Printer Decision time...

Both my Epson 3880 and 2400 have run out of ink, Now in these times I am faced with a dilemma, whether just to give up home printing altogether and flog em, (3880 still has it's original cartridges in it, maintenance tank needs replacing but ink will soon go too! Over £400 to change the lot )or to fit them with Continuous systems? Firstly I've no idea where or how best to flog a Printer which weighs a ton and although now out of guarantee is still current and still on it's first ink set/cost me over a thousand quid! I can't see me be happy with the re-sale value to be honest!
So on to continuous or cartridge replacement systems, I'm always looking at Lyson but it ties you into their ink and paper chain, are they all the same in this respect?
There are some good looking replacement cartridge system out there and it would be my preferred option over ink lines and trays all over the place!
If I go down this route I'll probably flog the 2400 off cheap to help with the costs but has anyone got any recommendations for these kind of systems?
I can get prints done via my Zenfolio Website (My reason for joining them to be honest!) but I like the bespoke option to be there too but is it really necessary?

---

Cheers Jules...

My viewfinder is 576,000,000 pixels.

www.exaggeratedperspectives.com

If the cartridges have lasted you a while then I'd stick with those. I've seen people get in a mess with continuous ink systems, which are ungainly and cumbersome and need continuous use to keep flowing properly. So do cartridges up to a point, but they behave better in general.

Continuous ink suppliers will try to help when things go wrong, but I've seen them wash their hands of a problem once it becomes difficult.

---

Best regards, John

The 3880 inks are at least better value than their smaller brethren, and the inks don't all finish at the same time (which helps with cash flow). If you have a high throughput, CIS can make economic sense, but if your printing needs are both modest and irregular, I'd stick with the Epson inks. They are expensive, but they seem to have a good tolerance of occasional rather than continuous use. I enjoy doing my own printing, but the economic case for it is poorer than it might be -- and what happens when the printer breaks down, as it will in time? Well at that point, rather than buying a replacement, I might just decide to transfer my printing to one of the many good companies that specialise in it at reasonable prices. That would spread the investment, transferring the initial capital costs and the bother to them.

---

Regards, Christopher

ChristopherWheelerPhotography

Thanks John/CMW for the swift replies, I didn't expect any really!
Ink costs are waay prohibitive to me I think and rationally I'm thinking I should sell the 3880 with a new maintanence tank and bung the 2400 in as a freebie and release funds for something else, like the hole in my lens line up between 135 and 300mmm?

I'll be loath to let em go however as I really do like having the nth degree over my output when it is required but they arn't much use to me if I can't afford to fill em up...

---

Cheers Jules...

My viewfinder is 576,000,000 pixels.

www.exaggeratedperspectives.com

While my printer is still working I've toyed with the idea of printing a photo myself and sending the image file off to a "specialist" to see what the difference is. I know home printing is expensive but when a print has come out too dark for some reason I can "lighten" it in software and try again. I've got the xrite colormunki (display) for calibrating the monitor I use so that should help? To save a little ink I usually have the image A4 size printed onto an A3 sheet then mount accordingly.

---

Regards
Stan

PPG

If your printer is still on it's first cartridges after a year then it probably makes more sense to use a reliable Print Lab, you can get a lot of top quality large prints fully mounted and framed for £1000.

http://www.peak-imaging.com/htmls/prints_from_digital_media.htm

---

Chris

My only printer decisions have been whether to hit it with a lump hammer or wrap it in C4 and blow it up.

---

[i]Bodies: 1x K-5IIs, 2x K-5, Sony TX-5, Nokia 808
Lenses: Pentax DA 10-17mm ED(IF) Fish Eye, Pentax DA 14mm f/2.8, Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8, Pentax-A 28mm f/2.8, Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.2, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-FA 50mm f/1.4, Pentax-A 50mm f/1.7, Pentax DA* 50-135mm f/2.8, Sigma 135-400mm APO DG, and more ..
Flash: AF-540FGZ, Vivitar 283

Try inkflow.co.uk they provide continuous ink systems as well as 100ml bottles with replacement cartridges and syringes. Very cheap way to print yourself.

---

My Flickr link

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" (John Lennon)

You could also consider refillable cartridges, they sit in the printer permanantly and you....refill them, bit like a CISS system but without the need for tubes and tanks.

As for ink, I can recommend Permajet, their papers are quite nice too. Can't say much about their CISS system as the one on my R1400 is a PITA and needs constant fiddling to keep running, keep threatening to bin it and buy refillable cartridges

---

My Names Alan, and I'm a lensaholic.
My PPG link
My Flckr link

I feel the same way Smeggy! Millstone round my neck and a potential money pit to boot!

---

Cheers Jules...

My viewfinder is 576,000,000 pixels.

www.exaggeratedperspectives.com

After years of printers and CIS systems I can still remember the pleasure of that last day when I got rid of them. No more ....

I haven't sent an image of to be printed as I haven't the full confidence of what I'm seeing on the screen will come back to me as a print. Maybe it is time to bite the bullet

---

Regards
Stan

PPG

Sending a single image off to be printed isn't a very large or expensive bullet to bite

Provided you have your monitor correctly profiled and you send it off to any decent printer provided a profiled non-correcting service the colours should match very well. They certainly do for me with prints I send off to DSC and they aren't at all expensive.

I usually order a batch of 7x5s first, just to check for any colour issues. I've had variable results in the past with different online printers, but I keep reporting on the great results from FOTO.com, at all sizes, even up to massive 100x70cm.

The colours and brightness always matches exactly what I see on my computer screen - I send max quality JPEGs. Always very happy - never had any of the colour issues that I seem to be getting with my shots when displayed on the internet

---

My Guides to the Pentax Digital Camera Flash Lighting System : Download here from the PentaxForums Homepage Article .... link
Pentax K7 with BG-4 Grip / Samyang 14mm f2.8 ED AS IF UMC / DA18-55mm f3.5-5.6 AL WR / SMC A28mm f2.8 / D FA 28-105mm / SMC F35-70 f3.5-4.5 / SMC A50mm f1.7 / Tamron AF70-300mm f4-5.6 Di LD macro / SMC M75-150mm f4.0 / Tamron Adaptall (CT-135) 135mm f2.8 / Asahi Takumar-A 2X tele-converter / Pentax AF-540FGZ (I & II) Flashes / Cactus RF60/X Flashes & V6/V6II Transceiver