Printer options for panoramas - A2 (17") and above

[dgberg]

My larger printers are all 44" but you can still use them to compare.
My P8000 is a fantastic printer and extremely fast. The big plus with my Epson's is the refillable carts allow me to purchase OEM inks from printer owners changing printer models and you can get the oem inks at less then .10 per ml and extract the inks and install it in the refillables. You may not print nearly enough for this to interest you.
I have a new HP z3200 I purchased to try out as it was only $2495. The output is superb but the speed is half that of my P8000. I leave my most used photo paper in it and maybe use it once a week. I never switch inks on the Epson's so it is no factor for me.
10 years an Epson man with very few complaints other then service calls are a killer at $120 an hour labor.

[Mark D Segal]

I don't know where you live, but here in Toronto there are precious few service calls for anything that don't cost in the range of 100-125 per hour. It's pretty standard.

[dgberg]

For printer repair it is probably normal here in Pa. as well, just complaining.
My whole life has been running time and material businesses. (The first mistake)
I spent 25 years in my cabinetry business charging $45 per man hour in 2009. We tried raising our rate to $50 an hour and lost half the quotes I bid on.
With a 3500 sq. ft building and $100,000 worth of equipment plus 3 of the best craftsman in the area that was all we could charge.
Just sort of always irked me when the Epson printer repair guy showed up with his screwdriver pouch and spent a half day here for a 500 dollar bill.
Vent over, that business sold.

[JamesBlonde]

Well that's it done - Epson P7000 ordered!

Canon nearly had me persuaded yesterday, but the reasons I was looking at the P7000 haven't gone away, and I think I can accept the downsides in exchange for the price and the warranty, which covers the head. 

Stand by for the incoming stupid questions about how to set it up and use it next!   and thanks so much for all of your advice to get me this far!

[Mark D Segal]

Stand by for the incoming stupid questions about how to set it up and use it next!   and thanks so much for all of your advice to get me this far!

Please read the manual first, do your research from the experience of others who have gone before you, and if there is anything left that needs to be asked about, by all means........by then the questions won't be stupid. 

[Mark D Segal]

Oh - and congrats - use it well. You should not be disappointed.

[JamesBlonde]

Please read the manual first, do your research from the experience of others who have gone before you, and if there is anything left that needs to be asked about, by all means........by then the questions won't be stupid. 

That is indeed the plan!  

[faberryman]

I don't know where you live, but here in Toronto there are precious few service calls for anything that don't cost in the range of 100-125 per hour. It's pretty standard.

Consider yourself lucky if you have any service at all. There is no carry-in or on-site Epson service here in Nashville at any price. Basically, if you can't fix it yourself, you throw it away and start over.

[JamesBlonde]

Well, it arrived, and it was fun trying to get it in the house!!!  But it's in and working.

One minor gotcha....  the printer comes with a roll of Epson Doubleweight Matte paper for head alignment.  One thing it doesn't seem to come with is an ICC profile for Epson Doubleweight Matte Paper!  There isn't a single installed profile there with DWMP in the filename, or any obvious alternative, and I can't find one anywhere to download! 

Am I supposed to be using an alternative profile for this paper?  The instruction sheet that comes with the paper doesn't mention a profile?

The paper does appear on the print menu drop downs, but I'm trying to soft proof.  Any suggestions?

[Mark D Segal]

Have you unpacked the driver to drill down to where the profiles are stored? It may be there but for some reason not showing in your software. If it is there, you can copy it to your profiles folder in your OS and all the usual applications should find it there.

[JamesBlonde]

yup, tried that - the ICC files in the driver are the same as the ones installed - so all duplicates - nothing different. 

[Mark D Segal]

In that case, I recommend you test a "nearest neighbour" profiles. I don't know that particular paper, but if it OBA-free and has a natural (as opposed to a very white) finish, you may try to profile for Epson Hot Press Natural, or Epson Legacy Fibre. If it's very white paper, Epson Hot Press Bright may be usable. It's a bit of trial and error finding the best near-fit, but short of getting a custom profile it may work well enough for you. A number of these papers are not so different in their ink receiving characteristics that mix and match between paper and profile can be workable.

[JamesBlonde]

Thanks Mark, will give that a shot.  I doubt this would be a paper I'd use beyond this first roll, so I guess getting it near enough should be good enough to carry out some test prints without them looking awful