Epson's 6 ink tank photo printer

Catalyst · 8th October 2003

Finally...New photo printer with individual ink tank from Epson

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/c...s&oid=22403490

denizenx · 9th October 2003

how about HP's new 8 ink printers?

15th October 2003

Lost faith in Epson printers. I have a C80 (individual tank printer btw) and the Photo 830. The print nozzles of both printers required cleaning before every print session which wasted a lot of ink unnecessarily and both would occassionally spit ink droplets onto the expensive premium glossy papers when they feel like it and this happens even after sending them in for servicing and print head replacements.

Bobo · 15th October 2003

Originally Posted by tomcat

Lost faith in Epson printers. I have a C80 (individual tank printer btw) and the Photo 830. The print nozzles of both printers required cleaning before every print session which wasted a lot of ink unnecessarily and both would occassionally spit ink droplets onto the expensive premium glossy papers when they feel like it and this happens even after sending them in for servicing and print head replacements.

are you using non-epson ink? From my experience its better to use their original one, "cheong" ones tends to clog the print heads.

17th October 2003

Originally Posted by Bobo

are you using non-epson ink? From my experience its better to use their original one, "cheong" ones tends to clog the print heads.

No. I always use Epson ink or paper with Epson printers as I want to get the best print quality at all times.

Watcher · 17th October 2003

Originally Posted by tomcat

No. I always use Epson ink or paper with Epson printers as I want to get the best print quality at all times.

You're right about the clogging. It is a very common Epson problem. That is why some people had recommended that you print something once a week. Anything is fine, a 3R or 4R picture that makes all the nozzles move. It is far cheaper in terms of ink than to clean the head and print once a month...

I do agree that the color is better and last much longer. Me now eyeing the 2100...

Zerstorer · 17th October 2003

Didn't have much problems with clogging, but to have the printhead on a Photo870 dead only after 5black and 4 colour replacements is a bit atrocious.

The HP7960 is rather tempting.

17th October 2003

Originally Posted by Zerstorer

The HP7960 is rather tempting.

I am eyeing the HP7960 too. It's a 8-colour printer ! The downside is that it uses 4 cartridges

and we all know how expensive HP cartridges are, don't we. Also HP prints are only lasting if printed on their expensive Colorfast papers.

Larry · 17th October 2003

actually, i find it a pity that Epson doesn't put their EPSON UltraChrome™ 7-color Ink Technology in a smaller printer. it's only avail now on the Stylus Photo 2100 AFAIK. i'll love to get one that prints A4...

StreetShooter · 17th October 2003

I just got a Canon i560 printer for only $235. Although it's a 4 colour printer, the output is nothing short of amazing, esp 4R borderless prints on Canon paper. The ink is cheap (4 think tanks), and this printer apparently sips ink. Text output is very fast (I actually got it to replace my office laserjet, which conveniently died just as I was thinking about getting a colour printer). My other colour printer, a HP Photosmart 1100, has cartridges which are ridiculously expensive. The 4 colour printers apparently have much less problems with clogged printheads than the 6 colour and above printers.

It was interesting because it seems to be a printer made in a "modular" concept. You have to install the print head, followed by the print cartridges. That means if the print head dies, you can actually replace it on your own.

The software is really user friendly as well. Idiot-proof, I would say.

Larry · 17th October 2003

Originally Posted by StreetShooter

I just got a Canon i560 printer for only $235. Although it's a 4 colour printer, the output is nothing short of amazing, esp 4R borderless prints on Canon paper. The ink is cheap (4 think tanks), and this printer apparently sips ink. Text output is very fast (I actually got it to replace my office laserjet, which conveniently died just as I was thinking about getting a colour printer). My other colour printer, a HP Photosmart 1100, has cartridges which are ridiculously expensive. The 4 colour printers apparently have much less problems with clogged printheads than the 6 colour and above printers.

It was interesting because it seems to be a printer made in a "modular" concept. You have to install the print head, followed by the print cartridges. That means if the print head dies, you can actually replace it on your own.

The software is really user friendly as well. Idiot-proof, I would say.

ok, own up... how much did Canon pay you to say that...

StreetShooter · 17th October 2003

* SS quickly hides his 1D *

Zerstorer · 17th October 2003

Originally Posted by StreetShooter

It was interesting because it seems to be a printer made in a "modular" concept. You have to install the print head, followed by the print cartridges. That means if the print head dies, you can actually replace it on your own.

Canon ones are user installable, but I believe the cost of a replacement is still quite prohibitive.

For HP the printheads are replaced with the cartridges....cost works out to be about the same in most cases.

Watcher · 18th October 2003

Originally Posted by Larry

actually, i find it a pity that Epson doesn't put their EPSON UltraChrome™ 7-color Ink Technology in a smaller printer. it's only avail now on the Stylus Photo 2100 AFAIK. i'll love to get one that prints A4...

I suspect that they won't move it down. Why? Just look at their range of A4 printers... It is mostly for home/amateurs, with things like the 9XX series for the higher end. They use 4/6-color inks, provided quite good results already, especially if you have done proper adjustments. Pros would need/know/want the standard produced by the 7-color ink printers and thus, the margins are higher and can earn more $$$ for them. The inks are dreadfully expensive too so the end users would be less keen to buy then.

That said, I do hope they surprise me...

KamWeng · 24th October 2003

Anybody using Epson's DuraBrite pigmented ink to print photo? Is it good in photo printing compare to ordinary inks? Also are the inks expensive and easily clogged?

Recently very fed up with my Epson 860. Black ink leaked empty just after 2 months installed rarely used (maybe defective cartridge or improper insertion). The printer software still think it's full. Had to force change the cartridge - made it print and off the power to access its cartridge (anybody has better way to do this?). Now the ink gauge is not tally with the actual ink volume. A physical detector is better than software monitor.

Spent an hour doing nozzle check printing and flushing. Nearly half of the inks gone (the stupid printer also flushed the colour print head!!) but still ended up with 2 clogged nozzles with the black ink.

Also I think clogging problem is least relevant to type of inks used. For years I've tried Epson, Nippon, MicroJet, Sepoms, never clogged until this time it leaked dry. Just print a Nozzle Check Pattern (uses very little ink) occasionally which will also flush the print head. Epson printers are advised not to be left unused for a long time.

8th October 2003	#1
Catalyst Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: NorthEast Posts: 323	Epson's 6 ink tank photo printer Finally...New photo printer with individual ink tank from Epson http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/c...s&oid=22403490

9th October 2003	#2
denizenx Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: L2TPYSG Posts: 4,514	how about HP's new 8 ink printers? __________________ "I'm... dreaming... of a wide... angle~ Just like the ones I used to know~"

15th October 2003	#3
tomcat Guests Posts: n/a	Lost faith in Epson printers. I have a C80 (individual tank printer btw) and the Photo 830. The print nozzles of both printers required cleaning before every print session which wasted a lot of ink unnecessarily and both would occassionally spit ink droplets onto the expensive premium glossy papers when they feel like it and this happens even after sending them in for servicing and print head replacements.

17th October 2003	#7
Zerstorer Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,610	Didn't have much problems with clogging, but to have the printhead on a Photo870 dead only after 5black and 4 colour replacements is a bit atrocious. The HP7960 is rather tempting.

17th October 2003	#9
Larry Moderator Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: singapore Posts: 6,097	actually, i find it a pity that Epson doesn't put their EPSON UltraChrome™ 7-color Ink Technology in a smaller printer. it's only avail now on the Stylus Photo 2100 AFAIK. i'll love to get one that prints A4...

17th October 2003	#10
StreetShooter Moderator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Katong Posts: 4,702	I just got a Canon i560 printer for only $235. Although it's a 4 colour printer, the output is nothing short of amazing, esp 4R borderless prints on Canon paper. The ink is cheap (4 think tanks), and this printer apparently sips ink. Text output is very fast (I actually got it to replace my office laserjet, which conveniently died just as I was thinking about getting a colour printer). My other colour printer, a HP Photosmart 1100, has cartridges which are ridiculously expensive. The 4 colour printers apparently have much less problems with clogged printheads than the 6 colour and above printers. It was interesting because it seems to be a printer made in a "modular" concept. You have to install the print head, followed by the print cartridges. That means if the print head dies, you can actually replace it on your own. The software is really user friendly as well. Idiot-proof, I would say.

24th October 2003	#15
KamWeng Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Jurong Posts: 167	Anybody using Epson's DuraBrite pigmented ink to print photo? Is it good in photo printing compare to ordinary inks? Also are the inks expensive and easily clogged? Recently very fed up with my Epson 860. Black ink leaked empty just after 2 months installed rarely used (maybe defective cartridge or improper insertion). The printer software still think it's full. Had to force change the cartridge - made it print and off the power to access its cartridge (anybody has better way to do this?). Now the ink gauge is not tally with the actual ink volume. A physical detector is better than software monitor. Spent an hour doing nozzle check printing and flushing. Nearly half of the inks gone (the stupid printer also flushed the colour print head!!) but still ended up with 2 clogged nozzles with the black ink. Also I think clogging problem is least relevant to type of inks used. For years I've tried Epson, Nippon, MicroJet, Sepoms, never clogged until this time it leaked dry. Just print a Nozzle Check Pattern (uses very little ink) occasionally which will also flush the print head. Epson printers are advised not to be left unused for a long time.