Big Epsons (7600, 9600, 10600)

[JimComeau]

At work I currently use a 4000 to print photos, but my boss feels limited by the 17" size, so I'm looking into wider options, and want to stiick with Epson. I know the size difference between the 7600 and the 9600/10600 but want to know more. I really want to know the differences between the 9600 and the 10600 aside from $3,000. Quality is the biggest issue, but I want to know what each does. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Jim Comeau
jimcomeau@gmail.com

[CBFountain]

The Epson website is still probably your best bet, but in short:
In addition to what the 7600/9600 provide:
10600 is essentially a production printer. It has 6 inks vs the 9600/7600's 7, gives you the added choice of archival inks, and it prints at a faster rate:

Epson 9600 (7600 same, but 24" printhead)
44" wide format printer
Maximum resolution 2880 x 1440 dpi
4 picoliter droplet size
7-color EPSON UltraChrome™ Inks
# Depending upon the print mode being used, print speeds will vary from 8 ft2 per hour to a maximum of 192 ft2 per hour
# Extremely photographic printing can be produced at about 16 ft2 per hour
#
Produces everyday “production-quality” printing at about 87 ft2 per hour
#
Prints about 2.5 times faster than previous EPSON Stylus Pro 7000 and 9000 series


*********

Epson 10600
44" wide format printer
Maximum resolution 2880 x 1440 dpi
4 picoliter droplet size
6-color EPSON Inks, your choice
Depending upon the print job, print engine speeds will vary from Maximum Quality at 22 ft2/hr to a Maximum Speed at 231 ft2/hr, Production Speed 99 ft2/hr

Archival inks add the following:
Compatible with the 3M™ Matched Component System™
EPSON Archival Ink along with the 3M Matched Component System of vinyls and laminates will produce incredibly high quality signage beyond your clients expectations.

Includes one USB (1.1 and 2.0 compatible), one ECP Parallel, one 10/100 BaseT Ethernet, and two IEEE 1394 FireWire. ports as standard connections.


I purchased the 7600 and only wish I had ponied up for the 9600. I'm sure if I had that printer, I'd long for the 10600's speed. There's plenty more info, but that's the gist of it. If you have specific questions, I'm sure somebody can help with more detailed answers.

[Mark_Fuller]

Can anyone help me. My work place wants me to produce large prints for framing on a regular basis. I have suggested an Epson 7600 and they have OK'd the cost. What I need to know is a) the file size that prints require...I shoot with a D1X, what file size do you need to res up to to get a high quality print? If you could tell me your workflow that would be great. b) what is the ink use like/expense that would be encountered. I will need to produce 25 full frame prints three times a year for display. I have told work that I will need the printer at home to be able to do this and they said fine! Will my Dell laptop 8200 cope? Are there any unforseen requirements that I might have missed?
Cheers for your time
Mark

[CBFountain]

Mark,

What is the final print size you are making? What is the subject matter? How are the prints to be viewed? (Some people get right up on the print with a lupe and say: I "I can tell this is digital" or "it's pixellated") From the proper viewing distance a print of this size looks fine.

The printer can do 24" wide borderless by pretty much whatever length you require. I successfully print 24x36 from Canon 1D files and the results are stunning. I use a stairstep interpolation, but have also successfully used Genuine Fractals. There are a number of programs for this out there--stairstep is free and looks fine. You might also try downloading Qimage (an inexpensive pseudo RIP) and let it rez up the file for you and see if you are happy with the results.

Look here for loads of general information on 9600/7600: http://www.outbackphoto.com/printing...Epson9600.html

So: do you plan to leave a white border around the print?
What paper are you interested in? Gloss, lustre, canvas?
All of these will factor in the cost to print.

I wish I could talk my work into letting me keep such a printer at home!

What processor/ram/etc do you have on your laptop? You can print from any fairly current computer running WinXP. If you're printing big jobs it might take awhile to spool and you might not be able to do much else while it is printing.

[Mark_Fuller]

Subject matter is school pupils/ theatre shots / sports / and they will be framed in 4ftx3ft frames on the walls of the school corridoors/hall. I have SI -the Fred Miranda version that I use for up res the files to 36"x24". I like the Epson Premium SemiGloss paper and would go for a print with no border if poss or maybe a small 1" round it. I have a P3 512M ram laptop that will produce a 200M file 36x24 at 300dpi. Do i need to go to this level of dpi? What have you found was best? Of course I will use the machine for printing large sports action soccer / rugby shots as well as landscapes/family shots for my self. Thanks for the answers so far.
Mark

[Michael_Murphy]

Mark,

I'll take a stab at the costs.

I saw someone quote about $1 a square foot for ink and paper. A little more with super-premium papers (rag, etc.), a little less with Enhanced Matte. Of course it all depends on what you pay for materials.

I have a spreadsheet where I calculated print costs at various sizes. I used the roll paper prices from www.atlex.com as a guide. There are a number of assumptions baked in - the number of ml of ink used per square foot, etc.

If I can figure out what drives the cost/ml number I'll get it fixed up and can send you a copy. Just popped it open and I have rows hidden, columns hidden, etc. Have to figure the thing out again [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Anyway, here are some numbers based on the use of Premium Luster paper with Atlex.com pricing for that, and a cost per ml of ink of .405 hard coded in the spreadshett. The per ml ink number works out to a 220 ml cart with a price of $85 (B&H price) and an assumption of 210 usable ml. Or 200 usable ml with a cost of $80 including shipping gives an even .40 per ml, which is nice. (from www.mpex.com - great store!)

Anyway, you get the idea. Adjust to your currency, costs, and assumptions as you choose.

Printer Media Paper Size Image Size Cost Paper Cost ink Total Cost (Ink + Paper)
7600 10"x100' 10x15 8x13 0.50 0.526 1.025
7600 24"x100' 12x16 10x15 0.67 0.759 1.426
7600 24"x100' 24x16 14x21 1.33 1.488 2.821
7600 20"x100' 20x30 18x27 2.30 2.459 4.759
7600 24"x100' 24x36 22x33 3.00 3.673 6.673

Sorry for the formatting. Read the headers across and match with the row. Gotta run to get my 6 year old! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Best,
Michael

Best,
Michael

[CBFountain]

I would take a first whack at it using 150 dpi and see what you think. Don't uprez anymore than you absolutely have to. Your cpu will probably be working overtime to print that puppy, but give it a go. It isn't too bad if you just hit print and walk away--or go to sleep or something.

I currently use Epson photo paper heavyweight, lustre, and enhanced matte when I'm not picky about the print. I also purchased some doubleweight matte for making signs and such.

I've run several hundred feet of paper through my printer and am amazed at how long ink lasts. That being said, it is still clear that ink is where Epson make their money! $575 for a set!! I only purchased a full set once. I still haven't used all of the colors I purchased. I have gone through 3 sets of black, 2 light black, and some of the other related colors. I always date my carts when I put them in and when I pull them so I know how much to order of what.

Take the time to setup the head when you first get the printer. It is sooooo hard to take time out to do it later down the line.