Here's the deal

[dpetersen]

I want to get into the digital printing for B/W primarily. I also prefer to use film rather than digital capture.
Currently, I have CS2 for editing software and a Epson V700 scanner. I am looking for a good printer in the under $1000 price range. Can anyone offer some suggestions?
Thanks in advance

[Ed Richards]

How big do you want to print?

[Greg Lockrey]

Epson 3800 is your best bet for little over $1000. Makes 17" wide to 34" long if you want that capability. Going from gloss to matt is just a pushbutton. Best out of the box B&W too.

[dpetersen]

I will be printing from 4x5 and 4x10 scans, so some panoramic capability will be nesessary. As far as max goes, maybe up to 11x14 or so. I have a couple of pano negs I would like to see about 8x20.

[jetcode]

I want to get into the digital printing for B/W primarily. I also prefer to use film rather than digital capture.
Currently, I have CS2 for editing software and a Epson V700 scanner. I am looking for a good printer in the under $1000 price range. Can anyone offer some suggestions?
Thanks in advance

colorhq.com has a canon ipf5000 for ... yup ... under a $1000

[Ted Harris]

If the Canon 5000 is still available snap it up but I suspect they are all ow gone.

For printing up to 11x14 or 12x15, IMO, the HP B9180 is far superior to the Epson 2400. Costs less, uses less ink, never clogs, is built like a tank, does a much better job on digital negatives. See my full review in View Camera several issues ago.

[Ron Marshall]

If you are planning any signifigant printing volume go for a printer with larger cartridges, Epson 3800 or 4800. The ink cost is much higher with the smaller cartridges.

[M Brian Mills]

I was looking to save money on a printer and have used most of the larger Epson models (2400, 4800, 9600). I didn't really have the money to go with the larger format and bought an R1800. I have been very pleased with it in the 1.5 years I have been using it.
I was an all-matte printer for several years, but with the R1800 even black and white are amazing.
I look at the images that come off of it and think of a thing uncle Ansel said, "I love the beautiful simplicity of gloss paper" (or something to that effect).
Very pleased with my prints and I am especially finicky after having attended San Francisco Art Institute.

[r.e.]

I am looking for a good printer in the under $1000 price range. Can anyone offer some suggestions?

As far as I concerned, the manufacturers are giving away their printers and they are making their money on ink. In particular, consider the cost difference for ink, for your anticipated output, between the Epson R2400 and 3800.

[Howard Slavitt]

I had an epson 2400 and sold it for an epson 3800. The epson 3800 is the way to go. You can print up to 38" on the long dimension. It's a pita replacing ink on the epson 2400 because the cartridges are so small, you need to do it very often. Also, you can of course print 17" wide vs. 13" wide on the epson 3800, which is a big difference. Perhaps, most important, the epson 3800 is calibrated for accurate color at the factory; the epson 2400 is not. That means that canned profiles are very accurate on the epson 3800 (especially for Epson paper), whereas they are not necessarily accurate on the epson 2400.