ipf 6400 & casual printing

[lelouarn]

Hi,
I talked at length with a Canon guy at the Photokina, about the problems I would likely encounter with a Canon ipf 6400 large format printer, in case I would use it only every once in a while (I gave as an example one week-end of intensive printing every month, idle rest of the time).

With Epsons (like the 7900), such use would (I assume) cause clogging without end, because the ink in the nozzles would dry up during the 3-4 weeks on inactivity.

Now what surprised me, was that the Canon guy said that the Canons do not clog because of ink drying (the head is parked in a sealed area, which prevents just this). Still he did not recommend such casual use, because the printer is made for heavy use. But he suggested that one way to avoid clogs would be to keep the printer very clean. Wipe the paper dust (from the cutter) as best as possible, and also cover the printer while not in use (to stop dust). It seems it's all the dust that clogs the print head. Also running a nozzle check every week seemed to him like a good idea.

But I am a bit surprised: no ink drying, so if I keep the thing clean, it could be possible to not destroy the printheads quickly, simply because the printer is used only occasionally.

Is this really a difference between Canon and Epson ? Are the Canons (in principle) better at not clogging - or do they both do that, just for different causes ?
I understand the Canon can have its printheads changed, but if I have to do this every year because I print so little, I'd like to know it before committing...

Thoughts ?

[Geraldo Garcia]

Hello,

From actual experience I can tell you this:

1) HP with their (almost) discontinued line of Z3xxx printers is by far the best choice for occasional use. They pretty much never clog. You are supposed to leave them on all the time and they will perform a maintenance routine a couple of times a day. That is enough to keep the heads in perfect state even after a month of no use. I am a regular and heavy user, but eventually I travel for a month or so and never had a problem due to the inactivity. When a head eventually dies or present unacceptable results you simply substitute it. There are six heads (two colors per head) and they are inexpensive.
2) Canon IPF printers come in a close second place. They also stay on to perform their maintenance, they also have user replaceable heads and the also rarely clog due to inactivity. But they have only two heads (6 colors per head) and they are quite expensive when you have to replace.
3) Epsons... well, everybody knows. With heavy usage an a controlled humidity you should not have problems, unless you are unlucky. If you forget to give them the proper attention they will make you suffer for your negligence. Badly.

As I already have a wife and two female cats, my printers are HPs and Canons.

[Scott Martin]

As I already have a wife and two female cats, my printers are HPs and Canons.

LOL! I might have to borrow that line!