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Thread: The New HP B9180 13x19 printer WOW WOW

  1. #71

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    Re: The New HP B9180 13x19 printer WOW WOW

    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Watson View Post
    The thing is, a higher quality output would get me to take notice. Sharper, wider gamut, better shadow detail, more versitile with use of substrates, faster, ... that kind of thing.

    But you don't seem to be saying that it makes a better print. Just that the printer is cheaper. This doesn't make me go "WOW WOW" unfortunately. One of the worst and most overused phrasing is marketing is "just as good as" if you know what I mean.

    That said, I look forward to a complete review. Maybe better prints or better printing will be in there somewhere.
    Are we talking about the same HP9180? It seems you are talking about a recent release, but I bought mine a year ago in Sweden. Is it only now available in the U.S. market? The hp.com site lists my same model, so I can describe a year's use. I print only 5-10 prints per week, both in A3 and A4 format.

    Bruce, I purchased the printer after reading an article by Joel Meyerowitz in a 2006 American Photo magazine. He was reprinting his negatives with a Design Jet 130 and although he didn't use WOW WOW he did describe the better color range of the DJ130 with Vivera pigment inks on HP's Advanced Photo Paper. In his humble opinion the new HP printers were superior to any he had used in the past and superior to traditional chemical color printing. If it is good enough for Joel, I figured it was good enough for me, especially for the price (WOW WOW). After reading reviews and seeing samples of the DJ130 and the B9180, I concluded the B9180 was as good if not better and I have been a happy user.

    Like:
    1. absolute color consistency (after a few mishaps). I now use only Advanced Photo Paper (not the HP glossy which HP claims is a better paper) and Hannemuhle Smooth Fine Art for B&W. Other papers will not give the same performance (an advantage of the Epsons)
    2. it is cheap, all things considered
    3. built in color monitor
    4. Excellent software/drivers

    Dislike:
    1. the ink is expensive. Each print, considering paper + ink has averaged about 4 dollars US per A3 print over the last year.
    2. if I don't use it for about a week, I will get banding or incorrect color handling. A simple nozzle cleaning fixes it, but it is annoying to waste the expensive pigment ink.
    3. it is big, heavy and rattles my sturdy table when printing
    4. In Europe it is very very difficult to get the HP38 ink. Fortunately, I travel, and when I find it I stock up on 2 full sets. Ordering inks from my local stockist is always a special order and takes about 30 days.

    Learnings:
    1. I let Photoshop handle the color (perceptual) and turn off all printer and windows color calibration. I feel this is a must.
    2. I do not let the printer start printing until my PC has spooled the entire print job. There is an option to turn this off. It freezes the PC for a minute or two, but if you don't do this you will often get banding, sufficient to ruin the print (My 30USD print then costs me $10, a serious hit to profit)

    The above sounds more negative than positive, but I am just highlighting the negatives for anyone hesitating to buy. I absolutely love this printer and would recommend it for anyone printing in both color and black and white. For color (comparing to a friend's prints on his R2400) I absolutely prefer the detail, tonal range and consistency of the HP9180. However, I have to admit my friend's Epson 2400 prints B&W which are more... "print like". My blacks are as detailed and "black" as his, my highlights are smooth and crisp, and I have no color casts, but his Epson seems to handle overall contrast in B&W with better smoothness. Sorry I can't describe it technically and I don't have one of his prints in front of me, but his B&W on the Epson is superior (although a very close call for anyone interested in printing frequently in color)

    -- Just my two cents.

  2. #72
    Ted Harris's Avatar
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    Re: The New HP B9180 13x19 printer WOW WOW

    devalier,

    I wonder if the banding is an issue that is specifically related to Windows or to memory limitations? I have not had the problem when driving the printer from a relatively 'weak' Mac ... a Mac Mini duo core Intel machine with 2GB of RAM. No problems on more powerful machines either.

    Secondly, while the per print costs may seem high they are definitely lower than the costs for the same size print on an Epson 2400.

  3. #73

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    Re: The New HP B9180 13x19 printer WOW WOW

    Quote Originally Posted by Ted Harris View Post
    Since then I have been running a lot of paper through the printer,mostly 8x10's until recently to check how the results looked versus proof prints I have on file for prints that were eventually printed 11x14 or larger on my Epson 4800 or on an Iris printer. Again, excellent, solid images. Black & White prints show solid deep deep blacks and images hold detail well into the darker shadows. I have been using Ilford Pearl, Hanemuhle Fine Art Pearl, Hanemuhle Photo Rag Smooth and HP's own Soft Glossy (manufactured for them by Hanemuhle I am told). I will also be testing the printer with some Red River, Crane and Moab papers over the next month. The printer has an 8 ink pigmet ink set with no changes from matte to gloss required. Also, different from Epson, the print heads (one for each two colors) are user replacable. Finally the inks are slightly less expensive than Epson inks
    Got the 9180, to play with. I have a designjet from HP so I'm somewhat familiar with HP way of doing things.

    I'm getting terrible bronzing with the Hahn.. Fine Art Pearl. I love the surface and have tried all the available profiles (from HP and 3rd party) and none seem to solve the problem. B&W (black inko only) is dreadful.

    Have you found a F/A paper with this surface that doesn't exibit the problem.

    Ted appears to have gotten different results that I.

    driver??, profile?? I am using Photoshop 3 to print with.

    Bob

  4. #74
    Ted Harris's Avatar
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    Re: The New HP B9180 13x19 printer WOW WOW

    Bob, I will have to dig to find my detailed notes but I know I was printing from PS CS2, not the 3 beta and I do know there is an issue with the HP driver and CS 3 ... and you get better prints when using their driver as opposed to going throough the Print w Preview routine.

  5. #75

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    Re: The New HP B9180 13x19 printer WOW WOW

    Thanks ted, I'm very pleased with the printer so far. I have a feeling it is a software issue..

    None of the profiles are close enough to my color managed screen yet either.

    My other printers are on the mark..

    Bob

  6. #76

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    Re: The New HP B9180 13x19 printer WOW WOW

    Looks like this one's been discontinued... is there a second generation? Or an analogous model?

  7. #77

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    Re: The New HP B9180 13x19 printer WOW WOW

    Quote Originally Posted by amilne View Post
    Looks like this one's been discontinued... is there a second generation? Or an analogous model?
    Great! I just bought two (cheap)! Story of my life.
    Wilhelm (Sarasota)

  8. #78
    Drew Saunders drew.saunders's Avatar
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    Re: The New HP B9180 13x19 printer WOW WOW

    Quote Originally Posted by amilne View Post
    Looks like this one's been discontinued... is there a second generation? Or an analogous model?
    Good riddance. I had one and hated it. Some folks had good luck with them, some folks, like me, got lemons, which conveniently died just after the warranty expired. HP did not make a quality product or stand behind this product.

    I upgraded to an Epson 2880 and have been much happier.
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/drew_saunders/

  9. #79
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    Re: The New HP B9180 13x19 printer WOW WOW

    Quote Originally Posted by amilne View Post
    Looks like this one's been discontinued... is there a second generation? Or an analogous model?
    There's no second generation, and they've also discontinued the set of art papers in 13x19 size that were marketed specifically for the B9180.

    The B8850, which is a less expensive version, is still available, but it's being heavily discounted, suggesting that they're clearing that one out as well.

  10. #80
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    Re: The New HP B9180 13x19 printer WOW WOW

    Is it possible that HP is finally going to introduce the 17" desktop printer that has been rumored for more than a year?

    Epson has been doing great with their new 3880.

    HP needs a piece of that market.

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