Pigment Ink Printers
A pigment ink printer uses a liquid carrier fluid that is filled with pigment or dye colorants. This fluid evaporates as the ink dries.
Dye inks are water-soluble, so they will dissolve and flow when in contact with moisture. Pigment inks, on the other hand, are dry.
Brother MFC-J491DW
The Brother MFC-J491DW is an all-in-one printer that’s a good choice for small businesses and homes that need to print in color. It has a wide range of features, including an automatic document feeder and faxing capabilities. Its ink cartridges are relatively cheap, too, so you won’t have to worry about replacing them often.
It produces high-quality documents, with black and color prints looking crisp and detailed. However, it doesn’t do well with photos; they look washed out and lacking detail.
In our tests, the Brother MFC-J491DW printed 12 pages per minute for monochrome prints and 6 pages per minute for color ones. That’s a little slower than many competing models, but it’s not bad for an inkjet printer. It also has an automatic document feeder, so you can leave up to 20 sheets of paper in the tray and it will still print them without having to worry about stopping work for a moment.
This is a great feature for businesses that frequently print out large numbers of files, such as legal paperwork or marketing materials. The printer’s four ink cartridges are rated for very high yields, so you can get a lot of use out of them before you need to replace them.
The MFC-J491DW is also quite easy to operate. It has a one-snap design for changing the ink, which makes it easy to remove and replace individual cartridges. You can even buy XL cartridges to increase your printing capacity.
You can also save money by using high-yield cartridges. This can help cut your printing costs significantly, and it’s a good option if you’re not planning on changing the cartridges often.
Alternatively, you can buy bulk ink in a bottle to pigment ink printers refill the cartridges yourself. This is a great way to save on printing costs, and you can also recycle the empty ink cartridges for free with Brothers’ recycling program.
Another excellent feature is the separate ink tanks for the different colors, which make it easier to change out the ink cartridges. These cartridges come with an instant-dry feature, so you can touch your prints without smearing them.
These inks are also very durable and can withstand heavy usage, which is important if you’ll be using your printer frequently. They’re also compatible with a variety of different media types, so you can choose the right paper for your needs.
In addition, it supports Wi-Fi networking and Apple AirPrint, so you can print wirelessly from most devices. Its 2.4-inch color LCD screen offers auto two-sided printing and easy navigation to find the settings you need.
The Brother MFC-J491DW can be a good choice for business owners who want to print in color, but it’s not the best choice for everyone. It’s not as fast or versatile as other printers on the market, and it can’t handle photos as well as some other laser models we’ve tested. In addition, it’s not as durable or affordable as some of its competitors.
Epson R2000
The Epson R2000 is a wide-format printer that offers exceptional paper handling. It also has the ability to print from discs and can be connected via wireless network, making it a very versatile printer for the photo enthusiast or semi-professional.
If you’re looking for a high-end pigment ink printer with excellent print quality, look no further than the Epson R2000. It offers speed and output quality suitable for professional photographers and graphic artists at a price that’s very affordable for serious amateurs.
It’s a big printer, but it’s not as deep or tall as the Canon Pro 9500 Mark II, which is another fine model that can handle paper up to A3. It has three-stage telescopic paper trays and an eight-ink printhead; although it’s a substantial machine, it doesn’t require much space in the rear.
Unlike the previous R1900, the control panel on the R2000 doesn’t have an integrated screen; instead, it’s controlled through a series of buttons and indicator lights on the front of the unit. These buttons control power, paper eject, “install and prime new ink cartridge,” and “use roll paper holder.” There’s also a PictBridge port for printing from memory cards.
You can easily print images from memory cards and a CD using a software application called Print CD, which is included in the box with your printer. It lets you print a CD outline to help you design the disc’s layout, and it also provides a selection of backgrounds and clip art to add some pizzazz to your disc.
There are also a number of other features, like Gloss Optimizer, which allows you to set the level of gloss for both photo and matte blacks. The default is on, but you can switch it off or change the settings to cover only the image area or the entire page.
The printer uses Epson’s UltraChrome Hi-Gloss 2 pigment ink printers inks, which are said to produce archival prints with a glossy finish. It also includes Epson’s Advanced MicroPiezo AMC print head, which helps to improve color gamut and deliver sharper and more vivid prints.
One of the more impressive aspects of this printer is that it does not use a dedicated black cartridge for printing on matte papers, like many other pigment ink printers do. It uses a standard photo black cartridge, which can be swapped out for the matt black when you’re printing on matte paper. This is a more convenient way to switch between the two inks, and less ink is wasted when switching between papers.
The R2000 also has a high-capacity ink cartridge for printing on glossy or semi-gloss paper. This ink is not as expensive as the other pigment inks, but it does provide a slightly improved print quality when used on a glossy or semi-gloss paper.
Epson Stylus Pro 9800
The Epson Stylus Pro 9800 pigment ink printer is a wide-format print machine that uses UltraChrome K3 technology to produce archival prints. It features eight color pigments, including three levels of black, which helps it to outperform lesser ink technologies while also delivering outstanding gloss-level and scratch resistance.
The printer features a resolution of up to 2880 x 1440 dpi, as well as variable-sized droplets that are as small as 3.5 picoliters. The printer also uses Micro PiezoTM technology, which allows it to deliver finely detailed images and reduces waste by adjusting ink delivery to the amount of paper being used. The Stylus Pro 9800 also has a high-capacity ink cartridge system that supports 110 ml and 220 ml cartridges that can be replaced in the middle of a print job.
It also features built-in memory that tracks key print job statistics, such as ink levels, ink usage, remaining media and print times. This feature is particularly useful when running a large job, as it will prevent unnecessary waste and save you money on ink replacements.
This printer supports a variety of media formats, and is compatible with all the Epson premium papers. It can also print directly onto roll media and inkjet printable CD/DVDs, making it one of the most versatile A3 printers available.
In addition, the Stylus Pro 9800 is supported by a range of color management solutions. It includes a Print Image Matching Plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, four popular black and white filters from nik multimedia, as well as a RAW Print option to facilitate printing of RAW format image files.
These color management features work in conjunction with the Stylus Pro 9800’s Advanced Color Control technology to provide high-fidelity print output that is highly accurate and true to life, as well as producing vibrant, colorful presentations and charts. These features enable professionals to create professional-quality, fully-branded materials with minimal time and effort.
Additionally, the Stylus Pro 9800 has a dual-ink system that combines the use of Epson’s Micro PiezoTM ink with a dye-based black ink to achieve a wider colour gamut. In addition, it has a unique Gloss Optimizer that improves gloss-level performance when using fine art and photo papers.
The printer can produce a 16″ x 20″ photo lab-quality print as fast as 6 minutes, 41 seconds and is compatible with all the Epson media types and surfaces found in an everyday office environment. It can also print on both sides of the media without damaging the previously printed side, and has a built-in media cutter that automatically trims top and bottom edges of roll media safely and accurately to produce full-bleed images on all four sides.
The Stylus Pro 9800 is equipped with a USB 2.0 port, an IEEE 1394 FireWire TM port and an Epson Expansion Slot for installing an optional 10/100 BaseT Ethernet card. It also features Professional Epson Photographic Drivers for Macintosh and Windows, and is fully supported by most leading third party RIPs and workflows.
