Epson Drylab inks in L1800

[DryAxE]

I plan on trying Epson drylab d700 200ml inks in L1800, i have already ordered them. I am really looking for a solution to make dye prints that last. Pigment does not come into account due to gloss diferential, bronzing, scratching,...
The only two options that exist and would suit my needs are Epson L1800 and Epson SL D3000, that last one is way to expensive, at least for now. No printer in between so i have to stick to "cheap" L1800 and make it better. The main drawback i see with this printer is its feeding tray since it is clumsy and you have to manualy single feed for every print (when you cut your paper from rolls). So my main concern is how to improve this feeding mechanism to work automatically with multiple sheets feeded. That would mean that i would not be needed every 15 mins to feed next sheet of paper, i could put the whole job through and forget about it.
Does anyone have any experience or at least information where to search for printer mods? For printers epson 1430, 1500W and L1800 (i believe they have the same feed mechanism).

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

You may alternatively look for the Drylab Fujifilm inks for their printers like the DX100 and other, that ink is very much comparable to the Epson inks, if not the same. There are lots of discounted offers of cartridges an Ebay US.
Please be aware that even these inks do not last as long as pigment ink prints, they fade as well, but only slower than typical dye refill inks. Lots of such testing has been discussed here
http://www.printerknowledge.com/thr...to-1500w-artisan-1430.8482/page-10#post-86371
I'm not aware of any printer mods to handle roll paper in this type of printer model. The new P400 and P600 have a roll paper option, but they don't cut. Printers with a paper cutter start at the A2 models like the Epson Pro 4900 and similar, and bigger like 7800, 7880, 7900 etc

 

[websnail]

I couldn't be sure but if anyone is going to have done modifications it's the Direct to Garment crowd so, perhaps, you can pick up some tips by looking to see what they've done on T-shirt printing forums, etc...

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

a typical sheet feed printer needs a Top of Form signal to know where to start printing, and needs a signal that the paper has moved through the mechanics. You may try to mark the roll paper, unrolling first, in the length you want to print with a black piece of tape, so that the sensor gets a signal, and you cut the prints to format when you are finished. You would need a roll holder to feed the printer, and you would need something to catch the paper coming out of the printer, e.g. rolling it up again like large format printers can do. The Driver does not have a roll paper mode ignoring page tops and ends when moving the paper, so you may come up with some other tricks to cheat the sensors e.g. with black stripes.

 

[DryAxE]

Alternativly i am thinking of using dye with Epson 7890. That would be great, but would need either to mix LK and LLK from K or to completly block two chanels. Another option might be SC T3200 with 5 chanels (CMYK and mK). Either to add or to take away two colors... Has anyone tried those printers with dye colors?

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

you would be better off with a printer which handles roll paper normally, and running dye inks should not be a problem, some 3rd party ink suppliers offer such inksets I have seen. And Epson sold as well dye ink cartridges for the 7600. And diluting light colors is not a problem either. It's all a question of format, print volume, cost etc, and you would need to run color profiles for your ink/paper combinations

 

[DryAxE]

3rd party inks do not come into play since for photobooks i need maximum longevity and color stability.

Does anyone know why Epson D700 Ultrachrome D6-s inks (200ml) are generaly cheaper/per ml than larger 700ml Ultrachrome D6 cartridges for Epson D3000? Are D6 & D6-s inks even the same?

 

[martin0reg]

The s in d6-s is for small (cartridge), I think.
All these drylab carts are not cheap if bought as new OEM.
The only way to get cheaper OEM drylab ink seems to be the 4-color-set for fuji "frontier" drylabs, offered on ebay from an US-reseller, 4x 500ml carts cost around 180 usd (ebay item 301449029177).
It is the same or similar high quality and less fading ink, but you have to dilute to get LC + LM.

 

[DryAxE]

Well Epson Drylab 200ml carts are cheaper than 700ml carts, that is why I was asking if there is any difference. I bought 200ml carts 47€ per cartridge. Wow you opened my eyes, didnt know the Fuji is that much cheaper, where is the catch. So another question, where to get clear dilution fluid in Europe(compatible with this Fuji inks)? This Fuji ink, some dilution fluid and Epson 7890 might be a great tool for my needs.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I could assume that there are non-technical reasons for the Epson pricing - there may be a discount schedule for the 700ml cartridges but not for the small ones when resellers sell those products, so 1 may be more expensive, but several on one order may be cheaper. With some companies you only get discounts as a registered commercial customer, I would not expect Epson to sell different inks for those quite similar Surelab printers. Those Ebay offers for the Fujifilm Frontier Drylab inks are somewhat cheaper than the Epson inks, and as well available as individual cartriges by color.