Tired of consumer grade photo printer

Wheatfield · 07-19-2010, 06:49 AM

Another vote for Epson. I'm using a 4800, and it is superb.
A bit of an ink hog, but I probably don't use it enough.
If you get a K3 type printer you have to be kinda careful about which papers you use as the pigment doesn't bind as well to some papers and can chip off.

**eccs19** · 07-19-2010, 10:22 AM

Thanks for all the great info. I'm thinking of the Epson 1400. Epson Canada currently has a $80 mail in rebate, so that helps.

photolady95 · 07-19-2010, 10:27 AM

Funny they have that one here too. Two months ago it was going for $161.99 and free shipping. Just before the 1st of July, and on the first! it went up to $179.00 and free shipping. Since I too was going to order it, and couldn't because of the price raise, I spent the money on something else. Now, however, I go in there just after I spent the money on something else, it drops down to $149.99 w/free shipping. GRRRRR!!! LOL

**eccs19** · 07-19-2010, 12:16 PM

Wow, that price is a lot cheaper than the Canadian site. Here it's $370. Considering the Canadian dollar is close to the US dollar, I may just have to get it from a US vendor. Just not sure how much I'll get killed for duty.

graphicgr8s · 07-19-2010, 01:44 PM

Originally posted by eccs19

Wow, that price is a lot cheaper than the Canadian site. Here it's $370. Considering the Canadian dollar is close to the US dollar, I may just have to get it from a US vendor. Just not sure how much I'll get killed for duty.

I thought you wanted a better printer? The Epsons I was referring to were a lot more than $149 US. The 14090 is still a consumer grade printer. Just able to print a bit larger.

**eccs19** · 07-19-2010, 02:41 PM

Hmm. This is the one that I was thinking of. Is it a good one, or just a consumer grade one?

Epson Stylus Photo 1400 Ink Jet Printer, Overview - Epson Canada, Ltd.

**boriscleto** · 07-19-2010, 03:10 PM

Originally posted by eccs19

Wow, that price is a lot cheaper than the Canadian site. Here it's $370. Considering the Canadian dollar is close to the US dollar, I may just have to get it from a US vendor. Just not sure how much I'll get killed for duty.

The price PhotoLady is quoting is for a referb.

Epson Stylus Photo 1400 - Refurbished, Overview - Product Information - Epson America, Inc.

Don't know if the Canadian store does referbs or not.

MRRiley · 07-19-2010, 03:11 PM

The r1400 is a high end consumer grade printer. The main diff between consumer and prosumer is the ink. The r1400 and down use regular dye-based ink... aka just what you'd have in any normal inkjet. In the r1900 and up you get pigment inks which are much more stable and archival. The r1900 and r2880 are marketed as prosumer grade or low end proffesional grade. Once you get over the 2880 you get into much more serious printers but the main diff is the size of prints you can make (and the amount of desk space they take up... LOL)

**eccs19** · 07-19-2010, 03:18 PM

So I guess the big question would be is... Will the R1400 be better (other than larger prints) that what I've got? Will the colors be more consistent? I don't sell prints, just looking for something better that what I've got. I currently get inconsistent prints with the current one. Colors all over the place, not just colors mismatching. I've printed one size, then print another size, and the colors / shades are different.

photolady95 · 07-19-2010, 07:39 PM

It would still be better than what you have. It prints more consistently, colors are more true to what you see on the monitor.

And yes, the one I looked at was in the clearance section of Epson USA.

But if I had the money, I'd buy what MRRiley bought. It's a lot better printer.

Also, Epson has refurbed in Canada:

http://www.epson.ca/cgi-bin/ceStore/BuyEpson/ccProductCategory.jsp?BV_UseBVC...yes&oid=-13366

taurus9 · 07-19-2010, 08:44 PM

It's a grayscale file. As I said, I don't think the printer is using only black -- it is combining all its colors to produce or emulate a gray. I was able to force it by setting the printer to print on black and white (via the printer driver) but the output was poor.

The Epson 1400 uses six inks:
Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Light Cyan, and Light Magenta

Originally posted by graphicgr8s

When you open the file and look at the mode does it say "Grayscale" ? Or did you just desaturate the color. "Grayscale" forces the printer (most anyway) to only run black in. Gray, any shade of any of the four colors actually, is only an illusion. The printer either prints 100% of the color or prints 0% of the color. There is no middle ground. What varies is the size of the dot.

Just desaturating the image causes the printer to try to make the grays using all four colors. One other thought. Is it a CMYK printer or a MYK printer. My dell only prints 3 color. No black so it's always a color build.

taurus9 · 07-19-2010, 09:14 PM

Originally posted by eccs19

So I guess the big question would be is... Will the R1400 be better (other than larger prints) that what I've got? Will the colors be more consistent? I don't sell prints, just looking for something better that what I've got. I currently get inconsistent prints with the current one. Colors all over the place, not just colors mismatching. I've printed one size, then print another size, and the colors / shades are different.

Can't say that it's better than your current one, since I've never used it before, but I can definitely vouch for the Epson 1400. Colors are excellent, and when I compare them to lab prints (Costco), I prefer the Epson's output. The only limitation I find is the 1400 does not accept (at least "officially") some of the fine art papers such as Epson UltraSmooth or Exhibition Fibre papers -- those are usually reserved for the pigment inks.

This website is the one I used when shopping for a new printer:

photo-i news

graphicgr8s · 07-20-2010, 06:24 AM

Originally posted by taurus9

It's a grayscale file. As I said, I don't think the printer is using only black -- it is combining all its colors to produce or emulate a gray. I was able to force it by setting the printer to print on black and white (via the printer driver) but the output was poor.

The Epson 1400 uses six inks:
Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Light Cyan, and Light Magenta

I use an old epson stylus and a newer Kodak printer at home and when I set the file as grayscale they do a good job of it. Working in a printshop most of my life however I usually use the printers here since I don't pay for any of it. But I still like the Kodak output. Still like being able to print stuff at home too. Keeps the wife happy.

ivoire · 07-20-2010, 07:06 AM

You can get the r1900 refurbished direct from epson for $379 with 1yr us/canada warranty or new for $399 after $150 mail in rebate.

artobest · 07-22-2010, 07:21 AM

The Epson 1400 is a good choice so long as you keep the prints in an album and not exposed to the light. The dye-based inks will fade quite quickly. Mike's 2880 is a much better machine in that regard.

Most printers use color inks to produce black and white images, regardless of the file format of the original image. This is to counter the fact that their blacks aren't neutral. Only HP's Vivera inkset has truly neutral blacks and greys - but HP no longer produces a mid-range printer. The downsides of this colour-mixing can be metameric failure (colour shifts under different lighting conditions) and differential fading (where a colour cast appears over time). However, with the top-end machines from all manufacturers (I include Canon here) the black and white is generally pretty stunning.

07-19-2010, 10:27 AM	#18
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	Funny they have that one here too. Two months ago it was going for $161.99 and free shipping. Just before the 1st of July, and on the first! it went up to $179.00 and free shipping. Since I too was going to order it, and couldn't because of the price raise, I spent the money on something else. Now, however, I go in there just after I spent the money on something else, it drops down to $149.99 w/free shipping. GRRRRR!!! LOL Last edited by photolady95; 07-19-2010 at 12:14 PM.

07-19-2010, 07:39 PM	#25
photolady95 Otis Memorial Pentaxian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Cruising the forum watching his back Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,712	It would still be better than what you have. It prints more consistently, colors are more true to what you see on the monitor. And yes, the one I looked at was in the clearance section of Epson USA. But if I had the money, I'd buy what MRRiley bought. It's a lot better printer. Also, Epson has refurbed in Canada: http://www.epson.ca/cgi-bin/ceStore/BuyEpson/ccProductCategory.jsp?BV_UseBVC...yes&oid=-13366 Last edited by photolady95; 07-22-2010 at 07:55 AM.

07-20-2010, 07:06 AM	#29
ivoire Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,381	You can get the r1900 refurbished direct from epson for $379 with 1yr us/canada warranty or new for $399 after $150 mail in rebate. Last edited by ivoire; 07-20-2010 at 10:19 AM.

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07-19-2010, 06:49 AM	#16
Wheatfield Moderator Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: The wheatfields of Canada Posts: 15,981	Another vote for Epson. I'm using a 4800, and it is superb. A bit of an ink hog, but I probably don't use it enough. If you get a K3 type printer you have to be kinda careful about which papers you use as the pigment doesn't bind as well to some papers and can chip off.

07-19-2010, 10:22 AM	#17
eccs19 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lisle, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,510 Original Poster	Thanks for all the great info. I'm thinking of the Epson 1400. Epson Canada currently has a $80 mail in rebate, so that helps.

07-19-2010, 12:16 PM	#19
eccs19 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lisle, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,510 Original Poster	Wow, that price is a lot cheaper than the Canadian site. Here it's $370. Considering the Canadian dollar is close to the US dollar, I may just have to get it from a US vendor. Just not sure how much I'll get killed for duty.

07-19-2010, 01:44 PM	#20
graphicgr8s Guest	Originally posted by eccs19 Wow, that price is a lot cheaper than the Canadian site. Here it's $370. Considering the Canadian dollar is close to the US dollar, I may just have to get it from a US vendor. Just not sure how much I'll get killed for duty. I thought you wanted a better printer? The Epsons I was referring to were a lot more than $149 US. The 14090 is still a consumer grade printer. Just able to print a bit larger.

07-19-2010, 02:41 PM	#21
eccs19 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lisle, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,510 Original Poster	Hmm. This is the one that I was thinking of. Is it a good one, or just a consumer grade one? Epson Stylus Photo 1400 Ink Jet Printer, Overview - Epson Canada, Ltd.

07-19-2010, 03:10 PM	#22
boriscleto Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: North Syracuse, NY Photos: Gallery Posts: 16,475	Originally posted by eccs19 Wow, that price is a lot cheaper than the Canadian site. Here it's $370. Considering the Canadian dollar is close to the US dollar, I may just have to get it from a US vendor. Just not sure how much I'll get killed for duty. The price PhotoLady is quoting is for a referb. Epson Stylus Photo 1400 - Refurbished, Overview - Product Information - Epson America, Inc. Don't know if the Canadian store does referbs or not.

07-19-2010, 03:11 PM	#23
MRRiley Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Sterling, VA, USA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 6,275	The r1400 is a high end consumer grade printer. The main diff between consumer and prosumer is the ink. The r1400 and down use regular dye-based ink... aka just what you'd have in any normal inkjet. In the r1900 and up you get pigment inks which are much more stable and archival. The r1900 and r2880 are marketed as prosumer grade or low end proffesional grade. Once you get over the 2880 you get into much more serious printers but the main diff is the size of prints you can make (and the amount of desk space they take up... LOL)

07-19-2010, 03:18 PM	#24
eccs19 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lisle, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,510 Original Poster	So I guess the big question would be is... Will the R1400 be better (other than larger prints) that what I've got? Will the colors be more consistent? I don't sell prints, just looking for something better that what I've got. I currently get inconsistent prints with the current one. Colors all over the place, not just colors mismatching. I've printed one size, then print another size, and the colors / shades are different.

07-19-2010, 08:44 PM	#26
taurus9 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: British Columbia Posts: 120	It's a grayscale file. As I said, I don't think the printer is using only black -- it is combining all its colors to produce or emulate a gray. I was able to force it by setting the printer to print on black and white (via the printer driver) but the output was poor. The Epson 1400 uses six inks: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Light Cyan, and Light Magenta Originally posted by graphicgr8s When you open the file and look at the mode does it say "Grayscale" ? Or did you just desaturate the color. "Grayscale" forces the printer (most anyway) to only run black in. Gray, any shade of any of the four colors actually, is only an illusion. The printer either prints 100% of the color or prints 0% of the color. There is no middle ground. What varies is the size of the dot. Just desaturating the image causes the printer to try to make the grays using all four colors. One other thought. Is it a CMYK printer or a MYK printer. My dell only prints 3 color. No black so it's always a color build.

07-19-2010, 09:14 PM	#27
taurus9 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: British Columbia Posts: 120	Originally posted by eccs19 So I guess the big question would be is... Will the R1400 be better (other than larger prints) that what I've got? Will the colors be more consistent? I don't sell prints, just looking for something better that what I've got. I currently get inconsistent prints with the current one. Colors all over the place, not just colors mismatching. I've printed one size, then print another size, and the colors / shades are different. Can't say that it's better than your current one, since I've never used it before, but I can definitely vouch for the Epson 1400. Colors are excellent, and when I compare them to lab prints (Costco), I prefer the Epson's output. The only limitation I find is the 1400 does not accept (at least "officially") some of the fine art papers such as Epson UltraSmooth or Exhibition Fibre papers -- those are usually reserved for the pigment inks. This website is the one I used when shopping for a new printer: photo-i news

07-20-2010, 06:24 AM	#28
graphicgr8s Guest	Originally posted by taurus9 It's a grayscale file. As I said, I don't think the printer is using only black -- it is combining all its colors to produce or emulate a gray. I was able to force it by setting the printer to print on black and white (via the printer driver) but the output was poor. The Epson 1400 uses six inks: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Light Cyan, and Light Magenta I use an old epson stylus and a newer Kodak printer at home and when I set the file as grayscale they do a good job of it. Working in a printshop most of my life however I usually use the printers here since I don't pay for any of it. But I still like the Kodak output. Still like being able to print stuff at home too. Keeps the wife happy.

07-22-2010, 07:21 AM	#30
artobest Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Swansea, Wales Posts: 455	The Epson 1400 is a good choice so long as you keep the prints in an album and not exposed to the light. The dye-based inks will fade quite quickly. Mike's 2880 is a much better machine in that regard. Most printers use color inks to produce black and white images, regardless of the file format of the original image. This is to counter the fact that their blacks aren't neutral. Only HP's Vivera inkset has truly neutral blacks and greys - but HP no longer produces a mid-range printer. The downsides of this colour-mixing can be metameric failure (colour shifts under different lighting conditions) and differential fading (where a colour cast appears over time). However, with the top-end machines from all manufacturers (I include Canon here) the black and white is generally pretty stunning.