Epson Stylus® 1400 Wide-Format Photo Printer

Comments about Epson Stylus® 1400 Wide-Format Photo Printer:

The main purpose for purchasing this product was to do large format certificate printing and photo printing. However since it did not have RAM built into the printer, I could not use it and it had to be returned for an HP large format printer with 32 mb of RAM, which finally was able to work for my needs.

Comments about Epson Stylus® 1400 Wide-Format Photo Printer:

I replaced all 6 cartridges after 25 prints, one after the next was running out very fast. I had all new cartridges in the printer and didn't use the it for one month. I go to use it and nothing prints out. I use the drivers to clean the print heads and get the message "cannot clean print heads, replace cartridges" I sent an email to Epson Customer Support letting them know my problem and they send me an email back saying "if the red light is blinking, replace cartridges" I told them the cartridges were new! I sent them another email with the same explination, telling them the cartridges were new a month ago and that the ink costs too much to dry out after a month. I asked them for coupons for new ink and the only answer they gave me is "I'm sorry, we do not have coupons for our ink" and that was the end of their email. Customer service at Epson SUCKS!!! BUYER BEWARE!! DO NOT BUY EPSON!! BUY HP, KODAK OR CANON!! I have always liked epson printers, but this is my last one!

Mike

Comments about Epson Stylus® 1400 Wide-Format Photo Printer:

Great printer for the money, excellent print quality when used with Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl Paper. Portraits come out with true color and amazing detail. It is the best printer I have ever owned and I would recommend this pritner to everyone.

Comments about Epson Stylus® 1400 Wide-Format Photo Printer:

This printer is remarkable in its color accuracy. Its image area is a plus as well, at just under 13" x 19". I use it for professional purposes, and am very confident showing color proofs to my clients. The only downside is that some paper options are not available on my Macintosh (although this may be the result of a conflict with a second Epson printer that is also installed on the same machine). This was the only reason that I did not rate this printer a "5".

Comments about Epson Stylus® 1400 Wide-Format Photo Printer:

I use my Epson printer for Advertising campaign projects and graphic design such as brochures, and business cards, but most important of all to print my portfolio because the quality is excellent.

Comments about Epson Stylus® 1400 Wide-Format Photo Printer:

I bought this printer to replace an Epson 880 (which in itself is a very good machine). The 1400 is definately a step above when it comes to sharpness. I can see the raster lines on an 880 print with a 6X loop, and see nothing but smooth tonality on a 1400 print. The 1400 is also quiter and faster. I haven't made use of the larger print size (8.5 x 11 vs. 13 x 17 on the 1400) yet, but I'm sure I soon will.

A note about paper - the Epson Premium Photo Paper Glossy is producing very acceptable images that are definitely "photo quality." Although that term has lost its meaning over the last few years as a result of the advances in digital photography and printing. I wouldn't use a lesser paper for my images. I haven't found a cheaper substitute (yet), but I would be open to a comparison to save money.

A note about ink - I bought some third party ink for my 880 and printed my son's wedding pictures with it. The results were pretty good, but BEWARE, the yellow ink faded in a few months and the prints that were on display in my house and my son's house were faded to blue dramatically. That prompted me to buy the 1400 with the Claria Hi-Definition Inks. They are supposed to last for 98 years without fading (50 is good enough for me).

The ink consumption on the 1400 is about the same as the 880. Then there's the rub - the 880 uses a tri-color cartridge of CMY with about 12 ml. of each color. The 1400 has 5 color cartridges (and black makes total of 6)with 11 ml. of ink in each. I don't know how Epson justified the smaller ink volumes in a larger format printer?

Although I have had a negative experience with third party inks on the 880, I am still going to look for a cheaper source of inks for the 1400. Spending $120 for an ink set does not fit my budget. If this cost is not an issue for you, by all means stick to Epson inks. It's safer.

By the way, the Epson 1400 ink cartridges each have a small circuit board on them. This is, according to Epson, to better monitor the ink usage and allow for reinsertion if removed before it's empty. I find it easier to believe that the inclusion of these circuit boards is to make it difficult to use generic ink cartridges or refill the Epson cartridges with generic ink. I am going to purchase a set of third party inks (selling at half the price of the Epson inks) soon. I am interested to see how the third party ink cartridges handle the circuit board interface, and how the inks hold up against fading.

Also, I got the 1400 at a very good price because it is discontinued by Epson. I wold expect that any newer model of similar or better specs would produce excellent results as well. There are 2 "higher quality" ink sets available for some of the high end printers which, I'm sure, will produce top notch results.

No other issues! I've been printing photographs for over 50 years now. I feel comfortable stating that Epson knows how to make great printers.