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From: Patty on 9 Jan 2010 11:59
I'm currently looking for a photo printer to make decent photo prints. At
this time, I plan to put the prints in frames under glass.

I'm currently looking at the Epson 1400, which is on sale this week for
$199.00 and sounds like a very good price.

My second choice is an Epson R1900 at a bit higher price, approx. $399.00.

I'm just wondering if the additional clost of the R1900 is worth it for
making prints. I'm not a professional photographer, but I am a serious
amateur. I'm using a Nikon D90 for taking photographs and PhotoShop
Elements (considering upgrading to regular PhotoShop) for editing.

I'd really just like to hear opinions and thoughts on both these printers
before I decide which way to go. Thanks so much.

Patty
From: me on 9 Jan 2010 12:47
On Sat, 9 Jan 2010 11:59:13 -0500, Patty <patty(a)iainttellin.com>
wrote:

>I'm currently looking for a photo printer to make decent photo prints. At
>this time, I plan to put the prints in frames under glass.
>
>I'm currently looking at the Epson 1400, which is on sale this week for
>$199.00 and sounds like a very good price.
>
>My second choice is an Epson R1900 at a bit higher price, approx. $399.00.
>
>I'm just wondering if the additional clost of the R1900 is worth it for
>making prints. I'm not a professional photographer, but I am a serious
>amateur. I'm using a Nikon D90 for taking photographs and PhotoShop
>Elements (considering upgrading to regular PhotoShop) for editing.
>
>I'd really just like to hear opinions and thoughts on both these printers
>before I decide which way to go. Thanks so much.
>

It depends what you want. The 1400 I beleive uses dye based inks. The
1900 uses a higher gamut set of pigment based inks like my older R800.
What is your workflow, ie what color space do you shoot, process, edit
and finally print in? Do you use or intend to use a color managed
process? If you work in sRGB space you will give up one of the
advantages of the Ultrachrome pigmented iks used in the 1900, their
wider gamut.
From: Patty on 9 Jan 2010 14:01
On Sat, 09 Jan 2010 12:47:27 -0500, me wrote:

> On Sat, 9 Jan 2010 11:59:13 -0500, Patty <patty(a)iainttellin.com>
> wrote:
>
>>I'm currently looking for a photo printer to make decent photo prints. At
>>this time, I plan to put the prints in frames under glass.
>>
>>I'm currently looking at the Epson 1400, which is on sale this week for
>>$199.00 and sounds like a very good price.
>>
>>My second choice is an Epson R1900 at a bit higher price, approx. $399.00.
>>
>>I'm just wondering if the additional clost of the R1900 is worth it for
>>making prints. I'm not a professional photographer, but I am a serious
>>amateur. I'm using a Nikon D90 for taking photographs and PhotoShop
>>Elements (considering upgrading to regular PhotoShop) for editing.
>>
>>I'd really just like to hear opinions and thoughts on both these printers
>>before I decide which way to go. Thanks so much.
>>
>
> It depends what you want. The 1400 I beleive uses dye based inks. The
> 1900 uses a higher gamut set of pigment based inks like my older R800.
> What is your workflow, ie what color space do you shoot, process, edit
> and finally print in? Do you use or intend to use a color managed
> process? If you work in sRGB space you will give up one of the
> advantages of the Ultrachrome pigmented iks used in the 1900, their
> wider gamut.

Right now, with my current printer (hpdeskjet 5550, I know it's old which
is why I was considering looking for something better) I find that I get
better results using Adobe RGB with PhotoShop Elements, but had planned on
getting some type of color calibrator (EyeOne or Spyder)for my monitor, not
sure of the printer, I understand you can get ICM files for printers. As
far as workflow, right now it's very light. At this time I only take
photos for my own use or to give away. At some point in time perhaps I'd
like to consider going more professional, but I think I need a bit more
training/practice before I can consider that.

Thanks!

Patty
From: Lon on 9 Jan 2010 20:34
Patty wrote:
> I'm currently looking for a photo printer to make decent photo prints. At
> this time, I plan to put the prints in frames under glass.
>
> I'm currently looking at the Epson 1400, which is on sale this week for
> $199.00 and sounds like a very good price.
>
> My second choice is an Epson R1900 at a bit higher price, approx. $399.00.

The two mail in rebates on the 1900 take a while to receive, but they DO
arrive.
>
> I'm just wondering if the additional clost of the R1900 is worth it for
> making prints. I'm not a professional photographer, but I am a serious
> amateur. I'm using a Nikon D90 for taking photographs and PhotoShop
> Elements (considering upgrading to regular PhotoShop) for editing.
>
> I'd really just like to hear opinions and thoughts on both these printers
> before I decide which way to go. Thanks so much.

If you are at all serious or even like very very nice professional grade
prints that look like high quality photographs or better, get the 1900.

The inks are different on the two, the 1900 uses the hi-gloss
ultrachrome series. It also has colors that tend to produce better
tones in the reds, oranges, etc. than the 1400. Plus, the gloss finish
which works with papers other than just Epson will give you something
that looks exactly like a very high quality gelatin print. Profiles
for pro grade papers tend to be easy to get as well.

The 1900 is a tad faster in the real world.

The black/gray tones are a bit better on the 1900 as well with the two
separate black inks. This not only helps if you try black and white
printing but also in tones in color printing, but also in plain paper
text printing.

I have the 1900 and use it as a utility printer in addition to photos,
CDs, etc, and regularly print 11x17 technical line drawings on it.

If you really want to see either of them come alive, upgrade to full
PhotoShop and start surfing for filters.

From: Lon on 9 Jan 2010 20:40
Patty wrote:
> On Sat, 09 Jan 2010 12:47:27 -0500, me wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 9 Jan 2010 11:59:13 -0500, Patty <patty(a)iainttellin.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> I'm currently looking for a photo printer to make decent photo prints. At
>>> this time, I plan to put the prints in frames under glass.
>>>
>>> I'm currently looking at the Epson 1400, which is on sale this week for
>>> $199.00 and sounds like a very good price.
>>>
>>> My second choice is an Epson R1900 at a bit higher price, approx. $399.00.
>>>
>>> I'm just wondering if the additional clost of the R1900 is worth it for
>>> making prints. I'm not a professional photographer, but I am a serious
>>> amateur. I'm using a Nikon D90 for taking photographs and PhotoShop
>>> Elements (considering upgrading to regular PhotoShop) for editing.
>>>
>>> I'd really just like to hear opinions and thoughts on both these printers
>>> before I decide which way to go. Thanks so much.
>>>
>> It depends what you want. The 1400 I beleive uses dye based inks. The
>> 1900 uses a higher gamut set of pigment based inks like my older R800.
>> What is your workflow, ie what color space do you shoot, process, edit
>> and finally print in? Do you use or intend to use a color managed
>> process? If you work in sRGB space you will give up one of the
>> advantages of the Ultrachrome pigmented iks used in the 1900, their
>> wider gamut.
>
> Right now, with my current printer (hpdeskjet 5550, I know it's old which
> is why I was considering looking for something better) I find that I get
> better results using Adobe RGB with PhotoShop Elements, but had planned on
> getting some type of color calibrator (EyeOne or Spyder)for my monitor, not
> sure of the printer, I understand you can get ICM files for printers. As
> far as workflow, right now it's very light. At this time I only take
> photos for my own use or to give away. At some point in time perhaps I'd
> like to consider going more professional, but I think I need a bit more
> training/practice before I can consider that.

I dont sell photos either, I've just grown kinda fussy over the quality
of the ones I give away.

Epson ships a small set of profiles with each printer, but also offers
free profiles for download from their support site for the specialty
papers. Independent paper vendors also offer profile downloads where
there are currently more for the R1900 than the 1400 it seems.

With a reasonably well eyeball calibrated monitor and ICC turned on in
the Epson, what you print is pleasingly close to what you see. To go a
lot better, you'd need a pretty good sensor and something like
Heidelberg.

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