Is the HP 130r my best option?

[transco]

With my current Epson 4000 pro I put more ink in the maintenance  tank than I do on paper.  I'm sure the constant pen clogging is due to the fact that it sits idle for many days at a time.  I've been looking for an economical, non Epson, replacement and have been considering the HP 130r.  My current printer selection criteria:
1. Low initial cost
2. Ability to print accurately on a variety of media without a lot of 'trial and error' zeroing in on optimum settings for each.
3. Ability to print on 24" and smaller roll stock as well as cut sheets.
4. Ability to sit idle for a week or more without the pens clogging.
5. Drivers, maintenance utilities, etc. available for OSX 10.6
Print speed isn't important.  Prints will only be exhibited indoors and under glass, so UV fade resistance is not critical.   Printer will have to be networked.  There doesn't seem to be many HP 130nr printers available, so will have to use it with an external print server (ideally the Apple Airport Extreme).

Comments?  Any other printer I should be considering?

[hsmeets]

(Used) Canon ipf6100 or HP Z3100/3200

[Ernst Dinkla]

(Used) Canon ipf6100 or HP Z3100/3200

Both not having a sheet tray though. I guess that is the dilemma, a 24" printer that still can load sheets from a tray like the 130 can, not 24" sheets though. If pigment inks are needed the compromise would be an iPF5100 or an iPF 6300. The iPF5100 isn't handling thicker sheets that well as I understand it, a stack of 10 is the limit.


met vriendelijke groeten, Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/

[Sunny Kelly]

I currently have a Z3100 and the 90r HP printers. Having purchased the 90r first it became evident that there are some drawbacks. Paper selection for the supposed longevity available only using HP media and some very few others that use swellable fibers, fair amount of metamerism, and very poor black and whites had me opt for the Z3100. Even though I have had quite a few problems with the 3100 I really don't regret the decision. I still occasionally use the 90(same basic heads as the 130, only 18 inches wide)but even after several weeks sitting it starts printing without fail. It is still very accurate on colors and the saturation for scenic prints is still quite remarkable.

[transco]

Well that answers another question...  Have you tried other than HP paper in your 90?  I have a lot of Epson paper stock left, but from what you said it would appear even if I were willing (able?) to develop my own ICC profiles, it still wouldn't work (well).  I talked to HP about this and they said if I planned to use non-HP paper I'd be better off going with the Z2100 with its built-in spectrometer.  This is another $1000 or so and really more than I can afford to spend at this time.  It's beginning to seem like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. If I stick with my old 4000, I'll need to replace 3 ink cartridges and the maintenance tank just to attempt to use the heavy duty cleaning cycle (several pens are currently clogged).  That's about $200 just to (hopefully) get the thing printing again.  Also, sticking with the 4000 means I'm still limited to 16" wide prints and I'd really hoped to move up to 24".

[hsmeets]

what's your budget, what are you willing to spend?

[transco]

I'd hoped to keep my initial out-of-pocket under $2000.  I'm not keen on the idea of buying a used printer. 

[John Nollendorfs]

I don't have any "first hand" experience with the 130, but have recommended it to several friends, who have used it extensively. Yep, from what I remember, it has it's quarks, but it's a reliable printer, and the price of $900 is quite nice. (Not the network model)

As for papers, If you want to get "long life" prints, then you do need to stick to the recommended HP papers, or the "classic" Ilford papers with swellable polymer ink receptor coating. Under low humidity conditions, prints should last a lifetime. You can always print on the microporous papers also, but be aware that life span can be a matter of months under display lighting conditiions.  And yes, you probably will need to get a custom profile for best results. Either have one made, or buy the DataColor Spyder 3 profiler package.

John Nollendorfs

[transco]

I was looking at the Canon iPF6100 and iPF6300, both of which can be had for under $2000 with combined Instant and Mail In rebates.  The catcher is these come with 'starter ink cartridges' which past experience has taught me are good for only a handful of prints.  A full set of 12 cartridges runs nearly $1000!  The HP 130 is looking better all the time...

[SarahNewman]

Free Starter Set of Ink  for the imagePROGRAF iPF6350 & iPF6300.This
promo will run from October 25th - December 31st of this year.

iPF6300 qualifies for a $700 end user rebate and a free starter set of
ink (over a $650 value).

[KevinWilliams]

The thing about the HP 130 is that it is not a pigment based ink. It is a dye ink, which is much less expensive and will not give you longevity. If you only need for proofing the hp 130 would be totally fine. If you need a 24 inch with pigmented inks you could always go with the designjet z2100 it only uses 8 inks instead of 12. 

But if i were you? I'd stick with the Epson 4000 you have as it is a really good machine. If you are sick of spending so much on ink you can always go with 3rd party inks/cartridges. I am sure i have mentioned on the boards before. I've used these guys for my refillable cartridges on my z2100 and have had excellent results:

http://www.macroenter.com/AI_RCK_EP_4000_Refill_Cartridge_p/ia-ep-4000-s.htm

Use that link to find the refill cartridges for your printer. Use 3rd party ink and then run a daily maintenance to avoid your heads clogging. I know there is also printhead cleaner you can run through the system as well.

[transco]

What's the changeover procedure to go from Epson inks to the 3rd party products.  I assume you have to flush the lines somehow before introducing the new ink.  How about ICC profiles for the 3rd party ink?

Daily maintenance isn't possible.  In fact, the printer may sit idle for a week or more at a time.  

[KevinWilliams]

Actually i was told there is no flushing necessary. You will just introduce the new inks on top of the old ones and the profiles will still work as before. In my personal experience switching the HP inks I didn't notice any shift in color whatsoever.

As far as sitting idle for a week, do you do power cleanings then every time you start to use it again?

[transco]

A power cleaning works OK, but it uses a lot of ink... certainly more than I'm using to run a couple of prints off. Anyway, based on all the info I've gathered, I have decided to to with the HP 130r.  I'm keeping the 4000 and can always put it back in service for archival prints should the need arise.