# Is This A Good Printer For Transparencies (Epson 1400 or a HP 1100)?



## johnnyd (Sep 21, 2007)

I am in need of a new large format printer. I am currently looking at an Epson 1400 or a HP 1100 workhorse. I would like the Epson but it takes 6 cartridges, CMYK,LM,LC. Isn't this the printer where you can substitute one of those light colors for an extra black and if so do you need a RIP to get it to lay down double black? The HP takes regular CMYK cartridges and both cost $199. 
I am looking for opinions and experiences.
Thank you


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

Nobody makes a *screen printing RIP* for HP printers.

What does a RIP do?








EPSON inkjet printers can be used as a replacement for a high priced imagesetters and low quality laser printers. Epson's use a room temperature mechanical, *piezo* technology of precise electrical pulses that cause the ink reservoir wall in the head to compress, projecting ink through the nozzle. Programmers can also control the exact placement, size and shape of each 'dot' then shape with the millions of ink droplets they eject in each square inch. For screen printing, we need a one color printer, not an 8 color printer.RIP programmers can increase ink deposit to make the transparent ink designed for CMYK printing of multi-color photographs, opaque enough to stop UV energy. 







Canon and HP printers use* thermal* heads that heat the ink to 500°F over and over, producing a vapor bubble in the ink reservoir (bubble jet). When the ink expands, droplets are ejected through the nozzle. This cannot be increased with a RIP programming. One of the side effects of the high heat, is that the cooling phase alters critical nozzle alignment.


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## johnnyd (Sep 21, 2007)

If am scrapping the low cost printer idea, what would be my best way to go to produce a decent transparency.


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## standardgraphics (Jul 28, 2008)

go with the 1400.
buy AccuRip $495us
buy all black ink system $129us

I just switched over to that setup from my xante 8200
an wow that's black ink, traps of .01", wash out was a snap.

so yea buy the 1400 download the AccuRip trial and see for your self...
******when set to 720x1400 on heavy it does suck back the ink but I would say it is worth every drop...
very nice films

oh film Accufast or Accumark


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

johnnyd said:


> If am scrapping the low cost printer idea, what would be my best way to go to produce a decent transparency.


Epson 1400 is the most popular ink jet printer for making screen printing positives since the Epson 3000 of 1996.


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## johnnyd (Sep 21, 2007)

Got it! Thanks for great replies


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## tone1tees (Dec 24, 2009)

yeah. i have the epson1400 i paid 299+tax but so good so far,i did one posative on it, it came out graet.


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## johnnyd (Sep 21, 2007)

Ok 2 last questions, do the other 5 cartridges just go along without printing or do they make a black build? Also, if one catridge runs out does it not let me print?


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## SystemVoid (Dec 18, 2007)

johnnyd said:


> Ok 2 last questions, do the other 5 cartridges just go along without printing or do they make a black build? Also, if one catridge runs out does it not let me print?


You can buy the entire system here:

Epson 1400 BLACKMAX™ Ultimate Film Output System

It includes the Epson 1400, the BLACKMAX ink system (6 black ink cartridges) and the AccuRIP software, as well as some DVDs and films to print on. This is the package I purchased, works beautifully!

When you use AccuRIP to print, it will automatically use all 6 print cartridges. I'm assuming it uses all 6 of them equally, I just bought mine, so I don't know what happens if just one cartridge runs out, assuming that only 1 cartridge can.

I wouldn't recommend printing film positives unless you're using AccuRIP and using the 6-cartridge ink system. It doesn't seem to print as dark without AccuRIP, and it gave me a lot of banding issues.


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

*Epson ink runs out + All Black ink system*

Adding to what SystenmVoid wrote above:

The other 5 cartridges are for color and not used to print the UV-A stopping image needed for making screens. They are transparent (designed so light will go through them), and don't stop UV energy.

All Black systems can't print color anymore, don't print faster, but keep all the heads from clogging. 

Nothing is more irritating than the cyan cartridge running out, stopping the Epson printer and you never printed a color image - but, the machine does clean itself every so often, like a cat, and that spits valuable ink down the drain.

I recommend a screen printing RIP for making positives with Epson printers.


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## 13Graphics (Jul 20, 2009)

I use a 1400 with epson inks, and my films come out really dark. I don't use a rip, or all black inks either. 

I'm not saying that those won't be better, but the positives I've printed have been dark enough that I can't see through them at all. This combined with the fact that epson inks are already UV resistant gave me positives that that burned better that my old HP did with 3-4 layers.

I burned 4 screens the other day, solid 7 on a stouffer guide, and washed out in seconds.

I'm using HP claria ink, with Victory factory films.

The upside is I can still use as a regular printer. The downside is not having the halftone control, and other bells and whistles. I don't however print hundreds of positives. For the low volume I do, it works fine stock.


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## micromaui-closed (Mar 9, 2010)

*Re: Epson ink runs out + All Black ink system*



RichardGreaves said:


> Adding to what SystenmVoid wrote above:
> 
> The other 5 cartridges are for color and not used to print the UV-A stopping image needed for making screens. They are transparent (designed so light will go through them), and don't stop UV energy.
> 
> ...


does it print on DVDs or CDs?


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## RichardGreaves (Nov 7, 2006)

*Disc printing with Epson 1400 & UV fading resistance*

The Epson 1400 can print discs (CD / DVD) with an ink absorbing coating.

Beware, 13graphics posted in February 2010 that "epson inks are already UV resistant".

They *are *resistant to fading in UV light, which is important if you use your positives over and over, but the amount of transparent ink printed with the standard Epson driver is designed for white photo paper mixed with 5 other colors and doesn't stop UV energy as well as the increased deposit created by RIP programmers that increase ink output of the piezoelectric head as they convert Postscript output from graphics programs.

Don't get me wrong - 13Graphics is getting a solid step 7 on a Stouffer T2115 gray scale so it's working. That's proof it's working. Great.


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## adrenochrome (Mar 20, 2008)

I have a run a 1400 for two years with an all black ink system from FilmDirectOnline.com. I absolutely love it. I also get my films from them and can't seem to find anything that beats the quality.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

So "uv resistant ink" simply means resistance for fading and not blocking UV from exposure lamps?

What are the advantages of an all black ink system when only 1 black cartridge is used for printing and the others just for cleaning or have I misread? Will accurip work on a regular CISS with colored inks?


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## DaveG (Aug 3, 2009)

BroJames said:


> What are the advantages of an all black ink system when only 1 black cartridge is used for printing and the others just for cleaning or have I misread?



It's my understanding that with some adjustments in the default driver settings the 1400 will use all colors when printing black. By having all black cartridges, more black is being put down, AND there is a savings that comes with the ability to refill the cartridges instead of paying $20 each for replacements!


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

Could you recall the settings? Do these settings also apply to the epson 1100?

And is it simply printing printing with full color but having an all black ink system installed or must the all black ink system be used with a RIP?


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## DaveG (Aug 3, 2009)

For use with the default driver (no RIP) and all black ink cartridges (from filmdirectonline.com) 

Through the "printers" folder in Control Panel - open the Epson 1400 status window, then Printer > Properties to open the properties window. Change to the "Advanced" tab, click on the "Printing Defaults" button to open the default settings window. In the lower right corner, click on the "Advanced" tab and tell it to continue. Using the "Main" tab, in the right column, find the "Color Management" section, click the dot for "Color Controls" and up the settings for Saturation, Cyan, Magenta and Yellow. I run mine at +20 for CYM, and +15 for saturation, but depending on your transparancies and print speed, you may need to adjust a bit!


I don't know if it works for the 1100, but it might give you a head start toward figuring it out! Keep us posted!


Hope this helps!
DaveG


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

i am still thinking about the 1100. 

Now that you mentioned the printing defaults, I've been wondering about the various color profiles inside the windows/.system32/spool/drivers/color folder.The color profile currently associated with my tx200 printer is EEIJP__3(10th profile on the first column below). Anyone know anything about any of these profiles - if they should be of interest to anyone printing transparencies?


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## superD70 (Dec 22, 2010)

I have the wf1100 and have had zero issues using Epson inks.
I've found if you select plain or matte paper is uses only the 2 black carts, if you choose any of the photo settings it uses all 6 carts to print black, I think that's where some people are having issues with their films not being dark enough.
And yes uv resistant means fade resistance, not that it blocks uv rays


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

David, for paper you select either plain or matte. For photo settings, anything but photo quality?


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## superD70 (Dec 22, 2010)

I only use it to print my transparencies, the photo settings will not make it print black darker like some believe, it actually makes it worse by using all the colors instead of only black ink. That make sense, I'm a visual person, not good at describing stuff very well.
I've not printed any transfers yet untill I get different inks.


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## superD70 (Dec 22, 2010)

And to answer johnnyd's question, all Epson printers stop printing when one cartridge is dry, that's why the replacement carts & ciss come with chip resetters, some reset all carts at once


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

David, understood well. For the Workforce 1100, under paper option, select plain or matte. Under Print Option select anything but photo otherwise all 6 cartridges, 2 black and 4 process colors, prints.

But for my current tx200, under printing options there is a "black ink only" check box. Checking the box, I can still select "best photo" (below).








What do you think? What is the best way to check if all cartridges are printing or only the black is/are? In the case of my tx200, anything but photo seems to print at lower resolution or lower quality.


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## superD70 (Dec 22, 2010)

You got me there Angel, not familiar with the overseas models, I would think with that option it would not use any of the color carts.
As long as it works for you is all that matters


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