Pages: 1 2 3 [4]   Go Down

Author Topic: Ipf 8300 or epson 9890?  (Read 33988 times)

Bob Smith

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 83
    • http://www.accurateimage.org
Re: Ipf 8300 or epson 9890?
« Reply #60 on: May 18, 2012, 09:29:00 pm »

I personally own a 9890.  I manage a lab in a college art department with 9900, 7890 and 4900s.  A comment on nozzle checks/clogs:  All of these newer generation printers have a well functioning auto nozzle check function.  My experience is that its extremely reliable on all but the oldest of this series... the 9900.  I still do manual nozzle checks/cleans on that one.  The other just print.  It's extremely rare that I feel the need to do a manual nozzle check... and I can't remember the last time I had a print ruined by a non firing nozzle.  The usability is very similar to what's being reported by Canon users.  Many long time Epson users (including myself) tended to intuitively turn the auto check/clean off without even trying it because of how problematic and wasteful similar features were on earlier printers.  Not true at all on these.  Use it.  It works well.

Someone mentioned the 9900 being slow to wake up.  It is.  The later models (9890) are slightly better.  The 4900 is MUCH better.  The 4900 gives the user the option of setting a time (up to multiple hours on the latest firmware) before the printer enters sleep mode.  I would LOVE to have that feature on a 9900/9890.  Those printers seem to enter sleep in minutes.

Bob Smith
Logged

aaronchan

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 617
Re: Ipf 8300 or epson 9890?
« Reply #61 on: May 18, 2012, 11:46:41 pm »

I own a 8300 for my color prints, a brand new 7880 with K7 inks with for my B&W prints, and a Z3200 for just sitting around but also used to run 4000s, x800s.
I have no problems with any of it, not even clogs on my epson(s).

I like to use the 8300 is because the speed, they way it handles third party paper, which I can use the Media Configuration Tool to specify the paper name on my printer, so I don't have to remember the media setting for all of my paper selections.

The epson has the advantage on loading thick paper with their straight loading path. Which means I can load something like metal sheets into it for special printing.

I'm not sure about the 9890 nor the 9900 since I do see a lot of complaints from different places, including here.
I think if you ask me to buy just one printer, I would still go for the 8310. Giving up on printing some thick alternative media, but besides that, I'm happy with this big daddy.

Aaron

agentsmurf

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4
Re: Ipf 8300 or epson 9890?
« Reply #62 on: July 03, 2012, 05:58:53 pm »

As a matter of interest, we have run Epsons, 9600s, 9800s, 9900s for 10 years now, and the clogging is a real issue, we have a guy watching each print with a spotlight to check for clogs. Silly, but its what we have to do. And yes we do have prints that start off fine and a third of the way a head just drops 3 lines of nozzles, ruining the print. If that happens in yellow you wont see it until its on a light table, which can be costly when printing on Hahnemeuhle Museum etching, if fact you might want stand in a corner and have a good cry, before composing yourself and trying again. :)

On the other hand the Epson dither pattern is superior, the fine greys and subtle highlights in skies and skin tones is just plain better and smoother on the epson.  Its debatable whether its necessary, but when the client is selling a print for large amounts of money sometimes this is a serious consideration.

Just my two cents worth, but I am thinking of switching, I have noticed the Canon black is much deeper than the Epson 9900 on gloss media and just has a better "feel", you need to see the prints next to each other to understand what a densitometer cant tell you.

Im torn between the two, slight quality edge, vs no clogging, and we don't print on gloss media often.

Logged

Czornyj

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1948
    • zarzadzaniebarwa.pl
Re: Ipf 8300 or epson 9890?
« Reply #63 on: July 04, 2012, 03:03:39 am »

As a matter of interest, we have run Epsons, 9600s, 9800s, 9900s for 10 years now, and the clogging is a real issue, we have a guy watching each print with a spotlight to check for clogs. Silly, but its what we have to do. And yes we do have prints that start off fine and a third of the way a head just drops 3 lines of nozzles, ruining the print. If that happens in yellow you wont see it until its on a light table, which can be costly when printing on Hahnemeuhle Museum etching, if fact you might want stand in a corner and have a good cry, before composing yourself and trying again. :)
It's like I heard myself, I used to be the spotlight guy!

On the other hand the Epson dither pattern is superior, the fine greys and subtle highlights in skies and skin tones is just plain better and smoother on the epson.  Its debatable whether its necessary, but when the client is selling a print for large amounts of money sometimes this is a serious consideration.

Just my two cents worth, but I am thinking of switching, I have noticed the Canon black is much deeper than the Epson 9900 on gloss media and just has a better "feel", you need to see the prints next to each other to understand what a densitometer cant tell you.

Im torn between the two, slight quality edge, vs no clogging, and we don't print on gloss media often.
I also preferred the Epson x880-x900 dither in highlights.

In my case it was easier decision - I'm printing a lot on baryta, pearl, and glossy media and love the "3D-look" feel you can get with the LUCIA EX inkset.  I also like the fact, that the iPF is faster, and consumes much less ink than Epson (it needs maybe ~70% of ink for the same prints), and doesn't waste time and ink for MK<>PK switch.

Last but not least - I really hated that standing with the flashlight wasting time and paper, now my iPF takes good care of my Hahnemühle.
« Last Edit: July 04, 2012, 03:07:48 am by Czornyj »
Logged
Marcin Kałuża | [URL=http://zarzadzaniebarwa

mcpix

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 89
    • Macframes
Re: Ipf 8300 or epson 9890?
« Reply #64 on: July 04, 2012, 06:55:21 pm »

Here's another vote for the Canon Ipf 8300. I had an Epson 7800 and a 9800 and considered myself an Epson guy. I switched about 18 months ago. I originally started looking for the best deal on a 9900 and just missed buying a used one (probably dodged a bullet on that one). As I read this forum, I became more interested in the Canon. What ultimately tipped me over to the 8300, was someone in this forum said they had both a 9900 and an 8300. The said they did a daily nozzle check on the 9900 and never did one on the 8300. Plus, at the time I was able to buy the Canon for almost $2,000 less.

Since then, I've really loved my 8300. It's a perfect fit for my lab where we might not run a print for a week and then we have a day like yesterday where I had 12 big prints to crank out.
Logged

deanwork

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2400
Re: Ipf 8300 or epson 9890?
« Reply #65 on: July 06, 2012, 08:23:58 am »

I have both of these. In my case they are both great printers. I bought them both new within six months of each other. The Canon is a little over a year old and the Epson not quite a year old.

The Epson does use a little more ink due to cleaning. If I had to use it for going back and forth between MK and PK I'd be cursing a lot. That is a waste that still hasn't been resolved by Epson. I do think that Epson wins on droplet size and the finest dither. But for practical purposes most eyes are not going to see it for most work.  One thing I really like about the 8300 is that I can make very high quality totally neutral black and white prints on both gloss fiber and matte rag prints without using any color ink at all. I use the  TBW software for that. The color gamut between the two is so close as to be a non issue. If you do a lot of sheet feeding, which I don't  the Epson is a bit more convenient.

john


Logged

I.T. Supplies

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 529
Re: Ipf 8300 or epson 9890?
« Reply #66 on: July 25, 2012, 12:01:27 pm »

I know this may be a few weeks later than most responses, but thought I would give my opinion.

For being a reseller, I've had my hand on both printers (which we actually have 1 of both models in our office).  They are both great models and very very similar in quality.  Epson may have a tad hand on the speed, but quality varies on the media.  Granite that Epson's models have print heads that can only be replaced via Epson or a service center where Canon's print heads are user replaceable and cost around $500/ea (2 print heads), but this can happen around 2400ml of ink.  Some customers may have the print heads last for many years without a problem.  This is just a guestimate timeframe.

Though, Epson has their 3 inks sizes which can be interchanged while Canon only has the 2.  Both printers have the ability to switch between the 2 different blacks.  The Canon does a better job on changing blacks.

There will be pros and cons from many people that have the printers.  Also, if you would like a Hard Drive where your files get sent to on the printer for a quicker print/reprint, the Canon models have the drive included.  Epson doesn't, but is still a great brand.
Logged
Pages: 1 2 3 [4]   Go Up