OT - Wide Format Printers for Schematics

[Tim Wescott]

Any thoughts on economical ways to print pages wider than 8-1/2 inch?
HP has some B-size laser printers that are way over my budget, and a
"poster" size inkjet that looks like it'll do B-size for about $300.
Are there any other options out there for less than $1000? Less than $500?

TIA.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

 

[Joerg]

Hi Tim,

The only other option I see is a used plotter. I have seen them sold as
scrap. The problem will be space, maintenance and obtainability of pens
and spares. Also, from bad experience, don't wear a white shirt when
fixing it, at least not an expensive one.

Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com

 

[Nicholas O. Lindan]

"Tim Wescott" <tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote

Any thoughts on economical ways to print pages wider than 8-1/2 inch?

If you are doing this for a living then buy a plotter.

If you only have to do a few sheets then print them A size and
take them to Kinkos, they will turn them into C's for not
a whole lot of $$.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
Remove spaces etc. to reply: n o lindan at net com dot com
psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 12:32:13 -0700, the renowned Tim Wescott
<tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote:

As long as it could do A size I wouldn't have a problem with not
printing often enough. Do the ink cartridges seem to be more expensive
than ordinary ink jet cartridges?

Yes, they are rather low capacity- cleaning the printheads uses a lot
of ink. The 5 colors (not including black) are all in one expensive
cartridge, so when you run out of one the rest are toast.

It does print nicely, including photos (which I had hoped would keep
it used enough) when it works. Perhaps another model or manufacturer
would be better. I bought this on the recommendation of a friend who
uses them for commercial photographic proofs in the graphics trade-
with the optional Postscript RIP. That works quite well- he uses the
MAC version of the RIP and I use the PC version.

I use a little local HP1200 'A' laser printer for most of my printing-
very cheap to operate and it's never given me a lick of trouble. I
think the 1300 is the current model. I can count paper double-feeds
over 1.5 years on the fingers of one hand, and never a paper jam.
Cartridges are < $100 and replace the drum as well as the ink.
Completely quiet when not operating and no on-off switch. Nice
product. In conjunction with a Canon USB scanner it makes a nice local
digital photocopier (just insert the sheet to be copied and push a
button on the scanner).

A nice low-volume tabloid-format color laser would solve the problem,
but they don't exist for a reasonable price AFAIK. I do see used
HP8000's for quite cheap (< 1000 US with duplexer), but I'd strongly
resist buying a used laser printer.

Yes, that would be like buying a millstone to hang around my neck --
even at zero price I'd either be fixing it all the time or I'd have to
pay someone, and I'm out in the boonies.

Exactly my thoughts. Even though I'm not in the boonies, and there are
wholesale parts depots a short distance away, I don't want the
potential hassles and downtime.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

 

[Jim Thompson]

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 11:30:45 -0700, Tim Wescott
<tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote:

Any thoughts on economical ways to print pages wider than 8-1/2 inch?
HP has some B-size laser printers that are way over my budget, and a
"poster" size inkjet that looks like it'll do B-size for about $300.
Are there any other options out there for less than $1000? Less than $500?

TIA.

I bought a hp1120C for my wife, but I can access it over our network.
Seems to work OK, though cartridges are expensive.

I understand that hp now has some B-size lasers, but I have no
experience with them.

Do they make C-size laser plotters?

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens |
| Analog Innovations, Inc. | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| Phoenix, Arizona Voice480)460-2350 | |
| E-mail Address at Website Fax480)460-2142 | Brass Rat |
| http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

 

[Rich Grise]

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 11:30:45 -0700, Tim Wescott wrote:

Any thoughts on economical ways to print pages wider than 8-1/2 inch?
HP has some B-size laser printers that are way over my budget, and a
"poster" size inkjet that looks like it'll do B-size for about $300.
Are there any other options out there for less than $1000? Less than $500?

TIA.

Good Christ! YGBSM!

I got a Canon BJ-210 on ebay for about $30.00. It does 11" x 17".

Make me an offer. ;-)

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[Maxx Pollare]

The voice of "Spehro Pefhany" drifted in on the cyber-winds,
from the sea of virtual chaos...

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 11:30:45 -0700, the renowned Tim Wescott
tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote:

Any thoughts on economical ways to print pages wider than 8-1/2
inch? HP has some B-size laser printers that are way over my
budget, and a "poster" size inkjet that looks like it'll do
B-size for about $300. Are there any other options out there for
less than $1000? Less than $500?

I use a wide-carriage Epson inkjet printer (color)- the Photo
1280- cheap enough to buy- only about $500-$600 US, but frankly
I'd not really recommend it- if you don't use it often the
printhead gums up and it seems to often need expensive ink
cartridges.

An Epson Stylus Photo 1280 goes for about $399can, but like you said
it uses one ink cartage...

To get the separate ink cartridges (& AFAIK a replaceable print head)
you need to go with the 2200 at around $699can. But for that price
you also get a 2880 x 1440 dpi "edgeless" printer as well:

http://tinyurl.com/63jg8

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&infoType=Specs&oid=20306147&category=Products

--
Maxx Pollare, a "small god" in his own mind...

 

[Joel Kolstad]

If you're also going to use this as a 'regular' printer, I'd suggest taking
a look at HP's 9670
(http://www.shopping.hp.com/cgi-bin/hpdirect/shopping/scripts/product_detail/product_detail_view.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0154680219.1098915171@@@@&BV_EngineID=cceiadcmllkfekdcfngcfkmdflldfjl.0&landing=null&category=inkjets&subcat1=wide_format&product_code=C8138A%23A2L&catLevel=3)
-- it does automatic duplex printing, which for me makes it worth its
weight in gold... well, at least silver...

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

On 27 Oct 2004 22:01:46 GMT, the renowned Maxx Pollare
<oct-boospam@dragonfur.ca> wrote:

The voice of "Spehro Pefhany" drifted in on the cyber-winds,
from the sea of virtual chaos...

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 11:30:45 -0700, the renowned Tim Wescott
tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote:

Any thoughts on economical ways to print pages wider than 8-1/2
inch? HP has some B-size laser printers that are way over my
budget, and a "poster" size inkjet that looks like it'll do
B-size for about $300. Are there any other options out there for
less than $1000? Less than $500?

I use a wide-carriage Epson inkjet printer (color)- the Photo
1280- cheap enough to buy- only about $500-$600 US, but frankly
I'd not really recommend it- if you don't use it often the
printhead gums up and it seems to often need expensive ink
cartridges.


An Epson Stylus Photo 1280 goes for about $399can, but like you said
it uses one ink cartage...

(and a second one for the black)

Youch. It's dropped *significantly*. I guess at the price of those
cartridges they can afford to give them away. ;-)

To get the separate ink cartridges (& AFAIK a replaceable print head)
you need to go with the 2200 at around $699can. But for that price
you also get a 2880 x 1440 dpi "edgeless" printer as well:

http://tinyurl.com/63jg8

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&infoType=Specs&oid=20306147&category=Products

I plan to avoid buying another inkjet printer. Ever. I'll get photos
printed on real photographic paper at Shopper's Drug Mart or Sam's
Club and go to Kinko's if I need a large format color printout. I'll
buy a color laser fairly soon, but probably only A size.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

 

[John Larkin]

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 11:30:45 -0700, Tim Wescott
<tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote:

Any thoughts on economical ways to print pages wider than 8-1/2 inch?
HP has some B-size laser printers that are way over my budget, and a
"poster" size inkjet that looks like it'll do B-size for about $300.
Are there any other options out there for less than $1000? Less than $500?

TIA.

Used HP Laserjet 4MV's are cheap on ebay, a couple hundred bucks, plus
another 150 or so for a new cartrige. We use one, and it's great...
does beautiful B-size schematics and mechanicals.

John

 

[Jonathan Kirwan]

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 18:30:14 -0400, Spehro Pefhany
<speffSNIP@interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote:

I'll
buy a color laser fairly soon, but probably only A size.

I'm in the market for a color laser when the price is right, too. I absolutely
*have* to have duplexing, though -- those darned electronics companies don't
hand out books like popcorn anymore, preferring to shove PDF files at me and
expecting me to do my own paper publishing. And I'm tired of baby sitting by
series III, doing odds then evens and hoping to avoid paper jams in the process.
I also want more than 150 pages in my hopper. A ream would be about right.

I'm tempted to hope for an 11x17 capable, for brochures (charitable volunteer
work I do) and for those schematics I'd like in a larger format. (Those with
any real complexity to them look much better that way.) But I fear that will
add to much to the price and/or limit my choices too much.

Jon

 

[Charles Edmondson]

Tim Wescott wrote:

Any thoughts on economical ways to print pages wider than 8-1/2 inch? HP
has some B-size laser printers that are way over my budget, and a
"poster" size inkjet that looks like it'll do B-size for about $300. Are
there any other options out there for less than $1000? Less than $500?

TIA.

I have a Canon ink jet that will do 'B' size. It was around $200 list,

got it for about $150, but I suspect that they don't make them
anymore...

--
Charlie
--
Edmondson Engineering
Unique Solutions to Unusual Problems

 

[Robert Baer]

Tim Wescott wrote:

Any thoughts on economical ways to print pages wider than 8-1/2 inch?
HP has some B-size laser printers that are way over my budget, and a
"poster" size inkjet that looks like it'll do B-size for about $300.
Are there any other options out there for less than $1000? Less than $500?

TIA.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

The old impact printers (pins hitting a ribbon, remember) are still
available (even new) to handle the wide printer paper (15 inches if i
remember correctly).
300DPI is easily done on these printers.

 

[Winfield Hill]

Jim Thompson wrote...

I understand that hp now has some B-size lasers, but I have no
experience with them.

I've had an hp 5000 LaserJet for several years, works well for 11x17.
The current model is the 5100. $1439 msrp, $1350 street.
http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?sort_type=price&masterid=590113



--
Thanks,
- Win

(email: use hill_at_rowland-dotties-org for now)

 

[Tam/WB2TT]

"Joel Kolstad" <JKolstad71HatesSpam@Yahoo.Com> wrote in message
newspednQSYpsIpgxzcRVn-uQ@comcast.com...
the auto manufacturers might have have cars

that refuse to start if the thing isn't serviced and reset at regular
intervals by the dealer.

---Joel


Check out a BMW or Mercedes.

Tam

 

[Nicholas O. Lindan]

"Tam/WB2TT" <t-tammaru@c0mca$t.net> wrote

"Joel Kolstad" <JKolstad71HatesSpam@Yahoo.Com> wrote
the auto manufacturers might have have cars
that refuse to start if the thing isn't serviced and reset at regular
intervals by the dealer.

Check out a BMW or Mercedes.

Often won't start even when it _has_ been serviced by the dealer.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
Remove spaces etc. to reply: n o lindan at net com dot com

 

[Rolavine]

From: Rich Grise rich@example.net

On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 13:41:59 -0700, Tim Wescott wrote:

Nicholas O. Lindan wrote:

"Tim Wescott" <tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote


Any thoughts on economical ways to print pages wider than 8-1/2 inch?

I use an old Epson Stylus 1500, it can print to 13 inches wide with enough

accuracy to read a C size schematic at 11x17. It is not perfect though, the ink
smears, the lines are not perfect and it takes about 5 minutes to make a print.
I have an ancient Houston Instruments pen plotter that I use a couple of times
a year because it is a pain in the ass and requires a $5 pen each print because
they dry out.

Rocky

If you are doing this for a living then buy a plotter.

If you only have to do a few sheets then print them A size and
take them to Kinkos, they will turn them into C's for not
a whole lot of $$.

When I have a contract that demands it I do it often enough not to want
to make the 10-mile run to the nearest photocopier. Then I'll have long
stretches where I'm writing software or science fiction -- no, I mean
preliminary functional specifications.

So who makes a good economical plotter? Seems like HP is out of that
business.

Check e-bay daily. I missed an awesome opportunity by about 10 minutes -
some guy was _giving_ away a 36" Calcomp plotter, about 40 miles from me.
But by the time I got it cleared with the PHB, the guy had taken it off
sale.

He called a few weeks later, but by then the PHB had paid about $1200.00
for a used HP Design-jet, then another $600.00 getting it fixed. )-:

Good Luck!
Rich

 

[Daniel Haude]

On 28 Oct 2004 07:46:46 -0700,
Tim Shoppa <shoppa@trailing-edge.com> wrote
in Msg. <bec993c8.0410280646.628c0710@posting.google.com>

There are workarounds to the pen availability issues (I even see some
pen adaptors on E-bay right now, naturally they cost more than the plotters!).

I've had good results with drilled-out shells of spent plotter pens into
which I shoved plastic ballpoint or felt pens. You have to experiment
with different brands and kinds of pens, and I've yet to find one that
works as well as the original. Can't beat the price though. I guess there
are centering issues, but as long as you make the entire drawing with the
same pen, it doesn't matter.
--Daniel

--
"With me is nothing wrong! And with you?" (from r.a.m.p)

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 11:42:39 -0400, the renowned "Tam/WB2TT"
<t-tammaru@c0mca$t.net> wrote:

"Tim Shoppa" <shoppa@trailing-edge.com> wrote in message
news:bec993c8.0410280646.628c0710@posting.google.com...
Spehro Pefhany <speffSNIP@interlogDOTyou.knowwhat> wrote in message
news:<qr20o0pkqvsh1gka0theqnlhhk2ilak9gp@4ax.com>...
On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 13:41:59 -0700, the renowned Tim Wescott
tim@wescottnospamdesign.com> wrote:
So who makes a good economical plotter? Seems like HP is out of that
business.

https://www.designjet.hp.com/PreSalesSelect.html

Really those are inkjets, which I think he was trying to avoid....

Used HP pen-plotters are really cheap on E-bay, problem is shipping
the large ones will add up to some money. (E-size plotters often
go for $20-$30 there, but they'll cost you >$100 to ship.) If you
get the stand with them (more shipping hassle) they will roll away
behind furniture.

There are workarounds to the pen availability issues (I even see some
pen adaptors on E-bay right now, naturally they cost more than the
plotters!).

Tim.

We used to have an HP at work about 15 years ago. Took 15 minutes to plot an
11 x 17 schematic page.

Tam

Plotters are cool, but 15 minutes of whirring and clunking is a bit
much for something that could pop out of a printer in seconds.


Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
--
"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward"
speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com
Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com

 

[Rich Grise]

On Thu, 28 Oct 2004 23:13:05 +0000, Nicholas O. Lindan wrote:

"Tam/WB2TT" <t-tammaru@c0mca$t.net> wrote
"Joel Kolstad" <JKolstad71HatesSpam@Yahoo.Com> wrote
the auto manufacturers might have have cars
that refuse to start if the thing isn't serviced and reset at regular
intervals by the dealer.

Check out a BMW or Mercedes.

Often won't start even when it _has_ been serviced by the dealer.

I thought the epitome of dealer-dependency was Jaguar. Or is
it just that it's $8000.00 for each service call?

Thanks,
Rich