Pigment ink printer

[Emt]

Hi, not sure if I’ve asked before but I’m looking for a printer that uses pigment ink. I print images/patterns to stick on objects and then topcoat (decoupage) so the ink needs to be waterproof.
I’m not too bothered what brand and I’m not looking for photo professional quality. Ideally some kind of ink tank system but I would consider cartridges at this point, or even something I can convert to pigment ink although I’ve read conflicting things about this?
Hopefully someone can advise as I’m so confused trying to search all the brands.
Thanks in advance

 

[Emt]

Anyone?

 

[thebestcpu]

Hi, not sure if I’ve asked before but I’m looking for a printer that uses pigment ink. I print images/patterns to stick on objects and then topcoat (decoupage) so the ink needs to be waterproof.
I’m not too bothered what brand and I’m not looking for photo professional quality. Ideally some kind of ink tank system but I would consider cartridges at this point, or even something I can convert to pigment ink although I’ve read conflicting things about this?
Hopefully someone can advise as I’m so confused trying to search all the brands.
Thanks in advance

Hi @Emt
There are not too many printers that are full pigment and EcoTank

I found two yet have never owned either one.
Here is a comparison sheet of specs followed by paper size capability

I would check those out. Do note they are not touted as photo printers yet for you needs it might fit the bill very well.
John Wheeler

PS - for a buying decision, I would recommend that you check the specs from Epson web site directly.

 

[Emt]

Thank you, I’m not bothered about photo quality

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

There is a series of Canon Maxify tank printers - the GX series starting at the GX1051 model - all running with pigment inks. That's printers for the (home) office type applications and running with bottled pigment inks.

Please let prints thoroughly dry before you do any topcoating.

 

[Emt]

There is a series of Canon Maxify tank printers - the GX series starting at the GX1051 model - all running with pigment inks. That's printers for the (home) office type applications and running with bottled pigment inks.

Please let prints thoroughly dry before you do any topcoating.

Thanks, I’ll have a look

 

[Emt]

If I got one that uses pigment ink cartridge’s rather than the tanks (as these seem to be cheaper) is it possible I could refill them?

 

[thebestcpu]

I will let the refill experts give you inputs on that and it may depend on the particular printer cartridge.

A few things to know:

Please note that using refill inks voids your factory warranty and any extended warranty you may have purchased. It does happen. I got an Epson printer, and in less than a year, it ended up with a single nozzle that would not clear, doing all the cleaning steps that could be done without voiding the warranty. So I called it in, and Epson set a replacement (a refurbished printer of the exact same model with a full set of ink to boot). One of the first questions they asked was if any third-party inks were used in the printer.

If you are OK with voiding the warranty, keep in mind that replacing ink takes some practice. My first attempt, which I did ages ago, ended up in a real ink mess that I had to clean up, including stained fingers that only partially came out, and the rest had to wear off. And then the printer did not work right with the new inks (probably because of something I did wrong in the process)

Lastly, there is a breakeven point in cost vs volume. Using OEM ink and retaining the warranty, an ink tank version costs about 2 cents per page, while a cartridge costs about 8 to 10 cents per page. When you print about 3000 pages total, it reaches a break-even point in cost, and at higher volumes, you could end up spending twice as much as the eco tank version. So if you work at low volume (e.g., less than 3000 pages over the life of the printer, cartridges could make sense. Yet at higher volumes, the initial low cost of a cartridge-based printer can end up being more expensive

It's just a different business model. The cartridge business has a low cost of entry and makes up the profit with more expensive ink. While the Eco-tank versions are designed to make their profit up front with the sale of the printer, ink sales are a secondary source of profit.

Hope the info helps.
John Wheeler