[NoXid]

Looking for your experience and opinions as to which printer would be best for JPSS transfers. Especially any aspect that I've overlooked.

Obvious differences:

• 4 colors vs 6 colors: I've seen the opinion that on a shirt one can't tell the difference between a 4 and 6 color print. If true, then the 2 extra colors just mean more carts to fuss with and 2 more channels to waste ink during cleanings.
• $200: The approximate difference in price with both kitted out with carts and Cobra ink.
• Form Factor: With the internal trays, the WF is a large block-O-printer, compared to the Artisan's low, long, narrow profile. Are those internal paper trays actually of practical use when printing 11 x 17 transfers? If they are just for letter/legal size, it would seem they add nothing of use.
• LCD Screen: The WF has a tiny little LCD screen that is apparently used for some setup stuff. I'm not sure the extent to which one actually needs to use the damnable little thing, but I am against them on general principle, and the Artisan doesn't have one.

What I'm Up To
I have an ancient Stylus Photo 2200 (7 carts) with which I print the occasional photo/art print as well as the occasional JPSS transfer. I am considering doing considerably more transfers, and perhaps more photo/art prints as well, but I'm unsure how many more miles I'll get out of the 2200. Also, it is running OEM carts ... which would be untenable if I were to do any real volume. However, I can still source refillable carts and ink for it, but at this point I have doubts if that would be a wise investment.

Thoughts, suggestions, open ridicule

 

[seacookie]

Artisan is dye, wf is pigment. And you wanna use pigment inks for better washability. So from the start you have 6 bad carts with Artisan. You can take your chance and risk it with dye inks, but if I remember correctly people tossed away those carts and put on ciss with pigment inks. I got pigments from the start with my 7610, so this is a pro for workforce. I forgot a lot info, but if I remember artisan doesn't have a scanner, workforce does. When I was considering those 2 printers, workforce was a winner. To bad I don't remember all cons and pros. Hope someone while say hi in this thread.

edit: I misread. I though you are asking about 7610... Disregard my post

 

[Amw]

I would go with the 7210...

Made for pigment ink (since it comes OEM with it)
Has 2 paper trays
Can hold up to 13x19" in each tray.
The screen is handy to do nozzle checks and cleanings.

If you dont need 2 trays, just put plain paper in the 1st tray and use it for nozzle checks. Then put your transfer paper in the bottom (#2) tray.

 

[webtrekker]

I use a Ricoh 3110 with sublimation ink for printing JPSS and Jet-Opaque. Don't do t-shirts, but it works well on drawstring bags.

 

[NoXid]

Artisan is dye, wf is pigment. And you wanna use pigment inks for better washability. So from the start you have 6 bad carts with Artisan. You can take your chance and risk it with dye inks, but if I remember correctly people tossed away those carts and put on ciss with pigment inks. I got pigments from the start with my 7610, so this is a pro for workforce. I forgot a lot info, but if I remember artisan doesn't have a scanner, workforce does. When I was considering those 2 printers, workforce was a winner. To bad I don't remember all cons and pros. Hope someone while say hi in this thread.

edit: I misread. I though you are asking about 7610... Disregard my post

Ha! No worries. Some of that same logic still applies

Yes, if I got the Artisan, I would sell the dye carts that come with it and load Cobra pigment from day-1. I assume it works okay with pigment inks, as it's still a piezo head and everyone sells ink for it. Hell, people turn dye-printing Epsons into DTGs ...

The multi-functions were the first I looked at (Epson's site is not too great for sorting out and comparing what's what, and the multis are what I kept seeing everywhere for sale). Anyway, I already have single-functions up the wazoo (slide scanner, flatbed scanner, laser printer, all-black R1900 for films, Zebra for shipping labels, and the aforementioned SP-2200). I prefer that over having a multi-function that could be a single point of failure for everything

@Amw Thanks! Good to know that those internal trays would actually be useful to my purpose.

 

[NoXid]

I would go with the 7210...
Can hold up to 13x19" in each tray...

I wondered about what would fit in the trays, as it just does not look like the printer is deep enough front to back for 19" stock. Then I looked at the measurements, and it is NOT!

THEN, I found this helpful comment in a review on B&H:

Larger paper sizes require the cassette drawer to remain open.

Aha! So for larger sizes one simply leaves the tray extended ... so I guess it would stick out no more than 6" when loaded with 11 x 17 as opposed to being closed with 8.5 x 11.

At least one reviewer had not figured that out and thus couldn't get 11 x 17 loaded. (FYI An AMAZING number of the reviews are from people who were given the printer to review ... guess that's the new normal in marketing).

 

[Amw]

I wondered about what would fit in the trays, as it just does not look like the printer is deep enough front to back for 19" stock. Then I looked at the measurements, and it is NOT!

THEN, I found this helpful comment in a review on B&H:



Aha! So for larger sizes one simply leaves the tray extended ... so I guess it would stick out no more than 6" when loaded with 11 x 17 as opposed to being closed with 8.5 x 11.

At least one reviewer had not figured that out and thus couldn't get 11 x 17 loaded. (FYI An AMAZING number of the reviews are from people who were given the printer to review ... guess that's the new normal in marketing).

Yes it is extended for 13x19", and has a plastic "cover" so it is not getting dust, etc. on it.
It does not stick out farther then the exit tray does (and that is without extending the exit tray). Yes, from the front bottom it sticks out 6" compared to being set up for 8.5x11"