Printer choice Epson R1900, 2400 or other

Hello all!

I am looking for a good A3 printer and I have come to two Epson models (I have not found much info/users of Canon or HP): Epson R1900 and 2400. The first one is new and uses Ultrachrome II inks (not k3) and the second has been around for 2-3 years, uses k3, and doing a search I found several wetpixelities using it with success.

Could someone give any advice? like how many A3 pics these printers can do with a set of cartridges or if the R1900 inks are good for fine art selling copies etc...or if someone considers another model...

Any help or comment is greatly appreciated

I had a 2400 for a while and it turned out great prints. However, if you are doing larger prints or many copies, the ink replacement becomes quite expensive. I finally found a used 4800 on craigslist and purchased the 220 ml cartridges which are far less expensive per ml. I don't really use the large format capacity of the 4800 but if I am printing multiple prints, the roll paper is also a significant savings.

I have also seen some prints from the 3800 which were quite impressive, but that printer still uses the small cartridges.

I have been told that the new "vivid" inkset from Epson is not worth an upgrade. You may be able to find a good used 800 series now that the 880's are shipping. But, check for nozzle clogging before you buy a used printer. sometimes a power cleaning will resolve the issue (but use up a great deal of ink in the process) and sometimes it requires a trip to the Epson doctor.

I also investigated the use of refills from a third party vendor but was told by a print master that not only was I cheap, but stupid as well (paraphrased). The vibrance, quality and consistency of color from 3rd parties is terrible I was informed.

I had a 2400 for a while and it turned out great prints. However, if you are doing larger prints or many copies, the ink replacement becomes quite expensive. I finally found a used 4800 on craigslist and purchased the 220 ml cartridges which are far less expensive per ml. I don't really use the large format capacity of the 4800 but if I am printing multiple prints, the roll paper is also a significant savings.

I have also seen some prints from the 3800 which were quite impressive, but that printer still uses the small cartridges.

I have been told that the new "vivid" inkset from Epson is not worth an upgrade. You may be able to find a good used 800 series now that the 880's are shipping. But, check for nozzle clogging before you buy a used printer. sometimes a power cleaning will resolve the issue (but use up a great deal of ink in the process) and sometimes it requires a trip to the Epson doctor.

I also investigated the use of refills from a third party vendor but was told by a print master that not only was I cheap, but stupid as well (paraphrased). The vibrance, quality and consistency of color from 3rd parties is terrible I was informed.

Thank you for the help! in the end I decided to get the HP B9180. I found an interesting forum on printers and reviews page:

http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/printers_page.htm

http://www.photo-i.co.uk/BB/index.php

I will tell you how I do with it...