[Need feedback]Epson Artisan 1430/1500W

[malkram]

Hello everyone, I recently purchased a Sawgrass Virtuoso SG 400 printer for sublimation but it turns out that its quality isn't satisfying. I want to change for an Epson Artisan 1430/1500W. Could anyone give me any feedback (about print quality) ? Thanks !

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I assume you are planning to print on transfer sheets with sublimation inks. I don't know what quality you expect, or the Sawgrass printer didn't meet ? The Epson 1500W is typically used as a high quality photo printer for the A3 format, on regular photo papers. It might be a different thing for sublimation, the print on the transfer sheet is just one of several steps - the transfer process, the timing, the pressure, the temperature and the right choice of fabric are factors outside the things you can control with the printer. The 1500W printer is running dye inks, as well pigment inks via refill, and as well sublim inks which are a special kind of dye inks, I had tested that some time ago with a similar type of Epson printer.

 

[malkram]

Hi and thanks for your reply. Yes it's for sublimation, actually the Sawgrass has a fine quality except for the light colors (they have kind of very very small black dots in background) like pink, grey, light yellow...

And I figured out that this printer is just an office printer while the 1500W is built specially for fine art/photography, but this printer seemed to be the reference because almost all those who do sublimation use sawgrass inks/papers..

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

In order to get some pretty and correct colors via the sublim process it is necessary to work with a icm color profile at printing time. I remember somehow , longer time ago, that an ink supplier was offering such profiles for his inks and other supplies for the sublim process. Don't expect too much just from the printer, people were using already long time ago older Epson printers like the D68 with sublim inks, it's all together, color management and a reliable and repeatable process overall to get consistent results.

 

[malkram]

I already use ICC profile and stuff, and sublimation process is not the topic.. Anyways I was just looking for feedbacks on this Epson

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

the 1500W will do the job, other people are using the R2000 or R3000 with sublim inks. I think you could use about every Epson printer for that with refill.

 

[The Hat]

Here is a printer that is a bit up market with very good output..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnwbmEOJICI