J.D. Hodges

Updated: 2009.Sep.19 we bought the Canon 9000 Pro Mk II! It was a tough choice, but these were our primary reasons for choosing Canon:

1. Our past good experiences with Canon large format printers
2. The flat paper path – we’re excited to try some really thick papers and the the flat paper path will prevent bending
3. Good customer reviews on Amazon (and a lot of NEGATIVE customer reviews for the Epson, related to faulty ink cartridges as well as printing problems).
4. Our past good experiences with Canon customer support (and a lot of reports of poor customer service from Epson)

   PS the Epson probably produces exemplary output, but I think we’ll be happy with the Canon!

Previously updated 2009.Sep.16: we’re narrowing in on choosing a printer. I’ve added more links here. Both printers have fallen in price to $404 from Newegg for the R1900 and $350 for the 9000 Mk II (after $100 rebate).

We’re looking to buy Samantha a new pro photo printer for her photography business. So far these are the top two contenders (plus some additional info).

Epson R1900

• REVIEWS
  • A thorough review of the Epson R1900 by PrinterInfo.com
  • Another Epson Stylus Photo R1900 review – Printerville.com
• Ink cost:
  • Cost of Inkjet Printing Report Epson R2400 and R1900
    Summary of R1900 ink cost by print size

  • Printer	4×6	5×7	8×10	11×14	13×19
    R1900	$0.19	$0.28	$0.63	$1.22	$1.90

  • Source: Red River Paper (please read their full review for more info!)
• Accessories
  • InkRepublic – CIS for R1900 – a “Continuous Ink System” that uses ink tanks instead of ink cartridges.
  • ICC “premium” printer profiles for the R1900: Epson America, Inc. – Support – Highlights

Canon Pro 9000 MkII (or possibly the 9500)

• REVIEWS:
  • http://www.printerinfo.com/content/Canon-Pixma-Pro-9000-Mark-II-Photo-Printer-Review-1120.htm
• Ink cost:

  • Printer	4×6	5×7	8×10	11×14	13×19
    Canon PRO 9000	$0.19	$0.28	$0.64	$1.23	$1.98

  • Source:  RedRiver Paper
    Note: this is an older Canon model, but the number should be fairly applicable to the Mk II model.

I’ll try to post any significant findings/decisions here :-).