Digital BW, The Print

Our digital printing labs use the Epson 7800 - one with matte black ink and one with photo black ink (for glossy media).

The Epson ultrachrome K3 inks are fantastic and the printers are reasonably priced.  The print heads have a life span of about 5 to 10k prints, so it could last years longer than the Canon's.  Also, the Epsons do not have an internal maintenance timer, only a counter, that would force you to get unnecessary maintenance done by a certified technician.

If you ever do have to replace the print head, it's incredibly easy if you can find the manual.

The color reproduction on these printers is top notch.  Epson's profiles aren't bad, but if you're creating your own you can produce some absolutely stunning work on all types of media - our students push many types through the printers including paper, transparencies for digital negatives, and even aluminum sheets.

We have 12 epsons in our program and I can't recommend them enough for the price.

The ink catridges are about $80 each for 220ml, but you can find them online through many retailers for a few bucks less.

If you are planning on letting the printer sit for 1-3 months at a time, i'd do one of the following:

1.  weekly maintenance purge prints so that fresh inks get pushed through the lines every now and then.

or.

2.  purchase refillable cartridges through inkjet mall and also purchase a few 16oz bottles of piezoflush.  If you're feeling adventurous, you could even try putting in distilled water or windex (i take no responsibility of the last 2 suggests go awry in any way.  i've heard they work but have not tried them myself).

If you have any questions regarding the epson printers, please let me know.

Nick Enghardt
St. Edward's University
Humanities Mac Lab Coordinator and Advanced Imaging Lab Manager

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "LouisD" <lou@...> wrote:
>
> I need some advice from the group on a new large format printer.
> 
> I've been using a Canon iPF6100 24" printer for the last 3 or 4 years and have been pleased with it for both color and B&W work. The weak point of this printer is the head life (less than 2 years, and at $500 each, and two heads per printer, it can get expensive. At least they are user replaceable). It never clogs, but when the heads go, they GO NOW!
> 
> I want to buy a 24" (or possibly a 44") wide printer. I print much more color than B&W, so I want good gamut and Dmax. I plan to use the driver with custom color profiles, not a RIP. Ink costs are always a concern, and so are clogs. Low maintenance is HIGH on my list of priorities.
> 
> My biggest problem is that I print only occasionally, usually in spurts, and sometimes I won't use my large format printer for 1–3 months at a time. I know that's begging for maintenance and head clogging problems. I guess I could farm out my larger work, but I lose control over the printing process, quality, etc., and as good as color management tools are, I still often like to print a 2nd or 3rd print to get exactly what I really want.
> 
> I'd appreciate any printer suggestions. I am also open to other advise. 
> 
> I'd even consider a reliable used printer (workhorse) that will accept 3rd party inks. 
> 
> Thanks in advance for your suggestions!
> 
> Lou Dina
>