Topic: Old printer questions (Read 2129 times)

Morris Taub · « **on:** November 27, 2009, 10:22:40 am »

A friend of a friend gave me this printer...it's old...and it needs at least a black ink cartridge...i need to see if they're even available...black ink cartridge light flashing...the color cartridge seems ok, but it won't print...

it uses T007 and T009 ink cartridges...that's what's listed when i pick up the hood...

is this printer any good?...is it even worth buying the cartridges for?...

I'm wondering, if any knows, can this be turned into a good black and white photo printer?...

i mean maybe i'd be better off taking this to the recycling dump...

thanks for any advice...

M

Gemmtech · « **Reply #1 on:** November 27, 2009, 10:41:24 am »

The 1270 takes the same cartridges as the 1280 and they are T009201 color and T007201 for black. It's a great little printer and you can make some very nice photos with it. The problem is you have to keep the photos behind glass, coat them, or in a photo album because the prints will fade (dye ink). The plus side is you can still get a deeper black than you can with a pigment printer, but the pigment printers are much better with B&W images and that's not even close, I just experimented with a 1280 and 3880. Also, the 1270/1280 printers are slower than molasses, maybe a little slower Bottom line, it's great little printer to play around with, if you want to sell prints, forget about it, unless you protect them properly and even then I wouldn't sell a 1270/1280 print today.

Morris Taub · « **Reply #2 on:** November 27, 2009, 04:00:06 pm »

thanks gemmtech...

Paul Roark · « **Reply #3 on:** November 27, 2009, 05:05:30 pm »

Quote from: momo2

... can this be turned into a good black and white photo printer?...

MIS (inksupply.com) probably still sells its 1270 B&W options. See also my index at http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/

The 1270 can use a number of the B&W pigmented sets if you're willing to load your own carts. The 100% carbon options I now use are rather generic, running on most Epson printers. You can usually just use the Epson driver and perfect the ramp by linearizing with QuadToneRip's Create ICC program ($50 shareware -- try before you buy). This turns the workflow into a "color managed" one that will give you a good match between the monitor and print.

That said, the 1270-1280 were not great with respect to their pigment ink reliability. Some had great luck for years, others not so great. The best bargains these days for B&W are the Epson 1400 with B&W pigments and the C88+ if just 8x10 is needed and simplicity is paramount.

Good luck with the 1270.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

Dave Gurtcheff · « **Reply #4 on:** November 27, 2009, 06:38:22 pm »

I had a 1270, and indeed, it made very nice prints up to 13"x19". At one time Epson advertised that the prints would last as long as conventional color prints. On that basis I sold my 1270 work, as I had been selling my conventional dark room prints. Some 10 years later, the sold prints are still OK (they are under glass, framed). My client knows I will replace anything that fades with the latest Ultrachrome prints. Epson eventually realized there was a longevity problem, and offered Epson "Color Life" paper, which promised much longer life from 1270/1280 prints. I would buy ink, and have fun with it. I buy all my ink from Atlex.com (BEST prices, quick service).
Regards
Dave G
www.modernpictorials.com

PeterAit · « **Reply #5 on:** November 27, 2009, 09:20:39 pm »

Quote from: momo2

A friend of a friend gave me this printer...it's old...and it needs at least a black ink cartridge...i need to see if they're even available...black ink cartridge light flashing...the color cartridge seems ok, but it won't print...

it uses T007 and T009 ink cartridges...that's what's listed when i pick up the hood...

is this printer any good?...is it even worth buying the cartridges for?...

I'm wondering, if any knows, can this be turned into a good black and white photo printer?...

i mean maybe i'd be better off taking this to the recycling dump...

thanks for any advice...

M

I think the piezography B&W system is available for that printer - special inks in multiple shades of gray/black to give excellent quality prints.

Morris Taub · « **Reply #6 on:** November 28, 2009, 10:43:02 am »

Quote from: Paul Roark

MIS (inksupply.com) probably still sells its 1270 B&W options. See also my index at http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/

The 1270 can use a number of the B&W pigmented sets if you're willing to load your own carts. The 100% carbon options I now use are rather generic, running on most Epson printers. You can usually just use the Epson driver and perfect the ramp by linearizing with QuadToneRip's Create ICC program ($50 shareware -- try before you buy). This turns the workflow into a "color managed" one that will give you a good match between the monitor and print.

That said, the 1270-1280 were not great with respect to their pigment ink reliability. Some had great luck for years, others not so great. The best bargains these days for B&W are the Epson 1400 with B&W pigments and the C88+ if just 8x10 is needed and simplicity is paramount.

Good luck with the 1270.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

Hi Paul...thanks for this info...this might work for me...I may have questions later, hope you won't mind...will read the info on your site and the inksupply site...lots of stuff to go through...might try this with the 1270, see if i'm happy with the prints...later...

Morris

Morris Taub · « **Reply #7 on:** November 28, 2009, 10:44:25 am »

Quote from: PeterAit

I think the piezography B&W system is available for that printer - special inks in multiple shades of gray/black to give excellent quality prints.

Hi Peter...went to the site but didn't see anything available for the 1270...the epson printers start with the 1400 series...

Morris Taub · « **Reply #8 on:** December 03, 2009, 04:54:47 pm »

Quote from: Paul Roark

MIS (inksupply.com) probably still sells its 1270 B&W options. See also my index at http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/

The 1270 can use a number of the B&W pigmented sets if you're willing to load your own carts. The 100% carbon options I now use are rather generic, running on most Epson printers. You can usually just use the Epson driver and perfect the ramp by linearizing with QuadToneRip's Create ICC program ($50 shareware -- try before you buy). This turns the workflow into a "color managed" one that will give you a good match between the monitor and print.

That said, the 1270-1280 were not great with respect to their pigment ink reliability. Some had great luck for years, others not so great. The best bargains these days for B&W are the Epson 1400 with B&W pigments and the C88+ if just 8x10 is needed and simplicity is paramount.

Good luck with the 1270.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

I think I'm going to order a set of monotone ink cartridges and see how it goes...I must say, I've been trying to get clear info from MIS/inksupply and it's just not happening. Three days for a first, unclear response. And today, after some direct questions, a response that just did not answer any of my questions. Kind of leaves me skeptical about working with them, but I'll order what I think is right after reading a lot of the info on your site Paul. Thanks for making all that info/experience available.

regards

Morris

Morris Taub · « **Reply #9 on:** December 14, 2009, 07:59:16 am »

Quote from: Paul Roark

MIS (inksupply.com) probably still sells its 1270 B&W options. See also my index at http://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/

The 1270 can use a number of the B&W pigmented sets if you're willing to load your own carts. The 100% carbon options I now use are rather generic, running on most Epson printers. You can usually just use the Epson driver and perfect the ramp by linearizing with QuadToneRip's Create ICC program ($50 shareware -- try before you buy). This turns the workflow into a "color managed" one that will give you a good match between the monitor and print.

That said, the 1270-1280 were not great with respect to their pigment ink reliability. Some had great luck for years, others not so great. The best bargains these days for B&W are the Epson 1400 with B&W pigments and the C88+ if just 8x10 is needed and simplicity is paramount.

Good luck with the 1270.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

Hi Paul...well, I've got cartridges from MIS installed in the printer...wound up trying ut-fsn and eboni black in cartridge form...started testing yesterday...seems on very smooth matte paper this old printer shows a bit of digital line that i don't like...it seems to fuse more with the paper when using the heavier cotton type papers, like the tiny marks made by the printer blend and spread with the paper to hide the 'machine' like quality...

I wonder, would I have a print that looks more like a darkroom print from a better/more recent printer?

I've read about the 1400 from Epson...would that be better?

Or would moving up the chain a bit give even better print quality?

anyway, I ordered some sample packs from Hahnemuhle and one pack of paper, BFK Rives from Canson/Arches and will play with this stuff for a while...

thanks for the help...

M

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