Following on from a thread Alex created while we were with our former employer, here are the results from our current Epson Ecotank series tests.
The ET-2711
Firstly the new ET-2700 series machines make use of a proprietary filling bottle.
These bottles fit perfectly into the printers filling vents and fill the tank to capacity.
As a result filling these printers with sublimation ink requires the use of a syringe and needle.
It is easy to do and means you are less likely to spill the ink while pouring it.
From this point on the experience becomes the easiest we have ever had with a new desktop printer.
So, onto the important bit, the print quality.
For a 4 colour machine it is safe to say we are impressed.
Straight out of the box prints were pleasantly accurate.
Our custom profile brought the colours into a closer representation of what was on screen and the results are as follows;
On hard surfaces the picture quality is sharp and vibrant.
Lines are held well and there is a high level of detail in photographs.
With fabrics we found colours to be bright and vivid.
Again, lines are sharp and detail is high, though some aspects of the image are lost due to the porous nature of fabrics.
Regarding durability, the printers have proven to be rather robust.
We pumped out 500 A4 prints before we needed to top our inks up, and the printer handled it without skipping a beat.
I also left the printer for 2 weeks without use and then fired it back up for a test print.
The nozzles appeared to be missing in certain places across all 4 colours, but after one head clean they were all back and the printer functioned without issue.
I would still advise to use the printer more regularly, but on those occasions where it might sit this printer proved capable of handling some down time.
The ET-14000
As A3 printers go we considered the Epson 1500W to be the best for quality and affordability.
Nothing has filled that gap and the cost of A3 printers has risen considerably.
In steps the ET-14000.
Based on the 1500W, the main difference is the ET-14000 has 4 colours in its 5 ink channels (C,M,Y,K) rather than 6.
The price has also increased, but with the added benefit of an Ecotank we find this increase to be justifiable.
Colour quality matches that of any other 4 colour Epson printer, but the amount of detail in prints appears to be better.
We managed 320 A3 borderless prints on this printer before having to top up the tanks, and again the paper feed was more than capable of handling the throughput.
It has the same internal components as the 1500W and is therefore on the same page in regards to durability.
After being left for 2 weeks without use there wasn't even a single nozzle missing.
It just carried on as if it had been printing 5 minutes before.
As always we recommend using the printer more regularly, but we were staggered at this result.
In conclusion, if you are looking for a simple solution to sublimation printing we cannot recommend the Ecotank series highly enough.
The price point may be higher than your average desktop package but when you take into account there is;
- no retrofitting of a CISS or RIC
- no downtime in printing thanks to "Empty Ink Cartridge" errors
- no firmware updates knocking our your compatible cartridges
the increase is well worth it.
As Epson start to expand their ET range we will continue to test each model with Inktec Sublinova inks and see how they fare.
I can happily say the future looks bright for sublimation printing with Ecotank printers.
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