Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: vernon on April 22, 2009, 09:37:10 am

Title: ink for Epson 4800 print
Post by: vernon on April 22, 2009, 09:37:10 am

I got a epson 4800 pro and looking for ink for this printer.  the epson ink is so high can some one tell me if there is some other ink out there that i can used  

 thank you

Title: ink for Epson 4800 print
Post by: Tklimek on April 22, 2009, 11:19:27 am

Yikes!!

For me, I'll stick with good ol' Epson ink.  I'm sure others here are a bit more adventurous and can suggest some alternatives, but for me not probably worth the risk.

If you check out this thread on LL forum:  http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....showtopic=33888 (http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=33888)

I've listed the raw materials that go into making a print, and then ranked them in order of cost.  A few others with MUCH more experience than I roughly concurred that my list was more or less correct.  My point being that the ink and paper are down on the list of costs; enough for me that saving there is probably of less concern than if I could save on some of the other items.  Now, if you are not framing, matting or bagging your prints, but merely printing them and then selling just the print itself (perhaps mailed in a cardboard tube or something), than by all means the cost of ink and paper are worth much more in that equation than in the full framing/matting equation.

Cheers....

Todd in Chicago

Quote from: vernon

I got a epson 4800 pro and looking for ink for this printer.  the epson ink is so high can some one tell me if there is some other ink out there that i can used  

 thank you

Title: ink for Epson 4800 print
Post by: dalethorn on April 22, 2009, 11:28:15 am

Quote from: vernon

I got a epson 4800 pro and looking for ink for this printer.  the epson ink is so high can some one tell me if there is some other ink out there that i can used  
 thank you

Original manufacturer printheads are expensive - I heard an estimate of about 50 thousand dollars per gallon, which seems about right. But it will likely be much more expensive when you use substitute printheads or ink, particularly refills. People who advise positively on substitutes usually don't report all of the bad - bleeding, clogging, smearing after "drying", etc.  A really good print per this forum's standards is expensive to make, which is why they sell for so much.

Title: ink for Epson 4800 print
Post by: Peter McLennan on April 22, 2009, 12:13:04 pm

Check out this thread for ink discussion.

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....showtopic=30730 (http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=30730)

 *DISCLAIMER* I am the Unofficial Third Party Ink Champion.    

Others have their own valid opinion, but mine boils down to this:  If you're paying for the inks, a CIS and third party inks are a good investment and offer equivalent performance with essentially zero risk.  If your clients are paying, why bother?