Decisions, Decisions...

[BlakePhoto]

Hello all, this is my first post here so I thought I would make it a good one

I have the opportunity to buy a used (about 6 yrs. old) Epson 9600 printer that comes with a full set of inks in it that range from about 20% up to 80% for $700 + $510 (Canadian $) for 5 new 220mL tanks and a maintenance tank. Does anyone have experience with this specific model? Pros and Cons? Do you have a general idea of cost printing in-house vs. a lab with this printer?

From the seller:
Epson Ultrachrome 220ml Ink Tank Cyan(T5442)
Epson Ultrachrome 220ml Ink Tank Magenta(T5443)
Epson Ultrachrome 220ml Ink Tank Yellow(T5444)
Epson Ultrachrome 220ml Ink Tank Photo Black(T5441)
Epson Ultrachrome 220ml Ink Tank Light Black(T5447)

Also  extra maintenance tank (C890191) available at $50. Maintenance was done regularly to keep print quality up. I can't say how many exactly but we have likely gone through over 25 rolls (glossy+luster+sheets) or more. Print head, wiper, & pad assembly have been replaced about two years.

I'm running OS X 10.5.8 (Leopard). Do you think Epson will release a driver for Snow Leopard? I don't want to get stuck with a printer I can't use.

My other option is to lease a new 7900 for about $150/month. I realize that the technology is much better with the 7900, but I also sell the occasional 24x30 canvas that I wouldn't be able to print if I go this route.

Any advice?

Thanks for your input!

Pat
www.blakephotography.ca

[bill t.]

The 98's are faster than the 96's, and the 99's are much faster.  I have found that speed isn't really that big a deal *most of the time* since printing can happen while other things are going on, but sometimes when waiting for that last big print to finish at 1:49 in the morning speed issues can loom large.  The ol' 9600 is not a speed demon.

Personally I would shy away from a printer that old just to avoid having to think about and plan for maintenance issues.  On single visit from a factory rep on a difficult problem could make your savings advantage vanish into thin air.

Also when I owned the 7800 I constantly wished I could print wider, even though in pre-purchase planning I convinced myself I would never have to.

But then again I know a lot happy printers still using their 9600's.  Those things were built to a standard just a little better than the current models, methinks.

[Wayne Fox]

The inks and maintenance tank aren't a great deal, especially if they've been sitting around for a while.  New they can be had for about $499 US + shipping, and maybe less, which according to Yahoo's currency convertor is around $527 Canadian.  Sure a little cheaper, but seems a bigger discount is in order.  Probably even beat those prices by shopping around a little, I only checked one reputable online source.

According to Epson (http://www.epson.com.ph/support/snowleopard.shtml), the 9600 is listed as "supported" on Snow Leopard, meaning the printer should work with the current driver.  However, the printer is "discontinued"  .... I don't think there will be any future updated drivers.

Considering it's about 4 generation old technology and the difference in output of nearly everything you print would be significantly better with newer printers, personally I would say it's way over-priced.

As far as printing yourself vs. a lab, I think most agree that printing it yourself is more about control and convenience, not about saving money.

[Schewe]

I have the opportunity to buy a used (about 6 yrs. old) Epson 9600 printer that comes with a full set of inks in it that range from about 20% up to 80% for $700 + $510 (Canadian $) for 5 new 220mL tanks and a maintenance tank.

Can't really comment on the deal other than to say that the x600 series printers are seriously "old tech" and substantially improved in the x800 series. The x880 and x900 series are far advanced and if I were in the market, the x600 would be the LEAST likely buy I would make.

The x800 series made GREATE strides and improvements on several aspects over the x600 series. Personally, you couldn't give me am x600 but I would take either an x800 or an x880 series printers.

The 7900 is indeed state of the art on a number of levels and would be my choice. Not also that the 7900 will print 24" x 30" no problem...

[Sven W]

I really agree earlier replies.
But the 96 is a very, very robust machine. I had mine for almost 5 years, printing more than 80.000 feet!
Some services of course, but it just worked every time.
Slow? It's very s-l-o-w. Compared to x900 its more than half the speed.
And the old K2-inks really only worked with Mk and matte papers. And if you want to switch to Pk, it's a fortune.

I sold my "Oldie 96" to an artist, who just prints matt canvas and he has plenty of time  
Replaced it with 9900 and 11880.

My advice for making buisness with the best quality and performance; Go for the x900!

[BlakePhoto]

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. Looks like I'll let the 9600 go. Now my only decision is do I bite the bullet and get the 7900 or the 9900? I can already see myself wanting to print a 24x36 canvas and having to send it to a lab while my 7900 sits idle.

[Geoff Wittig]

Thanks, everyone, for your responses. Looks like I'll let the 9600 go. Now my only decision is do I bite the bullet and get the 7900 or the 9900? I can already see myself wanting to print a 24x36 canvas and having to send it to a lab while my 7900 sits idle.

Just a quick contrarian viewpoint-
My 7600 is still cranking out prints like a champ...at a local art studio. I gave it to them after I got my workflow dialed in on my HP Z3100, with the proviso that I get to stop by and make a print now and then.  

The 7600/9600 have incredibly solid build quality, better than anything else I've seen. And Epson fans don't want to admit this, but there is little if any difference in print quality on matte/cotton rag paper between the 9600, 9800, 9880 and the latest 9900. There is a modest improvement in blue/green/purple gamut, and the achilles heel of the 7600/9600 (at least for me) was rendering blue skies accurately so the newer printers will be better there. But the 7600 generation still does a very fine job on warm/yellow/red/orange images. Seriously, try it: put your best print from a 9600 next to the best print from a 9900 side by side. If you're using cotton rag paper, the difference will be miniscule. The older printers are definitely much slower, no doubt about that. I would set up a long panoramic print on roll paper...and go out to dinner. Watching it slowly creep out of the printer a millimeter at a time can drive you crazy.

The newer Epson printers are indeed far better with photo black ink on luster/satin/gloss surfaces, and all those spiffy fiber/baryta papers. The 7600/9600 were never any good at that. But you may want to consider that 9600 if you're printing on cotton rag.

[framah]

i actually did just that. After I bought my 9900, I still had the 9600 hooked up and sent both the exact same file and printed on Epson enhanced matte and there was a noticeable difference in the quality of the image from the old to the new.

Even tho the 9600 was a work horse that never gave me a lick of problems, it was time to bring it all up to date.

I sold it for $900 with all inks and tanks and the artist will  still get alot of mileage out of it.... just no more support in the way of new drivers.

Bit the bullet and get the latest and biggest you can afford.