Am I defecting to Canon ?

I don't know about the export / import implications, but the printer is available from plot-it.co.uk, where I bought my T2100, for £1872 inc VAT. It might be worth calling them if you've got a long wait on your hands anyway. I've had no issues purchasing from the continent, although not goods of this value.
 
Thanks for the info, the printer is shipped palletized as per Keith cooper's test report, that will increase the shipping rate, and the forwarder will have to do customs clearance and makes a handling charge for it. I'm told by several dealers that Epson is shipping printers to the dealers around /after the 12. of Dec - a container from Fareast is probably arriving around that time so there is a chance to get a printer before Christmas.
I'm opting for the T3100X Ecotank model now since I recognize that I'm printing more large format stuff than I was expecting some months ago when I got the T2100. It's the high cartridge chip pricing for which there is currently no way around - no resetter etc.
 
I got the T3100X delivered last Friday - on a Europallet on an Epson pallet - the printer with all its styropore is covered by a big box open at the bottom and strapped to a pallet with several strong straps. I got the printer initialized and running with pigment inks - leftovers from my old P7600, Epson is supporting this model with dye inks, but the base model T3100/T2100 with pigment inks as well. You get just small setup ink cartridges (25ml or less) with these cartridge based printers, but you get a full set of ink bottles - 150 ml each color - with the T3100X.
Since I was running a T2100 since just recently I can compare the cartridge and tank based printers - they work the same, the driver is the same with some small adjustments for the ink supply - the ink supply system is the only difference - with tubing up to the carriage instead of cartridges. I didn't do printing very much yet - I just redid 2 profiles and compared them with those I made for the T2100 - they look very much the same.

Is the hefty price increase of the T3100X over the T2100/T3100 worth the difference ? It only would pay off after a while when the cumulative cartridge cost over time will exceed the ink prices for the tank system model - there are no limitations to use any suitable 3d party ink at low cost, refill of the T2100 cartridges is very much restricted by the need for one-time chips from China which are pretty expensive, or you use cartridges with one-time chips via Aliexpress - rather expensive as well.
But there is an alternative with the Canon TC-20 , a direct competitor to the T2100/T3100 models , and the TC-20 is already a Megatank like printer model which I ran with genuine pigment inks. So there are some interesting options available for a potential user. Both the Canon TC-20 and the Epson T3100(X ) are printers with 4 colors and do not reach the performance of other higher priced 10-12 ink printer models. These are entry level printers - they don't do borderless - but print very well within these constraints.
 
Last edited:
I'm now running the Epson T3100x 24 inch printer since a while - without particular problems or peculiarities, I had to replace the waste ink box once.
The T3100X is a 4 color printer with dye inks - T3100X - or with pigment inks on the T3100. Such configuration uses a black ink which is tuned for a good, sharp print of text and graphics, and is a pigment ink even in printers with CMY dye inks. This leads to some not so good looking prints on glossy paper - black is mixed from the CMY inks - the black ink does not adhere to the glossy surface. I was already looking for some alternative and I was using a black glossy pigment ink instead and used the driver paper setting for matte paper. Such mode delivers good looking prints on glossy paper but you are loosing on the black level on nomal and inkjet paper, the differences in the black level are really visible. Swapping inks in a Ecotank T3100X printer is not possible.

I was using a Canon TC-20 for a whort while before I switched over to the Epson T3100x, the TC-20 is quite similar to the T3100X and runs with CMYK pigment inks. Interesting enough the driver does not surpress the use of the black ink with the glossy paper selections which came as a surprise. It is the PFI-050 black ink which is used for prints on all types of papers which is quite unusual. I did various testprints - this black pigment ink delivers a better black level than a mix of CMY inks and prints quite well on glossy papers as well - the black level is not as dark as a glossy/photo pigment ink but pretty close and better than a CMY mix as well. The pricing of the PFI-050 pigment inks for the TC-20 is exorbitantly high, but you almost have the same effect with a PFI-050 black ink via Aliexpress just for a few € per bottle. I'm currently running this PFI-050 Canon black on the T3100X without any problems. But is it nevertheless a compromise solution.
 
I am currently facing a significant dilemma regarding the choice between the Epson SureColor T2100 and Canon TC-20 printers. My primary requirement is printing on polyester canvas, exclusively using 24-inch rolls.

On one hand, Canon appears to be a reliable option—I’ve seen Keith’s review praising its capabilities. However, I am concerned about potential technical issues based on what I’ve read. Things like paper jams and spending 15 minutes troubleshooting with the printer worry me. Another drawback is the roll limitation of 18 meters, meaning I would have to frequently rewind the canvas as the maximum roll diameter is 110 mm, while most affordable canvases come in 30-meter rolls.

Additionally, the cost of Canon’s pigment inks is another concern. Although I read that GI-53 dye-based inks could be used instead, I’ve conducted tests with these inks using the Canon G650 on canvas and compared the results to items sold on eBay and Amazon, and I couldn’t see any difference in quality. Even after washing the canvas, the dye-based prints remained intact—Keith experienced the same results but he tested pigment inks.

On the other hand, I lean toward the Epson T2100. However, it has its own challenges. The ink cartridges hold only 50 ml, which is a limitation. Also, I have read that the black ink mixes with colors instead of using black exclusively. There’s an option to use chips available on platforms like AliExpress, currently priced at £35 for a set of four. But I’m unsure about their reliability and how refunds work if they don’t function as expected. These chips would also need to be stored for future use, which adds another layer of concern.

Another option I’ve considered is the Epson T3405, which supports 700 ml ink cartridges, making the cost per ml more reasonable. However, the printer itself is large, heavy, and I’m unsure whether its print head is the same as the T2100. Ideally, the Epson T3100X would be a perfect choice, but the price—£1,800, compared to £560 for the T2100—is exorbitant.

To summarize, I recognize Canon’s strengths—it prints well and offers affordable ink—but it comes with many drawbacks. I have also considered pigment ink options like Pigmera C1 from Farbenwerk, which has received positive reviews. At this point, I am leaning towards the Epson T2100, but the ink limitations and concerns about mixing colors with black ink persist.

Finally, I am uncertain about return policies in the UK if I purchase the Canon TC-20 online and decide that it isn’t suitable for my needs.

I would deeply appreciate any advice or guidance regarding my situation.

Thank you for your time and help. I look forward to hearing from you.
 
Both the T2100/3100X and the TC-20 are entry level 24" printers as described in detail. one of the limitations (intended by Canon or Epson) are the max roll diameter and as well the paper thickness in the range of 0.27mm - 0.3 mm. Canvas material is typically even thicker than regular paper of the same weight - you would need to test that before purchase.
You are addressing the pricing - that's marketing driven - low price printer and high price ink bottles - Canon TC-20 or high unit price and low cost inks - T3100X - you would need to calculate a total cost - printer + inks over a longer time . But the situation is not that critically overall - you could get compatible inks/cartidges/bottles via Aliexpress at pretty low prices for the Epson or Canon printers.

Black ink mixing - it is typical for 4-color printers with pigment inks that they use a matte black ink for matte papers as per your paper selection, and mix the black from the CMY inks if you select a glossy type paper since the matte black ink does not adhere to the glossy surface. That's what the T2100/T3100/X are doing. I have tested in this thread and described that the Canon black PFI-050 is an unusual black pigment ink with good performance both on matte and glossy papers, and yes - I'm lusing a Canon ink on an Epson printer.
Yes, you can get refill chips - one time - and cartridges for the T2100 - but it is somewhat impractical to handle if you print volume.

I initialized the TC-20 with dye inks - Canon compatibles - although the TC-20 comes with pigment inks - and I initialized the T3100X with pigment inks although it comes with dye inks. I haven't seen problems with it so far with this approach.
You may have as well a look to the Canon TM-240 which is in the same pricing range as the TC-20 or T2100/T3100, and it comes with a matte and a glossy black. I'm not familiar with any other technical spec's of tlhis printer model - paper thickness etc , and I see compatible cartridges via Aliexpress PFI-030/031
 
Last edited:
I have the option of buying a used T2100 for £250, but it has a mileage of 6000 A1 prints. I don't know if it's a lot or little. I calculated that with this amount of printing, by choosing the T3100X over the standard model, you could save around £14,000 on inks.

I think I'll go for the T3100X. Can you tell me which pigment ink to use? By default, the printer uses dye ink, but I would like to use pigment ink.

Additionally, can you confirm what maximum roll diameter Epson supports? Canon has a limit of 110mm.
 
Second matter – if I use dye ink once, can I later pour pigment ink into the tank whenever I want? Does this require any special cleaning or replacement of printer components?


Another thing – many people print on canvas with the Epson T2100 without any issues, and the printer supports paper weights up to 300 g/m². The person selling this used T2100 also printed on canvas.


I’m concerned that 6,000 prints might be the right time to sell the printer, but I could be wrong since I’m not very experienced with this. That’s why I’m asking for advice – with this print volume, should the printer still work without issues, or is it better to avoid it?
 
6000 prints is already quite a good total, but it's quite similar to buying a used car - is there more information available about previous repairs, what is the warranty status, is the printer covered by an additional warranty expansion , what type of inks were used - OEM or ???. The printer has several internal counters about the usage and wear of the hardware -e.g. the waste ink pump, the driving belt and some more , but only a service tech could do the readout and tell you if some maintenance could be necessary soon.
Is it possible to see the printer before you buy it ? Could a nozzle print be done ahead of the deal ? I just would not use a T2100 for higher print volume if you plan to do refill - it's the handling of chips etc that I wouldn't like.

I'm not using any ink brand of pigment inks, I did lots of testing and profiling in the past on a P 7600 , and there are always ink leftovers which I just collected and mixed together; I did that at my own risk, but I didn't really have any significant issues with that, and these inks are running fine in the T3100X at this time.
I switched dye and pigment inks several times, I didn't really have problems swapping dye inks to pigment inks, but it required lots of cleaning etc going from pigment inks to dye inks, it seems to be difficult to get the last pigments out of the printer - the dampers, the tubing - the tanks or cartridges, it may even make more sense to replace those items.
I still do it on small scale - with a WF2010W cartridge printer on which the cartridges sit on the carriage, the overall ink paths from the cartridges to the nozzles are short and clean with a few cleaning cycles. I use this printer since a while for ink testing - gamut - longevity - black level etc. cardridge swapping - dye or pigment is easy.
I checked my paper rolls - a 100 gr paper with 45 m just fits into the printer with a roll diameter of 101 mm, that's the maximum. I have seen various different numbers in different documents.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top