On-head carts live to fight another day - Epson P400

I’m replying to long un-replied posts today that were buried in the previous forum software UI.

////

It took a while but they exist now.

https://shop.inkjetmall.com/Shop-By-Printer/Epson-SureColor-P400/Inkjetmall-ReUsable-cartridge-Epson-P400-Set-8-with-syringes.html

best,
Walker

One of the things that had me worried by the current generous cash-back deal on the R2000 in this part of the world was that it might signal the end of the 13" carts-on-head printers. So I bought an R2000 and have put it aside until I need it, i.e. until my R1900 dies, or is too sick to care for.

It appears that my fears were unfounded - Epson have just announced the P400, and I assume that the “affordable 14 ml carts” and the “small” printer size surely must mean that this is a carts-on-head printer:


http://www.epson.co.uk/gb/en/viewcon/corporatesite/press/index?gatewayto=/gb/en/content/press/messages/message.php%3Fid=5880%26filtercat=products

Details are sketchy, to say the least, but I believe that it’s going to have much the same inkset as the R1900 & R2000, but with the SureColor blacks. This should mean that it’s got the same colours in the same positions in the printer, so it can use the same curves. I bet it has the same DX5 printhead, which will mean that, like the R1900 & R2000, it’s really an x880 in disguise and you’ll be able to use x880 piezo curves by remapping them.

What does worry me is that IJM may not market carts for it, given the low volume of sales of the R2000 carts. Which would be a pity, because if all my educated guesses are correct, it’s going to be an ideal printer for piezo. Easy to maintain, hibernate and switch inksets. It just needs some love and strong marketing, something the R2000 never had.