Unless you’re a graphics artist or photographer, there’s a group of printers out there that print exceptional high-resolution output on wide-format specialty paper that you may know nothing about. Typically, these are big, wide-format machines that specialize in the highest quality oversize prints. This genre entails a wide range of single-function printers with ink arrays ranging from 8 to 12 (and beyond) distinct colors and print paths as much as 13 to 17 inches wide (and beyond). Many of these models, however, cost thousands of dollars, are huge, and designed primarily for professionals and service bureaus, such as the local Kinkos.
Here, we’re looking at the entry-level models to this exciting group of printers—single function machines that typically use 12 inks or under and 13-inch-wide print paths. Some, such as Epson’s R3000 and SureColor P600, provide a wealth paper handling options, such as up to supertabloid (13x16-inches) cut pages, and a few (also the R3000 and P600) also use rolls that allow them to print panoramas and banners several feet long.
Epson says that this printer is designed for professional and semi-professional photographers, including, I suspect, hobbyist. Hence, it doesn’t look a lot like the company’s consumer-grade photo printers. This product’s name, the “SureColor P600 Wide Format Inkjet Printer” (on Epson’s Web site, anyway), is somewhat misleading. Instead of being merely a “Wide Format Inkjet Printer,” the P600 is Epson’s ever-popular $799.99 photo printer—with the ability to print borderless 13"x19" prints and panoramas over 10 feet long.
The focus of this printer is on printing exceptional photos on several different kinds of premium printer paper. In addition, much like some of its higher-end consumer-grade counterparts, such as Epson’s own Expression Photo XP-950 Small-in-One Printer, as a bonus the SureColor P600 can print labels on appropriately surfaced CDs and DVDs...
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With a list price of $1,000, make no mistake, the Pixma Pro-1 is no toy, nor is it by any means a desktop or mainstream printer. Instead, it’s big, heavy, and relatively expensive to use—although not as expensive as the Pro-100. Since it’s been around since 2011, the Pro-1 is well-tested and popular among professional photographers, but it still leans more toward the entry-level professional.
There are plenty of much-more-expensive and more capable heavy-duty image printers out there, but not in terms of pure print quality. Upwards from here, photo printers and plotters tend to provide wider paper paths and cheaper inks, measured in price-per milliliter.
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As Pixma Pro models go, the Pro-100 is the entry-level, or the beginner, in Canon’s line of professional photo printers, followed by the next model up, the 10-ink Pixma Pro 10 ($699.99-list), and then there’s the flagship of the Pixma Pro models, the $999.99-list Pro-1, which deploys 12 inks. (I have the Pro-1 here waiting for review; you’ll see it in this list soon. Aside from the differences in the number of ink cartridges, these Pixma Pro models look much alike, and they have many features in common, including Canon’s Optimum Image Generating System, or OIG System, which reportedly analyzes each area of the print and chooses the best ink mixture so you see the colors you expect to see. (As you can imagine, the more inks, or colors, present, the wider the range of possible mixtures.)
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Here’s a photo printer that has been around for a while, but it was so well-received and it carried the industry standard torch for a few years now—Epson’s $799.99 Stylus Photo R3000 Inkjet Printer. Frankly, the relatively new SureColor P600, an excellent photo printer in its own right, has recently replaced the R3000. The good news on that front is that the R3000 is still an excellent printer in its own right, now offered at a$250 discount on Epson’s Web site (and going down).
That said, what you get for $550 (or perhaps even cheaper if you shop around) is quite impressive. In fact, aside from the lack a few modern mobile connectivity options, the R3000 isn’t that much different from the P600. They both use nine inks that includes for levels of black: matte black, photo black, light black, and "light light" black. The other colors are: yellow, cyan, light cyan, vivid magenta, vivid light magenta.
More »
Here, we’re looking at the entry-level models to this exciting group of printers—single function machines that typically use 12 inks or under and 13-inch-wide print paths. Some, such as Epson’s R3000 and SureColor P600, provide a wealth paper handling options, such as up to supertabloid (13x16-inches) cut pages, and a few (also the R3000 and P600) also use rolls that allow them to print panoramas and banners several feet long.
1. Epson SureColor P600 Wide Format Inkjet Printer
Epson says that this printer is designed for professional and semi-professional photographers, including, I suspect, hobbyist. Hence, it doesn’t look a lot like the company’s consumer-grade photo printers. This product’s name, the “SureColor P600 Wide Format Inkjet Printer” (on Epson’s Web site, anyway), is somewhat misleading. Instead of being merely a “Wide Format Inkjet Printer,” the P600 is Epson’s ever-popular $799.99 photo printer—with the ability to print borderless 13"x19" prints and panoramas over 10 feet long.
The focus of this printer is on printing exceptional photos on several different kinds of premium printer paper. In addition, much like some of its higher-end consumer-grade counterparts, such as Epson’s own Expression Photo XP-950 Small-in-One Printer, as a bonus the SureColor P600 can print labels on appropriately surfaced CDs and DVDs...
More »
2. Canon Pixma Pro-1 Professional Photo Printer
With a list price of $1,000, make no mistake, the Pixma Pro-1 is no toy, nor is it by any means a desktop or mainstream printer. Instead, it’s big, heavy, and relatively expensive to use—although not as expensive as the Pro-100. Since it’s been around since 2011, the Pro-1 is well-tested and popular among professional photographers, but it still leans more toward the entry-level professional.
There are plenty of much-more-expensive and more capable heavy-duty image printers out there, but not in terms of pure print quality. Upwards from here, photo printers and plotters tend to provide wider paper paths and cheaper inks, measured in price-per milliliter.
More »
3. Canon Pixma Pro-100 Wireless Inkjet Printer
As Pixma Pro models go, the Pro-100 is the entry-level, or the beginner, in Canon’s line of professional photo printers, followed by the next model up, the 10-ink Pixma Pro 10 ($699.99-list), and then there’s the flagship of the Pixma Pro models, the $999.99-list Pro-1, which deploys 12 inks. (I have the Pro-1 here waiting for review; you’ll see it in this list soon. Aside from the differences in the number of ink cartridges, these Pixma Pro models look much alike, and they have many features in common, including Canon’s Optimum Image Generating System, or OIG System, which reportedly analyzes each area of the print and chooses the best ink mixture so you see the colors you expect to see. (As you can imagine, the more inks, or colors, present, the wider the range of possible mixtures.)
More »
4. Epson Stylus Photo R3000 Inkjet Printer
Here’s a photo printer that has been around for a while, but it was so well-received and it carried the industry standard torch for a few years now—Epson’s $799.99 Stylus Photo R3000 Inkjet Printer. Frankly, the relatively new SureColor P600, an excellent photo printer in its own right, has recently replaced the R3000. The good news on that front is that the R3000 is still an excellent printer in its own right, now offered at a$250 discount on Epson’s Web site (and going down).
That said, what you get for $550 (or perhaps even cheaper if you shop around) is quite impressive. In fact, aside from the lack a few modern mobile connectivity options, the R3000 isn’t that much different from the P600. They both use nine inks that includes for levels of black: matte black, photo black, light black, and "light light" black. The other colors are: yellow, cyan, light cyan, vivid magenta, vivid light magenta.
More »
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