The Art of CIP wrote:
I've been reading up the epson printers...  That will definitely be my next impulse buy...

Do you usually plan your impulse buys :-)?

I used to like Epson Premium Lustre when using an Epson 960 but it looks dull now that I'm using an R1800. Much prefer Espon Premium Semi Gloss (and Enhaced Matte for matte).

EMG STUDIOS wrote:
I got the 1800 because my book is 13x19.

Have you found a good portfolio system for 13x19? I would like a system whereby I can put prints in sleeves as I make them (for protection) and put a bunch of prints into a binder for presentation without having to remove them from their sleeves.

Eric Foltz wrote:
Try the Moab Entrada Fine Art and Kokopelli Gloss papers.

www.moabpapers.com

By far the best papers out there for the Epson printers.

Eric Foltz

Hi Eric! (waves hello)

DawnElizabeth Moderator wrote:

Hi Eric! (waves hello)

Hey Dawn,

Keeping busy?

Eric

DawnElizabeth Moderator wrote:
I don't use the Epson papers. I buy Ilford at the photo store...I can't remember the name of it. You can also get jetprint photo from WalMart. It's awesome stuff as well.

Dawn
I use the Ilford Gallerie Smooth Pearl Paper. It's awesome and does not fingerprint easily. Try it if you haven't. Beautiful prints that are dry as soon as they come out of the R1800.

Rick Harris wrote:
I use the Ilford Gallerie Smooth Pearl Paper. It's awesome and does not fingerprint easily. Try it if you haven't. Beautiful prints that are dry as soon as they come out of the R1800.

This is exactly what I use, and I second this statement whole-heartedly.  I love the paper and the printer.

Has anyone got any experience with continuous ink systems for this printer?  I was thinking that might be my next purchase.

Ched wrote:
I spent $624 getting 119 8x10's and 21 11x14's done last week.

Ouch.  Try www.adoramapix.com - your order would have been about $360.  Or for less than that you could buy my Canon i9900...

Brian Diaz wrote:
Ouch.  Try www.adoramapix.com - your order would have been about $360.

I wish I'd know that a week ago.

Why are you selling your printer?

Ched wrote:
I spent $624 getting 119 8x10's and 21 11x14's done last week. Today I'm waiting on the shop opening to pick up their replacements because the kiosk I was using wasn't as WYSIWIG as the shop owner said it was, they sliced off 1/4" of both the top and the bottom, cutting off hairlines and heels left and right.

He said "well, you know the computers are not that accurate."

So I'm seriously looking at the R1800 right now because at least if it screws up it's my fault and I can do something about it. I notice thsi thread is from September. Is there anything newer and better since then?

Well, to be honest, the computer is accurate if you size the file exactly right. If you size it to 8x10, it will be printed as 8x10. Now, I generally leave an 8th extra all around, just in case.

If you're printing a digital photo, and pull it into PS, go to the image resize and change one end to 8. You will see that proportionately, it won't size to 10, it will size to 12 or something like it. You will have to figure there is some cropping. So, to save yourself some time and kiosk worker stoopidity, do the cropping yourself. Obviously, the dude didn't know what he was talking about.


Another place you might try is Shutterfly.com. You can actually see the crop before you order and it lets you customize it if you don't like it. I use my Epson for smaller projects and on the fly portrait sessions where the client is rushed to get their prints.

Harry Forsythe wrote:
Not to change the subject off "Epson" but I found a great 8.5x11 paper.
Office Depot High Glossy !!!!  Haven't been able to figure out which brand
it is but it make a nice high gloss print. 
Harry

You are right about the Office depot paper.  A friend sent me three prints on it, and I though that they were enlarger prints. (His new printer is the IP 5000 canon)

Ched wrote:
I'm told by the guy at my local imaging shop that the $529 Epson R1800 will never match the quality of the quarter million dollar lab he sends my pictures out to. He said that the lab prints with light and chemicals instead of ink. This sounds reasonable to me.

I still intend to get the printer if only to have an ability to preview my work. I'll doubt I'll ever give a clinet print-outs as final product, it will all be digital.

Thoughts/opinions on that one?

I'm not looking into going inkjet yet either. I haven't seen an inkjet print that would match the quality of silver halide photographs in any way and as for the lifespan... there are claims that with the use of proper archival ink and paper you can make your prints last for 200 years, but this is easy to say because there is no way to prove it right or wrong. I've never seen 100 years old inkjet print, but I have seen 100 years old silver gelatine photograph. Either way, the progress in ink jet industry sure is overwheming.

Mark

Ched wrote:
I'm told by the guy at my local imaging shop that the $529 Epson R1800 will never match the quality of the quarter million dollar lab he sends my pictures out to. He said that the lab prints with light and chemicals instead of ink. This sounds reasonable to me.

I still intend to get the printer if only to have an ability to preview my work. I'll doubt I'll ever give a clinet print-outs as final product, it will all be digital.

Thoughts/opinions on that one?

I you don't mind spending more and don't need to print on CDs and don't mind a very very slightly less glossy look on Premium Glossy Photo Paper, the R2400 is a better printer for Matte printing AND black and white printing.  It does a fantastic job still on Prem. Glossy, Luster, and Semimatte.
Why they dropped CD printing support, I don't know.

DawnElizabeth Moderator wrote:
I'm in heaven. This is better than the time my husband bought me the 300mm lens for my Canon.....

First I have to acknowledge I am not worthy of replying to the Great & Wonderful DawnElizabeth, whose work in front of the camera is only rivaled by her work behind the lens! (How’s that?)  So please do not have me vanquished to the netherworld.  But I always get a kick out of your acknowledgement about your 300mm lens; it was the second lens I purchased and my first L.  Now if I could just figure out how to use all this stuff and I have the 9900 so I guess there was no point.

Select Models wrote:
OK... all this talk about the R-1800.  How much does the ink cost?... what papers work best with it?... are 'large ink containers' compatible?... enlighten me...

The ink costs 14$ per cartidge. Remember though that it comes with 8 cartriges and you dont need to change the whole thing because you are missing yellow. Then, I am in love with the Premium Glossy paper from Epson, the images look so good, if you print them in 13x19 you would say you have a real person next to you, not a picture. I have the R1800 as well and thank god I listened to Karl Blessing's advice when buying it. I am so happy. Plus, no matter what people say, I have a friend who is working at a lab and he admited there is no differencfe between the lab prints and the ones R1800 make it.

Pitaru wrote:
Plus, no matter what people say, I have a friend who is working at a lab and he admited there is no differencfe between the lab prints and the ones R1800 make it.

You wouldn't happen to also have a more technical explanation of why there isn't much difference, would you?

Ched wrote:
I'm told by the guy at my local imaging shop that the $529 Epson R1800 will never match the quality of the quarter million dollar lab he sends my pictures out to.

Do you think he might be a little bit biased because he wants to keep all of your business?

Ched wrote:
You wouldn't happen to also have a more technical explanation of why there isn't much difference, would you?

Well, as I understand it, both sets of printers print @ 300dpi, so the resolution is going to be pretty much the same...so the question is, how do you feel about the vibrancy of the color, the paper and the lifetime?

If you've color balanced your printer to your computer, then you should get consistent results.

I happen to like Ilford Smooth Pearl...but that's a personal choice.

Do you really need your pictures to last 100 years?  Plus, I've seen photos with significant degradation after 20 years, so I'm not sure how much I buy that, there are a lot of outside factors.

I could see in the old days, when prints were made directly off of negatives via an analog process things might be different...but even if you use film, today they scan your pictures and print them exactly the same as if they were digital files....labs are a rip-off.

Ched wrote:
I'm told by the guy at my local imaging shop that the $529 Epson R1800 will never match the quality of the quarter million dollar lab he sends my pictures out to. He said that the lab prints with light and chemicals instead of ink. This sounds reasonable to me.

I still intend to get the printer if only to have an ability to preview my work. I'll doubt I'll ever give a clinet print-outs as final product, it will all be digital.

Thoughts/opinions on that one?

Your imaging shop guy is trying to keep his business. I did traditional darkroom developing and printing for more that 50 years. The B&W asnd clor prints I produced were exhibited in art galleries and juried salons in about 15 states and  few times in Canada. A couple of camera stores refered custiomers to me for custom B&W printing. I taught (part time) an intensive, hands on course in traditional developing and printing for about 14 years. In other words I know my way around a darkrom pretty well. Your guy is wrong!

The 1800 and 2400 are what I call sister machines, in that they use similar technologies and produce a similar result. Some months ago, I reserched the 1800 and the 2400 pretty intensively and ended up buying the 2400. I chose that because it does a bit of a better job than the 1800 with B&W and B&W on matte paper. For color prints, glossy and semi gloss paper, the 1800 does an outstanding job.

Digital enlargements from either the 1800 or 2400  meet or exceed the quality of traditional wet process prints in every way. They are certainly better quality that the mass produced prints that million dollar lab produces. I hae some digital prints on matte paper hanging on my living room wall, beside some wet process enlargements, for comparison purposes.  So far, no one has been able to tell the difference! Even looking at them up close, no one has been able tell which is which and a number of highly skilled photographers have tried.

Richard Roesler wrote:
First I have to acknowledge I am not worthy of replying to the Great & Wonderful DawnElizabeth, whose work in front of the camera is only rivaled by her work behind the lens!

Who is this great person of which you speak? For I wish to be in her presence as well......

Kidding. Seriously. I am just geek in many disguises.

Pitaru wrote:

The ink costs 14$ per cartidge. Remember though that it comes with 8 cartriges and you dont need to change the whole thing because you are missing yellow. Then, I am in love with the Premium Glossy paper from Epson, the images look so good, if you print them in 13x19 you would say you have a real person next to you, not a picture. I have the R1800 as well and thank god I listened to Karl Blessing's advice when buying it. I am so happy. Plus, no matter what people say, I have a friend who is working at a lab and he admited there is no differencfe between the lab prints and the ones R1800 make it.

Well, I will tell you that if you have to change one color, you will most likely have to change a few more.

I spent $60.00 on ink on my first change. I am having a hard time finding the photo gloss cartridge in the stores, so I'm having to order online. The printer was bought at BestBuy, but they are not carrying it in my town anymore, so they are not as likely to carry that cartridge as often.

I am not disappointed in the quality. For the money and the usage I get out of it, it's worth it.

Ched wrote:

You wouldn't happen to also have a more technical explanation of why there isn't much difference, would you?

Because most labs are now printing with large format Epsons and HPs.

Eric Foltz

DawnElizabeth Moderator wrote:
Well, I will tell you that if you have to change one color, you will most likely have to change a few more.

I spent $60.00 on ink on my first change. I am having a hard time finding the photo gloss cartridge in the stores, so I'm having to order online. The printer was bought at BestBuy, but they are not carrying it in my town anymore, so they are not as likely to carry that cartridge as often.

I am not disappointed in the quality. For the money and the usage I get out of it, it's worth it.

Dawn,

Go to www.inkjetart.com

They have good prices on all cartridges and usually ship same day.

Eric Foltz

Eric Foltz wrote:

Dawn,

Go to www.inkjetart.com

They have good prices on all cartridges and usually ship same day.

Eric Foltz

Thanks!!!!