Using the Creative Suite, what would be the best 11×17 inkjet / laser printer for printing from these applications. I am interested in best print quality / print speed. I use both PC and Mac. Thanks in advance.
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Some additional information would be helpful, such as:
do you need high-speed reproduction (as in an office situation)? are you going to be printing mostly office-type documents (letterhead, proposals, etc.)? are most of your documents going to be photographic images, text, or a mix of the two? do you have a budget? do you print on just laser bond, or do you need to use photographic-type paper? do you need a straight-through paper path for heavier materials? do you need photorealism?
Regarding "Some people have move over to the Canon i9900 and those I’ve heard from have nothing but glowing reports." Do you really know multiple folks who have moved from the SP2200 to the i9900? No doubt some folks have bought the i9900 after having previously owned non-modern Epsons (e.g. SP1200), and I would certainly hope that they would like the newer printer, but moving from the SP2200 to i9900 seems illogical.
My fade tests on the i9100 using Canon ink and Epson Premnium Luster paper are coming along…. no noticeable fading (even the one on the dashboard of my car) after a whole week!
I agree it is cost per print. But its still important to know if you need to buy a full set of ink its going to cost about $900.
Now if Robert only needs to print 11×17 prints a 4000 just may be a little much. especially when he can buy a 2200 for about $200 less than a set of the 4000 ink cartriges. and the the ink is identical.
It would sure be a waste of ink too, if the ink in the 4000 was not used enough and dried up before it was all used.
My only observation is that the life cycle costing of the printer needs to include the cost of one set of backup ink cartridges. Ergo the 4000 up front cost is +US$900, not insignificant.
I back up ink cartridges for the SP2200 four deep, and some cartridges have been in stock for 14 months with never a hint of ink malfunction in a very dry high altitude environment. My guess is that the 4000 would perform similarly, so I would not worry about in-cartridge ink longevity. However, every printer I have ever had sooner or later failed, leaving me with expensive unused inks. It is reasonable to expect the EOL of a 4000 printer to leave US$900 worth of ink unused.
But IMO the per print cost is tolerable. Larry, the (my empirical experience) ink for an Epson SP2200 8×10 averages much less than US$1. I have been unable to find good data on per image ink costs SP2200 vs 4000, even though Epson hypes that the 4000 is cheaper.
Presumably, but one does have to replace the ink waste holding tank on the 4000 every so often. I suspect that cleaning the head will be happening automatically frequently?
Ramon- I use the Canon Glossy profile on the Epson premium luster paper and I am pretty happy with the results. I am getting the best match that I have ever seen between a monitor and a print. This assessment could mean different things depending on the observer, but this is what I get paid to do so I’m confident in my assessment. YMMV.
LRK, you are welcome to correspond with me at photoshoplist at bake _d_ot o_rg.
Thanks, CW. These parallel threads on printers are gradually encouraging me to investigate the "little brother" to your Canon printer to use exclusively for 8×10 and smaller glossy prints. That would allow me to keep the Epson 2200 permanently on Matte Black ink, and I wouldn’t have to worry about swapping the black cartridges. I much prefer prints on matte paper, and I only print on glossy printer when urged to do so by people to whom I can’t say no. They usually want 5×7 prints and an occasional 8×10.
I’ll see what I can find at the Canon site re the smaller models. It’s very comforting to know the Epson Premium Glossy paper works so well for you. I could use it on both printers.
I have used Epson printers in the past. I have the Canon i9100 now, and it is a great all-around printer. I also use the Epson premium luster and matte papers in it with no problem. If speed is an issue, go with the Canon.
You really can’t go wrong with Epson or Canon photo printers.
Ramon, I use the premium LUSTRE, not the glossy (usually)
I do occasionally use the Canon glossy paper, and am pretty happy with that too, but I happen to have reams of the PL, so I have grown attached to it by reason of availability.
One paper that really, absolutely sucks on Canons is the Pictorico Premium Glossy. It’s probably a profile thing, as I have not bothered to generate one for this paper. But don’t try to use Canon or Epson profiles for this stuff.
I understood that; my brain was not connecting with my fingers when I typed.
Pictorico Premium Glossy.
That one is Pictorico’s bottom of the line paper. Don’t bother with it. I’m surprised you even tried it.
On the Epson 2200, I get the absolute finest glossy prints with Pictorico’s Photo Gallery Glossy Paper. Pictorico provides excellent profiles for this paper specifically created for the Epson 2200.
If you use Pictorico paper, by all means explore their site to see if they offer profiles for your printer.
Of course, nothing beats a custom profile if you want to invest the money.
