Hello.
This is my first post here. First, I want that you excuse me for my little English. I hope that you can understand what I write.
My name is Xavi and Im writing from Barcelona, Catalonia, Europe.
Every time that I search some information about printers and inks I found the answer here.
Thats the reason because I will try to solve here, with this post some important doubts that I have. I hope that you can help me with your big knowledgement.
Actually I am using a Canon MP540 European version. This multifunctional uses the basic color configuration C,M,Y and Black colors. I refill it with Precision Colors inks. Im happy with this ink but I am extremelly happy with the professional and friendly support of Mike, the seller.
This Canon printer prints with high resolution, there is no banding nor grain on their prints. But this printer is a nightmare for me on color accuracy.
I use 2 monitors to work with Photoshop CS4. Both are calibrated with a colorimeter and my main monitor is an Eizo. I use Photoshop CS4 for printing and after had been profiled 4 times the printer with 2 different papers with an Spyder 3, always prints with a very strong magenta cast. I have read here that this means that the profile is applied twice but the color management is totally disabled on printer driver (or thats what the printer driver says)
Finally after a lot of hours of work, inks and paper, using one of these ICC profiles, I have adjusted manually the levels of Cyan, Magenta and Yellow colors on printer driver with acceptable results.
But my prints seems to transmit a digital feel, with vibrant colors but not natural, not realistic (poor gamut). Another problem that I see very easily is that dark tones are turned to practically black color. Also foliage color is muted without luminance.
Then I want to buy another printer but an A3+ printer. After looking prices here on Europe (very different that printer prices on USA) I am undecided between two printers that here costs exactly the same: the Canon Pro9000 MKII and the Epson R1900.
I dont want to spend a lot of money on a printer or on OEM inks. And seems that the R1900 is better that a R2880 using some papers:
R1900 is probably the best wide color gamut printer currently available. It excels in producing bright saturated color prints on gloss/semi-gloss paper and excellent skin tones. R1900 struggles with black & white prints and art paper.
R2880 is probably the best B&W printer on the market. It creates superb black & white prints and produces subtle art prints with extremely smooth gradations. The gloss printing is in line with industry standards, but clearly inferior to R1900."
Found here: http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/hardware/22429-epson-r1900-epson-r2880.html
I don't print often on B&W and comparing the better price that I have found here of the R1900 (475EUR=USD578) vs the R2880 (730EUR=889USD) I think that is a best buy a R1900.
I have compared two recommended printers that here costs exactly the same (R1900 vs Pro9000).
For me seems a better cartridges color configuration on the Pro9000 with 8 different colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, LC, LM, Black, Red and green) than only 6 different colors found on the R1900 (C,M,Y,Black, orange and red) plus a cartridge of matte black and a glossy optimizator. The R1900 hasn't the LC nor the LM cartridges but has an orange and red cartidges that seems to improve color skins (I do not print a lot of portraits). But the results on prints with the R1900 seems better on color accuracy, DMax, detail, B&W and a much greater color Gamut. Here is a very good comparison (if the results are true): http://www.printerinfo.com/content/...oto-Printer-Review-1120/Color-Performance.htm
On the other hand seems that the reviewers of the R1900 are extremist: who love the R1900 or who hate the R1900 (a common complaints are that don't prints well on matte papers, underexposition on prints, that I also see on the print of the dog, on the above link, and some complaints about banding). THe Pro9000 seems to produce unanimity on the reviewers: they love their Pro9000 and is recommended for a 89% here http://www.reviewgist.com/printer-r... r2880, r1900 &sortBy=relevanceDesc&submit=Go and the R1900 only for a 75%.
If I search on Google for "r1900 clog" or "Pro9000 clog" I found a lot of occurrencies with the R1900 and fews with the Pro9000. Also the printhead of the CAnon is easily removable then cleanable. I also know that pigment inks clogs easily than dye inks.
But seems that pigment inks reproduces much better shadow details and colors on shadows. Without the "punch" of the dye inks. I prefer color accuracy: try to print what I see on the screen than a more "spectacular" and fake print.
Reading different comparison test I prefer to buy an R1900 but all the above results are based on OEM inks. Then I dont know if these results will be comparable using Precision Colors inks.
Here glossy Epson paper and Epson Matte paper are cheaper. Then, using Precision Colors inks, Epson Glossy or Matte papers and profiling the printer with a Spyder 3, which one is a better option ?
Pigment inks, from Precision Colors, for the Epson R1900 matches better the Epson OEM inks or the dye inks for the Pro9000 MKII matches better the Canon OEM inks?
Do you think that refilling and profiling an R1900 I will obtain a good color accuracy including shadow details?
Sorry for a post so long and sorry once more for my little English.
I hope that you can help me on my decision.
Thank you very much.
Xavi.
This is my first post here. First, I want that you excuse me for my little English. I hope that you can understand what I write.
My name is Xavi and Im writing from Barcelona, Catalonia, Europe.
Every time that I search some information about printers and inks I found the answer here.
Thats the reason because I will try to solve here, with this post some important doubts that I have. I hope that you can help me with your big knowledgement.
Actually I am using a Canon MP540 European version. This multifunctional uses the basic color configuration C,M,Y and Black colors. I refill it with Precision Colors inks. Im happy with this ink but I am extremelly happy with the professional and friendly support of Mike, the seller.
This Canon printer prints with high resolution, there is no banding nor grain on their prints. But this printer is a nightmare for me on color accuracy.
I use 2 monitors to work with Photoshop CS4. Both are calibrated with a colorimeter and my main monitor is an Eizo. I use Photoshop CS4 for printing and after had been profiled 4 times the printer with 2 different papers with an Spyder 3, always prints with a very strong magenta cast. I have read here that this means that the profile is applied twice but the color management is totally disabled on printer driver (or thats what the printer driver says)
Finally after a lot of hours of work, inks and paper, using one of these ICC profiles, I have adjusted manually the levels of Cyan, Magenta and Yellow colors on printer driver with acceptable results.
But my prints seems to transmit a digital feel, with vibrant colors but not natural, not realistic (poor gamut). Another problem that I see very easily is that dark tones are turned to practically black color. Also foliage color is muted without luminance.
Then I want to buy another printer but an A3+ printer. After looking prices here on Europe (very different that printer prices on USA) I am undecided between two printers that here costs exactly the same: the Canon Pro9000 MKII and the Epson R1900.
I dont want to spend a lot of money on a printer or on OEM inks. And seems that the R1900 is better that a R2880 using some papers:
R1900 is probably the best wide color gamut printer currently available. It excels in producing bright saturated color prints on gloss/semi-gloss paper and excellent skin tones. R1900 struggles with black & white prints and art paper.
R2880 is probably the best B&W printer on the market. It creates superb black & white prints and produces subtle art prints with extremely smooth gradations. The gloss printing is in line with industry standards, but clearly inferior to R1900."
Found here: http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/hardware/22429-epson-r1900-epson-r2880.html
I don't print often on B&W and comparing the better price that I have found here of the R1900 (475EUR=USD578) vs the R2880 (730EUR=889USD) I think that is a best buy a R1900.
I have compared two recommended printers that here costs exactly the same (R1900 vs Pro9000).
For me seems a better cartridges color configuration on the Pro9000 with 8 different colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, LC, LM, Black, Red and green) than only 6 different colors found on the R1900 (C,M,Y,Black, orange and red) plus a cartridge of matte black and a glossy optimizator. The R1900 hasn't the LC nor the LM cartridges but has an orange and red cartidges that seems to improve color skins (I do not print a lot of portraits). But the results on prints with the R1900 seems better on color accuracy, DMax, detail, B&W and a much greater color Gamut. Here is a very good comparison (if the results are true): http://www.printerinfo.com/content/...oto-Printer-Review-1120/Color-Performance.htm
On the other hand seems that the reviewers of the R1900 are extremist: who love the R1900 or who hate the R1900 (a common complaints are that don't prints well on matte papers, underexposition on prints, that I also see on the print of the dog, on the above link, and some complaints about banding). THe Pro9000 seems to produce unanimity on the reviewers: they love their Pro9000 and is recommended for a 89% here http://www.reviewgist.com/printer-r... r2880, r1900 &sortBy=relevanceDesc&submit=Go and the R1900 only for a 75%.
If I search on Google for "r1900 clog" or "Pro9000 clog" I found a lot of occurrencies with the R1900 and fews with the Pro9000. Also the printhead of the CAnon is easily removable then cleanable. I also know that pigment inks clogs easily than dye inks.
But seems that pigment inks reproduces much better shadow details and colors on shadows. Without the "punch" of the dye inks. I prefer color accuracy: try to print what I see on the screen than a more "spectacular" and fake print.
Reading different comparison test I prefer to buy an R1900 but all the above results are based on OEM inks. Then I dont know if these results will be comparable using Precision Colors inks.
Here glossy Epson paper and Epson Matte paper are cheaper. Then, using Precision Colors inks, Epson Glossy or Matte papers and profiling the printer with a Spyder 3, which one is a better option ?
Pigment inks, from Precision Colors, for the Epson R1900 matches better the Epson OEM inks or the dye inks for the Pro9000 MKII matches better the Canon OEM inks?
Do you think that refilling and profiling an R1900 I will obtain a good color accuracy including shadow details?
Sorry for a post so long and sorry once more for my little English.
I hope that you can help me on my decision.
Thank you very much.
Xavi.