Digital BW, The Print

> Is the 1800 the better choice of the two for B&W?
> Help appreciated, Val

Go to this link for the full comparison between the 2200 and 1800...about 2/3rds down 
the page.

http://www.inkjetart.com/R1800/index.html

Here's a copy and paste of some of the info:

Q: How is the R1800 different than the 2200?

A: In a nutshell, the R1800 has the better color gamut and lack-of-gloss-differential 
advantages of the 1280, and the greater longevity advantages of a pigmented inkset (the 
R1800 UltraChrome inkset has even greater fade-resistance than the 2200's UltraChrome 
inkset). In most instances, users will prefer the output of the R1800 for glossy, luster and 
semigloss prints over the output of the 2200. However, even though the R1800's dual-
black "plumbing" (having both photo and matte black ink cartridges ready to use), makes 
it easier to switch back and forth between matte and glossy media, discerning matte and 
fine art printers will notice a slight advantage in quality with the 2200. 

Here is a list of some of the main differences between the R1800 and the 2200: 


The R1800 is about $150 less than the 2200.
Part of that price difference is because the R1800 does not include a automatic paper 
cutter for those using roll paper (90% of the 2200 owners rarely use this attachment 
anyway, so it's not much of a loss).

The R1800 has a slightly better highest-printing-resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi vs. the 
2200's 2880 x 1440 dpi (this is mainly advertising hype to match other manufacturer's 
specs, than any practical use application).

The R1800 has a smaller ink droplet size of 1.5 picoliter vs. the 2200's 4 picoliter smallest 
droplet size. This advantage can be noticed in the highlights of some prints (resulting in 
slightly better highlight separation and detail).

The R1800 is plumbed with both the Photo Black and the Matte Black ink, so no switching 
of black ink cartridges is necessary -- you only have to indicate your paper choice and the 
change is made automatically for you. This is a clear advantage in time and a savings (of 
about $1-$2) in ink not wasted compared to when one manually switches black ink 
cartridges on the 2200.

Speed: The R1800 appears to be faster than the 2200. Advertised 11x14 "Photo" printing 
time for the R1800 is several seconds faster (at 1 minute, 51 seconds) than the "Photo" 
printing time for an 8x10 (2 minutes, 6 seconds) on the 2200.
No gloss differential (or "bronzing") when using the R1800's Hi-Gloss UltraChrome inks on 
gloss, luster and semigloss papers - whereas 2200 users will continue to have this 
problem that is annoying to some people (but only when viewing a print held in your 
hands, instead of one displayed behind glass, in a frame). The R1800 has no visual 
advantage over the 2200 when using matte surface papers. In fact, the opposite is true. 
Epson 2200 matte prints have a slight advantage in quality over prints made with the 
R1800.

Longevity: The R1800 uses a red and a blue ink cartridge vs. the light magenta, light cyan 
and light black used in the 2200 (which is the same ink that is used in the Epson 4000, 
7600 and 9600). The Red and blue inks are more fade-resistant than the three light or 
"photo" inks, and the estimated longevity rates with some of Epson papers are greater 
(104 years vs. 84 years for the Epson Premium Glossy, and 200 years vs. 92 years for the 
Epson Watercolor Paper Radiate White). NOTE: The R1800 uses the same cartridges as the 
R800.

Inkset neutrality for black and white printing: We interviewed several Epson employees 
about this issue, and they indicated that because the R1800 inkset does not have the light 
black ink (like the 2200, 4000, 7600 and 9600), it will not produce as neutral black and 
white prints as does the 2200, especially with matte and fine art papers. (Editor's Note: In 
May 2002, Epson shared research information with us about their new UltraChrome inkset 
that was going to be introduced with the new 2200, 7600 and 9600 printers. Epson told 
us that their scientists had reviewed the possibility of going with a black, magenta, cyan, 
yellow, green and orange inkset to increase the color gamut range. Although colors like 
green and orange, or red and blue could greatly increase color gamut, they decide instead 
to go with the UltraChrome inkset that used light black, light cyan and light magenta 
because this inkset had better neutral control, and was more in line with the projected 
needs of their photo and fine art markets.)

Thick media handling: Unlike the Epson 2200, the Epson Stylus Photo R1800 does NOT 
have a straight through paper path for thicker media. The R1800 has a separate top-
loading position for single, 13x19 sheets (as well as a standard auto-feed, top-loading 
position), but the thickest media it is designed to handle is Epson's new 325gsm 13" x 19" 
UltraSmooth Paper (which will be introduced to the market within a few weeks). This new 
paper is about 19 mils thick. The 2200, with its straight through paper path, can handle 
media up to 1.3mm thick (51 mils)!