chipped vs. non-chipped (Epson 1270 vs. 1200)

I've been considering the purchase of an Epson 1270 so I can say goodbye to photo lab printing and go completely digital.

The reason I was interested in the 1270 was that the ink is supposed to last for 10 years.

However, now that I've been reading about the 1200's ability to use archival inks, I'm wondering if that's a better way to go. I wouldn't mind saving a few hundred bucks by buying the 1200 vs. the 1270, but I'd like to know more about the inks the 1200 can accept and what all this talk is about chipped vs. non-chipped printers?

Any info on that?

Thanks,

Rick

RickDeet,

Non-chipped carts can use aftermarket inks (archival, B&W). The chipped models only use the inks supplied by Epson.

Non chipped carts are easily converted to CIS systems (continuous ink systems). This reduces the amount of money spent on ink cartridges.

If you are looking at the 1200, HURRY. They are discontinued and usually only available used. Some Micro Centers have a limited supply of new Epson 1200's (if still around after my earlier post). They produce images very comparable to the 1270.

Go to http://www.MediaStreet.com to see what kinds of inks are available.

Greg

RickDeet said:

I've been considering the purchase of an Epson 1270 so I can say
goodbye to photo lab printing and go completely digital.

The reason I was interested in the 1270 was that the ink is
supposed to last for 10 years.

However, now that I've been reading about the 1200's ability to use
archival inks, I'm wondering if that's a better way to go. I
wouldn't mind saving a few hundred bucks by buying the 1200 vs. the
1270, but I'd like to know more about the inks the 1200 can accept
and what all this talk is about chipped vs. non-chipped printers?

Any info on that?

Thanks,

Rick

Click to expand...

The Epson 1200 is now on sale at MicroCenter for $149.99. Thanks to Gre T's heads-up. Great value. And if I wasn't so lazy, I'd buy all 30 in stock and sell them on eBay.

Gregory T. said:

Non-chipped carts can use aftermarket inks (archival, B&W). The
chipped models only use the inks supplied by Epson.

Non chipped carts are easily converted to CIS systems (continuous
ink systems). This reduces the amount of money spent on ink
cartridges.

If you are looking at the 1200, HURRY. They are discontinued and
usually only available used. Some Micro Centers have a limited
supply of new Epson 1200's (if still around after my earlier post).
They produce images very comparable to the 1270.

Go to http://www.MediaStreet.com to see what kinds of inks are available.

Greg

RickDeet said:

I've been considering the purchase of an Epson 1270 so I can say
goodbye to photo lab printing and go completely digital.

The reason I was interested in the 1270 was that the ink is
supposed to last for 10 years.

However, now that I've been reading about the 1200's ability to use
archival inks, I'm wondering if that's a better way to go. I
wouldn't mind saving a few hundred bucks by buying the 1200 vs. the
1270, but I'd like to know more about the inks the 1200 can accept
and what all this talk is about chipped vs. non-chipped printers?

Any info on that?

Thanks,

Rick

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Member said:

Non-chipped carts can use aftermarket inks (archival, B&W). The
chipped models only use the inks supplied by Epson.

Non chipped carts are easily converted to CIS systems (continuous
ink systems). This reduces the amount of money spent on ink
cartridges.

Click to expand...

Some moe input.

I have both. Both have been converted to Cfs systems. Both work great. The only difference is the reset procedure which is clearly defined on the http://www.MisSupply.com website. The 1200 is just a bit less aggrevating to reset than the 1270.

Jon ...

There are ways to work around the chip and thus utilize different inks on the 1270.

I've tried the Generations archival ink and the MIS full spectrum semi-archival
ink on the 1200. If you like the Epson color gamut and want glossy and
semigloss prints that are colorful and won't smudge, then you'll probably be
disappointed with aftermarket archival pigmented ink.

From what I've heard, MIS has solved the orange-shift problem with their 1270

replacement bulk ink. I haven't used this ink yet, but if its color gamut is like
Epson's and the ink doesn't smudge, I'd recommend the 1270 and the MIS 1270
bulk ink. Epson pigmented archival ink is the only archival ink that I've seen
so far that will print on glossy or semiglos stock and not smudge.

I now have the 1270 and it prints faster w/better quality than the 1200.

Keith.

I would have to seriously disagree with the "smudging" with Generations pigment inks. I have used the 1200 with this ink for over a year now and it is simply a matter of paper selection as with any ink, you must find the proper combos to get the best results. I don't get any smudging with the Epson Photo paper or the Archival Matte. And Concorde Rag or Somerset Photo Enhanced give great results, esp the Rag paper. Profiling to the ink/paper combo is a must in order to get the right amount of ink laid down and I find that to be quit simple. The simplicity of a CIS system with the Generations inkset along with the tremendous cost savings has led me to purchase a second system to set up as a Sixtone printer...egstrait

Keith Sinrod said:

There are ways to work around the chip and thus utilize different
inks on the 1270.

I've tried the Generations archival ink and the MIS full spectrum
semi-archival
ink on the 1200. If you like the Epson color gamut and want glossy
and
semigloss prints that are colorful and won't smudge, then you'll
probably be
disappointed with aftermarket archival pigmented ink.

From what I've heard, MIS has solved the orange-shift problem with
their 1270
replacement bulk ink. I haven't used this ink yet, but if its
color gamut is like
Epson's and the ink doesn't smudge, I'd recommend the 1270 and the
MIS 1270
bulk ink. Epson pigmented archival ink is the only archival ink
that I've seen
so far that will print on glossy or semiglos stock and not smudge.

I now have the 1270 and it prints faster w/better quality than the
1200.

Keith.

Click to expand...

Keith Sinrod said:

From what I've heard, MIS has solved the orange-shift problem with
their 1270
replacement bulk ink. I haven't used this ink yet, but if its
color gamut is like
Epson's and the ink doesn't smudge, I'd recommend the 1270 and the
MIS 1270
bulk ink

Click to expand...

I've been using MIS bulk ink on my Epson 1280 with good results. I'm on my third refill now and the colors are consistent. I had to do some tweaking when I first refilled, however. Other than color differences, the inks seem to have the same properties as Epson's - fast drying, smudge-free, water resistant, etc.

Of course, only time will tell if they have fixed the orange shift problem. I have sent a sample print to Bob Meyer on the Epson list for him to fade test. He's already testing one that MIS sent to him directly.

Travis

Keith Sinrod said:

From what I've heard, MIS has solved the orange-shift problem with
their 1270 replacement bulk ink. I haven't used this ink yet, but if its

color gamut is like Epson's and the ink doesn't smudge, I'd recommend the 1270 and the MIS 1270 bulk ink.

Click to expand...

An update to Bob Meyers site was just posted a few days ago regarding tests using a print supplied by MIS, using MIS 1270 bulk ink.

"The Epson OEM ink sample is dramatically orange. No one would need a comparison print to notice somethings wrong. The MIS ink sample, by comparison, looks very neutral. However, compared to the dark stored, sealed from air control sample, it isn't perfect........... Originally, the MIS supplied print seemed very cool, with a bit of a blue tone to it...... Now, it looks quite neutral. Black hair still looks black viewed in isolation, but when compared to the control sample it looks just a bit brown. The blues are, unfortunately, a bit weaker than they were originally. Results are still dramatically better than the OEM ink, but not perfect"

Read about it here

http://home.cox.rr.com/meyerfamily/epson/misinks.html

Some interesting notes regarding the tests:

The MIS supplied print used for his tests, was "very cool, with a bit of a blue tone to it".

Several posts in this forum, including mine, from users of MIS ink are reporting WARM magenta/red prints using MIS ink WITHOUT tweaking.

How red/orange do you think a print made using MIS ink, and using the automatic setting in the Epson driver (a normal print) would be, after a Bob Meyers toture testing?

The sample print I recieved from MIS, after complaining that their ink printed very heavy on the magenta/red side... was also, very cool/blue.

The MIS ink IS SHIFTING, it seems to be shifting a little slower...But IS Shifting to a warmer/redder tone. So much for the "perfect ink"

And this for those claiming that "THEIR MIS ink is an exact match to Epsons" from Bob Meyers test pages regarding MIS ink:

" And if you can't tell the difference between the MIS and Epson inks, you must be color blind!"

Mark

So what you're saying is that I can use aftermarket inks with the 1270?

Jon ... said:

Jon ... said:

Non-chipped carts can use aftermarket inks (archival, B&W). The
chipped models only use the inks supplied by Epson.

Non chipped carts are easily converted to CIS systems (continuous
ink systems). This reduces the amount of money spent on ink
cartridges.

Click to expand...

Some moe input.

I have both. Both have been converted to Cfs systems. Both work
great. The only difference is the reset procedure which is clearly
defined on the http://www.MisSupply.com website. The 1200 is just a bit
less aggrevating to reset than the 1270.

Jon ...

Click to expand...

Mark said:

And this for those claiming that "THEIR MIS ink is an exact match
to Epsons" from Bob Meyers test pages regarding MIS ink:

" And if you can't tell the difference between the MIS and Epson
inks, you must be color blind!"

Click to expand...

Isn't the above quote referring to seeing the ozone "aged" color shift of the Epson vs. the MIS inks and not to the MIS inks in general?

I plan to buy a MIS CFS system for my 1200. I don't expect it to be an exact match, as long as I can profile or tweak the ink to get the results I want I'll be happy.

Currently, I'm using ink4art.com ink in my 1200. They don't match Epson's ink but after a quick tweak they're quite nice and inexpensive. My only misgivings with ink4art is that they had to break up my last order due to stock on hand. I initially received three color carts that match what I was using and three from a different manufacturer. Not sure what to expect this time. As long as I can make adjustments I'll be fine.