Recommend me an A3 printer

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yellofello

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Paul
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Hi

I am about to change jobs, and I require a new printer which will have a 2 fold purpose.

First off, I will be looking to print off photos up to A3 for landscapes and also portrait/ glamour on an amateur/hobby level. For me this is quite important along with quality too.

The second purpose, on a professional level, will be to print off word documents/reports and power point presentations in colour, often A4, but very occassionally at A3 too. The odd page here and there in the presentation at A3. I will have the use of a professional printer in the office, but since I would be working from home often, it would be good to print them off to see how the reports looked.

So, any ideas, completely open to suggestions.

Cheers
 
Problem with A3 is the anount of ink they eat! And it's expensive (unless you get a CIS).

Could you stretch to an Epson 3880? The extra ink you get makes up for the difference in price. 80ml tanks instead of 12ml.

Any of the current A3+ printers will do a very good job but you may find yourself cheaper keeping the capital in your pocket and using a lab for your prints.
 
I have an epson 3880 and a HP 9180. Both are brilliant but the HP is loads cheaper. It is impossible to tell between each print even with a magnifying glass.

The HP 9180 is very close to perfect. The epson is supreme in ease of use but the final judgement is quality.

Get the HP.
 
The new Epson printers use far less ink than even those of a year ago. Before you make up your mind, go into a professional photographic supplier, like Calumet, and get them to DEMONSTRATE several. They will happily do this.

I have a Canon Pixma 9950i. It is A3+ and has 8 small ink tanks - yes, it goes through ink when printing off A3 photographs, but that is because an A3 is 4x the surface area of an A4. Printing just ONE A3 is the same as printing FOUR A4s, so be choosy as to those you print at A3! It will also print CD/DVDs with printable surfaces, or the stick on labels. The quality of the photographic printing is superb, but modern printers do an even better job and use 10 inks to do it.

Remember, the printer companies make very little out of selling you the printer, that is why office printers are virtually given away. They make their profit by locking you in to their ink sales, which is astronomic, even with the new, large volume ink tanks. I have been going through the same process as I am looking for a larger printer than A3+ - I now need an A2 printer, for commercial prints off jobs I am doing but anything larger than that and I will get them done from an exhibition printer. The Pixma is about £600 now. The HP version with 10, large volume ink tanks is about £900. However, if you do black & whites it is the only printer that has a dedicated B&W printing system with various greyscale inks. It is stunning.

For printing off your documents and other handout material ANY printer will do documents happily. You want to concentrate on the photographic printing capability of whichever one you go for.
 
my Epson R2400 while it's a stunning photo printer it sucks as a document printer lol
 
Lensflare said:
that is because an A3 is 4x the surface area of an A4. Printing just ONE A3 is the same as printing FOUR A4s
Click to expand...

A3 is only twice the size of A4! So printing One A3 is only 2x A4s :)

Printing A3 or A4 or A5 doesn't matter, it's how much printing you do and the small tanks in A3 printers are very expensive to run.

That was the only reason I mentioned the 3880. Much larger tanks and still stunning quality.
 
POAH said:
my Epson R2400 while it's a stunning photo printer it sucks as a document printer lol
Click to expand...

Yes it's the R2400 I have too and I use my Lexmark C544dn laser as my document printer. Actually makes reasonable images for display behind a DVD plasic sheath.
 
I have a Canon ix4000. It gives very good quality prints that im certainly happy with. Replacement official inks are not the cheapest but yet to use compatibles in it (my Epson is for that). Compatibles are available for cheap. For the money, the quality is certainly good, but obviously not the best possible.
 
When using a printer for photography - importantly for selling your prints - you need consistency and good profiles. Buying compatibles may be cheap but that will not be consistent and you'll be paying a few quid if you need profiles.

I have compatible inks through a Fotospeed CIS system. Well respected company with consistent great quality inks and free profiles.

Was a big decision but due to all the good reviews I decided I was happy with the quality of the finished images so therefore the money was then the deciding factor.

I'm happy so far :)
 
I have an epson 2880 and despite the high cost of ink I am ALWAYS pleased with what comes out the front of it. :-)
 
we11ingon said:
I have an epson 2880 and despite the high cost of ink I am ALWAYS pleased with what comes out the front of it. :-)
Click to expand...

Try a CIS - I was very surprised. I spent 210 last week on ink though but I get 10x more ink at roughly the cost of 2 full refils
Quality is also first class.
 
EOS_JD said:
Try a CIS - I was very surprised. I spent 210 last week on ink though but I get 10x more ink at roughly the cost of 2 full refils
Quality is also first class.
Click to expand...

with the ink I used in my first year of owning a CIS I saved around £1000 and that includes the cost of the CIS
 
Yes the makers ink prices are just crazy! I'm about the same as that
 
Thanks for all the useful comments/advice.

Prob looking at a budget of around £500.

Am I ambitious?
 
Another vote for the Epson R2880, prints are stunning!
 
The epson R3000 is out soon, network, wifi etc, and bigger ink well's. Worth a look.
 
Epson will be showing the 3000 and the Pro 4900 at Focus on imaging in March :D

Not long to wait and if your thinking of spending some seriuos dosh maybe worth the wait.
 
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Looks like it uses the same K3 inks

Prints to CD/DVD
Roll paper feeder
Has a front paper feed too...
2.3x larger inks
Doesn't need to recharge when changing blacks!! My only bugbear with the R2400
Wireless printig too!

So looks a nice addition.
 
Consider the Canon Pixma 9000. It fits your budget and the prints are fantastic if you get good quality paper.
 
I actually think they are all pretty similar these days - most A3 printers will provide outstanding results with the right paper matched to a profile for the inkset.

I still would prefer pigment inks over dye based inks and think about what you will use it for. Do you want to print panoramics? I think the Epsons have a roll feeder for that very purpose.

Do you need to print CD/DVDs? Some do some don't......

Cost of ink is an issue so getting one with larger ink tanks will help but currently they are all pretty similar (apart from the new R3000).

look at the features and make a decision based on that - No matter the printer I bet you are impressed. My R2400 is a few years old now and still provides the highest quality images. I love it :)
 
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