Epson 1270, Epson 1280 - Epson 2000p
We are doing our best to collect information on the Epson 1270, its replacement the Epson 1280 and Epson 2000p printers. There are a variety of problems; some are specific to the Epson 1270. Information arrives every month so we update the reports as often as possible. Informative reports on large format printers cover only 24" and above. This report include suggestions on why you need a 24" printer instead of the lesser sized Epson 1270, Epson 2000p, Epson 1520, and Epson 3000. Includes information on the Epson 7000, Epson 7500, Epson 9000, and Epson 9500. Pros, cons, what these printers are really like. What they are very good at, and where they are weak.
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If you already have an Epson 1270, Epson 1520, Epson 2000p, or Epson 3000, please spare us your tales of woe. We also realize that thousands of users of these models just love them, but please spare us the accolades. These models are too slow, the software not always adequate for professional use.
One user of an Epson 2000p wrote us saying it should be labeled "2000s for sucker." However a few people write us to say they like the printer. Actually we have even found some users who like the Epson 3000, which is rated by end-uses as one of the worst tabloid sized printer currently manufactured (though the Epson 1520 tries hard to gain that title also).
If you like them we are very happy for you; if you found them a pain, we regret this, but we can’t bring them back to life.
"I scan black and white illustrations and printing them out in "color" mode on the Epson 2000P and you end up having to go back and readjust the colors after the first print out...(a lot of wasted paper and ink). These reason I got the Epson 2000P was for the archival purpose. For that I guess I got my money's worth."
But that is just the tip of the iceberg. The archival ratings are hyped; few specialists accept them. At a recent conference in Europe virtually all the speakers made comments that indicated the 200 year claims of longevity were meaningless.
But if you wish to do a family photo album, or portfolio, then the Epson desktop printers are fine as long as you select a model which offers six colors and at least 1440 dpi. I have seen output from the 1270 which was absolutely beautiful, fully photo-realistic.
We have collected all the information available to us from actual end-users. Gist of the reports: Epson's desktop printers are great for personal use at home and hobby. The printer is low priced, in order to entice you to buy the ink. But eventually you will want a more sophisticated printer and throw the old model away. FLAAR tossed three Epson desktop printers. Actually, one is still in use now four years later, and still functions, a model 780(?) vintage 1996 or '97. We donated it to a museum in Latin America and they are quite content with it.
In fairness to Epson it is worth pointing out that our HP desktop printer, the ColorPro GA, had banding problems in dark areas, was not good at rendering small text size, and the evaluator we gave it to for testing said his Epson produced better photographic output. On top of that, the board inside the HP died prematurely. Fortunately that HP model is no longer made. The next generation HP desktop proofers offer six colors and are improved in all respects.
The Epson 5500 and Wide Format Models are much better than the Desktop size
Do not, however, let your experiences with desktop printers influence your decision to buy wide format printers. The Epson wide format models 7000, 7500, 9000, and 9500 are substantial improvements in all respects over their tiny brothers on the desktop. They are definitely not perfect, but all other printers also have a few quirks and weak points. For some uses the Epson 7500 is actually an ideal choice. The Epson 5500 and 10000 are even better. Just be sure to read the FLAAR reports, because whereas some printers are fabulous for one or two uses, that same printer may be noticeably inadequate and useless for producing banners (if the printer is too slow, for example, a single banner may take up to 3 hours, or more, for just one banner). Metamerism is a severe defect which ruins the Epson output for many users.
FLAAR actually now has access to two Epson 7500 printers, one at the university in Latin America, a second at the university in Ohio. The university bought it based on the FLAAR reviews. Other than occasional metamerism deficiencies, the quality is nice. Just realize that you can use only limited kinds of media for piezo in general and proprietary encapsulated Epson inks in particular.
Since neither Canon nor HP nor Kodak nor Lexmark make a 24" inkjet printer with pigmented inks, we recommend the lone occupant of this niche, the Epson 7500.
There are two ways to buy an Epson printer. 1st) go to the Internet, look for the cheapest price. Buy, then try to figure out how to make it work. This low-bid method ends up spoiling your experience because as soon as the first thing does not work, you have no one who will answer your questions.
2nd option is to get a value-added system. This means that one company takes responsibility for the entire system, input through output, color management, and training. When we had problems with banding, dropped colors (non-printing colors), and clogged heads, the capable tech support staff of Parrot were able to explain to our lab technician how to resurrect our Epson 7500. Now it prints fine and the output is gorgeous on the media that we obtained from Parrot.
Yet another Epson (9000) printer at our university (not bought from Parrot), caused over 6 months of wasted ink, wasted media. This was because the art department tried to save a few bucks by buying a "good deal" on a used printer. If our art department had obtained their printer from Parrot Digigraphic then the fine art giclee specialists at Parrot could have provided training in color management. Lack of color management assistance from the low-bid dealer was what caused the problems (and the loss of almost a thousand dollars in ink and media while fumbling around).
So over the long run it is more economical to go for a value-added system rather than trying to skim a few dollars off the original purchase price.
FLAAR reports are based on user experiences (in this case the unfortunate art department). Now you can see why we recommend a specific dealer. Thus, to order your Epson 10000 or other models of Epson (and enjoy the experience) we recommend Parrot Digigraphic, e-mail imaging@parrotcolor.com fax (978) 670-7744, Tel (978) 670-7766.
Last updated: Oct. 3, 2003.
Previous updates: Feb. 5, 2003, November 25, 2001, Oct. 20, 2001.
