Can anyone tell me there experiences with these two printers. I'm looking to upgrade from my 1270 (now that I have a vista system).
Posted by Robert Fisher on November 24, 2008 at 8:25 AM
No experience with either printer but just a couple points. You may already know this.
The Canon is several years old. Printing technology has improved significantly since that model was released. The Canon is a dye ink printer. Dye inks don't test to last as long as pigment inks.
The Epson is a pigment ink printer and is a new model (an update from the 1800). The 1900 is designed for printing on glossier papers and has the gloss optimizer which is supposed to help reduce bronzing. It does come with a matte black ink for printing on matte papers; however.
Both printers only have a single black ink so if you want to do much b&w printing, results won't be as pleasing as with a black/multi-grey inkset printer like the 2400 (discontinued) or the new 2880. Canon doesn't have a smaller format printer with a multi-grey inkset. The closest they come is the 9500 which has black and one grey.
Posted by David Bostedo on November 24, 2008 at 9:10 AM
The Canon PIXMA Pro 9000 is only about 2 years old, and I wouldn't consider it outdated yet printing technology wise (and I have one, so I might be a bit biased). I can't compare the printers, however, but if you're looking at these printers, I think either one could be great for you. Robert's comment about dye vs. pigment is definitely the main thing to consider. I've found B+W with the special greyscale mode to be very neutral. If you search on here you'll find some commentary on both printers I think.
Posted by Joyce Dumas on November 25, 2008 at 8:41 AM
I have had the Canon Pro 9000 for more than a year and am very happy with it. I've never had an Epson, so I can't compare, but I use my Canon printer for gallery prints and have never had any problems. I use a lot of art paper and like having the front load option. Good luck in your research.
Posted by Kevin Trinkner on November 26, 2008 at 2:50 PM
I've had my Pro 9000 for just under a year, and I've come to really like the printer as of recently. It took some time to figure out what settings to use to achieve the most accurate prints, I got some good pointers from members here.
One thing I don't like are some of limitations printing borderless, but that might not matter to you, and maybe the Epson has the same limits.
For the price it's a very nice printer.
Posted by Les Barstow on November 30, 2008 at 3:40 AM
The 1900, like its predecessor the R1800, is best used with glossy papers. While it can print respectably well on matte papers, it is most at home on Luster and Gloss media. I am more than happy with my R1800 and would recommend the 1900 to anyone who wants to use it as designed.
I can't speak for the 9000, as I don't own one; the dye vs. pigment issue is significant for me as I sell my prints. The rated life of the 9000 output on Canon paper is only 25 years - much shorter than the Epson.
If you need both great matte output and longevity, I'd suggest looking up the Epson food chain to the 2880.
Posted by Mark Pelton on December 3, 2008 at 7:59 AM
I started on the 1270 and IMO this is the printer that achieved professional level results. I think all of the Epsons from this point are only marginal improvements. I now print with the Epson 1800 and HPZ3100. THe 1800 can provided stunning prints on glossy, and is also pretty good on matte, although not as good as the 2400/2880.
Posted by Andy Richards on December 28, 2008 at 10:39 AM
I am looking at the R1900 and the older R1400. I have a 1280 and have preferred the dye based look (especially on glossy papers) in the past. But I have understood that the pigment based inks have longer print longevity (although, if I am reading it correctly, Wilhelm is showing the Claria ink in the 1400 to be slightly longer than the Ultra Chrome in the R1800--couldn't find data on the R1900 ink).
My main reasons for upgrading are: Availability of profiles for newer printers, separate ink carts with more colors (at least in the case of the 1900), and better color in general. The Photo-i reviews for both the 1400 and 1900 seem to be good.
HOWEVER, I have read a number of reviews that the 1900 has problems -- particularly in recognizing new ink carts (including their own) and that Epson has not been helpful (even refusing to replace their own carts). Hard to tell whether this is just a minority of complainers who are more vocal or is a serious problem. Anyone have any experience with this model?
Discussion
7 repliesThe Canon is several years old. Printing technology has improved significantly since that model was released. The Canon is a dye ink printer. Dye inks don't test to last as long as pigment inks.
The Epson is a pigment ink printer and is a new model (an update from the 1800). The 1900 is designed for printing on glossier papers and has the gloss optimizer which is supposed to help reduce bronzing. It does come with a matte black ink for printing on matte papers; however.
Both printers only have a single black ink so if you want to do much b&w printing, results won't be as pleasing as with a black/multi-grey inkset printer like the 2400 (discontinued) or the new 2880. Canon doesn't have a smaller format printer with a multi-grey inkset. The closest they come is the 9500 which has black and one grey.
And for more formal reviews, check out Photo-I.
One thing I don't like are some of limitations printing borderless, but that might not matter to you, and maybe the Epson has the same limits.
For the price it's a very nice printer.
I can't speak for the 9000, as I don't own one; the dye vs. pigment issue is significant for me as I sell my prints. The rated life of the 9000 output on Canon paper is only 25 years - much shorter than the Epson.
If you need both great matte output and longevity, I'd suggest looking up the Epson food chain to the 2880.
My main reasons for upgrading are: Availability of profiles for newer printers, separate ink carts with more colors (at least in the case of the 1900), and better color in general. The Photo-i reviews for both the 1400 and 1900 seem to be good.
HOWEVER, I have read a number of reviews that the 1900 has problems -- particularly in recognizing new ink carts (including their own) and that Epson has not been helpful (even refusing to replace their own carts). Hard to tell whether this is just a minority of complainers who are more vocal or is a serious problem. Anyone have any experience with this model?