Epson Stylus Photo 1400 on clearance at Staples

[Fenrir Enterprises]

They're on clearance for $200 with an $80 rebate (either online or mail-in). Staples is the only store I will buy products with rebates because I don't think I've ever had an Easy Rebate rejected unless I was almost too late to submit it (it rejects it at night on the 59th day which was technically wrong but entirely my fault). Supposedly the rebate will still go through even though it's a clearance price. I've been on the fence about buying a 1400 vs Workforce 1100 (it is very important for me to be able to print bright, crisp cyan and sapphire blues and when I had a C88+ I could only print varying shades of navy blue). I plan on converting it to pigment, am currently researching reviews on a CIS for it.

I had found one in one Staples while looking for laser paper on clearance. It was the display model, when turned on the ink light was solid red, it was missing the CD tray, and the front door wouldn't stay closed. I asked for an extra discount on it but they refused. They looked up store inventory in my area but the only other one was a display model. I went to that store and they had one in a box too!

Of course today I saw a Workforce 1100 for $70... which is actually not as good a deal (30% off vs 60% off) but now I'm debating whether or not to pick that one up too...

 

[34Ford]

Of course today I saw a Workforce 1100 for $70... which is actually not as good a deal (30% off vs 60% off) but now I'm debating whether or not to pick that one up too...

$70?! Where?

 

[jtoolman]

Stapples had WF1100 for $70 but is was severla weeks ago and may had been for only what they had in stock - one or two.

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

Yeah, it was Staples. The one by work had the clearance sign on it, the one where I bought the 1400 didn't even have it up yet, even though they were the only ones that had a sign up for the $1.50 laser paper (which they were out of). I may go back this weekend and get an 1100 too. Maybe use the 1400 for gicle / photo printing (matte) and the WF for signs, banners, and menu printing. I want to use pigment in the 1400 but from what I'm reading it won't make a good anytime printer since it only works with ICC profiles and you can't ICC Office or OpenOffice.

 

[OutOFtheinkwell]

The 1400 is a great printer. We have had one for about 3 years with a CIS system with zero head clogs and all good prints until lately when we got the Epson shutdown notice.
We are still using the same printer after buying remanufactured OEM carts we found for about $4.50 each.
When those are gone I'm going to install some refillable cartridges with a RATF chip, ( refill,all,to,full).
If that is not workable( Thanks Epson), I have another 1400 still in the box in my closet that I will use with another CIS using the tubing system again. I notice they are going for about $179.00 on up these days when you can find them. And that low price is for a remanufactured model. That is interesting since the two I bought 3 years ago were also remanufactures models but I paid $149.00 each!
Incidentally, I'm a big fan of the Company remanufactured printers since the one we have is still working, ( when Epson allows it) or I come up with a "workaround".
I have heard that the remanufactured units are just as good as the new ones and they really go over them before boxing them up.
I'm wondering when we will have a good home model of the MemJet available? In case you haven't heard of them they have fixed and very wide print heads and print full color at about one print a second.
That should change the whole ball game for sure! I asked Epson if they use those counter chips and shut down their 3880 prints like they do the less expensive models and they came back and sort of answered it with a comment like they are much more easily reset. Who knows? If any good printer maker ever drops those chips and counters they will have me for a customer in a flash! Happy Printing folks! Outoftheinkwell!

 

[OutOFtheinkwell]

Opps!

Forgot to add...I stayed with the dye based ink, along with Costco papers I get good and long lasting prints and no clogs! Just make sure the ink is good quality.

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

I absolutely have to have pigment inks since the printer is going to be used for gicle (art) printing on canvas, as well as custom decal printing on waterproof vinyl. The little work I was able to do before my R220 died proved to me that it will work very very well. Dye ink just won't last on outdoor signage and you can't really sell gicles with non-archival ink. I'll need to find or make ICC profiles for it.

I finally went back and bought the Workforce 1100. I was reluctant to buy due to the previous problem with the C88+ being incapable of printing bright blues. The print shown on the 1100 box shows a wide range of blues on a large bar graph, hopefully that is actually representative of the printer. But in any case, the 1100 is not going to give the print quality on art and photos that the 1400 will. I need an "everyday" printer more than an art printer right now, and don't want to have to bother with trying to figure out how to make it work well for printing outside of ICC capable software.

I've briefly considered leaving the 1400 dyebased for glossy prints, but I think I need archival/weather resistant qualities more than that. Of course I could always get another one if I find a good price... but I have no room for it! They have taken off the clearance price on the 1400 though, and the rebate option expired on the 19th. I'm wary of floor models. A Dell color laser would only print the test pages. The 1400 floor models I've seen all had solid red on the ink button when turned on, which worries me.

 

[Greysonphil]

I absolutely have to have pigment inks since the printer is going to be used for gicle (art) printing on canvas, as well as custom decal printing on waterproof vinyl. The little work I was able to do before my R220 died proved to me that it will work very very well. Dye ink just won't last on outdoor signage and you can't really sell gicles with non-archival ink. I'll need to find or make ICC profiles for it.

And what about ecosolvent ink? As I know it's used for interior design printing needs. They are more adhesive and weather resistant than others.

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

And what about ecosolvent ink? As I know it's used for interior design printing needs. They are more adhesive and weather resistant than others.

I don't think I could buy (or even convert a used) an Eco Solvent capable printer for less than 10x the cost of the Epson ($120). I'd have to look up studies, but I think pigment ink is more archival than solvent inks. I'm focused more on art prints and photo enlargements than sign printing, it's just that my tests with pigments on sign vinyl worked incredibly well (soaking in a glass of water with no runoff even without lamination) so I can use it for that too.

We need a "shocked (by the price)" smiley!

$$ (close enough)