Looking to move up printerwise.

[etrigan63]

I've been using an HP Photosmart Pro 9180 for about a year now. After some fits at the beginning (HP Support was VERY helpful) it has been running fine. However, I am coming up on it's one major drawback: printing size.

I am looking make 16x20 prints for a gallery exhibition in September and want to move up to something that can handle that size, yet make small prints too.

The Epson 3800 can handle that, but what does HP offer? I am having a little trouble making heads or tails out of their pro printer website.

Is the Epson 3800 due for a refresh sometime soon?

As always, I value everyone's opinions.

 

[Bob]

Even if the 3800 is due for a refresh, it is a very good printer.
-bob

 

[Don Hutton]

3800 is awesome and extremely cheap, given that it is supplied full of ink.

 

[mwalker]

I know I may be a lone wolf here but I use a Canon ipf6100 (24" the ipf5100 is 17") and I'm very happy with it. It is a work horse! I've seen side by side comparisons with the Epson and I can't see any difference in IQ. You don't have to swap blacks with the Canon if thats an issue.

 

[etrigan63]

I was looking at the 5100 as well. I need the printer to be able to do small prints 4x6 as well as the bigger stuff. 16x20 is about as big as I want to go. Any larger and I will use Dale Labs.

 

[mwalker]

Sorry for the font change on the last post I was cutting and pasting from word processing software.

I've had Epson's and Canon's both are excellent.

 

[Dale Allyn]

I know I may be a lone wolf here but I use a Canon ipf6100 (24" the ipf5100 is 17") and I'm very happy with it. It is a work horse! I've seen side by side comparisons with the Epson and I can't see any difference in IQ. You don't have to swap blacks with the Canon if thats an issue.

I'm a happy Canon iPF user too. Large ink carts, on the fly black ink selection (no purge at all), accepts rolls, no clogs for me (used sporadically), etc.

Won't print small sizes. A little larger footprint. Documentation sucks, but the wiki is fantastic. etc.

Both the Epson and Canon make fine prints IMO.

 

[dseelig]

I have a hp z3100 . After a epson 7600 I am in love. I would not recomend it for a lot of small prints as single sheet feeding is a pain, espicaily for letter size prints. The big pluses are spectro built in and virtually no ink waste. Keep the 9180 for small prints and get something bigger for the large stuff. If you think you will never go bigger then 16 by 20 epson is a very nice printer. I would guess epson will have something new fairly soon but don't you want to being make prints now?

 

[Ebe]

I have the HP-Z3100. “ Love it “.
Owned both Canon and Epson in the past.
This printer is best with roll paper, small sheet is difficult and time consuming to use.
Have had no problems with 11x13 and larger single sheet.
Letter size sheets not as easy, but will work most of the time.
Its built in calibration, large ink supplies, and no ink waste between
gloss and matt papers make it a versatile, high quality printer.

Each printer I have owned had advantages and things to pick at.
The HP and Canon are both more forgiving about being left unused for a time
and not getting clogged heads. If you do not print every week. Don’t go Epson
Take a 4 week vacation and you might come back to a printer that does not
work. I ended up throwing away an Epson because of this.

The Z3100 is large, heavy, and poor at small single sheets.
It is also forgiving about being left alone, versatile, dependable,
and on roll paper prints beautifully.

 

[etrigan63]

Well, a good buddy of mine is letting me have his slightly used Canon imagePROGRAF W6400 for a price that is too good to turn down. This is a 7-color system (5-color, 2-blacks) and is listed as a photo printer. Has anyone used this one and can offer any direction?

 

[etrigan63]

Well, I went to pick up the big beastie today. It had stored in a warehouse for the last three months. At least it wasn't being rained on. Little bit of dusting and session with my air compressor to clean it out and she is up and operational. My buddy also had a complete set of ink carts and three rolls of paper (photo glossy, photo matte, and canvas). Initial tests and getting to know the limits of the unit are my prime focus right now.

One idiosyncrasy: the printer reports "Check Printheads" but prints normally once I press the "Online" button. I have performed several Head Cleanings (A type) but may have to do a B-level cleaning, which uses a bunch of ink.