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Author Topic: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot  (Read 24433 times)

strok

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Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« on: May 26, 2011, 01:15:46 pm »

Hi,
I'm trying to find out how many ml of INK the epson 9880 using on everage per square foot.
thank you
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howardm

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Re: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2011, 02:08:58 pm »

most of the larger Epson's average around 1.2-1.5 mL / sqft

strok

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Re: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2011, 02:46:33 pm »

Thank you howardm,
Just to make it clear
Is it a total use or per cartage?
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howardm

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Re: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2011, 03:11:51 pm »

total usage.  per cart is too variable based on the image you're trying to print.

strok

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Re: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2011, 03:24:20 pm »

Thank you.
Is there any ink usage during printer turning ON ?
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bill t.

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Re: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2011, 05:13:23 pm »

Could never quite figure out if ink was being used when my 9880 went thru its turn-on dance.  However, QUITE A BIT of ink was used when un-clogging nozzles which far exceeded whatever piddling it did at turn-on time.  And sometimes it would do a minor nozzle purge before starting a print.

I used to figure it cost me about $1/square foot for ink, which included a fudge factor for clogs, test strips, and misc whatever.  Although I often experienced existential pain when comparing the weights of fresh and expired maintenance cartridges, ink is only one of many costs that need to be considered when spread-sheeting printers.  Depreciation is pretty high, and media is considerably higher.  And time spent declogging...oh never mind.
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langier

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Re: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2011, 08:09:23 pm »

On both my 9800 and 9900, ink consumption varies between about 1cc to 2cc/sf with a mean of about 1.3cc/sf. Each image is different in regards to ink consumption. For figuring out my cost of consumables, I usually figure 2cc/sf preferring to error on the high side. Any use of ink below 2cc/sf I consider a bonus.

With both the 9800/9900, ink is figured per job whether it's one print or ten. It will also give you the cm2 printed, thus you can calculate the costs. The 9900 gives you the ink consumption down to the 1/10th ml; the 9800 to the ml, thus consumption isn't quite as accurate.

Since I rarely have to run a cleaning cycle on either printer and I'm not sure of the remainder of ink when the printer stops for "feeding", I can't be certain of the accuracy of the ink consumed. But I think if you figure about 2cc/sf, you'd be on the safe side of actual consumption.
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Larry Angier
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Luca Ragogna

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Re: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2011, 08:53:03 pm »

Ink on my 9890 runs around $1 per sq ft on luster, gloss and (surprisingly) canvas and runs $3 - $4 per square foot on matte papers. Very rough estimates but should be close-ish to the 9800/9880.
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strok

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Re: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« Reply #8 on: May 30, 2011, 01:05:41 pm »

I have an offer to print for one company on canvas, they offering $6.5 per sq/foot.
So, I'm trying to calculate if it worth my time (small volume printing).
But Luca's reply kind of scares me...
because I'm thinking to switch to matt.
Regards,
Evgueni
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langier

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Re: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2011, 10:24:49 pm »

Even Costco canvas printing for wraps is better than $15/sf for their "generic" printing. Check such places as West Coast Imaging and Simply Canvas for comparison pricing of what you would pay if you farmed it out. $20 is usually a minimum for Canvas production and it goes up from there, up to $60 and more per square foot for smaller prints and gallery wrapping on a stretcher. Most that I know who print commercially charge by the square inch and then add the cost of finishing, including coating and stretching.

I charge by the square foot and won't deliver without coating and most want a wrap or stretched on a frame, which adds to the cost/square foot.

If your client is only offering $6.50 sf, I'd say walk. Canvas is pricy, comes only in 40 foot rolls (it's a manufacturing QC issue, I'm told), takes more effort to print, handle, cut, coat, etc. You print on one day, coat the next and on the third day you mount or stretch. It takes time to do it right. Even at wholesale rates, most will charge you 3 to 5 times that. If this will be a large job with thousands of prints at your leisure, then it may break even for you, but I'd not do it for that. I don't even think Costco with their 9 different sizes offers it that cheaply.

If you are a better than average printer, you should even charge more. Their offer is pretty much bottom-of-the-barrel for even the least expensive matt papers, IMO.

Run, don't walk. away! If you want to help them out, refer them to any of the on-line venders where they will get a reality check and perhaps offer you a more realistic rate for your efforts.

At $6.50 per foot, not counting cleanings, rejects, glitches, etc. you'd be doing well simply to cover your basic materials and supplies, not including wear-and-tear on both you and your equipment. You are right to be scared!
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Larry Angier
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neile

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Re: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« Reply #10 on: May 31, 2011, 12:11:47 am »

+1 to everything langier said!

Neil
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Neil Enns
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strok

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Re: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« Reply #11 on: May 31, 2011, 12:22:44 am »

thank you langier,
the $6.50 doesn't include stretch or coating.
The client is a large stretching company, they don't print, just stretching and mounting on plak.
They already have somebody doing the job for this rate, but they don't like the quality.
It seems to me they like the quality of my canvas prints, but yes, you are right,
always something can go wrong by adding an extra cost, not worth the afford.
Regards
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Ernst Dinkla

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Re: Epson 9880 ink printing cost per square foot
« Reply #12 on: May 31, 2011, 03:15:08 am »

thank you langier,
the $6.50 doesn't include stretch or coating.
The client is a large stretching company, they don't print, just stretching and mounting on plak.
They already have somebody doing the job for this rate, but they don't like the quality.
It seems to me they like the quality of my canvas prints, but yes, you are right,
always something can go wrong by adding an extra cost, not worth the afford.
Regards

If the only request is to deliver a good quality print on canvas for $ 6.50 a square foot, 50 Euro a square meter, I would grab that opportunity when the canvas sizes are not too small. Given enough turnover you could easily adapt the equipment for it too, there are faster printers with a wider gamut around that are cheaper to run and with less headaches. Roughly estimated there is a 30-50% print cost factor in it which leaves enough to earn. Building on that turnover with your own products that fetch more makes the total healthier.

met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst

Dinkla Gallery Canvas Wrap Actions for Photoshop

http://www.pigment-print.com/dinklacanvaswraps/index.html



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