Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., sdmey4@a... wrote:
> 3000 prints on 17x22in paper with a 14x18in image take 1 hour 
15min!! That is 
> the only size I have timed. That's with the new improved anti 
banding piezo 
> driver 1440dpi setting. At 720 DPI the time is cut in half and the 
quality is 
> as good as the previous 3000 piezo driver. Its the 1440 setting 
that is 
> different from the previous version and this setting lays the ink 
differently 
> as well as advances the paper slower, hence the banding masking 
properties.

Steve,

Ouch! You mean I have to learn even more patience? Sigh. Now I know 
why you have two of them. Are the 720 and 1440 close enough in 
tonality that you can work at 720 to get the image adjusted and then 
use the 1440 for the finished prints?

 I 
> tend to use 1440 for 17x22in paper to help insure a square print. 
720 seems 
> fine on smaller sizes as there is less time for skewing of the 
image. This 
> skewing is something you may not notice unless you measure the the 
width of 
> the image top and bottom. There may be an 1/8th or so difference 
and this 
> will show up when you try to mat the print. Something will always 
look out of 
> square.

That must be a sinking feeling if you have been printing for a show 
and then go to mat the prints!

> I think its a pretty good bet a refurb 3000 will keep you going for 
2 years. 
> I printed hundreds of thick sheets 310gsm ,and over time my skewing 
is not 
> solvable on large sheets of thick paper.  Wells river and up to 
Sumerset 225 
> still prints fine. Those thick sheets kind of stretched the rollers 
or 
> transport just enough to get it out of spec.

That sounds fine. As long as I can get the 200gsm stuff through I'll 
be happy. Since the finished product will get window matted I don't 
really need or want the weight unless that is the only way the paper 
comes.

I am not a very high volume worker so I think 2 years is probably 
plenty. By then it is likely to be a very different ball game. I hope 
that Epson will come out with a new model to fill the huge price hole 
between the 1280 and the 5000 that will take 17" paper. Even if they 
do, it will cost a lot more than the current refurbed 3000's.

Thanks,
Martin