New Photo Printer

serious drool factor - a review by Luminous Landscape of the new Epson 4000 printer: bq. Goldilocks � Just The Right Size With the introduction of the SP4000 Epson has filled a gap in its product line and has created a printer that will answer the needs of many commercial and fine-art photographers for whom the 2100/2200 was a bit too small, and for whom the larger models were possibly too large. Also, as will be seen, the 4000 has significant advantages in both speed and ink costs. bq. Godzilla � Big & Fast This is the godzilla of desktop printers. Weighing it at nearly 85lb, it is more than 33 inches wide, 14 inches wide and 30 inches deep. It will fit on a desk, though a very large and sturdy desk. bq. Anyone who has done high volume printing with an Epson 2100/2200 printer knows that the ink costs are a killer. Even when bought from a discounter, in quantity, the cost per milliliter is high, and when doing a large print run I have found that I have to replace various cartridges as many as a half dozen times a day. bq. The ink cartridges that can be used on the 4000 are the largest that Epson makes � 220 ml, (the cartridges are the same as those used in the 7600 and 9600 printers), and so the cost per ml and the frequency of charges needed will be dramatically reduced. (110ml cartridges may also be used). bq. Speed is the 4000's other advantage. According to Epson it is approximately twice as fast as any previous Stylus Color printer, and specifically the larger model 7600. According to Epson the 4000 produces prints of slightly higher quality than the 7600, due as well to its new 3.5 picoliter head technology. Looks really good. The cost is about $1,700 but this includes eight 220ml ink cartridges which sell for $112 - an $896 value. 75% faster too