Epson no more-What alternative?

[mark_l6]

<p>Having used an Epson 3880 professionally, only to have it die after 3650 prints, I had a reduced need for printing and bought an Epson R3000 only to have it start spitting ink everywhere after about 1200 prints and producing crap colour. And yes I have tried everything suggested on here to fix them both and I'm over it. Epson Australia are about as much use as an ashtray on a motorbike. I will never buy another Epson again. Unfortunately I am too far from any decent labs so I need a printer.<br /> Years ago I had a Canon A3+ dye printer and the prints had a life of about 5 months on display, so although I like dye prints I feel a need to stay with pigment as I still sell plenty of prints and cannot have them fade on clients.<br /> I know nothing of the current alternatives to Epson, so would value your advice.<br>

Oh and I forgot, I need to be able to produce quality neutral monochrome prints as much as colour prints.</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

The Canon PIXMA Pro-10 or Pro-1

[mark_l6]

<p>Thank you for that. Seeing how I have had so much print head trouble, can someone tell me if the Canon heads are user replaceable? That would make me feel better as it is the cost of replacing the Epson heads by a technician that has made them uneconomic to repair.</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

They are but more importantly the Canon heads simply do not have the clogging problems the Epson pigment heads do.

Mostly this is due to the differences in the technology Canon uses for individual nozzle design and ink droplet formation.

My PIXMA Pro-10 often goes weeks if not months between between printing sessions.

 

You can read more about my experience here: http://www.ppmag.com/web-exclusives/2014/08/canon-pixma-pro10-print.html

[q.g._de_bakker]

But when you left months between printing you had a clogged up nozzle, so you keep the printer on and let it produce a print once a week to prevent that?

[digitaldog]

<p>Never had any clogging issues with my 3880 while across the room, the 4900 clogged all the time if not used nearly everyday. I’ve gone months without printing to the 3880, no clogs. <br>

Canon heads <strong>can</strong> be replaced, at a cost of course. Not something one has to do with the Epson. </p>

[mark_l6]

<p>"Canon heads <strong>can</strong> be replaced, at a cost of course. Not something one has to do with the Epson"<br /> Except that I have two Epson printers looking at me that are 'boat anchors' precisely because they need new heads, confirmed by technicians. I know of four other professionals locally who need to replace their Epsons for this reason, so I would suggest your statement is simply wrong.<br /> I did not realise that Hewlett-Packard stopped making decent A3+printers, so am I right in thinking that I am stuck with the simple choice between Epson and Canon?</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

<P><I>Q.G. de Bakker, Nov 28, 2014; 04:48 a.m.

But when you left months between printing you had a clogged up nozzle, so you keep the printer on and let it produce a

print once a week to prevent that?</I> </p>

<p>

I leave it turned on, but my wife sometimes turns it off and doesn't tell me, and no I haven't been very good (the opposite

in fact) about printing a page every week or so. This winter I'll be more diligent about that as it already has been cold

enough that the central heat has been running more often so the humidity level in the house is way down.</p>

[Mike D]

<p>My 3880 turns off automatically which I believe is the default mode and so far has not had a ink clogging problem. I previously had a R3000 and when it needed repair after 11 months, Epson replaced it under warranty with a supposedly "refurbished" R3000. Long story short, it was a piece of junk and Epson would not repair or replace it for less than several hundred dollars. A local camera dealer talked me into the R3880 instead of a PIXMA Pro model. One of the major advantages of the 3880 model is the ink is a major portion of the cost of the printer. So if it breaks and is out of warranty, if you can find one on sale for $800 , you're only out a few hundred dollars if you retrieve all the ink cartridges from the old printer. This is less than the cost of having Epson replace it with another piece of junk. </p>

[Robin Smith]

<p>I have the Canon Pro 100 dye printer and the prints are rated for 100+ years with Chromalife inks. It's excellent and no clogging problems to date. I've had Epsons and HPs in the past. I would guess that the 5 month fading you mention is a thing of the past as I suspect these were not the current Chromalife dyes.</p>

[sfcole]

<p>"I did not realise that Hewlett-Packard stopped making decent A3+printers, so am I right in thinking that I am stuck with the simple choice between Epson and Canon?"<br>

There's another great option: have someone else print it. My HP never, ever clogged. but eventually, it sprang a leak in a hose for black ink and that was that. Now when I look back at all the $$ I spent on paper and ink....<br>

And the commercial prints are probably much longer-lasting (regardless of how the papers are "rated").</p>

[Robert DeCandido PhD]

<p>Canon Pixma Pro 100 - can be had for about $100 after rebates...this past Monday one could be had for $40 including shipping and free 13x19 paper...these deals come up often fr that model.</p>

<p>I have dye ink prints from this printer in my window for about 9 months now...and have not noticed any fading...Dye Inks have come a long way in permanence since the early days of the Epson 1270/80. Anyway, why spend so much money for a printer you use occasionally? and if it was a pigment ink printer that was clogging, perhaps another pigment ink printer (from whatever manufacturer) will also clog in the conditions of your printer room...</p>

<p>Anyway, if you like dye prints and want permanence - the Canon Pro (Pixma) 100 is a good deal...but you are in Australia - it is only the USA that has these deals from Canon...</p>

<p> </p>