marwen1

My Feedback: (6)

I have not seen too much input about the next (obvious) step -- PRINTERS

Does anyone have a choice - one way or the other.

I have a preference for EPSON printers. For a variety of reasons:

1) they print out a pretty darn good end product
2) they are VERY reliable
3) the prices have really come way DOWN!
(especially since I put out over $500 for my 870)
4) EPSON tech service is incredible!
If you are having a problem - they will stay with you on-line until you are up and running.

I just recently bought an R200 for $139 (Cdn) The R300 costs $100 more and has a few more capabilities than the R200 but for my needs the R200 does fine. In fact, the top end of the print quality is advertised as 5760x1440. The 870 I used to have is now over 5 years old. It's BEST print was 2880x760. And that was ONLY using the PREMIUM GLOSSY MEDIA

This newer R200 also has the new technology of PIM - PRINT IMAGE MATCHING

This new PIM is a whole new thread!


input - please


marwen

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

subscribing, Id love to get a quality printer that can do some larger sizes..

marwen1

My Feedback: (6)

I guess, at least with me, the obvious question would have to be -- "what is larger" for you?

You can get FANTASTIC quality with the EPSON 1280 -- it will do 13" x 19" full bleed all day long and won't miss a beat! --- and the price is reasonable.

I'm not too sure, but I think, EPSON goes one general size larger that is considared to be tabletop printing but the $$$ really take a jump!

I am about ready to launch a printing service 100% that is supported by the net. Back a few years ago when I had my photo studio, I did everything from actually shooting portraits as a filler and spent the bulk of the day scanning prints, negs, slides, etc. and printing them with a 36" ENCAD. The media went everywhere from plain presentation paper, to CANVAS. All with the same printer and using the same inks. If switched and went to outdoor vinyl banners, I had to 100% drain my ink lines and put all new cartidges in as well. This type of printer fills up a reservoir that leads to the cartridges.

A set of INDOOR inks and carts will run me $120/colour (CMYK)- that will give me 500ml of one colour. When I shift to OUTDOOR inks - the price doubles. -- So I'd better have one BIG outdoor order.

Once I have the system running 100%. i can runn the printer all day long & nitetime too. I won't even have to think abouit replacing my inks for about 2 - 3 months.. depending on the workload.

Anyway, printing CUSTOM sizes & CUSTOM media. mounting, & laminating. will be the order of the day

anyway-- have a grear day

marwen

weasel33

Take a look at the Canon pixma ip8500
at around 300 dollars its a very cheap photo quality printer
and each colour is seperately available and it does edge to edge
printing.

JohnVH

My Feedback: (38)

Marwen, if I can print up to 19" Id be happy! Do not care what brand

shaunrbell

My Feedback: (4)

19" is a funny size. My Epson 4000 only prints 17" wide, but the next jump in size is a huge jump in $$$. The 4000 is very economical for my work, I doubt I'd spring for a 7600 or 9600 given the life span of printer technology lol! I know HP has some new wide format units which are supposedly good, anyone have any hands on experience?


Shaun Bell

tconnell

My Feedback: (7)

I know some time has passed since this post started but take a good look at the Epson 2200 with Ultrachrome Inks. The prints will be around, unfaded when you and I are long gone. It's relatively fast and inexpensive to keep up. I sell prints from this printer and it's larger brother the 7600 every day. I've been a Canon and Epson man for over 10 years now and they just work and don't let you down.

marwen1

My Feedback: (6)

You are 100% on-target!

I have been using EPSON exclusively since the get-go... and again, it's been a long time since this thread started. Inks have REALLY come a long way, baby!

My LARGE FORMAT printer, though, is an ENCAD, who merged with KODAK about 3-4 years ago. WOW! What a marriage.


marwen

Panzlflyer

My Feedback: (15)

At least you can get profiles for Canon and Epson, my Hp printers do a good job but the sofware is invasive and stuborn and Photoshop doesnt seem to like it either no matter how you set up.
Pantone also supports the Canon and Epson but not the HP. ( For Monitor profiles)
All the printers have come a long way in the last few years!!

Panzlflyer

My Feedback: (15)

Just got a Epson R1800 and it is way better than the HP8250, plus it plays with Photoshop very nicely if you turn off its color managment and use PShops profiles etc.
The pigment ink is pretty good too.
this is my 1st Epson after a long series of Canons and HPs and I must say Im impressed.

shaunrbell

My Feedback: (4)

Just wish Epson could fix the clogged print head problem. I only do print jobs maybe once a week. Pretty much guaranteed at least one color will be clogged lol! Good thing for the 220ml tanks, you need all that ink for cleaning.

Shaun Bell

marwen1

My Feedback: (6)

In all honesty, I think that just might be your problem.

These machines wer meant to be USED! And I mean USED!!! The more they just sit ---they have to unclog the congealed ink at the firing area. If nothing else, simply run a quick coloured print, 1-2 a day, even if it's just a small 4" x 5." That should keep things running smoothly AND you WILL use far less ink.

Every time you have to cycle the jets, you might even have to cycle them and have that window wiper crankin' away two to three times. It just depends on how hard the ink got from lack of use.

marwen

marwen1

My Feedback: (6)

andyt:

If you can take a little bit of constructive criticism from and old salt;

You bought a GREAT printer.

1) NEVER use an after-market ink
2) ALWAYS use EPSON media


Companies like EPSON, Canon, HP, etc. they all have reaseach & development departments. They have designed their printers to perform with THEIR inks & THEIR media. Others may work -- or at least seem like it looks like it as it comes off the printer head.

Some years ago I bought an EPSON 700 Photo Stylus printer. I used some KODAK media and I used some HP media. Within 2 hours after the print came out of the printer, the blue inks were bleeding into the 1" white border. Within 30 days, the overall contrast of the print was actually fading!

And without your knowing it-- you have completely blown away your ICC color profiles.

They were all intended to play within their own backyard!

Oh,, and thenI really did a stupid thing, I used an after-market ink, the black inks worked OK - I thought, for 4-5 cartridges but the coloured inks were clogging my jets in less than 2 sets of the wrong stuff!

I bought all NEW inks and threw away the after-market stuff. It took over 3/4 of a colour cartridge to even try to clear out my jets. when they did -- they just clogged up again

I wanted to throw the printer away! Fortunately, I had an extended warranty and a local STAPLES store took the 700 off my hands and gave me a 100% credit towards the EPSON 870.

I used that printer FLAWLESSLY for almost four years.

Today, I am using the 1280 and the R200

FLAWLESSLY

and --- their technical department is outstading.


marwen

Panzlflyer

My Feedback: (15)

Yep I did that with a Canon once a few years ago and ruined the printhead, also left a mess inside the printer that I never did get clean.
Since then its HP for HP, Canon for Canon and will be Epson for Epson.

Tall Paul

Epson has recently settled a class-action suit which claimed the ink-used monitor said ink was depleted sooner than it really was.
Without admitting fault, they've set aside a sum for every registered owner to be used in a rebate on new Epson stuff.
After finding out about this, the next I got a low ink warning, I removed and reinserted the cartridge, which kept on printing and printing and printing..
And there's the clogged head problem.
I've tossed out 2 Epson printers with clogged heads.
To my way of thinking, the printers should be free! They got you for the ink anyway! Black ink in particular costs twice the color inks, in the same quantity cartridge.

marwen1

My Feedback: (6)

That the price of "supply & demand" and there ain't too much of a way to get around it.

Now then, that being said, STAPLES has had a pretty good offer. PRICE MATCH. Give them a receipt of a lower price and they will match it plus 150% difference between the two

About two months ago, the T007 black ing was normally being sold for about $32 (Cdn). The Cdn SUPERSTORE has always had it available for $28.88.

Just about then they dropped the price to $19.88 (Cdn) You KNOW i went around to almost every store and bought up their inventory.

With STAPLES guarantee -- that worked out like this $35 - $19.88 = $15.12/2=$7.56 >>> $19.88-$7.56=$12.32


So for the $12.32, I bout an addition dozen. LOL LOL LOL

I still have a PLIE of black ink

Those deals only come along once in a GREAT while. So, capitalize if you can!

marwen

Tall Paul

Staples will give a $3 certificate for each used cartridge... but you can only use one certificate at a time.
But that is $12 off for the four inks.
Every little bit counts.

marwen1

My Feedback: (6)

Yea! Too bad their little "offers" only last for a really SHORT time period!

marwen