Rangefinder Magazine
July 2005

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Output Options by Ron Eggers
Inkjets for Professional Applications

FOR MOST OF THE HISTORY of desktop photo-realistic printers, there was a great divide between professional and consumer desktop printers. Professional models, which used dye-sublimation technology to output continuous-tone prints, were expensive to buy, temperamental to operate and required expensive consumables for output. When they were first introduced in the late 1980s/early 1990s, units could cost as much as $20,000. But, to professional photographers who needed the quality the printers could generate, they were worthwhile investments.

Canon i9900	Epson Stylus Photo R1800	Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8750 Pro

Consumer models, which used inkjet technology to generate screened prints, were a lot more affordable, easier to install and relatively inexpensive to operate. Evolving out of dot matrix, the output they could generate was relatively good for quick prints, but couldn’t match the professional look of dye-sub prints.

Comparing the resolution for the two types of technology isn’t valid. A few years ago, dye-subs were still generating prints at anywhere from 200 to 400 dots per inch, while inkjets had already climbed to 1440dpi, but the dye-subs still had the quality advantage. The smooth, continuous tone, images looked a lot more like true photographic prints than prints generated on inkjets.

That is finally changing. The output that the newest generation of inkjet models targeted at professional applications can produce is excellent. And, with prices ranging around $500, just about any serious photographer can afford one.

One concern professional photographers have had about inkjet output is longevity. No matter how good a print looks when it comes off a printer, if it’s faded and washed out within a few months or years, it isn’t ideal for serious applications. Newer inkjet papers and inks have been formulated to significantly increase long-term image quality.

Output from just a few years ago might have lasted a couple of months in direct sunlight and a few years in subdued light. The new consumables increase longevity exponentially. They’re rated at being able to last 100, even 200, years in subdued light. Inkjet prints still tend to fade in direct sunlight, but not anywhere near as quickly as before. The reality is, true photographic prints also fade when exposed to direct sunlight for an extended period of time.

Epson Stylus Photo R1800

Three models from leading inkjet printer manufacturers were looked at for this review: the Canon i9900, the Epson Stylus Photo R1800 and the Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8750 Pro. All three companies have a long history in the printer market. All three of the models were tested extensively.

The three oversized models are quite stylish in metallic silver and black. The Canon is the most compact, while the HP is the largest. Personally, I like the versatility of the R1800. Canon’s front direct-print connector is a handy option, while the HP is the sleekest and most professional-looking model of the three.

The three are in the same price range. Each can generate oversized prints up to 13x19 inches. That may not be a quite large enough print size for some pro applications, but that should meet the needs of the vast majority of photographers. That’s a good size for wall calendars, smaller posters and other display materials.

With their advanced color-management capabilities and extremely tight ink patterns, output from these units is remarkable. They generate prints that have the look and feel of traditional photographs.

The printers were tested extensively, with all printing being done within Adobe Photoshop. No third party inks were used for the testing, but test prints were generated on both recommended consumables with different types of finishes, and substrates from other third party manufacturers.

Printed from a Hewlett Packard	Photosmart 8750 Pro

There are some good third-party papers on the market, but, in virtually every case, except possibly some high-end specialty art substrates, the quality of the output for each of the printers was best with the respective recommended combination of inks and papers. Glossy finishes tended to look better than matte finishes.

The three units are equally good at generating specialty output, such as envelopes, transparencies and labels as they are at generating oversized prints.

Because of the step-by-step quick-start guides, setup for all three models was straightforward. The time involved in setting up the units and installing the drivers and application software varied, but no significant hang-ups or unexpected problems developed. In fact, even though these are relatively complex pieces of equipment, and the drivers and applications that ship with them are very sophisticated, the hardware setup and software installation was unexpectedly easy.

Canon’s i9900 utilizes MicroFine Droplet Technology with 2-picoliter ink droplet size to generate 4800x2400-dpi output. Its newly developed high-density print head contains 6144 precisely machined nozzles, which deliver some 11 million droplets of ink per square inch. It uses dye-based inks with an 8-color ChromaPLUS ink system. The added red and green cartridges significantly expand the color reproduction range. Its individual ink cartridges reduce ink waste.

It’s quite fast. It’s possible to print a maximum resolution 8.5x11-inch print in slightly over two minutes. To generate a 13x19-inch print took only four minutes. Of that, only seven seconds were required to RIP the file and the unit to start printing, which is extremely fast for an oversized print.

The unit loads from a paper tray at the rear, with the finished print coming out the front. For direct output, it’s possible to connect a Bubble Jet Direct or PictBridge-compatible digital camera or DV camcorder to the Direct Print Port on the front of the unit. Canon has done a very good job of pairing its cameras and printers to make it easier to generate output.

The i9900 can be used with either Windows-based systems or Macs. It has separate USB 1.1 and USB 2.0 ports on the back. It also features a FireWire port, but that can only be used with Macs. It ships with the appropriate printer drivers, as well as a selection of imaging and output software.

Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8750 Pro

According to Canon, the European equivalent of the i9900 has CD printing capabilities, but, for some unexplained reason, that feature was deleted from the American model. That’s unfortunate, since that capability comes in very handy at times. It has a suggested retail price of $499.

The Epson Stylus Photo R1800 is an eight-ink model that also has individual inkwells. It can generate 5760x1440-dpi output and utilizes UltraChrome Hi-Gloss pigment inks that have a minimum droplet size of 1.5 picoliters. During printing, besides the inks, there’s also a gloss-optimizer applied to the media, which corrects gloss differentials and ensures uniform gloss levels by providing coverage in areas with low saturation. It eliminates that uneven finish that’s apparent with some output.

Serious photogra-phers will like the fact that the R1800 has both Photo Black and Matte Black ink cartridges. Using the right black can make a difference in both black-and-white and color printing. It’s a simple matter of selecting the paper type, and the printer selects the black ink that’s right for that paper.

Substrates are loaded through a rear tray. There’s a secondary feed for papers that require special handling, as well as a holder that can take 4-, 8.3- and 13-inch paper rolls. A separate tray slot in the front is used to print CDs. With so many different print options, the R1800 is one of the most versatile inkjets on the market.

The speed for the R1800 is good. It takes only three minutes between the time a print command is issued until a print comes out to generate an 8.5x11-inch print. Maximum sized 13x19-inch output takes twice as long.

CD printing capabilities are nothing new for inkjet printers. There have been a number of units that have had them, but the R1800 does it particularly well and very easily. Printable CDs or DVDs are placed in a special tray and inserted in the slot in front. As long as the tray is aligned correctly, the disc prints correctly. Printing CDs was also very quick.

It supports Print Image Matching, Exif Print technology, color management and ICC profiles. The bundled printer software makes it easy to generate output. It’s possible to generate borderless output, with some, but not all, sizes and types of media.

The R1800 has a suggested retail price of $549 and is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems. It comes equipped with USB and FireWire ports.

The early HP’s PhotoSmart units were some of the first inkjets that could come up with prints that had the look and feel of true photographs. They used a unique, straight paper path configuration that made it possible to use heavier paper stock.

Like the earlier models, Hewlett Packard Photosmart 8750 Professional also has a different configuration than competing printers. Rather than loading from the top of the rear, as the other two models do, it loads from a front paper tray. The paper track feeds it through so that it also comes out in front. Since you don’t have to have access to the rear (other than to connect the cables), or the top (other than for reloading the inks), it’s possible to use 8750 placed on a shelf with clearance not much more than the height of the printer itself.

The 8750 is a thermal inkjet printer that utilizes a 9-ink HP Vivera ink set. The extended color palette optimizes gradients, enhances skin tones and emphasizes blue hues for more realistic skies and landscapes. It can generate optimized 4800dpi output and comes with 64 MB of internal memory to speed up printing. A multi-size tray and media sensor makes it possible to customize print output on different paper types and sizes.

Compatible with both Windows and Macs, connectivity options for the 8750 include USB 2.0 and a PictBridge port. Business users will appreciate the Ethernet capabilities. An optional Jetdirect accessory kit adds Wi-Fi 802.11b or 802.11g wireless printing. And it has card slots on the front of the unit for direct printing from removable media such as CompactFlash, Secure Digital, MultiMedia, Memory Stick, xD cards, as well as from USB flash drives. It’s the only one of the three units with that capability. It’s also the only unit that has a built in data LCD that monitors the printing status.

HP makes a special point of highlighting its monochrome (black-and-white) printing capabilities. It’s very good at generating the wide range of grays and smooth transitions required to produce black-and-white prints that have the look of true photographs.

Generating an 8.5x11-inch color print took roughly 21/2 minutes. Since HP is touting the 8750 as a high-end black-and-white printer, monochrome printing was also time tested. Printing the same image at the same size in monochrome took more than twice as long, 51/4 minutes, but the results were worth it. The monochrome print had a warm tone with a deep, rich, quality to it.

For larger prints, it took almost 30 seconds for the HP driver to RIP the file for a 13x19 inches and another 81/4 minutes to print it out.

Even though there were no specific problems encountered, the installation of the 8750 software took an extremely long time. The instructions said it could take up on 30 minutes on an older system. It took 24 minutes on a 1.5 GHz system. That’s about double the time it took to load the drivers and software for the other units. The 8750 has a suggested retail price of $499.

All three of the units come bundled with software for image organization and optimization. They have some interesting capabilities, so they’re sufficient for quick output, but a high-end image-editing program, such as Adobe Photoshop, is still essential.

Any one of the three models would make an excellent addition to a photographer’s output arsenal. While all three can generate excellent output, each has its own print characteristics; each has its own look and feel. Which one is best is very much a personal consideration.

[Stay tuned for future installments of “Output Options,” which will cover the printer sector—product and technology.]

Ron Eggers is a Senior Editor with Newswatch Feature Service.