Printing on card with spot colour - help needed

[pgmk]

Hi
I'm a newbie here and found the site while I was looking for help in deciding which printer to buy. I need to print largish quantities of postcard type flyers, mostly black text but with spot colour for headlines (not photos). I need a printer which will feed thickish card (minimum about 160 gsm but preferably more). It also needs to use readily refillable cartridges or a CIS system to keep the cost down. I am not worried about maintaining the printer warranty and would be quite happy to buy a non current model if necessary.
From what I've read, Canon seems to be the way to go, but should I go for the newer IP4200/5200 or would I be better with something taking BCI3/6 carts?
Any assistance would be gratefully received
peter g

 

[Tin Ho]

Canon is definitely the most econimical choice for you. Ip4200 can be had below $100 sometimes in the $60 range. Its cartridges can be easily refilled. If you still can find ip4000 go for it. With BCI-3/6 you won't have the hassle from the chips. Both these printers have two different black ink, pigmented and photo black. When you print with pigmented black you get a 5 pico liter resolution only but if you print with photo black you will get 2 or even 1 pico liter droplet resolution. One way you get speed of printing but slightly lower resolution and the other slower printing speed but sharper text and photo quality black. If you choose to print with photo black ink for text ip5000 or ip5200 will give you faster printing than ip4000 and ip4200. CIS or not on these printers will dependent on your daily volume of printing. If you plan to print like a printshop and use a CIS you will need a high quality CIS that won't clog your print head. It's not a matter of clogging but live and death of the print head. A combination of printing volume and clogging often means death for the print head if you don't address the clogging effectively in a timely manner.

 

[websnail]

Just on the CIS thing...

The iP4000 (3/6) units have commercial CIS kits available whereas the iP4200 (chipped) printers don't... I've built three home brew kits for the iP4200 and MP500 now and had few problems but it's not for the amateur and took a while to get right so if CIS is your thing I'd recommend you grab a refurb or new (if you can) ip4000/5000 and go that route..