Hello there. I know there are a lot of reviews and threads for this machine, I can tell you mine.
We got delivery of this machine in August 2012, as a step into signage market.
We are doing lots of large wide format prints, mostly CAD. This is our market, and we print around 100.000 square feet a month, sometimes even more.
Anyway, after delivery we had to start and understand the machine. We use it with EFI XF, with no more than 4 printing modes available with the driver. I am not an expert, I suppose EFI is focusing it;s drivers to higher quality prints rather than low quality.
Pro: Rip is easy to use, easy to profile paper, easy in use, and good for short quick jobs.
Cons: the "can't write output file" error will make you mad quite often. reinstalling the thing takes around 3 hours if you don't save the updates necessary for the machine, the software will lose the registration data and license won't be recognized from time to time.
Regarding the machine, most of the time it works well. What is NOT recommended is often changing between rolls, as this will translate into often reallignments of the media holders.
Depending on the environment, most of the paper will have to be printed on without any heat. The large drier is a plus, but that ammount of heat will raise the media while printing, producing slight strikes that clogg the nozzles.
Even tough the machine has crazy high gamut for a 4 color, standard linearization with efi will translate in total ink limits of around 250% and over. This is good for gammut but ink consumption can be relatively high. Wouldn't recommend this machine for low added value jobs. Somehow, I think, the market for CISS and bulk inks for this machine will be BIG. Very BIG. For a quality print, there is no way in getting costs with ink under 0.4-0.5$ for a square feet at current ink prices.
Banner printing - This can be especially tricky, because of the microfibers getting stuck in the nozzles. Imediatelly the head will start dripping ink all over your print, and on the edges when the head changes direction. This translates into extensive head cleaning, which can prove very very difficult, or way more difficult than for older DX head. Increasing speed was the major step forward with this head, but maintenance is tricky. The "don't touch the nozzles" while cleaning doesn't happen in practice, and you need a very dust free environment not to clean the head manually twice a day.
Fibers and Dust - major enemies of this printer and nozzles. I can understand the work environment is pretentious but it seems this machine needs to be in a cocoon to work in an optimal manner. We use increased suction, because of the humidity levels in our office, which could increase the quantity of dust and fibers attracted to the printer.
This is a very good machine, easy to work with, but EPSON need to do one thing : Release a user guide with clear specs regarding working environment and daily maintenance. Also the media feed system will give you media loading erros during printing, and you'll have to reload the media, losing time and prints.
Recommended type of usage: Consistent jobs, or job nesting as much as possible, once or twice a day. Short jobs will sometimes prove very difficult to manage. And also get a fan, for print drying, as with paper, the large heater will sometimes get you in trouble, producing media buckling and head strikes.
We got delivery of this machine in August 2012, as a step into signage market.
We are doing lots of large wide format prints, mostly CAD. This is our market, and we print around 100.000 square feet a month, sometimes even more.
Anyway, after delivery we had to start and understand the machine. We use it with EFI XF, with no more than 4 printing modes available with the driver. I am not an expert, I suppose EFI is focusing it;s drivers to higher quality prints rather than low quality.
Pro: Rip is easy to use, easy to profile paper, easy in use, and good for short quick jobs.
Cons: the "can't write output file" error will make you mad quite often. reinstalling the thing takes around 3 hours if you don't save the updates necessary for the machine, the software will lose the registration data and license won't be recognized from time to time.
Regarding the machine, most of the time it works well. What is NOT recommended is often changing between rolls, as this will translate into often reallignments of the media holders.
Depending on the environment, most of the paper will have to be printed on without any heat. The large drier is a plus, but that ammount of heat will raise the media while printing, producing slight strikes that clogg the nozzles.
Even tough the machine has crazy high gamut for a 4 color, standard linearization with efi will translate in total ink limits of around 250% and over. This is good for gammut but ink consumption can be relatively high. Wouldn't recommend this machine for low added value jobs. Somehow, I think, the market for CISS and bulk inks for this machine will be BIG. Very BIG. For a quality print, there is no way in getting costs with ink under 0.4-0.5$ for a square feet at current ink prices.
Banner printing - This can be especially tricky, because of the microfibers getting stuck in the nozzles. Imediatelly the head will start dripping ink all over your print, and on the edges when the head changes direction. This translates into extensive head cleaning, which can prove very very difficult, or way more difficult than for older DX head. Increasing speed was the major step forward with this head, but maintenance is tricky. The "don't touch the nozzles" while cleaning doesn't happen in practice, and you need a very dust free environment not to clean the head manually twice a day.
Fibers and Dust - major enemies of this printer and nozzles. I can understand the work environment is pretentious but it seems this machine needs to be in a cocoon to work in an optimal manner. We use increased suction, because of the humidity levels in our office, which could increase the quantity of dust and fibers attracted to the printer.
This is a very good machine, easy to work with, but EPSON need to do one thing : Release a user guide with clear specs regarding working environment and daily maintenance. Also the media feed system will give you media loading erros during printing, and you'll have to reload the media, losing time and prints.
Recommended type of usage: Consistent jobs, or job nesting as much as possible, once or twice a day. Short jobs will sometimes prove very difficult to manage. And also get a fan, for print drying, as with paper, the large heater will sometimes get you in trouble, producing media buckling and head strikes.
