laser vs inkjet


Judy Seigel (jseigel@panix.com)
Sat, 10 Jul 1999 02:24:21 -0400 (EDT)


We had this discussion, sort of, last year, but it ended kind of hanging,
as did I. Now I want to buy a printer that can do large size digital
negatives, & seek info.

Epson Stylus Color 1520 will do 11x17 inches "and larger" I'm told, up to
1440 dpi. And costs only about $500. The cartridges don't last long, but
I'm not planning high production. My hesitation is that the inkjet "pixel"
is, (as seen in the limited tests I've run from inkjet negs) not as
versatile and attractive (in my opinion) for printing gum as the dot from
the laser -- the "rosette." At least as found so far.

There's also the nuisance of the thing getting dried up or whatever it
does if you don't run it every week, then has to be sent back to factory
(or so I was told, maybe that's not true) for overhaul.

There's an 11 x17 laser printer for about $1000.... Nice laser dot, and it
can be varied from coarse graphic "pattern" of Adobe Photo Shop to very
fine resolution, but...

I haven't seen that printer yet, but I suspect it's bigger & heavier, so
harder to accomodate than the Epson... Also, I gather that by printing
the colors all together the inkjet can make a denser negative.... plus
the inkjet on *paper* waxes without smearing. The laser negative on paper
has problems -- must be very carefully waxed and even then can offset.

In the interval since we talked about this, things may have changed. Also
I expect to learn more in the actual halls of commerce... but I figure
that the more I ask now the less I'll kick myself later. (And speaking of
self-kicking, I got the *expensive* Polaroid Scanner, which is so
splendidly engineered that it is impossible to insert and scan a slide
perfectly straight, ie, not tilted one way or the other. Perfectly
maddening.)

I know there are folks on the list who swear by Alps... what kind of dot
does that do? (Or are you all in Santa Fe...?)

Thanks in advance for any knowledge or advice,

Judy



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