Photo Printer recommendations. Under $1000.

[Todd Patten]

I'm looking for a photo printer. I've read some reviews on the Epson 2200 and most find it excellent. However, CNET only gave it a "good" rating, which concerns me a bit. I generally have tremendous respect for the CNET testers.

So, how many of you have familiarity with the Epson 2200 and if so, are you happy? If you have experience with other printers, would you recommend them? I believe that Canon has a good one, I just don't know which one it is (going surfing afte rthis post )

[Peter_AUS]

Todd,

Just remember, one persons experience with a printer doesn't reflect a bad printer, you have to keep in mind that you have to have everything calibrated and setup correctly to get the prints you might be after.

The Epson 2200 is a very good, well respected printer as is the Canon 9900.

There are the new Epson R800 and R300 printers out that have 8 cartridges in them, getting very good reviews as well.

But it all comes down to what you are like setting up printers, monitors, paper used, inks used, how you have the photos displayed in the program you are using, the colour space you use and print them in, etc.

Just becuse CNET gives a Good Rating, really doesn't mean much over all when looking at all aspects of colour printing and getting the result that you are after.

The same can be said for labs processing film and printing as well. The product will only be as good as the technician that is using it.

Hope that helps.

[Todd Patten]

Thank you Peter!

I have been doing a lot of reading on both the Epson 2200 and the Canon 9900. I'm beginning that I am drawing myself into "purchase paralysis"! I mean, there are so many factors at play here! Price, lifespan of ink, ease of use, papers, color printing, B&W printing, and more! I'm going to drive myself nutty with this!

Does anyone here have the Epson 2200 or the Canon i9900? I'm reading stories about banding, configuration problems, and more. Supposedly the Epson prints better B&W while the Canon prints better color. The Epson has better fade resistence. The Canon is cheaper.

Ugh!!!

[Peter_AUS]

Asylum Steve has the Epson 2200 and so does Penny, comments I have read from them are they both love the printer. Do a forum search for their comments, there has been lots of discussions on these issues as well.

[Billy Car]

Is the 2200 still the printer to have in its class? Or has, for example, the picoliter size been reduced (as in the R800 to 1.5)? and would that maybe tell me to wait a few months to see what Epson is coming out with in the affordable wide format printers (like the 2200)?

I'm a painter and musician and would sometimes like to reproduce my artwork and scores, and the wide format is desirable.

[Sean Dempsey]

I have the 2200 and I don't know what to say other than I rate it as an A+++++++++++++++ printer.

It's prints are breathtaking and satisfy on all accounts. It's not "pretty good", it's amazing.

[MJS]

How does the B/W look. The photo club that I advise is wanting to by one. They are just beginning to plan all the usual high school fundraising stunts, bake sales, garage sales, car washes, etc. I'm trying to convince them to do a faculty "bring your kids to the park so we can photograph them and sell you copies if they come out" event. Maybe Epson come up with an update by the time we can afford it.

[Todd Patten]

I ended up purchasing the Epson 2200 and I am happy with it. Although, I have a lot of calibration remaining. I simply have not wanted to spend the cash yet. I will befor Dec 31, as I need a tax write off

The black and white is very good, although I have yet to do any Matte printing. I order my ink this past week. My only compliant is the green cast to the images when viewed outdoors. It's very distracting. According to some sites. this can be avoided -- with calibration. Who knows?

The color is damned good as well. Once again -- I must get my monitor properly calibrated before judging to hard.

Here are my only complaints thus far -- and I'm sure it's soemthing I am doing wrong. I was doing fine printing XX x 10" the other day (I say XX because of cropping). I selected borderless and the prints came out looking perfect. However, for some reason, I'm no longer "filling" the width. I went wrong somewhere.

I also attempted to make 4 x 6 prints on glossy paper. So far, a disaster. I can't get the damned things printed correctly on the 4 x 6 media. The Epson paper comes with perforated edges, which you are supposed to tear off after printing. For some damned reason, I can't get these prints to center correctly on the paper such that I have no borders after printing and tearing! I'm just about to give up and go with rolls. Oh, and the color profile I have for glossy sucks. I have to download the latest from Epson.

There is no question that the 2200 is a wonderful printer. It's simply not a "pull it out of the box and go" printer. I mean, I'm a computer geek for a living and I get confused with some of this crap!

[Peter_AUS]

Do a search for a posting on this by Asylum Steve, he and I think Penny went though quite a detailed instruction of setting up and using the Epson 2200 and they both have very good results with their printers. Most upto date profiles etc would be a good thing to do as well.

[dmdiaz]

Hi Todd,

I have the R800, and I love it. I almost got the 2200, but the reality for me is that I most likely won't print too many prints larger than 8x10, so I couldn't justify the cost of the 2200, when I'm also planning on buying a scanner. As far as the R800 goes, it was easy to set up, and easy to use. I've only printed out a few photos so far, but man are they really nice! We had company over the weekend, and they couldn't believe that the prints on the wall were from a printer. They were amazed.

Good luck,

David

[tab]

I've had the 2200 for almost 2 years now. Prior to that I had the 2000P. . My learning curve on the 2200 was much shorter probably of my experience with the 2000P. Both the Epson and the Canon are very good printers. The 2200 is very capable of producing drop dead gorgeous photos. The extremely wide gamut on the ultra chrome ink the printer uses is larger than what the local photo lab uses and because it is still a pigment ink it also has a archival qualities. The paper you chose to print your photos on becomes more important when you step up to these printers. I don't necessarily print on Epson papers most of the time I use the Ilford Galerie Series paper either in the glossy or smooth pearl (matte). Monitor calibration and paper profiles are also important to get right. If that is something that you don't want to get into then you may not get the full benefit of these printers. Epson also offers online courses on digital photography and printing which I have found very enlightening.

[Speed]

I'm looking for a photo printer. I've read some reviews on the Epson 2200 and most find it excellent. However, CNET only gave it a "good" rating, which concerns me a bit. I generally have tremendous respect for the CNET testers.

So, how many of you have familiarity with the Epson 2200 and if so, are you happy? If you have experience with other printers, would you recommend them? I believe that Canon has a good one, I just don't know which one it is (going surfing afte rthis post )

Penny has an Epson 2200. She sent me some prints she made on it and they are awesome! She can definitely give you some feedback on that one.

[MJS]

Here's a crazy question. If I can't see colors at all, will I be able to calibrate the monitors? My photo club kids are organizing bake sales, etc so they can buy a 2200. We just put in the P.O. for the D70 with the SB 800. We're already drooling.