Large format printers

Get help and framing advice from the framing community
Post Reply
Thewhitewallgallery
Posts: 31
Joined: Wed 11 Mar, 2020 11:15 am
Location: Greater Manchester
Organisation: The White Wall Framers
Interests: Sports and Framing
Contact:

Large format printers

Post by Thewhitewallgallery »

Hi Everyone,

We are looking into buying a large format printer (2nd hand). We usually outsource our printing but we are getting more and more Jobs and requests from local artists so we think its time to invest.

Having never used one I don't know where to start or what to look out for.

Can anyone recommend a certain make or style? or what to avoid?


Many thanks
Matt
Ed209
Posts: 437
Joined: Sun 05 Mar, 2017 8:22 pm
Location: Birchington-on-Sea, Kent
Organisation: Birchington Framing Centre
Interests: Guitar, woodwork, cycling Singing
Contact:

Re: Large format printers

Post by Ed209 »

Have a look at one of https://www.epson.co.uk/insights/articl ... -proofers1
They are new we are in the same situation as you and will probably invest in one of these when things get back to normal.
You may be lucky and get a good second hand printer but you want to offer your customers quality so best invest in it if you can, also benefit from guarantee and back up
Richard Photofusion
Posts: 221
Joined: Wed 02 Jun, 2010 10:12 am
Location: Brixton, London
Organisation: Photofusion
Interests: Photography, and carting a young gymnast from class to comp to where ever the next sport is.*

*young, now a teenager...
Location: Brixton
Contact:

Re: Large format printers

Post by Richard Photofusion »

Welcome to a world of fun.
If you can find a way to stretch to a new machine, then I'd strongly consider it. Alternatively, Epson, Canon and HP have all recently brought out new models, and there are plenty of ex-demo units in the supply chain. These'll come with a vendor warranty of sorts, along with dealer support.

Printers like to be used regularly, otherwise they get blockages in either the nozzles (part of the print heads) or the lines that feed the heads. Broadly, HP Z series are the most forgiving, followed by Canon IPF and most picky are Epson LFPs.
This happens to match the cost of printhead replacement - Epsons cost almost as much as a printer, once you factor in a service technician to replace them , Canons8300/8400 are £400/head (two of them, and user replaceable, with HP being in ITRO £80/ head (four of them, and easily changed, like the Canons). Most recentish (last ten years) LFP's have a similar quality print output, more modern machines having greater speed, and generally greater colour gamut.
If you're new to printing, then I'd look at as new a machine as you can budget for, with continuous use, running OEM inks. I'd ask the seller to show a very recent nozzle check, from service mode (if Canon), to give an idea of the state of the heads. A drawback of ex-demo models, is that given the current situations, the machine may have sat unused for a while. Get them to run the tests, to confirm a clean print pattern.

Check the levels of inks being supplied - for my 44" Canon ipf8400, there are 12 chanels, each of which I have loaded with 700ml carts, each of which costs over £200. New machines come with starter cartridges, ranging from 130 - 330ml. Most machines will easily absorb half of the starter cart priming the ink lines. None of the machines, when ink lines are primed likes to be tipped by more than 15 degrees, so if you or the seller need to navigate staircases this can be a big issue.

In the beginning, I'd start using OEM papers, which have readily available, high quality colour profiles, and not deviate from OEM inks. From there, you can follow the "recipes" of settings from Photoshop or Lightroom, in order to spit ink on paper. Deviate slightly from the recipe, and things will go awry.
You'll very likely need a high quality monitor, and a device to calibrate it.

When looking at non oem papers, most of the reputable brands have profiles for LFP's, which should be a good starting point. If you want to get serious about colour reproduction, then custom profiles can make a noticeable difference. I roll my own profiles using an X-Rite i1pro with the profiler software. The older HP Z3200 (slow, but solid, though questions are being asked for how much longer ink and heads will be available) has a built in photo-spectrometer, that allows you to profile any paper to the printer, as does the new HP Z9.

My current ipf8400 is around 5years old, has printed over 5000square metres, and is still running fine, but I'm at the stage where I need more speed of printing, as well roll to roll capabilities for unattended print runs. I'm seriously looking at the new HP Z9 DR, but will not be making any decisions for a few months. My main business is photographic printing - exhibitions, portfolios, print sales, and art repro.
Ed209
Posts: 437
Joined: Sun 05 Mar, 2017 8:22 pm
Location: Birchington-on-Sea, Kent
Organisation: Birchington Framing Centre
Interests: Guitar, woodwork, cycling Singing
Contact:

Re: Large format printers

Post by Ed209 »

Great information Richard and very interesting about the print head costs etc. I was only initially interested in a Epson as someone I know has one and is pleased with it and we have two D700 that are a approximately a year old and so far no trouble (beginning to wish I never said that)
Will certainly be consulting you when the time comes!
Richard Photofusion
Posts: 221
Joined: Wed 02 Jun, 2010 10:12 am
Location: Brixton, London
Organisation: Photofusion
Interests: Photography, and carting a young gymnast from class to comp to where ever the next sport is.*

*young, now a teenager...
Location: Brixton
Contact:

Re: Large format printers

Post by Richard Photofusion »

As you're already running D700's (I'm looking at getting one of those, or a D800 for our film processing activities, once the times return), then I guess that you've got work flow already sorted out. Epson printers are great work horses, they just like to be exercised. I know plenty of printers who run these for years (I still have an old 9800 as my backup, though this hasn't been powered up in over a year, so I'm really just keeping it as a trade in deal...).

All 3 major LFP companies make good product, all have the occassional lemon.

As you have two D700's, they'll last forever - neither will want to be seen to quit first (unless they unionise...)
Post Reply