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As a professional, working photographer, I gave thought to buying the 4800. It's useless for larger prints. I never heard back. I find it very unfortunate to have to write this review. Latest estimate from a private shop is a total of $500+ to get the machines functioning again. The R1800 has created huge black streaks with larger format papers. What a shame.
First, I have never had drama-free printing. I contacted Epson regarding where I could get the machines repaired. Notably, these machines have relatively little use, because it was impossible to get a workflow going with them anyway. All I was trying to do with either printer was get a 20 image portfolio completed. The R1800 developed a blue shift that is uncorrectable.
I own both the Epson R1800 and R2400. After owning the R2400 for about 16 months, it just developed a fatal flaw with horizontal lines which are not correctable by head realignment nor using the think paper command (a sub dialogue in the maintenance menu). So, the workflow becomes interrupted and, by the time you figure out what happened, you're way behind and wondering where you left off. I will never buy an Epson printer again. Neither machine was able to get through the job without either needing an ink change, have the heads realigned or fail to communicate with the IEEE port.
Printing is fast, and the 8-color ink set seems to outlast previous cartridges plus having the advantage of replacing a single color. The R2400 supports glossy, matte, luster, fine art or posterboard prints in clear, consice colors. It is also superior for black and white art prints with its Advanced Black-and-White Photo Mode, and it also allows use of border-free 13" x 44" roll paper.It's a perfect addition to the digital photo studio. Epson Stylus R2400 Photo PrinterI replaced an older Epson Stylus with this R2400 Large Format unit after countless occasions of the inks clogging the print heads. I am happy to say I have not experienced this recurrance even one time with the R2400, so I'm a happy camper.I use the printer to create bird photo greeting cards so the archival ink is a must.
On a good day, this printer can produce brilliant prints with excellent image quality.On a bad day, plan to spend HOURS and LOTS of ink dealing with clogged heads, paper feed problems, and driver issues.Image quality is 5 stars, reliability is 1 star.
I just had to send them the tracking receipt for both returns. Epson claimed they had no record of receiving the printer. At which point I send them the original printer which printed too darkly.My credit card was charge $900.99 by Epson on August 03, 2008.
The original printer printed too darkly. By mid June, Epson made me send the FEDEX tracking receipt to prove I send the "rebuilt" printer. I bought this printer in late 2007.
Epson found that they had indeed received the "rebuilt" printer.They send me a new printer at the end of June. they are claiming AGAIN to have no record of the printer I sent back in MAY.Epson has the worst customer service that I have ever encountered. Epson sent a "rebuilt" printer which didn't turn on.
I send the rebuilt printer back in May.Epson promised they would send another replacement as soon as the received the "rebuilt" printer.
Nowadays, panels flop open on their own (bad latches and the print head's own motion is violent enough to pop them) which causes mechanical problems and interference with the print head.I love the images, but I will never get another Epson inkjet again. Cheap plastic, poorly joined. I run about 250 ml of ink of each color per year, so there's your math: 2000 ml of ink per year, 375ml of ink wasted via cleaning routines, for an astounding 18.8% waste.Also, the printer is a few years old, but the build has never been good.
But having to swap matte/glossy into the same slot in the print head is a ridiculous waste of time, energy, not to mention ink, as it has to run several cleaning routines across every single color in order to prime just that one head.And that's this printer's major problem. It's ridiculous that this thing can't stay unclogged better than that. This printer has pretty great color and makes very nice black and whites.
I ran the drain tubes to a jar so I can quantify just how much ink it's wasting, and I empty that 125ml jar when it's full at least 3x per year. Canon, here we come. I run quite a few pages through it, but unless I print a few every single week, it gums up and then needs dozens of cleaning routines to get it back to ship shape.
This wastes hundreds of dollars worth of ink every year.
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