Hewlett-Packard B9180 Black Friday Deals!
 |
Hewlett-Packard B9180 Black Friday Deals!.
Product: Hewlett-Packard B9180 Amazon Price: Too low to display Availability: In Stock |
Compare Prices on Hewlett-Packard B9180
I fair got my printer today, so maybe it's a dinky premature to write a review, but I already know some of the key things I'd glance for in a review.
Background: I have an Epson R800 which doesn't fetch remarkable employ. Before that I had an Epson 2000p. The R800 only favorite minute (8 ½") paper, and always seemed to require a lot of inconvenience and fiddling to procure a salubrious print. The 2000p was a mammoth printer, but preceded the days of separate color cartridges, so was rather expensive to employ. For its time, it was a terrific printer.
On to the B9180. It takes paper up to 13" wide, so we're attend to a larger format. In fact this printer is a tank. This is my first HP photo printer and I reflect I picked the factual time to switch brands. The HP now uses archival quality inks, which is one of the reasons I had always stuck with Epson in the past. If you're any kind of photographer, you don't want prints that are going to recede over time.
Initial setup went smoothly. Pulling some of the protective caps required a miniature force so was a bit scary (you really don't want to screw up a $700 printer before it prints something) . The like a flash launch guide and LCD panel directed you what to do. Basically you effect in the ink, the printheads, and it takes about half an hour calibrating itself. I know the initial setup will expend up some ink, but according to the printer, the matte sunless cartridge was only 68% chubby after setup completed. Other cartridges were left with between 70% - 85% according to the printers sensors. This printer is supposed to be very efficient in maintaining itself, so it will be lively to gawk how noteworthy it ends up costing to hasten.
One thing that does expend up ink is printing pictures that don't explore like they did on your computer camouflage. The first print I made (that was particularly difficult to print on the Epson) came out perfectly, and rather lickety-split, it seemed.
The printer comes with a plug-in for Photoshop that makes printing a snap. If you don't happen to employ Photoshop, it's not a tall deal, but if you do, the plug-in is a very nice convenience.
So, I give this printer top marks for output quality, ease of exercise, and bustle. How well it performs with only intermittent spend, and costs to utilize over time remains to be seen. But where the Epson R800 falls in the category of "I really wasted my money", the HP B9180 is falling into the "Money well spent" slot. There's also a theory that companies compose cheap printers to sell expensive cartridges. When they profit from the printer, they are not as greedy selling the ink. Who knows?
This printer is a stout tool to have to compliment the novel quality of the 6-12 megapixel dSLRs now available. I employ a Nikon D200 currently, and the HP B9180 should reveal off its output quite nicely.
I unbiased got the designate novel HP B9180 13x19 pigmented ink printer. I had been waiting for it to hit the market since Feb. Well, it was worth the wait. This printer replaced my Epson 2200, which i opinion produced handsome prints.
These prints out of the 9180 are even nicer. So far, in unprejudiced 2 days of printing, i found that using HP's print management system produces different results from printing from Photoshops print with preview. The colors with HP management are more vibrant and brighter than either the Epson or PS's printing. I primitive Ilfords pearl and got blooming results. And it prints hastily. Then i printed on a Legion matte paper and got even better results. A night time skyline panorama looked more detailed and brighter on the matte than the pearl paper.
The advanced photo paper -glossy from HP seems to scratch easily. That's my initial impression. I judge i will be buying more matte paper for my photos. So far, i like my unusual printer. The belief of photos lasting 1-2 hundred years is captivating.
The HP software is also more detailed and clearer to spend and offers more choices than Epson's. I was able to add ICC profiles of the Ilford paper easily.
One thing not all in status yet is HP's befriend for this printer. There is no Mac driver for the 9180 on HP's web site-just 3 Windows versions.
Also their email befriend was not too on the brand. However, when i called a help person, he did try to be as pleasant as he could and even called me succor the next day to say he would be mailing out a scarce replpacement CD to me. Very nice.
I did salvage a message from the printer today that i was running out of light magenta ink after not too many prints (maybe 8-11x14's) . When checked, it says i have 35% remaining. a bit premature on the warning, but i will obtain some more ink befor i accelerate out.
Based on my preliminary prints, i recommend this printer to people who want the latest, fastest printer making magnificent archival prints. If this printer is like my other 3 HP printers, it should provide years of service. My Epson 2200 died after 2 months employ, and i don't like having to baby Epson printers, i want them to do the work, not me. The HP has replaceable heads, a sophisticated ink system that is an ink miser (so they say), and is built like a tank for long life.
I have been a right Epson user for many years having old both Stylist 3000 and 5000. I had been anticipating the replacement of the 5000 since ink technology had advanced significantly in modern times and, quite frankly, I begain to dislike using or creating profiles for the different papers, etal. I researched as great as I could once the HP B9180 was announced especially taking sign of its pigment inks and placed my pre-order and endured the delay of its market release. By coincidence, the Epson 5000 died a month ago and left me high and dry for several weeks until I received gape that the HP was shipping and I would receive mine in 10 days. It finally arrived and decided to dedicate the day to setting it up. Setting up and getting it to print was straight foward and patience is essential enabling the printer to go through its setup initialization. Since I consume a series of MAC's it took some time to find three machines connected by both wireless and hardwire, but managed to successfully wade through it all being a non-techy. I printed a few random prints (letter and A3+ borderless) using both the OSX print dialogue and HP print utility via the 'automate' file menu in Photoshop. The B9180 is an impressive printer at under $699 compared to the Epson 5000 printer costing $3000 when current. The color and detail is exceptional and I was using a mixed collection of papers from semi-gloss, gloss, matte and uncoated to compare results and how mighty correction might be needed. Having read a previous post about print hurry, I also tried this as well comparing 300 dpi, 600dpi, and 1200 dpi printing... for my utilize, 600 dpi is more than adequate to acquire acceptble prints and even 300dpi was reasonable. I only mention this because of the spooling time for higher dpi prints. One mark of interest, the Epson 5000 conventional 120ml carts (6- ~$360) while the HP uses smallish ones (8 of them- `$280), I also read somewhere, OEM HP ink carts are their highest margin product so HP is rigorously protecting their cart patents, so don't inquire to peep any aftermarket non-OEM carts anytime soon. Besides the pigment inks are HP and are themselves problematic to get consistently compared to dye-based inks. Afterall, HP rates their pigment inks at about 200 years of permanence, one of the highest in the industry. In short, I am ecstatic with my decision to occupy the HP B9180, resigned to the label of inks, and reccomend it. To hedge my bet, I also purchased an extended warranty which is something I've never done before.
(December Update) Light Cyan and Light Magenta cartridges ran out first with the remaining cartridges having 50% or better remaining. The color has been consisent across different applications (InDesign, Photoshop, and Freehand) and the HP Print Dialogue Menu is a stout tool under the 'automate' in Photoshop. Resetting the printer is time engrossing and turning it 'off' requires the printer to go through its 'startup' sequence which, in itself, is time spirited. I now unbiased leave it 'on' all the time as this partiular printer goes through a 'auto' self-maintenace cycle periodically. I had 2 paper jams using 13X19 Ilford semi-gloss paper using the 'single sheet' feeder that required me to turn the printer off and positive the quandary. Paper fed from it's paper tray doesn't always go through the printer striaght about 50% of the time all be it slightly hooked, but mild annoying and wasteful. Like other printers I've owned in the past, the HP B9180 is no exception to adjusting to its quirks as well as paying attention where needed. If anyone has spent time in the darkroom printing color prints knows the adjustments with any inkjet printer is petite potatos. I've yet to spend any HP branded papers and tranquil utilize the various papers I have on hand.
