Good inexpensive printer

[Parse]

Whats a solid, not to expensive printer for design/illustration comps, but also something that will print on heavier papers and make decent limited-edition prints? Largest format under $300-$500? Something that you can feed interesting paper and wont explode? Asking too much here?

I had an Epson 3000 and someone relieved me of it in a trade for something smaller which didn't work at all. Even when it did work it really knew how to send me into a blind rage.

Thanks in advance all!

[Ned]

Whats a solid, not to expensive printer for design/illustration comps, but also something that will print on heavier papers and make decent limited-edition prints? Largest format under $300-$500? Something that you can feed interesting paper and wont explode?

Hmmm.....I hear good things about the Epson 3000.... :rolleyes:

[Parse]

It was fine, just tricky. Now its stolen.

[Ned]

Yeah it's sad, but when reading the description of what you are looking for, the Epson is the first printer that comes to my mind to meet your specs. :( Maybe you have to bite the bullet and buy a new one?

[PrintDriver]

Take a look at the Epson Stylus Photo 1400.
It doesn't have a network card like the 3000 but I think that's it's only drawback. Well, that and small ink cartridges. But it prints sweetly.
It has preety darn good PMS profiling for Epson matched media and has a through-feed for taking CDs so I'm betting heavier stock will go through it, though I haven't tried.
It's not as finicky as the 3000 was on paper feed and it doesn't eat its own children like the 3000 used to. I miss mine too. Sort of. Actually I think it's still in the scrap electronics heap. It would need new heads by now though.

One thing, the Epson 3000 did not make art quality prints. Those inks, real Epson inks, fade in about 3-6 months on a bulletin board. The 1400 has Claria inks. Art prints usually use the UltraChrome or Archival inks. Since I only use it for hardcopy and the occasional project board brag print, I don't need longevity, but for art prints... I'd come looking for my money back if it faded noticeably in under 10 years...

[AbiJ]

Would you guys always recommend an epson over an HP-when I bought my printer a few years ago I was told HPs are more reliable?

[jonfisher]

I would take Epson (or Canon) over HP any day. In fact, I just swapped out my old HP DesignJet 500ps for a new Canon iPF710.

[PrintDriver]

I happen to like the larger HPs. The new large solvent printers are great. Course you guys aren't talking 2 or 3 meter wide machines. :)
I have an HP at home. No complaints except for the stupid layperson interface.

[AbiJ]

I have a (an?) HP 1220c A3 printer, around 3 years old, all was well until a careless flatmate basically jiggered the paper rollers (or whatever the technical term is-the rollers that grab the paper and draw it into the printer) now it needs carefuly hand-fed, not ideal.

[Parse]

Ill look into the 1400. I borrowed an HP D7460. It looks to be mostly about photopaper, and Im wonderign what will happen if I run other papaers through it.

[PrintDriver]

the 1400? You can run plain paper through it. Occasionally, and I'm not sure why, it can band on regular quality on plain paper. If it's a print check, no big deal but you may have to change the speed to quality rather than quick for a hard copy or client proof.

[budafist]

Can the banding be fixed by a clean PD?

Never had a 1400...just wondering...

[PrintDriver]

Cleaning doesn't help. It's weird. It's only on plain paper and on the fast print setting and not consistent with every print. It's not really banding, just hairline white lines every inch or so. But I still love the quality it puts out when I pay attention to what I'm doing with it.

[AD-vantage]

Thought I would let you know that I use a Xerox Phaser 6180 ~ happy with the output and color quality... although it was a bit more $$ then what you had wanted to pay. Worth looking into though ~ check out their website.