www. InkTec-UK.co.uk

Leaders in Ink Technology

Order line - 08450 66 66 00 (local rate call from anywhere in the UK)

Epson 7600 or 4000 - which is best for you?

Some comments on the pros and cons of the 4000 vs the 7600

PROS on the Epson 4000:

1. Costs less than the Epson 7600.
2. 17" wide format, although only 4" wider than the Epson 2200, 17 inches does allow one to now print the popular 16" x 20" format and have at least a 1/2" border all the way around. The standard 17x22 has 51% more image area than the standard 13x19 format.
3. The 4000 is between 1.7 and 1.9 times faster than the 7600 (because it has 180 nozzles per color vs. the 7600's 96 nozzles per color).
4. It has a slightly smaller foot print than the 7600.
5. Auto switching between Matte Black and Photo Black ink modes is a feature than many will appreciate. To switch black ink modes on the 7600 wastes time and about $100 worth of ink.
6. If you're not a photographer or other artist who needs 7 ink colors, the option of having an Engineering Bundle with the Dual CMYK print engine configuration is pretty cool and speedy (up to 1.9 times faster than the photographic model, which is already 1.7 to 1.9 times faster than the 7600).
7. The Epson 4000 has all of the large ink cartridge (110 ml or 220 ml size) economy of the 7600 -- only about 50 cents per square foot for ink costs, compared to about $2.00 to $2.50 for the Epson 2200. (Ink cost based on averaged photographic image densities.)
8. The Epson 4000 has a paper tray. The 7600 does not have a paper tray or a stack loader. It can only print sheets by loading one at a time. Both printers can print from rolls. The 4000 can also print one sheet at a time, allowing for the use of heavy and thick art papers, just like the 7600. Both allow up to 1.5mm thick (60 mil) media.
9. Most artists won't need RIP software for use with their Photoshop images, but if you do (for vector and PostScript files), the Epson Stylus Professional 2.0 Software RIP is only $299 for the 4000. You'll pay $1995 for the EFI Fiery Spark Professional 2 Software RIP for the 7600. The least expensive 3rd party RIP for the 7600 is $995.
10. The 4000 comes with FireWire connectability built in. On the 7600 you'll need to pay $199 for an accessory FireWire card.
11. We think the service costs might be lower for the 4000 because of another advantage it has over the 7600: The 4000 has "Auto Head Alignment & Nozzle Check Technology". A built-in white beam sensor precisely aligns and checks all color channels automatically. This means fewer service calls from inexperienced users.
12. Epson is claiming that the 4000 has even more accurate "Professional Level ICC Profiles" that give "extremely accurate color out of the box".

CONS on the Epson 4000:

1. It is limited to 17" wide. Many do not consider a printer to be "wide-format" unless it is at least 24" wide. The standard 24x30 format has almost twice the image area (92% more) of the 17x22 format.
2. No "dye" ink option (which is not much of a problem in our opinion, as we think dye is a dying option).
3. An internal 10/100 Base T Ethernet card for the 4000 is $299. It is $239 for the 7600