jimmya Loc: Phoenix

I'm considering replacing my Canon printer (fairly new). Reason? Well I spent about $120 or so on the printer about 1 year ago and have already spent more than that on ink. I don't print many photos but the ink just goes away... cleaning I suppose.

Who here has/had experience with Epson? I know they are a good brand but I've never used them. What kind of experience do you have to share.

Thanks folks.

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

I don't know what to tell you because you are going to get all sorts of opinions on this, but here is my take: I have been using Epson printers for over 20 years without much problem. I had one dry up on me once from non usage, but that was remedied easily. I have always used 6 colour machines. I have not had to buy many because of their reliability. I simply wore them out. I am using two of them right now. One strictly for photo printing and the other for text, scanning and CD covers.

When the original ink runs out, I do use 3rd party inks with no problems; no fading, no running, no mismatch of colours - again with no problems. I have been using the same supplier for 20 years also. I refill my own with no mess and it comes out to about 33 cents per cartridge. I use paper that I purchase from Costco because it is made by Epson. I save money there also. I can not tell you about the large format printers though since I have never used or owned one.

Tom

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I've used Epsons since 2000 or so. They are great. But you have to USE them to keep them in shape. Let them sit idle for more than a week or so, and you risk a head clog or pigmented ink settling out in the ink lines.

I put Epsons in a pro lab back in 2003. We had a 44" model, the 9600, and a 17" model, the 4000, I think. Both were phenomenal. They used the early Ultrachrome inks, which are pigmented. Epson is now on something like the fourth or fifth generation of those inks. They have also worked long and hard on the clogging issues. Their newer printers are MUCH better than old ones. But the old ones were okay, so long as you kept them busy. We beat one up 20 hours a day, six days a week for two years before it needed service, just a waste ink tank replacement and a head alignment. It needed a new head after four years. By then, we had a 9800. Eventually, we had a couple of those and a 9880.

Epson ink is EXPENSIVE but WORTH IT. Output back then cost us $1.10 per square foot, including just paper and ink. That was with substantial volume discounts on the giant ink cartridges used in those printers.

The larger the printer you buy, the less expensive the ink becomes, because it is sold in larger cartridges. BUT, again, you have to be able to USE the printer! Ink should not be kept in a printer longer than six months, because the pigments settle out.

Epson makes a few dye ink printers that have very good image permanence — perhaps 100 years. The pigmented inks last about twice that long in Wilhelm's tests.

While you can buy third party continuous inking systems and bulk inks, they tend to shorten printer life, and the inks are not the same as OEM inks. So the prints are less fade-resistant and the third party ink may require custom printer/ink/paper profiles for good image quality. I won't use them.

One thing I've noticed, as you have, is that the less expensive printers come with a price — tiny ink cartridges that are expensive to replace. I always buy the extra capacity cartridges, so the ink is a little less costly that way.

Be sure you get a true PHOTO printer if you are serious about printing photos. Epson photo printers have at least six inks. If I were buying for myself today, I'd get a SureColor P400, P600, or P800, which uses eight inks and a gloss optimizer.

I've said it here before... Inkjet printing should be considered HIGH END. The best inkjet prints will last five times longer than the best silver halide paper prints you get from a typical photo lab. The best inkjet processes have color gamuts that FAR exceed what silver halide paper can reproduce. And you can print on all sorts of high end, archivally permanent substrates, suitable for display in museums.

https://epson.com

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

Thanks so much for your input.

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

The problem you mention, "leave them sit for a week" has never happened with any of my Canon printers. Thanks for your input.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

I have to be honest, the only time I ever had a problem with an Epson clogging, it was with a printer that sat for over a month. I eventually got the heads clean, and it lasted a couple years after that, until a power surge (probably lightning) zapped it.

I have had an Epson RX595 Photo printer go off on me, but not due to a head clog... Stupid User Syndrome! I got a piece of the wrong kind of paper stock stuck in it, and it damaged something beyond repair. Apparently, paper has to be squared off at the ends, or it jams royally.

But really, since Epsons have won more Digital Imaging Marketing Association shoot-outs at Photo Marketing Association International conventions than anyone, I've stuck with them.

tainkc Loc: Kansas City

Yeah, you can't let an Epson sit. Just run something through it once a week. It can be done on standard paper so as not to waste any photographic paper.

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

I have 2 Epson 6 ink printers and both do outstanding work at what I consider to be a reasonable ink usage. As far as clogged nozzles, I have let my older one , an Artisan 837, sit for a month or more a number of times. Never a problem. One reason might be that I don't shut either one off by simply turning off a power strip. I always shut them down using the printer's power button. They go through a shut down routine which may be why I have never had a clog. The only problem I have ever had is trying to set them up on my wireless network. They continually lose the settings. I finally said the heck with it and and I now use USB cables for both.

jimmya Loc: Phoenix

Lots of interesting input from everyone who answered and for that I thank you. My deal is that I want excellent work from my printer and I don't want to have the ink just go away over time due to cleaning. The one I currently have is a Canon. I turn it off with the onboard power button and it does a shut down routine. Somewhere along the line it's using ink for that and perhaps other things while it's turned on. I'd like to get away from that. I've seen some great deals for Epson printers recently and I know that Epson is a great brand. In the old days we always asked if the printer you were buying is Epson compatible because Epson was the standard.

Thanks again folks.

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

I am considering doing the same. The ink is always out of stock (I prefer to support my local economy and the online prices aren't that good), and I want a printer that will print 13X19. The printer I am looking at uses the store's generic ink, which I have found better than OEM ink.

The printer I am considering is not an Epson, but my current one is, and it's too expensive!

JRFINN Loc: Plymouth, MA

The clogging doesn't always happen. I believe it is based on the environment, dry vs humid etc. I've been a sales rep for all Epson products scanners, printers, cameras, dot matrix and they stand behind their products.

There consumer grade products print great photos and an excellent job in text. The specific photo printers are excellent in photos with years of non fading. I have a photo near a window for 10 yrs. Without any fade. Epson says 100 years but I don't think I'll find that out.

Good luck.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Yes, Epson is a good brand, I've been a happy camper with mine, but so is Canon! Canon makes excellent printers, many companies make good printers, but ink is expensive across the board. That is one thing they all have in common ( I pay $ 500 every time I buy a set of new inks for my printer, and many people pay a whole lot more)! If you have one of the big boys, you'll pay 3 to 4 thousand every time!!

rmm0605 Loc: Atlanta GA

I have used Epson printers for years. I currently have the Stylus Photo R3000, which has the ability to sit unused for quite a while without clogging. I love the picture quality. It prints up to 13X19. I have been using Epson inks, but I bought refills recently from www.precisioncolors.com in Toronto.

joegim Loc: Long Island, NY

I have a non photo printer the Epson WP 4020 which uses 4 color cartridges. In this printer the cartridges are stationary and the ink flows to the print head thru hoses. I was overseas the whole of Sept this year and when I returned I turned the printer on and a little bit worried of possible clogging but the printer just worked without any problem.

Al Beatty Loc: Boise, Idaho

Hi Jimmy,
I have the Epson 4550 bulk tank printer I got from Costco ($420.00). Replacement ink is about $30.00 for 4 bottles of 4 colors (less than $10 per color and they last a looooong time!). The default print mode is draft and at first I thought the color prints it produced were lousy but I soon learned I need to change from draft mode to high quality mode to get a good color print. Notice in the last sentence I said good color not great color. It is a four color printer not 6 or 8 so you expectations should be realistic. Take care & ...