Printer Experiences

[andit]

Hi guys,

I know that this is slightly off topic, but my Canon iP6600 printer has just packed up. It keeps coming up with errors of not recognizing the cartridges installed, or that more than one of the same cartridges is installed. Sometimes after opening and closing the printer for about 20 times it finally resets itself and then does one printout before starting its story again. This happens with normal text prints as well as photo prints.

As you can imagine, this is completely unacceptable. It just took me almost half an hour just to print a quote for a client... So, now I'm looking at getting a new printer. Since I have had bad luck in the past with Canon, I'm now looking at getting an Epson R800. Does anyone have experience with this printer, if so how does it work? Alternatively, are there any other printers that you would suggest. I had a look at an Epson R2400 but the costs of this printer once it gets to Namibia, coupled with poor exchange rates, makes this too expensive.

All comments welcome.

Thanks
Andreas

[hazel_r]

I have the Epson R800, and I'm very pleased with it - have had it for about four years now. I've just had really good results in a national exhibition with a colour print I produced on it. The only thing I have a problem with is B/W printing - the tones are really rich, but no matter what I do I get colour castes. From some reading I've done, this is probably because I haven't calibrated my monitor, and I don't use specific paper profiles. Hope this has been helpful for you.

hazel

[overgaardcom]

My only experience is that Canon IP is much cheaper feeding with toner than Epson. Which is why I changed from Epson to Canon three years ago.

That said, I use it for all printing in A4. I do photos as well, but just for "fun" on a certain glossy paper where the result might add up to 90% what would be possible on a perfect-toner-calibration-paper-everything Epson or Canon. But the price per glossy A4 photo on Avery paper then is also only 0,18 Euro a piece!

Have you checked that the cartridges you use are IN FACT the right ones. In these ages with chips, etc. that could be the thing. Or simply the cartridges are faulty (wrong code/chip or something).

[dpattinson]

I have the R800, it's fine for both colour and black and white. If you don't use a paper specific profile then you may not get neutral tones for black and white (I get warm tones on hahnemuhle fine art baryta, they don't make a profile for the R800).
On the epson paper - tones are fine, as with other papers I've used where I could find a profile.

I certainly wouldn't use it for general printing, it would be much more economical to buy a second 'non-photo' printer for that. The photo ink is too expensive to waste on documents.

In a completely desaturated image, I don't think any colour cast in the print can be due to having not calibrated your monitor. It is most likely imho the result of not using a printer profile that is matched to the chosen paper. These are easily downloaded for the epson papers, and many other papers as well from the manufacturers sites.