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Epson Ink Jet printer running costs review

March 2008 Update

The review they dread! ink sucking felt.. Epson R230

Did you know your printer has an inbuilt ink cemetery?

If you think ink cartridges are overpriced wait till you see where some of your ink ends up! In the base of all ink jet printers there is a pad of death for a fair amount of this expensive printing fuel. While ink loss due to head cleaning is unavoidable, paying top dollar to get a top result now has an alternative that's been copied from their own high-end printers.. For schools this system also takes away students opportunity of a free "Cartridge swap service".

If you turn on & off your printer every day you'll soon wonder why your cartridges seem to be going down, where did the ink go? It went to the bottom of the printer to the ink cemetery AKA maintenance pads/tanks, see the images below!

Epson R1800 vs. R1900 Photo Printers

Basically the same thing except there is no CIS system for the R1900..

EPSON STYLUS R 1900

"".. Most things seem the same except they changed two colors. Is that worth it? I doubt if the human eye could tell the difference. If it was me, i'd stick with the 1800 unless I could see a difference that would knock your socks off. Of course, with me it's a matter of money; not enough of it." |more|

 

A set or two of Epson Ink cartridges can cost around the same price as the printer.

Epson are not alone either, people often complain after buying ANY low cost printer (Lexmark, HP, Canon etc.) within a short time they are paying the same amount or more in ink cartridges.

It makes no sense at all that a set of ink cartridges cost the same as the printer, unless you understand that printer manufacturers sell printers cheaply to ensure you will buy their expensive cartridges (ink & toner).

In the trade ink jet printers are called Ink Vending Machines!

 

Ilford Papers..

Thankyou Offers!
  Free printers if you buy their ink..

As much drama as DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES SEASON FOUR 4!

Ink Vending Machines! Ink Vending Machines! Ink Vending Machines! Ink Vending Machines!

What costs more to make: A printer or a few cartridges?

It was a rhetorical question. Have a look at how many parts go into making a printer (..and we haven't photographed all of them) in this example we have stripped down an Epson R230 which at the time of writing sells under A$150 whereas a complete set of ink cartridges will set you back around A$100. Consider too the cost to assemble the parts of a printer compared with a cartridge. There would be a similar number of parts to be assembled in any brands ink jet printer, this is not a bash Epson story they make some great ink jet printers.

Parts that go into making a printer.

Printer bits.. More Printer bits.. Yes more Printer bits.. Printer gadget board.. Printer belts and cables Paper guides Buttons and bits Wow gears and springs.. Case body Paper holders Frame More frame bits

How did you watch your finals?
Pubs spend $100,000 on a 100 inch plasma when they could have had this at a fraction of the cost..
Unlike a Plasma screen this one lasts forever.

Actual example..

You think we're making it up? The images must be altered? No.
This is what the DNP screen can do using a Sanyo PLV-Z2000 projector!
We'll take your $100 bet vs. a free projector any day :)

Actual example with the downlights on full..


With a "DNP Daylight Projection Screen" it's like being there, without the parking (Actual Image)

1
No money was harmed during the making of this image. How did we make this image? Money in the hand sink picture was merged with image of bowl. Just in case you're worried about accepting change from us!

  • Some printers while cheap to buy are expensive to run and you can pay more than the cost of the printer in a very short time for consumables if you're printing a lot.
  • If you're not sure which printer is for you please feel free to [contact us]

Covers and more I'm not sure Black parts A Big bit I know this one, it's the side Sucker (not you?) pump Ink funeral felts More black things Frame thing Another frame bit Yet more Screws, springs etc. Your guess is as good as mine Foofer valves Circuit board Roller Sensor Motors Another motor that makes 3.. Hmm..

Parts that go into an ink cartridge.

ink is more expensive than French Champaign..

.. Plus the ink which is more expensive than French Champaign!

 

"..Purchasers feel that they are being duped by vendors who provide very little information about the true cost impact of their products. With lifetime costs varying between different manufacturers by as much as 60 per cent, businesses can ill afford to make the wrong decision when selecting a printer fleet.."

"..A Colour HP cartridge, for example costs £29 or (put another way) 1.70 per millilitre. That's seven times more expensive than the cost of vintage champagne, it points out. A 1985 Dom Perignon costs 23p per millilitre. Worse still, many printer cartridges give premature warnings that they are running out of ink.."

"..Epson cartridges contain a chip that stop them working when ink runs low. The company says this is a measure to protect consumers from damaging their printer or product sub-standard prints.. But, after bypassing this system a Which? researcher was able to print many more pages at accepted quality before the ink ran dry. In one instance the researcher printed 38 per cent more pages during the tests. The least amount of extra pages he was able to print of on an Epson printer was 17 per cent.." [more]

The Huey has to be the easiest Monitor Calibration Device I have ever used.

SAVE INK BY GETTING THE IMAGES YOU
EXPECTED WHEN YOU CLICKED PRINT :)

pantone huey Monitor Calibrator

[more]

Laser printers can cause cancer?

Media reports are talking about printers used in small/inefficiently ventilated spaces on a regular basis. For example a small office with the printers close to you printing most of the time. Not casual or home use. Fuji-Xerox Phaser printers DO NOT USE TONER so there are no small toner particles in the air.

If you check inside your printer and see a thin of toner (wipe it with your finger) this is a sign of the toner particles in question.

In a well ventilated office there is nothing to worry about even if you're doing a lot of printing.

".. such contaminants are easily inhaled into the smallest passageways of the lungs where they could pose “a significant health threat..”  [More]

"..I am a freelance photographer and have been using your Continuous Inking System (CIS) with my Epson printer now for about 6 months. The cost saving by using this inking system has been remarkable, cutting somewhere in the vicinity of 70% of my ink costs.."

What costs more to make?

This means in less than two sets of cartridges you could have purchased a printer, no wonder we always say no ink jet printer selling under $300 is worth fixing. Some printers (i.e. Lexmark) use ink cartridges that have the print heads built-in so every time you replace the cartridge you're also replacing the print head needed or not, this can take you into the league of an ink cartridge costing the same as the printer!

Free printers, like mobile phones? If there were a way the printer manufacturers could ensure that you can only ever use their cartridges we think they would give you the printers.

Consider an idea if you're always buying cartridges, our Continuous Inking System.

CISIs basically a system that feeds your printer quality ink via bottles. The quality is equal to (in some cases better than) standard cartridges, in our opinion, also professionals wouldn't use (see e-mails below) CIS if the print result was inferior. Naturally manufacturers wouldn't recommend it because they can't recover the money lost selling you a printer below cost to tie you into their ink.

CIS Price List on-line shop..

our systems are foam-sponge free! Foam free CIS system works well with Epson..

"..In terms of making and selling hardware, printers themselves are one of the least profitable sectors. Often the manufacturers are willing to sell their printers at a loss with the goal of making money on sales of ink. Hewlett-Packard, the biggest PC maker in the world, actually makes the most profit from its printer business: 46 percent of its total earnings in the most recent fiscal quarter were generated by its Imaging and Printing Group. And ink is a key.." [More]

You'll cut your ink costs by around *80% without loss of quality. We have numerous people using them, many are professional photographers, see their comments below. Warranty is not a problem as we have change over units for our clients by arrangement.

Your guess is as good as mine Foofer valves Circuit board Roller

A "CIS" system is not for everyone. If you rarely buy cartridges it won't be cost effective. If you leave your printer for weeks at a time between prints we wouldn't recommend any ink jet printer as heads can block without regular ink flow. The professional large format printers all use some form of CIS ink feeding.

Epson Pro Graphics models 4000/7600/9600
The professional large format printers all use some form of CIS ink feeding.

For photographers, schools & business users a CIS system can be a great investment, if you're thinking ahead. To save even more per print you'd consider the paper that many professionals use [Ilford].

I know this one, it's the side Sucker (not you?) pump Ink funeral felts More black things

Not all CIS systems are created equal, most have sponges that cause the same bubbling problems you get when your ink is running low in cartridges (missing lines) the sponge has a finite life too. You may need support in installing the system or getting any bugs out, in this case you'll be glad you purchased from a company that specialises in them.

Most competing kits have troublesome foam! You don't want a sponge, it casuse problems..

If you do take the plunge you also have the advantage of being able to SEE exactly how much ink you have left plus you become more GREEN & carbon neutral as your not producing anywhere as much waste. You'll still have to replace the ink sucking felt (maintenance request) now and then as found in all ink jet printers but you will at least know you didn't spend as much filling it with ink. Professional wide format (pro-graphics) printers have felt too called a maintenance tank which can hold a massive 400g (400ml or 4 large 100ml cartridges!) of ink (user replaceable) ..we have a green version of the kit here.

Ink often finds a final resting place here..

Felt pads - found in all ink jet printers.

ink sucking felt.. Epson R230
Epson R230 ink felt example in base of printer note 20c for scale..

Canon example of Felt
Canon ink felt example in base of printer note 20c for scale..

Printer belts and cables Paper guides Buttons and bits Wow gears and springs..

HotConnect R1800
Our "CIS" system..

CIS Price List on-line shop..

If you don't think it's fair and you want to print quality photos 70-80% cheaper look here

Tips to minimise your ink usage.

  • Never turn the printer off, you may have to plug it direct to the wall socket rather than your plug board. Every time you turn on the printer ink goes to the felt pads.
    Ink funeral felts Felt pads..
  • Do a nozzle check rather than a head clean as this sometimes clears blocked heads.
  • Use a head cleaning kit sooner than later, you may waste a lot of ink trying to clean an impossible blockage, especially true after long periods of inactivity. If your going away for months lend the kids the printer but don't offer to pay for cartridges!
    Head cleaning kit

To learn more about CIS systems click the Info button Info with price link on page..

*See CIS.htm for details.

See what others think of using "CIS"

The Epson big boys really suck some ink, lucky we
have the worlds first "Green" mainentance tank kit!

 This is a 90% used maintenance kit  This is a new maintenance kit

Info with price link on page..

From: cd factory [mailto:info@xx.com.au]
Sent: Saturday, 2 June 2007 11:25 AM
To: Russell
Subject: Re: CIS System comments


We have produced over 2500 full colour cd/dvd prints using our Epson R210 with the continuous inking system.  We found the colours more vibrant and the coverage better than genuine inks, not to mention the fantastic value and ease-of-use of the system. 

We are very happy indeed and will be sticking to this system from now on for all our inkjet printers!


CD Factory

From: Fudge [mailto:fxx@axxc.com.au]
Sent: Tuesday, 20 February 2007 10:12 AM
To: Russell
Subject: Payment of invoice and testimonial

Hi Russell,

Just wanted to say Thanks for looking after us! It's nice to know that some suppliers really do care for their customers. Every time we have needed anything, you have been prompt and direct with answers and advice and we definitely wouldn't hesitate to recommend you to anyone. I must say we are most happy with our Epsom R2400.

The quality has been outstanding! The customers are constantly telling us that we do the best prints and with the continuous ink system, the costs are low enough to remain competitive. So again, a big thank you too you and AIM-Digital Imaging . Keep up the good work!

Regards,

Fudge

Australian Digital Media Consultants [More]

I am a freelance photographer and have been using your Continuous Inking System (CIS) with my Epson printer now for about 6 months. The cost saving by using this inking system has been remarkable, cutting somewhere in the vicinity of 70% of my ink costs.

I use some of my photographs outside in nurseries and the results I’m getting are fantastic.

The pigment inks are lasting really well in the sun and the colour rendition of the prints are superb, especially due to the ICC profiles that you supplied specifically for my ink and paper.

You’ve gone the extra mile and persevered with my initial teething problems and I commend you on your service and professionalism. Many thanks for a great product and wonderful service.

Paul Colcheedas Photography, 14/07/2006

Before profile

Before profile
In the above example the colour shift was caused by using 3rd party inks on an
Epson 1290 printer printing on TDK paper.

cv Make your own profiles!

 

After profile

After profile

To learn more about CIS systems click the Info button Info with price link on page..

Brand names, Trade Marks etc. are property of their respective owners. Errors and Omissions Exempted (E. & O.E.) While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of our data we do not guarantee it. You should check with other sources if you're relying on the content of this (or any) web page on our site(s). "CIS" systems are not recommended by Epson or any manufacturer (naturally) and may void (part or all) your warranty.

Thankyou Offers!
If you purchase any product from AIM you can also purchase from our "Thankyou offers" at great savings! Look here for current items (they change all the time)..

Did we miss one?

Please let us know if you find a better genuine deal!


We try to offer the lowest genuine price and still provide real support such as colour management, lower running costs and genuine Australian warranties etc. Many prices are not genuine [Examples here] please give us the opportunity to get your business and [let us know] if you find a better deal.

Example of stock indicator. It's in stock when we say it is or you get a free gift* More

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