Cleavis,
I guess I fit into your decadent category - currently have 7 printers
all with USB connections hooked to one computer running dual boot
with Win98SE and Win2K (as well as other printers hooked to other
PC's). I'll just mix my typically useless 2 cents in with your
questions.
--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., lyonscox@m... wrote:
> Another question...
>
> Those of you decadent [don't be shy ;-) ] types that have multiple
> printers...a comment about hook-up please...seems the ideal is to
> have USB capacity making it easy to hub them or plug/play?
I use two powered hubs - one 7 port (Belkin) and one 4 port
(Linksys) - each is first tier connected to the two USB ports on the
computer. Really eases hook up and swapping around. You need to be
careful with Win98, but Win2K handles the installations much better.
With Win 98 you typically need to turn off the already installed
printers and move some files temporarily when installing a new
printer to the mix (not necessary with Win2K). The different
generation printer drivers and Status Monitors will cause the most
grief. Once installed, it is easy to swap things around - Win98 will
reinstall drivers and create a copy if you don't hook that printer
back to the port that you unplugged it from though - not a big deal
just delete the unused driver and rename the copy to the original
name - this is very important for the Piezo driver to work.
>
> Second aspect of question...Since I have my 3000, if I did get a
> second printer...does one proof on one, final on another?
I proof and print from the same printer since each will print
slightly different. Others may not see that as a problem though.
>
> Dedicate one for color, one for B&W, with a bias towards the
printer
> with best qualities for the most output?
I experiment with a lot of different inksets, but those that I like
and stay with get dedicated to that printer.
>
> How frustrated are folks who don't have 13"x19" capacity (here's
> where you 7000+ folks chuckle I guess)?
>
> I don't like to store anything bigger than a 16x20" anyhow but
seems
> silly to have two printers able to do 13"X19".
Not silly at all if you are using different inksets. I mainly use CIS
systems on the 1270's, 1280's and 2000P, I use carts on the 980 and
870. It is nice to have different inks installed for different work
and papers. Of the 7 hooked to this system, I have stock carts in the
870, Piezo B/W in carts on the 980, MIS Lightfast dyes in a CIS on a
1270, MIS color archival in a CIS on another 1270, Enhanced Gen4 pigs
in a CIS on the other 1270, a 1280 with stock carts for the moment
(will get a CIS and special blend hex (?) to use both the Paul Roark
curves and Piezo driver - when I get the time to tinker), and MIS VM
in a CIS on the 2000P (may go to Indelibles once I'm convinced they
will run OK in the newer generation desktop photo printers.
Each printer gets profiled for that inkset and a range of papers that
compliment each other. It is really nice when looking at that image
onscreen and thinking that would look great with this inkset and that
paper and hitting the print button to do it. Excessive? YES
Convenient? You bet!! Time consuming playing with all of this? Yea,
but the options make it worth it. Plus using the USB to connect with,
if I want to sub another of my printers into the system, it is plug
and play.
>
> Your reflections are appreciated.
>
> Over accessory prone Cleavis 8-\
Possibly more accessory prone Terry <G>