ISO New Printer - Suggestions?

[Ari]

Hey all,

I'm looking for a desktop printer to replace my aging Epson 4880.
Not looking to get something too old, as the latest technology looks quite promising, and I'll be printing mostly GFX images.
This is where the 4880 let me down, so I'm looking at the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1000.
Not too many used units on the market, which can be interpreted positively.
Given the high cost of a new unit, I was hoping to hear about some other options I can look into.
Thanks in advance.

[Tin Can]

I had such a bad time with a CANON 1000 some time ago I gave it away

[Ari]

Appreciated, Randy.
Keeping in mind that duds are everywhere and are not brand-specific, I’d like to hear more about print quality and cost.

[lloyd]

the epson competitor to the canon is the p900. current 200 rebate makes it 1k. much cheaper ink usage than the 13" p700--see red river paper's ink usage breakdown.
main minus for the canon is it uses a lot of ink in running printer scheduled nozzle maintenance.

[Oren Grad]

Pro-1000 and P900 reviews by Keith Cooper:

https://www.northlight-images.co.uk/...rinter-review/

https://www.northlight-images.co.uk/...rinter-review/

A recent P900 vs Pro-1000 thread at DP Review:

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/65933042

I'll add anecdotally that a friend of mine who acquired a P900 recently to replace a 3880 that died has been having lots of trouble with mechanical/paper feed and print head issues. The P900 has one major advance that really appeals to me - they finally got rid of the annoying, expensive PK/MK ink swap, now there are separate channels. But the anecdotal reports about cheapened construction quality and mechanical issues are worrying. Fortunately, my P800 is doing fine for the moment - not sure what I would do if I had to replace it just now.

Good luck!

[Kiwi7475]

I think both current options from EPSON and CANON mentioned above are virtually indistinguishable from an output quality standpoint once you know them and know how to adjust the various parameters to your liking.

They are complex machines with lots of delicate components, so of course people (myself included) are going to experience some minor issues that others don’t, and viceversa.

FWIW I can say that my EPSON printer needs periodic turn on (to the tune of once a week, maybe every other week) so that the nozzles don’t dry out (or whatever happens) to the point that it requires more drastic methods and ink loss to recover. On the other hand I literally had one of my CANON printers off for a year and it printed perfectly on first turn on.

[paulbarden]

I have both the prograf Pro 1000 and the newer prograf pro 300. The pro-1000 I have had for about 3 years. It has been somewhat prone to jet clogging, but otherwise it has been a superb printer. Given the choice between the two I currently have, I'd stick with the newer pro-300: it produces a better looking print IMO, and its less costly. It is limited to the width of print it can make, however. The ink set for the pro-300 is far less than the set for the pro-1000.

I wouldn't own an Epson - too many people I know have complained frequently about the nozzles clogging.

[Ari]

Thanks, everyone. Much appreciated.
Obviously have more reading to do.
As a longtime Epson user, I'm leaning toward trying out a newer Canon printer.
Didn't have much of an issue with the 4880, just that the printing technology was getting a bit dated in the face of larger sensors.

[r.e.]

As a longtime Epson user, I'm leaning toward trying out a newer Canon printer.

Canon's Pro 1000 printer came out in 2015 (the first BH customer review is from November 2015) and there's a fair amount of speculation that Canon will soon launch a replacement.

[Ari]

Canon's Pro 1000 printer came out in 2015 (the first BH customer review is from November 2015) and there's a fair amount of speculation that Canon will soon launch a replacement.

Here's hoping it means a price drop on the Pro 1000!