Let me state at the outset that, never so far having possessed one, I am woefully ignorant about the operation of fine art printers.
Still, I want to buy one in order to print large format prints in exhibition quality and, very important, digital negatives for alternative processes. I have my eyes on an Epson Stylus 7700.
As this is quite an investment (for me, at least), I need to plan ahead, and therefore have several questions regarding its operation:
First, is this the right choice for printing digital negs?
Second, and no less important, I read that such printers need to be operated on a regular schedules or else the nozzles in the printing head will clog up.
I can't do this. I know there will be times when will use it daily, sometimes weekly or so, but there will also be times when i will be traveling or otherwise preoccupied, and when I will not be able to use the printer at all (easily one or two months at a time).
Now, Epson says about their new models that due to new technology (what else?) "clogged nozzles are virtually eliminated". But still, I would dearly like to know whether there are not procedures of properly setting such a printer up for times of inactivity, so that it can be taken back into operation without too many problems. Running a cleaning fluid through its nozzles? Methanol, perhaps?
Third, I live in Lahore, Pakistan, and it gets quite hot here in the summer - rooms heat up easily to more than 40 C/ 104 F. Humidity stays in the room at about 55-60, in the Monsoon it goes easily up to 70.
When I run the printer, I will of course do so with an AC during the hot season, but to run an AC continuously is forbiddingly expensive - apart from that I think the resulting drop in humidity would create again problems with clogging.
If you have any other advices concerning the operation of such a printer, I would also dearly like to know them, as I should know what I'll be doing.
One further point: or would perhaps the Epson 7900 be more advisable?
Lukas
Still, I want to buy one in order to print large format prints in exhibition quality and, very important, digital negatives for alternative processes. I have my eyes on an Epson Stylus 7700.
As this is quite an investment (for me, at least), I need to plan ahead, and therefore have several questions regarding its operation:
First, is this the right choice for printing digital negs?
Second, and no less important, I read that such printers need to be operated on a regular schedules or else the nozzles in the printing head will clog up.
I can't do this. I know there will be times when will use it daily, sometimes weekly or so, but there will also be times when i will be traveling or otherwise preoccupied, and when I will not be able to use the printer at all (easily one or two months at a time).
Now, Epson says about their new models that due to new technology (what else?) "clogged nozzles are virtually eliminated". But still, I would dearly like to know whether there are not procedures of properly setting such a printer up for times of inactivity, so that it can be taken back into operation without too many problems. Running a cleaning fluid through its nozzles? Methanol, perhaps?
Third, I live in Lahore, Pakistan, and it gets quite hot here in the summer - rooms heat up easily to more than 40 C/ 104 F. Humidity stays in the room at about 55-60, in the Monsoon it goes easily up to 70.
When I run the printer, I will of course do so with an AC during the hot season, but to run an AC continuously is forbiddingly expensive - apart from that I think the resulting drop in humidity would create again problems with clogging.
If you have any other advices concerning the operation of such a printer, I would also dearly like to know them, as I should know what I'll be doing.
One further point: or would perhaps the Epson 7900 be more advisable?
Lukas
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