Karl, Thanks for the Canon/Epson comparo. Maybe you or someone else can help with this: Two must-have features for me are the ability to make quality, neutral-tone B/W prints on rag paper and, most important, to make any length, "user size" panoramic prints. Near as I am aware HP and Canon have not had a panorama option. Maybe there are work-arounds or the newer models can do pans. I think the newer HP and Canon printers do decent B/W but the Epson requires ICC profiles for each paper in order to use OEM inks. AZ Build a Lookaround! The Lookaround Book, 2nd ed. NOW SHIPPING http://www.panoramacamera.us > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: Re: printer recommendations? > From: "karl shah-jenner" <shahjen@xxxxxxxxxxxx> > Date: Wed, July 07, 2004 6:51 pm > To: "List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students" > <photoforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > > Sally: > > > Does anybody have a photo printer s/he loves? I need professional quality > prints from scans, have a presentation to complete within a couple of weeks. > > > Any of the Canon 6 colour printers. Check www.shopper.cnet.com for prices > and user reviews. > > We put 2 Epson 7600 printers in at the college where I used to work, and a > small canon S820. Although the promise of extended image life from > ultrachrome inks and the name Epson drew fans amoung the student body, many > in frustration turned to the little canon, and once they'd learned how to > 'profile' it, they stayed with the canon for it's wide gamut, ease of use, > speed of use and apprent sharpness over the Epsons. We're talking about a > printer that cost $300 of our local dollars compared to $5000 for the epsons > that had many seeing superiority in the $300 printer! > > While myself a fan of the canon, I did a comparison print on both, an ICC > callibrated workflow on the lab Macs through to the Epson, and then an eye > colour calibrated print on the canon. Putting the images side by side not > one of the lecturing staff could tell which was which on a variety of paper > stocks all eye calibrated by me on the canon Vs ICC profiled on the Epsons. > > I then flat bed scanned a canon and an epson print, enlarged to the point > where the dots were discernable and again asked the lecturing staff for > their opinions. All picked the canon as the better for the smaller dot > size, the clarity of fine detail and accuracy of colour at the dot level. > It showed marked regularity in the dots over the epsons and although at this > size, lines of dots were visible (not so with the epson) the fine detail was > preserved and enhanced. > > I also had a pair printed on Epson Archival Matte paper hanging in the store > room for a little under a year. They both lost a little colour but the > pronounced orange shift in the epson image had some of the staff quite > worried. Reputations had been staked on the Epsons performance and it was > not appreciated that the clearly orange print was challenging their > opinions. OK, this environment was a pretty hostile one, but an 8 year old > RA4 was looking pretty good after all this time, the canon print was > standing up acceptably and there was this ultrachrome print fading away > badly! The images got taken down and the matter was not spoken of again. > > I still have my Canon S800, my boss, the manager of the Graphic Design, > Multimedia and Photo departments bought and still has a Canon S820, many of > the students bought S820's and a couple of the lecturing staff also bought > and still use Canons (those that didn't advocate the epsons!). They're also > very popular because of the ink system which doesn't rely on chips, allowing > all the ink to be used before each single cart is replaced. > > my intro to the canon was a bit of story in it's self. I'd used Epson > 1280's and 1290's but was not prepared to make a full change to inkjet based > on the results from these two models, prefering to stick to using my own > Hope RA4 processor, when on one newsgroup I'd read one strong and ardent > suporter of Epson for many years telling everyone how he'd sold all his > epsons and moved to Canons. I read around and saw many enthusiastic reviews > of the canon and so I bought one, site unseen, from a mail order comapany. > When it arrived it was with much trepidation that I loaded the first sheet > of paper to make a print, fully resolved to sending it back if it didn't > perform. The grin on my face when my wife came home was still there two > weeks later when I sold the RA4 processor, convinced I had no need for it > any more - the output was so close to that of RA4 ! OK, so I was a bit > quick with that sale and I'm getting another RA4 processor again as I am not > truly convinced digital injet output is superior to RA4, but the canon still > managed to outperform any other inkjet i've seen or used to this day, and I > still use it to make images that sell and continue to sell. > > Canon has some new printers on the horizon (here yet?) with 8 colours.. > they're adding a red and a green cartridge to extend the gamut further, so > I'm very much interested in seeing what those printers can produce but for > the time being I'll stick to what I've got. > > anyway, that's my 2c worth > > karl
