Thursday, June 7, 2007

How do I know when my 9600 is dying?

I common question I've been getting recently is...
How do I know when my 4000 is not fixable?
When is my 7600 need to be replaced?

Epson printers and their permanent print heads come with both advantages and disadvantages. Advantage being they're perfectly calibrated when they leave the factory. Disadvantage being they cost more to replace then the printer is worth. Typically, after three to five years, depending on print volume, noticeable quality loss we begin to appear on your 4000/7600/9600. Replacing printheads will cost at least $1,000. Having a certified technician visit your place of business: $500 minimum.

This $1,500 is not worth it to save one of these printers, even for a 9600. Time to upgrade. Maintain your current workflow by getting a 4800/7800/9800, or consider a 12-ink from the HP Z series line.

Once quality begins to decline, expect to start doing a LOT of head cleaning. You can still get up to a year or so of use out of the printers from this point on before they really eat the dust. I recommend upgrading at the first sign of quality deterioration and saving you old printer for banners/posters/signage (anything that can get away with a little less than perfect output).