Which A3 printer?

[jc55]

Some of you may remember me from a month or so ago. I had decided on getting an Epson 1400, but after being messed around, I've decided to have another snoop around the market.

To get straight to the point:
- Must be A3 (obv)
- Must have a decent ink cartridge capacity (will be used for moderate office use and the occasional photo printing). Not really keen on the idea of messing around with cartridges.
- Must give good quality
- Must be future-proof (I know it sounds silly), so something relatively recent would be ideal - I know the A3 printer front is not quite as frantic as the A4 equivalent.
- Reliable
- Good quality
- Don't worry too much about the price. £450 is close to the maximum I'm willing to spend.

I’ve weighed up a few options, but I am still unsure. Here are the only examples I can think of that meet the criteria:
- HP B9180
- Epson Stylus Pro R1900/1800

That’s it. Surely there’s more than that? Any help would be appreciated folks.

EDIT: Should also cope well with a range of different types of paper. For example, illuminous paper, thick paper/thin card etc.

[contink]

Ok... purely on the basis of paper/media requirements I would drop the HP printer... HP's have a long history of feed issues with various media types so you want to drop it as a result.

If the feed issue isn't a deal killer then capacity wise the B9180 should make up for it but just be warned...

I'd try the 1400 despite being messed around... The 1900 is going to have new chips which means your options are limited on things like 3rd party consumables, while the R1800 may still be an option if you can get one.


In terms of ink capacity I'd look at a CIS to reduce your ink changing headaches but look hard for a decent quality one... As a rule a Lyson should work well.. I'd avoid ebay clone kits and spend some serious time researching good resellers with excellent support... Rihac are definitely one to consider in this regard.

Good luck...

[jc55]

Thanks for the reply Contink.

I don't really think the usage of the printer would warrant the need for a CIS system. I'm trying to hit a delicate balance with this printer - I'll be using it enough to require large cartridge capacities but not quite enough to start messing around with CIS's.

The only problem with the 1400 is what seems to be pretty poor cartridge ink capacity (what, 6.5mls?!). So I'm kinda back to square one.

EDIT: I've discovered some high capacity ink cartridges. I think I will give the 1400 another shot. Thanks for your advice chap.

Regards,

[jc55]

Sorry for the double post, but could someone just confirm that it is a USB A-B cable I will require for my Epson 1400?

[jc55]

Apologies for the triple post, but I thought I'd update everyone on my purchase. Received the printer yesterday (bought through Laskys.com). £245 was the best price I could find (inc VAT & p&p).

As there was nobody at home in the morning, I has to pick the printer up from my nearest post office. At just under 15kg, it's quite a hefty unit. It is larger than I was expecting. Quite easy to install. I was slightly dissapointed with the build quality, but generally I am quite happy with it.

Early colour runs are good, but really to put this unit through it's paces, will require A3 photopaper. A4 photopaper shows good results.

All in all it is not a bad unit at all. If you really cannot live without an A3 size colour printer and you are on a tight budget, the Epson 1400 is as good as you're gonna get. Otherwise, a good A4 photoprinter should be sought.

7.5/10