Black Ink

• This printer uses Canon's BCI-6Bk black ink tank. Ink cartridges in the BCI series come as individual tanks of one color apiece and work in both Bubble Jet and Pixma printers. This ink dries quickly and resists smudging immediately after printing. As of the time of publication, Canon sells this cartridge for around $14 through its Web store. This ink is also available in twin packs for about $24, and is listed as cartridge BCI-6.
  
  

Color Ink

• The S900 uses three standard color inks, sold as individual units, rather than as a single color cartridge. This packaging method requires you to buy more cartridges, but reduces ink waste in the long run by allowing you to replace each color as it runs out. The cyan BCI-6C, magenta BCI-6M and yellow BCI-6Y cartridges all retail for around $14 through Canon.
  
  

Photo Inks

• In addition to the standard set of CMYK inks, the Canon S900 also uses two photo inks to improve its color gamut and provide more vibrant prints. The printer will not work without a photo cyan BCI-6PC and a photo magenta BCI-6PM ink tank, both available from Canon at the same cost as conventional CMYK inks. Canon sells a full six pack of replacement inks under the BCI-6 code for about $70.
  
  

Considerations

• Many third-party manufacturers produce ink for the Canon S900. This ink costs less than official Canon-branded cartridges, but can produce inconsistent results or even damage your printer. According to “PC World,” third-party ink produces more ink per cartridge than name-brand ink, but tends to fade faster and produce lower-quality prints. Off-brand inks are also more likely to clog in the printer.