printer wider than 8.5"

[MikeK]

OK, I'm replacing (don't laugh) an Epson Photo EX for home use. Of course
the nice thing about this printer is that it does 11" wide paper. A
replacement would be the 1280, I have a 1270 at the office that's nice, but
I'd like something with longer-lasting inks. I would also like the printer
to do panoramic lengths, even longer than the 44" Epson touts on many
printers. (where do they get this limitation?) I plan to print photographs
and artwork on this thing.

Possibilities include the pricey Epson 4000, which does 17" wide, and the
spec says it'll do 100'. But this is outside of my desired price range.

I also see the HP Designjet 30, it says the max paper size is 13x19, is
that 19" the maximum printing length or can I print longer? If it would
print longer, this is a good price range.

Next step up is the HP DJ 130, which will go 24" wide and 64" long.
Amazingly this is cheaper than the Epson.

 

[bmoag]

If color management matters, and based on your plans it had better, and you
are not going to calibrate the printer and each paper surface save yourself
aggravation and stay with Epson rather than HP.
Some reviewers feel that pigment based printers only work reliably with a
restricted range of paper surfaces.
You should investigate the issue of print longevity further before you
dismiss ink based printers like the 1280 altogether. Despite its age this is
such a good printer that Epson cannot cut it out of its lineup.
If you are not experienced with printing these very large and long images
that you describe it will be an expensive learning curve.
You may want to also look into whether it would be more cost effective to
farm out those few very large products to a professional service.

 

[MikeK]

If color management matters, and based on your plans it had better,
and you are not going to calibrate the printer and each paper surface
save yourself aggravation and stay with Epson rather than HP.
Some reviewers feel that pigment based printers only work reliably
with a restricted range of paper surfaces.
You should investigate the issue of print longevity further before you
dismiss ink based printers like the 1280 altogether. Despite its age
this is such a good printer that Epson cannot cut it out of its
lineup. If you are not experienced with printing these very large and
long images that you describe it will be an expensive learning curve.
You may want to also look into whether it would be more cost effective
to farm out those few very large products to a professional service.

Unfortunately, the 1280 ink and paper combos don't have the life
expectancy of the Ultrachrome or HP's Vivera inks. I'm experienced with
using a 1270 at the office (the EX is an old home printer), so I know
how good stuff looks on it.