Thinking of buying a Epson 1500w(1430) and not sure what ink to go for

[Ink stained Fingers]

I'm not tapping Epson inks from larger cartridges, it may work very well for @jtoolman. You may as well mix inks - magenta by Epson, black by Lyson and cyan by Inktec/Powerchrome whatever - it's up to you to test that and as always - get your specific profiles for such combination.

 

[craig carr]

Yeah I think that is what he does according to one of his videos. Uses the Magenta and another brand for the rest. So much learning ahead haha.

 

[Flying Scotsman]

@craig carr I feel your pain not only do we come from the same country we are facing the exact same problems trying to get the right printer and ink. The one good thing we have both found is this forum because with all the help you receive from the members we will find the answer .
Thank you all for the help you provide

 

[craig carr]

@craig carr I feel your pain not only do we come from the same country we are facing the exact same problems trying to get the right printer and ink. The one good thing we have both found is this forum because with all the help you receive from the members we will find the answer .
Thank you all for the help you provide

Haha Yeah The life of an indecisive Scotsman

I've just found a second hand(only printed off a few pages) epson r3000 for a really really good price, Thought great then read so many mixed reviews I'm now thinking, Is less than half the amazon price a good deal.. I hate the internet haha.

 

[Flying Scotsman]

@craig carr I've been looking at the older models too but I keep wondering if the newer technology has overtaken that range of printer.
Maybe someone on here can confirm or set us straight on this. Can the modern workforce etc produce better photos then these older models

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Can the modern workforce etc produce better photos then these older models

older models - this R3000 just coming up ? Buying a used printer is similar to buying a used car - you would need to get some information about its condition - a fresh nozzle check, what is the status of the waste ink container ? How many pages printed , which type of inks had been used , so yes such R3000 can be a good deal or not at all. There is one function with this model which is creating problems in some cases - this printer has one nozzle row for black inks - both photo and matte which is switched in the printhead , and this switch can cause problems after heavy use. I'm not experienced with this printer but this was discussed in some other thread and in other printing related forums, I don't know how to judge this in a used printer whether it is still working o.k. for a foreseeable future.
But beyond that Epson printers can last very long, I'm still running a R265 from more than 10 years ago with >10 000 images mainly A4, and just decommissioned a R800 with >8000 pages. It is not so much the age of a printer but its overall condition, older printers can print as good as newer models if....
The dot density has not changed over the years, and old printers may not have WiFi etc. Drivers are still available, even an R800 was running on Win10.

 

[craig carr]

older models - this R3000 just coming up ? Buying a used printer is similar to buying a used car - you would need to get some information about its condition - a fresh nozzle check, what is the status of the waste ink container ? How many pages printed , which type of inks had been used , so yes such R3000 can be a good deal or not at all. There is one function with this model which is creating problems in some cases - this printer has one nozzle row for black inks - both photo and matte which is switched in the printhead , and this switch can cause problems after heavy use. I'm not experienced with this printer but this was discussed in some other thread and in other printing related forums, I don't know how to judge this in a used printer whether it is still working o.k. for a foreseeable future.
But beyond that Epson printers can last very long, I'm still running a R265 from more than 10 years ago with >10 000 images mainly A4, and just decommissioned a R800 with >8000 pages. It is not so much the age of a printer but its overall condition, older printers can print as good as newer models if....
The dot density has not changed over the years, and old printers may not have WiFi etc. Drivers are still available, even an R800 was running on Win10.

Cool. Thanks for that. It has only printed off a few prints and still has the original almost full carts in it. Looks new by the photos i've seen. I did read up on the ink change from matte to photo black. Although I wouldn't want it to break, I'm not sure it would be much of an issue for me if it did, as long as it was on photo black when it did. I never use matte paper really. I am waiting on a phone call about it so we will see

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Such a R3000 should be a good deal - almost new , a clean nozzle check printed recently should be available.

 

[mikling]

@craig carr I've been looking at the older models too but I keep wondering if the newer technology has overtaken that range of printer.
Maybe someone on here can confirm or set us straight on this. Can the modern workforce etc produce better photos then these older models

The modern workforce printers are targeted towards the SOHO with the "occasional" need to print a photo. There is nothing magical about the Precision Core printhead it is an exercise in more efficient fabrication nothing more really.

There is no comparison between a proper working R3000 and a Workforce printer. It's not even worth the time dreaming about it.
Modern printers can print better than older printers even within the same category. Their improved capabilities however might not be appreciated by the casual user. Gamuts plots do not reveal the complete reality at all. It might suggest something but in the end it is in the print and which print as the differences come out in more demanding prints.

Modern printers have more control over the nozzles over the older printers. This increased capability is never really revealed in gamut plots as gamut plots will always make assumptions that the printer might not be able to cover in reality. This is especially so in non plain jane CMYK printers.

Canon takes huge advantage of this aspect in choosing their ink and designing their print engine. Epson has not caught on YET.

 

[apetitphoto]

...with one flaw that the pickup roller leaves an impression on photo paper, more or less visible on different types of papers, but when you ask other people they won't see it if you don't point it out directly to them...

So this could be the cause of "pinwheel" marks that I occasionally see on extremely glossy paper?