Decent inexpensive printer for roughs up to 11x14?

[Morris Taub]

I'd like to find a printer to print working roughs, prints of ok quality, to use before sending out for larger prints...

11x14 would be big enough to get what i want done...print out ten to twenty images, hang on wall, edit 'em for group usage, send off picks to lab...I just like seeing the prints together, in the flesh, even at minimum quality...

thanks for help with this...

oh, I am kinda partial to epson printers, but will consider canon, hp, etc...

inexpensive = 100 bucks/euros?...

the beach shot, just a little fun in the warmth and sun in Miami...nothing to do with my printer question...

[graphius]

I use an Epson Photo 1400 for my basic proofs. It is more than your $100 budget, but at least the prints are decent...

[Morris Taub]

I use an Epson Photo 1400 for my basic proofs. It is more than your $100 budget, but at least the prints are decent...

thanks graphius...i've read about this printer...especially about how good it can do b&w prints with ebony ink systems...thanks...I'll keep it in mind, but i was hoping to spend less...it still fetches near 300 euros here...

[na goodman]

To do 11x14's you're going to need a 13" printer and I haven't seen one for $100 or less.
You may have to adjust your budget slightly. Or, go to Epson's site and see if there are any refurbished 1400's. You could go with the 1100 - it's a 4 color pigment ink set vs. the 1400's' 6 color claria photo dye ink set.

[neile]

Canon has recently offered very good pricing on their Pixma Pro 9500 Mark II machines, which are LUCIA Pigment ink and do up to 13x19" paper. I picked one up for $219 after rebates earlier this year. Right now they're $390 after rebate.

Neil

[Morris Taub]

alright, thanks all...i guess i will have to up the budget a bit...i'm thinking about the 1400...can eventually turn it into a strictly b&w machine...more research i guess for now...

[graeme]

Hi Morris

I've been using a Canon iX6550 A3 printer for a couple of months ( with a cheapo CISS ) and I'm pleased with it so far. We've also got a six year old Canon iP5000 A4 consumer inkjet which has done a huge amount of printing and has only recently become temperamental. The iX looks like it has the same print heads so hopefully it'll be just as bulletproof. I wish that Canon cameras were as dependable.

One warning: Our older printer cost us £130 in 2005 but after checking our business outgoings I realised that we'd spent £850 on ( genuine Canon ) ink for it since then. The cartridges for the newer Canon inkjets cost about the same but hold less ink. ( Hence the CISS on the new printer ).

If you can live with A4 printing the Canon iP4850 ( same inkset ) can be picked up very cheaply.

We had a couple of consumer Epsons before our first Canon ( including a Stylus Photo 890 ) - never found them particularly reliable and the heads gave out on both of them - but maybe they're more reliable these days.

Graeme

[Morris Taub]

hi Graeme, thanks for this info, i'll check out the canons...was wondering, what ciss you use with yours...I do have a place nearby that refills cartridges pretty cheap, but would look for an inexpensive do it yourself setup at home...why not?...

[graeme]

Hi Morris

We got our CISS here:

http://www.cityinkexpress.co.uk/ciss/canon/ix6550/ix-series/lyson-dye-and-pigment-ink

You'll probably be able to find an alternative supplier on your side of the pond but the above link has a link to a video showing how the system is installed. The video should help you decide whether or not you want to have a go at installing a CISS. I didn't find the system too bad to install but swapping the chips from the canon cartridges supplied with the printer to the CISS was a nightmare for someone as cack handed as myself. ( However the supplier I've linked to is now supplying the CISS with preinstalled chips ).

Good luck

Graeme

[Morris Taub]

Hi Morris

We got our CISS here:

http://www.cityinkexpress.co.uk/ciss/canon/ix6550/ix-series/lyson-dye-and-pigment-ink

You'll probably be able to find an alternative supplier on your side of the pond but the above link has a link to a video showing how the system is installed. The video should help you decide whether or not you want to have a go at installing a CISS. I didn't find the system too bad to install but swapping the chips from the canon cartridges supplied with the printer to the CISS was a nightmare for someone as cack handed as myself. ( However the supplier I've linked to is now supplying the CISS with preinstalled chips ).

Good luck

Graeme

excellent, thanks for this Graeme...they ship to france, so I'll consider them if I go this route...after the initial cost the ink system does work out to be very inexpensive...i found the printer here for around 70 euros...about 112 british sterling for the ciss system...130 euros or thereabouts...not bad...

zm

[mmurph]

Well, way above your budget - but I think you will save the differnce in ink costs pretty quickly!

I am still running 2 Epson 7600 and an Epson 9600 printers.

For my color "proofing" printer, I bought the OCP (third party) Claria match dye inks.  They run about $20 per liter - equivalent to almost 5, 220 ml large carts, or 80-100 smaller carts. 

I use easily refillable replacement carts. The 7600 is the last printer where you can change almost every setting.  It prints on rolls up to 24" (think - cheaper paper too.)  It originally shipped in dye or pigment versions,  so you can change the internal settings to tell it to run dye inks (after a good cleaning with amonia, alcohol, and distilled water.)

You can probably find one for about $500 with stand.  Refill some existing Epson carts, or buy some refillable carts for it.  It is a big beast, and might be a bit more of a project than you anticipated. But then you can print as much as you want for almost nothing for ink costs, and not much for paper if you buy proofing rolls on sale! 

I use the other 7600 for my own custom B&W ink set mix, along the lines of what Paul Roark has done.

Cheers! Maybe someone else will be a bit more interested, but I thought I'd throw that out there just in case.