which wide-inkjet printer?

[Talal Itani]

Hello,

I need to buy a good wide inkjet printer, 24" wide. Epson has one model.
Canon has many models. HP has many many models. Which is the best in terms
of image quality?

Thanks,
T.I.

 

[Allen Wessels]

I think they are all close in image quality. If it were me needing one
I would look long and hard at the cost of consumables. I can say from
personal experience that HP plotters are nearly bullet proof.

The HP line ranges from draft quality quick inkjets for plotting
engineering drawings to proof quality printers.

If Talal is going to be using this for screen printing, he may need to
consider other issues if he's going to be printing black only to mylar.
The best bet would be to find out which machine is preferred among
screen printers. Last I checked Epson was preferred.

Little things like whether or not you can configure to run all black
inks to increase speed assuming the RIP supports it and how accurately
the printer lays down ink. Does that 24x24 piece measure that way when
it prints?

- Allen

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Can you tell us more about your application?

Epson's inkjet technology is different from Canon, or HP.

Do you need to use roll paper, or will cut paper do?

How permanent do the images need to be (fading)?

Will you be using a specialized inkjet designated coated paper or just a
bond paper and if inkjet designated matte or glossy paper or both?

Will the images be mainly photographic or line or other designs?

Will the images be sold, and if so will they be framed behind glass?

Is cost per image or speed of printing critical?

Do you foresee using OEM or 3rd party inks?

Is the area it will be used humid or dry?

Is space in your facility tight or is size of the printer not critical?

Which company offers the best on-site repair and warranty in your area?

Art


If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:

http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/

 

[measekite]

Hello,

I need to buy a good wide inkjet printer, 24" wide. Epson has one model.
Canon has many models. HP has many many models. Which is the best in terms
of image quality?

Thanks,
T.I.

From what I read all are good. Canon and Epson seem to be a little
better. I would say that each has some characteristics that are better
than others. It is a hard choice.


http://luminous-landscape.com/ has good reviews and opinions that may be
of some interest to you.

 

[measekite]

Can you tell us more about your application?

Epson's inkjet technology is different from Canon, or HP.

Do you need to use roll paper, or will cut paper do?

How permanent do the images need to be (fading)?

Will you be using a specialized inkjet designated coated paper or just
a bond paper and if inkjet designated matte or glossy paper or both?

Will the images be mainly photographic or line or other designs?

Will the images be sold, and if so will they be framed behind glass?

Is cost per image or speed of printing critical?

Do you foresee using OEM or 3rd party inks?

Who in their right mind would buy such an expensive printer and then use
inferior inks. That is a foolish question.

Is the area it will be used humid or dry?

It does not make a difference. All of the mfg sell in all climates.

 

[tomm42]

It does not make a difference. All of the mfg sell in all climates.

Not sure of the latest models but Epson printers were notorious for
clogging when the humidity is below 40%. In the western US this is an
issue, in the north east during winter in a dry heated space it is an
issue. You may need added humidity in your printer's space. Canon and
HP have auto checking heads for clogs so this is not so much an issue
with them. In very low humidity you maay want to humidify the room
your printer is in.

Tom

 

[Arthur Entlich]

As Tomm stated, the reason I asked this question is because there are
differences in brands and how they respond to humidity levels. Due to
the mature of the Epson head design and the ink composition, which
differs because of that head design, they tend to be more sensitive to
humidity levels than other brands.

Art

If you are interested in issues surrounding e-waste,
I invite you to enter the discussion at my blog:

http://e-trashtalk.spaces.live.com/