Which photo printer?
QI’m buying my first A3 photo printer. I’d like to print my own large canvas prints as well as 5x7in and A4 glossy prints for use in photo frames. A few of my friends have asked me to make big prints for them from my landscape shots as well as some requests for decent prints for framing. As they seem happy for me to earn something on top of basic costs, I’m going for something more expensive and, hopefully, better. I like the Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 as it’s small and the blurb suggests it produces great prints. But I’ve also seen Epson’s SureColor SC- P400, which is double the price. What am I missing in the price discrepancy? Millie Worthing
AThe most fundamental difference between the two printers is that the Expression Photo HD XP-15000 uses Epson Claria dye-based inks for photo printing and the SureColor SC- P400 uses Epson’s Hi- Gloss UltraChrome pigmented inks. As you want to print on canvas photo paper I’d immediately rule out the XP-15000. Dye-based inks are great for matched plastic/resin-based photo print media, but they don’t work well on fibre-based photo papers. Most canvas-style inkjet photo papers are fibre-based. Dye-based inks tend to spread along the fibres through capillary action, effectively smudging detail. Pigmented inks contain microscopic lumps of dye that stay where they were deposited by the printer, even on fibre-based media, producing much better results. Pigmented inks also resist atmospheric and UV light degradation more effectively. Pigmented inks don’t normally produce a good shine on glossy media but the SureColor SC- P400 uses a gloss optimiser. The SureColor SC- P400 is definitely the best choice for you.