uses the Pro-1000, I would gladly order from them. So far I haven't found one.

Oh and one more thing. May share your framing process

Whats is often for you?

If I was selling prints I would buy it. I do use an epson consumer model15000 printer and I agree 100 percent that it is better to print your own work.

So, youll be fine if you print one 6x4 every 60 hours?

I have pro-100. What I do when not printing is to unplug the printer from the grid to reduce pouring ink.