Printer Question

[lemieux66c]

I had a quick question about printing artwork and thought you guys might be able to help out.  My place of employment has the following printers and was wondering if they would print out high quality stuff for my machine - whenever I get around to building it (and designing the artwork with my limited abilities).  From what I understand several of them are rather expensive but I do not know if they would be good for what I would have it do. TIA.

HP DesignJet 600 Plotter
HP DesignJet 750C Color Plotter
HP DesignJet 1055C Color Plotter
HP Design Color PRO CAD
Epson Stylus Photo 2000

[AceTKK]

I'm not familiar with any of those machines but I can tell you that the plotters are probably useless for this kind of project.  Plotters are designed to print very exact architectural/engineering line drawings like AutoCAD plans.  Color plotters are usually very limited in gamut and could not reproduce complex gradiants or effects.  The last one in your list might be usable, depending on the size of prints it can make.

-Ace-

[lemieux66c]

Thanks for the info.  I'll check to see what size prints the Epson can do.  I know they have other printers as well and will have to check them out.

[Crowquill]

Technically the DesignJets aren't plotters. They're giant inkjet printers. Looked up some specs for the 1055C:

http://www.cesplot.com/plotters/designjet1055cm.shtml

I'm not sure what the "m" in the model number means, but your specs should be nearly identical. It should be plenty capable for printing your artwork. On the DesignJet 5500 PS that I use at work (at Kinko's), most people opt to print on the "instant-dry banner, gloss" material. It's cheap and prints well, but is subject to scuffing and creasing pretty easily. Laminating it solves that problem. My marquee was printed out on the backlit material. It looks better than the gloss banner print that I had first made. The backlit doesn't get washed-out by having the light behind it.

the others:
http://www.cesplot.com/refurbplotters.shtml

I'd guess that the 750C would probably work OK too, but the lower resolution printing wouldn't show detail as well.

On these links you can get an idea why printing on these is so expensive. A DesignJet 5500 PS like most Kinko's have is about $20K to buy new.

[AceTKK]

Cool, I stand corrected.  I was thinking of plotters like my uncle's old machine that looks like a seismograph.  Something like that DesignJet should work well.

-Ace-