Buy an Epson SureColor P700 and you will be eligible to receive a $200.00 rebate from Epson, or, buy an Epson SureColor P900 and you will be eligible to receive a $200.00 rebate from Epson.
The SureColor P700 is a 13 inch wide photo printer that includes the Epson UltraChrome® PRO10 ink set that allows automatic ink switching between photo and matte black with no ink loss. The SureColor P900 is the 17 inch wide version of the SureColor P700.
Click this link to see these Epson SureColor printers and for links to the rebate forms. These offers are valid through July 31, 2024.
Special Discounts on Hahnemuehle Natural and Photo Line Media
Buy Hahnemuehle Natural Line and Photo Range media and get a discount up to 20 percent off normal prices. For complete details, please download the flyer for this promotion.
For a listing of eligible Hahnemuehle Natural Line and Photo Range media, please click this link. This offer is valid through August 31, 2024.
For a listing of these printers, please click this link. For offer details, please download the Epson rebate form for this promotion. This offer is valid through July 31, 2024, and is limited to stock on hand.
We've identified a few PC notebooks that provide excellent performance for the price. They have either AMD Ryzen or Intel latest generation processors. And, they all have 256 or 512 GB NVME solid state drives that give an extra performance boost.
Lenovo ThinkPad E16 15.6IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7730U with a CPU Benchmark rating of 20,468, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution display and a 1 year warranty. It's currently priced at $919.00.
HP EliteBook 655 G10 15.6IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 5 7530U with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,911, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 2 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1019.00.
Asus EXPERTBOOK B2 B2402C 14IN that includes an Intel i7-1260P with a CPU Benchmark rating of 17,257, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 14 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1059.00.
Acer TRAVELMATE PRO TMP414 14IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U with a CPU Benchmark rating of 20,913, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 14 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution display and a 2 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1059.00.
HP ZBOOK FIREFLY G10A 14IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS with a CPU Benchmark rating of 23,557, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 14 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution display and a 1 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1069.00.
Lenovo THINKPAD T14 G4 14IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 25,222, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 14 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution Touchscreen display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1079.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T16 16IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7540U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 19,093, 16GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, a 16 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,109.00.
HP EliteBook 645 G10 14IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 7-7730U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 20,468, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 14 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1119.00.
HP EliteBook 655 G10 15.6IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 7-7730U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 20,468, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 15 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,119.00.
Lenovo THINKPAD P14S G4 14IN Touchscreen that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 25,447, 32 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,159.00.
Lenovo THINKPAD T14 G5 14IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 24,588, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 1 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,179.00.
Lenovo ThinkPad T16 16IN Touchscreen that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 25,222, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 16 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution Touchscreen display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,299.00
Lenovo THINKPAD X13 G4 13.3IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 25,477, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 13 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution Touchscreen display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,309.00.
Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G4 that includes a 13th Gen Intel i5-1335U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 17,845, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 15 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,319.00.
We've identified a few desktop PCs that provide excellent performance for the price. These computers have either AMD Ryzen or Intel 12th or 13th generation processors. And, they all have solid state drives that give an extra performance boost, and 1 or 3 year warranties. The more expensive models in this list have high performance graphics cards and would be great for CAD work as well as for work in the graphic arts.
Asus PN52 MINI PC that includes an AMD Ryzen 7-5800H with a CPU Benchmark rating of 21,258, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 1 year warranty. It's currently priced at $679.00.
Asus ExpertCenter D5 SFF that includes an Intel Core i5 12th Gen i5-12400 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 19,504, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $789.00.
Dell OPTIPLEX 7000 7020 SFF that includes an Intel i5-14500 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 32,734, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $829.00.
Dell OptiPlex 7000 7010 SFF that includes an Intel Core i5 (13th Gen) i5-13500 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 32,576, 16 GB of memory, a 256 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $849.00.
Dell OptiPlex 7000 7010 Micro that includes an Intel Core i5 (13th Gen) i5-13500 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 32,576, 8 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $869.00.
Dell OptiPlex 7000 7010 TOWER that includes an Intel Core i5 13th Gen i5-13500 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 32,520, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $909.00.
Lenovo ThinkCentre M75S GEN2 SFF that includes an AMD Ryzen 7-5750G processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 24,551, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $909.00.
HP Z2 G9 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 (13th Gen) 13700 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 38,315, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1039.00.
Lenovo ThinkCentre NEO 50S GEN 4 SFF that includes an Intel i7-13700 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 38,315, 16 GB of memory, a 256 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1049.00.
Asus EXPERTCENTER SFF that includes an Intel Core i7 (13th Gen) 13700 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 38,315, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1119.00.
Lenovo ThinkCentre M70S SFF that includes an Intel Core i7 (13th Gen) 13700 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 38,315, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,139.00.
HP Z2 G9 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 (13th Gen) 14700 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 46,820, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,259.00.
Dell OPTIPLEX 7000 SFF that includes an Intel Core i7 (13th Gen) 13700 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 38,315, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1279.00.
How often should you use your inkjet printer to avoid clogging and other problems - a video by Keith Cooper at Northlight Images, available on YouTube:
Special education discounts are available to K - 12 and higher education institutions for purchases of Epson's wide format printers. The Brighter Futures program includes both the SureColor P-Series professional imaging printers and the SureColor T-Series architectural and signage printers.
EPSON Professional Imaging P-Series wide format printers are designed for Photography, Fine Art, Proofing, and Graphic Design. And, with Epson's Brighter Futures program, you can get significant savings off the regular price of SureColor P-series models:
Current Epson mail-in rebates can be used with SureColor P700 ($525.00 after the mail-in rebate) and P900 ($935.00 after the mail-in rebate) printer purchases, so the Brighter Futures pricing on these models is especially attractive.
The Epson T-Series printers are incredibly versatile and cover a wide variety of printing needs including posters (to promote football games, for example), maps, engineering drawings, banners, and even clear film for screen printing, at top of the line speeds. And, by utilizing Epson's Brighter Futures program specifically designed for education, you can get significant savings off the regular price for any of the SureColor T-series models:
Due to the continuing chip shortage, Epson UltraChrome HD and HDX ink cartridges of all sizes will transition to a different design with new part numbers starting June 1, 2023.
This change affects the Epson SureColor P6000, P7000, P8000, and P9000 printers worldwide. To use these new cartridges, the printers require new firmware BEFORE installing the new cartridges in the printer or running out of ink in the current cartridges. For that reason, it is critical that all customers update their printer to the latest firmware as soon as possible.
Note: this firmware update needs to be done before switching to the new inks. Currently there is adequate stock of the existing ink that can be used without the firmware update. But, Epson is recommending that the firmware update be done as soon as possible to assure that all is good going forward.
Two copies of the "Remarks" photo book by G. Tchakarian, printed in 2001, are available for $100.00 each - proceeds will be donated to his wife Anna. Please call our office if you are interested.
Garo Tchakarian has been helping Tastar in our ColorCentral demo room for the past few years. When he's in the demo room, he loves doing everything - running test prints on screen printing film, running demo prints for customers, testing various media (he used an awful lot of the Hahnemühle Hemp), working with color calibration and software RIPs and anything else that keeps him in touch with his roots in photography.
Garo is an accomplished photographer, and has recently scanned a few of his old negatives from photos that he took when he was in his home country. He was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and has been a photographer since 1975. During all of those years of creative activity, he has received over 15 international awards.
We would like to take this opportunity to display a few of these photographs. More of his photography can be found on his website.
Local photographer and expert printer, David Aschkenas, is having a show of his photography of Italian Synagogues and Churches at the Mendelson Gallery in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. The show's opening is on Wednesday, November 30, from 5 - 8 PM, and will be open on Saturdays and Sundays through December.
In case you might be interested, we have a few in-stock desktop printers. You can check out the current list at this link.
Albert Puskaric - Sound Images
02/03/2022
(Top) We've sold printers, paper and ink to Alberto for a number of years, and finally had the opportunity to see his work when he did a print on one of our demo printers. He does his work as a pencil drawing, then scans the drawing and prints from Adobe Photoshop. The quality and detail in the original drawings is incredible, and the high resolution scans of the drawings maintain the integrity of the original work.
Alberto has been pursuing his art career after retiring from teaching, where he taught classes in robotics, engineering, drafting, art and technical writing. You can see his work at his website Albert Puskaric Fine Art, at many other places on the internet, at 7 Springs Mountain Resort and on the Ocean City Boardwalk in warmer weather.
3rd Street Ocean City MD
Tony's Pizza
Fin n Feather at Seven Springs
Experience Seven Springs
Thank you, Alberto, for your outstanding art.
Turn Down the Heat with Inkjet Printers
10/27/2021
(Top) Epson and National Geographic have come together to raise awareness of how conserving heat is a great way to help to minimize our impact on the environment. From the linked brochure shown below, inkjet printers have benefits, including:
• Less power consumption saves energy and money • Fewer replacement parts, lower environmental impact • Less intervention increases productivity.
(Top) Buy a new Epson wide-format printer and add a service plan that will cover your printer for a total of 5 years (4 years for the plan plus the 1 year warranty that is included with the printer). This new plan is called the MAX Plan - "Buy 3 Years of Extended Service Plan Coverage & Get the 4th Year Free". The multi-year MAX Plan offers MAXimum service coverage beyond the printer's 1 year warranty, a MAXimum discount for buying more, and MAXimum peace of mind knowing that your equipment is covered by Epson service in case it's needed.
Our customers are now coming in without masks, and it really seems appropriate. Another great cartoon penned by Gordon Prichard and posted on printplanet.com at this link.
This is something that IFIXIT and other companies (including us) have believed in for a very long time. When you buy a computer, you should have the right to upgrade memory, replace the hard drive, or repair it if it breaks. It's very difficult to do if everything is soldered on the motherboard - it makes replacing the computer the only available choice. Great for the manufacturer, extremely bad for the buyer of the product. And, Apple has used and refined this strategy to bring them to where they are today.
Steve Wozniak, thank you for remembering your roots. Maybe things are getting better!
Complementary to the table below, Epson has an ink cost calculator on their European website: Click this link. It will calculate ink costs in dollars, but at European ink prices. It still seems to be a good measure for calculating the relative cost of using one printer vs. another.
Epson SuperTank ST-2100 P/ S/ C - 4-color T502 - pigment black, dye-based colors - $249.99
max. paper 8.5 inches wide
black - 127 ml per bottle - 19.99 - $0.16/ ml
c, m, y - 70 ml per bottle - 12.99 - $0.19/ ml
cost per copy: 0.4 cents for black, 1.0 cents for color
To view printer information Click this link.
Epson WorkForce EC-C7000 P/ S/ C/ F - 4-color T812 - DURABright - $239.99
max. paper 13 inches wide
(cartridge size not available)
cost per copy: 4.2 cents for black, 11.5 cents for color
To view printer information Click this link.
Epson Expression XP-8600 P/ S/ C - 6-color T312, CLARIA Photo ink - C, M, Y, K, LC, LM - $249.99
max. paper 8.5 inches wide
9.3 ml per cartridge - 21.99 - $2.36/ ml
cost per copy: 5.4 cents for black, 18.4 cents for color
To view printer information Click this link.
Canon PIXMA G6020 MegaTank P/ S/ C - 4 color GI-20 ink - pigment black, dye-based colors - $269.99
max. paper 8.5 inches wide
black - 170 ml per bottle - 19.39 - $0.11/ ml
c, m, y - 70 ml per bottle - 13.39 - $0.19/ ml
cost per copy: 0.4 cents for black, 0.8 cents for color
To view printer information Click this link.
Epson Expression XP-15000 - 6-color T312, T314 - dye-based CLARIA ink - C, M, Y, K, Gray, Red - $349.99
max. paper 13 inches wide
9.3 ml per cartridge - 21.99 - $2.36/ ml
cost per copy: 5.8 cents for black, 19.2 cents for color
Epson WF-6590 P/ S/ C/ F - 4-color T748 - DURABright Pro - $359.99
max. paper 8.5 inches wide
(cartridge size not available)
cost per copy: 2.1 cents for black, 6.7 cents for color
To view printer information Click this link.
Canon PIXMA Pro-200 - 8 color CLI-65 dye-based ink - $599.00
max. paper 13 inches wide
12.6 ml per cartridge - 13.99 - $1.11/ ml
To view printer information Click this link.
Epson Expression ET-7750 P/ S/ C - 5-color, T512 - pigment black, dye-based photo black and C, M, Y - $649.00
max. paper 11 inches wide
matte black - 140 ml per bottle - 19.99 - $0.14/ ml
photo black, c, m, y - 70 ml per bottle - $13.99 - 0.20/ ml
cost per copy: 0.5 cents for black, 1.3 cents for color
Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 - 6-color, Claria ET Premium T552 - pigment black, dye-based photo black and C, M, Y and gray - $699.99
max. paper 13 inches wide
matte black - 70 ml per bottle - 21.69 - $0.28/ ml
photo black, c, m, y and gray - 70 ml per bottle - $19.39 - 0.28/ ml
Epson SureColor P700 - 10-color T46Y - UltraChrome PRO10 pigment based - $799.00
max. paper 13 inches wide
25 ml per cartridge - 37.39 - $1.50/ ml
To view printer information Click this link.
Canon PIXMA Pro-300 - 9 color plus chroma optimizer LUCIA PRO PFI-300 pigment-based ink - $899.00
max. paper 13 inches wide
14.4 ml per cartridge - 12.99 - $0.90/ ml
To view printer information Click this link.
Epson WorkForce ST-C8000 P/ S/ C/ F - 4-color T542 - 4 color DURABright - $939.00
max. paper 13 inches wide
black - 127 ml per bottle - 28.39 - $0.22/ ml
c, m, y - 70 ml per bottle - 22.39 - $0.32/ ml
cost per copy: 0.2 cents for black, 0.6 cents for color
To view printer information Click this link.
Epson WorkForce ET-16500 P/ S/ C/ F - 4-color T664 - pigment black, dye-based colors - $979.00
max. paper 13 inches wide
black - 140 ml per bottle - 19.49 - $0.14/ ml
c, m, y - 70 ml per bottle - 12.99 - $0.19/ ml
cost per copy: 0.4 cents for black, 0.9 cents for color
Epson SureColor P800 - 8-color T850 - UltraChromeHD pigment based - $1195.00 (discontinued)
max. paper 17 inches wide
80 ml per cartridge - 58.00 - $0.73/ ml
Epson SureColor P900 - 10-color T46Y - UltraChrome PRO10 pigment based - $1195.00
max. paper 17 inches wide
50 ml per cartridge - 40.99 - $0.82/ ml
To view printer information Click this link.
In recognition of National Photography Month, Hahnemühle has published interviews with photographers who are sharing their passion for and stories of their photography. The links to these stories:
Based on the article by PCMag editor Bill Harrel, the Epson SureColor P900 printer has earned the "Editors' Choice for professional-grade photography and graphic art inkjet printers. Epson's highly impressive SureColor P900 is a knockout 17-inch pro-grade printer for photos and graphic art, and it easily earns our Editors' Choice award."
Guess what isn't on this list - any current Apple computer. When you look at iFixit's Laptop Repairability Guide, new Mac notebooks are at the bottom of the list - generally at a 1 or 2 out of 10 maximum points. HP notebooks, by comparison, generally are at a 9 or 10 out of a 10 rating.
Apple, please make your computers repairable!
Amazon is a Great Source for Products?
11/25/2020
(Top) Some of the Epson printers that are tough to get because of the pandemic are available on Amazon at slightly higher prices. Their prices as of today on some of the tough to get models:
As of 2020, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is the richest person on earth.
Types of USB/ Thunderbolt Ports
08/29/2020
(Top) Ports on a typical new pc notebook: USB-C 3.2 Gen 1/DisplayPort (Power Delivery); USB 3.2 Gen 1 (PowerShare); USB 3.2 Gen 1; USB 2.0. Ports on a 7 year old pc notebook: 2 x USB 2.0; 2 x USB 3.0; USB 2.0/eSATA. Ports on a new Apple MacBook Pro: 4 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort.
Our Guide to Ports
USB Type A: also known as USB standard A connector, the USB A connector is primarily be used on host controllers in computers and hubs. USB-A socket is designed to provide a "downstream" connection intended for host controllers and hubs, rarely implemented as an "upstream" connector on a peripheral device.
USB Type B: also known as USB standard B connector, the B style connector is designed to connect to USB peripherals, such as a printer, upstream port on hub, or other larger peripheral devices.
USB Micro B-1: the micro USB B connector essentially a scaled down form of the mini USB which allowed mobile devices to get slimmer while still maintaining the ability to connect to computers and other hubs.
USB 3.0 Micro B: also referenced as the SuperSpeed Micro USB B connector, this connector stacks five more pins on the side of the USB 2.0 Micro B connector to achieve the full USB 3.0 standard data transfer speed. USB 3.0 Micro B connectors are found on hard drives, digital cameras, cell phones, and other USB 3.0 devices.
USB 3.0 Type A (USB 3.2 Gen 1): inheriting the same design to the A-Type connector used in USB 2.0 & USB 1.1 application, USB 3.0 A is also provides a "downstream" connection that is designed for use only on host controllers and hubs. It has a maximum throughput of 5Gbps.
USB 3.0 Type B: the USB 3.0 B-Type connector is designed for USB peripherals, such as a printer, upstream port on hub, or other larger peripheral devices.
USB Type C or USB 3.1 (USB 3.2 Gen 2): the USB-C or USB Type-C connector is the newest USB interface came to the market along with the new USB 3.1 standard. USB Type C connector is compatible with USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2 signals.
Thunderbolt: Thunderbolt 1 (10Gbps) and Thunderbolt 2 (20Gbps) support bi-directional data transfer capability and power delivery for bus-powered devices.
Thunderbolt 3: Fully compatible with your USB 3.2 Gen 2 devices. The Thunderbolt 3 USB-C cable supports data transfer rates up to 40Gbps when connected to a Thunderbolt 3 device, enabling lightning fast performance. When connected to a USB C device, this cable supports rates of 20Gbps.
From appleinsider.com: The latest update to the 27-inch iMac included the T2 chip, which handles encryption and security on the computer. Because the SSD is fixed to the logic board for hardware encryption, changing the logic board will erase all data on the drive, and changing the drive is impossible for the same reason.
Our take: just like the MacBook Pros, etc. the SSD is soldered to the logic board. If there is a problem with the board, the user will more than likely loose all of their data - just like with the MacBook Pros. And, if the drive fails or you outgrow it's storage capabilities, replace the computer, not just an inexpensive drive. There is plenty of room inside of the iMac for a mount for the drive. This is a definite attack on serviceabilty and upgradeability.
HP ZBook FireFly:
Taking a play from the Apple playbook, the new HP FireFly 14 has two interesting features: provided memory is soldered and not upgradeable, and there are only a few ports (and no LAN port). It's actually heavier than the equivalent HP EliteBook, so why did they sacrifice upgeadeability and flexability - to force a quicker upgrade to a new computer?
Lenovo ThinkPad T495S:
Another notebook taking a play from the Apple playbook, the Lenovo ThinkPad T495S has soldered memory, so don't outgrow the amount of memory that it is included at purchase (do applications get larger memory appetites as time moves forward?).
Epson Introduces New Service Plan Offerings
08/09/2020
(Top) Epson has introduced new service plan offerings to protect their professional imaging printers. These plans can be used to get up to 5 years of warranty coverage for these printers. Click this link to download a flyer describing these new service plans.
"When Peter West was a boy in the mid-1960s, he would be ferried into downtown Washington for classes led by artist Frank L. Melega, which would then sometimes be followed by a hamburger and a movie.", a quote from an article in the Washington Observer Reporter describing an exhibit at the gallery.
Mr. West has an extensive background in art that includes painting, photo silk screen reproduction and photography. And, he will produce Giclee prints of your artwork in his gallery/ studio. His services are available by appointment - 56 N Main St, Washington, PA 15301, phone: 724-225-4663.
An Interesting Article About Printers and Ink
05/11/2020
(Top) Bloomberg Businessweek recently had an interesting article about HP's printer business and the attempted take over by Xerox:
"Stuffed with foam sponges drenched in a fraction of an ounce of cyan, magenta, and yellow dyes, this bestseller, model No. F6U61AN#140, can spray 36,000 drops per second in the Envy printers made by HP Inc. The 63 Tri-color cartridge may not look like much, but that ink, which needs a refill every 165 pages, is ridiculously valuable. HP’s printer supplies business garnered $12.9 billion in sales last year, and the printer division overall represented 63% of the company’s profits."
"Then there was the ink. The solvents and pigments HP scientists concocted were so overpriced that the company could afford to sell its hardware at steep losses and make it up in ink and toner sales."
"...the executive team spent a significant portion of its research and development budget on stopping product lines from wasting microscopic amounts of ink, or on ways to make its printers less compatible with other companies’ cartridges."
"A critical mass of fed-up customers finally seemed to be sick enough of HP’s high cartridge prices to try generic ink resellers or, in some cases, counterfeiters. Weisler [former HP CEO] vowed to fight off the other ink producers, and later, the company said it would stop discounting certain pricey printer lines and make sure the deep-discount models couldn’t use non-HP ink."
It seems that Epson has realized that their customers aren't necessarily happy with inexpensive printers and outrageously expensive ink. Our review of their work from home printers shows how they have evolved to help their customers with more affordable printers and ink:
We try to add the "Cost Per Copy" figures to desktop printers listed on our website so that you have an idea of what the printer will cost over time. If you are a low volume user, a less expensive printer with more expensive ink might be a good choice. For high volume printing, a more expensive printer with less expensive ink might be better.
Epson Multifunction Printers Help You to Work from Home
04/20/2020
(Top) We've put together a list of multifunction inkjet printers that are affordable and have a reasonably low operating cost. From our review, these Epson printers are less expensive to operate than other brands. And, since they are heat free technology inkjets, the added demand and cost of electricity is also lower than comparable printers.
Epson Work From Home Multifunction Printers starting at $100.39:
Workforce Pro EC-4030 - $123.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 2.8 cents, color page: 9.1 cents (see product link for more information). Workforce Pro EC-4040 - $136.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 2.8 cents, color page: 9.1 cents (see product link for more information). Workforce Pro WF-C5710 - $143.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 2.1 cents, color page: 6.8 cents (see product link for more information). Workforce Pro WF-C5790 - $206.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 2.1 cents, color page: 6.8 cents (see product link for more information). Workforce ST-2000 - $213.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 0.4 cents, color page: 1.0 cents (see product link for more information). Workforce Pro WF-M5799 monochrome multifunction - $226.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 0.7 cents (see product link for more information). Workforce ST-4000 - $299.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 0.4 cents, color page: 1.0 cents (see product link for more information).
For a listing of these printers, click this link. Note: offers are subject to model availability.
The Harry Guckert Co. - Supplying Area Printers Since 1812
04/01/2020
(Top) In honor of April 1, 2020, we would like to feature a well-established Pittsburgh based printing industry supply company - The Harry Guckert Company. You can find information about them at this link. They've been serving tri-state area printers as long as we can remember, and they deserve our support. And, the offer of free toilet paper is probably part of the April 1st tradition.
If You Leave Your Epson Printer at Work
03/26/2020
(Top) Epson just released a long term storage guide for their SureColor wide format printers. Click this link to download this guide.
(Top) During the Coronavirus shutdown in Pennsylvania, tastarsupply will still be shipping orders. Our offices will be closed, but our inventory of Epson ink and paper is at a reasonable level, and, in conjunction with our suppliers, we should be able to ship your orders. You can use our Contact Us page to send us a note, or can phone us during normal business hours.
We hope that everyone is cautious and remains healthy through this difficult period. Thank you.
Epson Is Discontinuing Legacy Baryta Paper
03/07/2020
(Top) Effective March 1, 2020, Epson will be discontinuing their current Legacy Baryta paper. If you have been using this paper, we still have a few rolls and sheets in stock. Click this link for a list of Epson Baryta that is still available at tastarsupply.
Epson will be introducing a new Baryta paper with the same wide color gamut and rich Dmax but without OBAs on a cotton fiber vs alpha cellulose base in sizes up to 60 inches wide. Legacy Baryta II shipping date is projected to be the second quarter of 2020.
Did you know that Amazon has a device recycling program?
01/24/2020
(Top) Amazon is the master of smart devices, and a master at keeping their recycling program a secret. For example, their recycling program's website Terms and Conditions include: "You may not create a link to any page of this website without our prior written consent. If you do create a link to a page of this website you do so at your own risk and the exclusions and limitations set out above will apply to your use of this website by linking to it."
So, without providing this link, and to provide more information on Amazon's recycling program, we'll provide a link to a great article by iFixit that discusses the program: Amazon's Disposable Tech.
Are You Still Running Windows 7?
01/15/2020
(Top) Microsoft Windows 7, 8 and Server 2008 support officially came to an end yesterday (1/14/2020). And, we've been upgrading computers and servers to the Microsoft operating systems that are still being supported. But, if you didn't upgrade and are still running Windows 7, we don't think that it's necessary to panic. For example, this article at Forbes states the case for not panicking:
From the information that we're seeing, it's important to move from Windows 7, but it's not necessary to panic and shut down your computers if it's not done immediately.
We've identified a few desktop PCs that provide excellent performance for the price. These computers have either AMD Ryzen or Intel 8th or 9th generation processors. And, they all have solid state drives that give an extra performance boost, and 3 year warranties. The more expensive models in this list have high performance graphics cards and would be great for CAD work as well as for work in the graphic arts.
HP EliteDesk 705 SFF that includes an AMD Ryxen 7 Pro 3700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 26,231, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $969.00.
HP Z1 G5 Workstation Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,294, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $989.00.
Lenovo ThinkCentre P330 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,294, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,059.00.
HP Z2 G4 Workstation Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700K, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 17,127, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,139.00.
Dell Optiplex 7070 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,330, 16GB of memory, a 256GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an AMD Radeon RX 550 (Video Card Benchmark of 3,445) with 4GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,269.00.
Lenovo ThinkStation P330 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,294, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (Video Card Benchmark of 10,171) with 5GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,359.00.
HP Z1 G5 Workstation Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,294, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Video Card Benchmark of 14,144) with 8GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,499.00.
Lenovo ThinkStation P330 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700K, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 17,127, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an NVIDIA Quadro P1000 (Video Card Benchmark of 4,413) with 4GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,579.00.
Lenovo ThinkStation P330 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9900, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 19,293, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (Video Card Benchmark of 10,171) with 5GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,599.00.
Lenovo ThinkStation P330 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9900, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 19,293, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an NVIDIA Quadro P1000 (Video Card Benchmark of 4,413) with 4GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,649.00.
HP Z4 G4 Workstation Tower that includes an Intel Core i9 9820X, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 21,084, 32GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4000 (Video Card Benchmark of 13,179) with 8GB of memory. It's currently priced at $2,949.00.
Lenovo ThinkStation P720 Tower that includes an Intel Xeon Gold 5218 16-core processor, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 20,622, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $2,989.00.
Double Dog Studios Open House. St. Joseph Rectory. Reimagined.
Double Dog Studios is formally opening with an open house on Saturday, November 30, 2019 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Dave and Pat Klug are dedicating the studio's galleries to Dave's paintings, drawings, and whimsey. Meet Dave and Pat, hang out and have a cookie and a beverage.
Double Dog Studios is located at 317 Second Avenue, Carnegie PA, 15106. It was once a part of the St. Joseph German Church complex (the church was destroyed by a fire in 1981, but the rectory was untouched). It is now owned by Dave and Pat Klug who have been bringing the building back to life using it as it once was - a living, working and gathering space. Three gallery areas, a store/gallery, a kitchen that will spotlight tastings and guest chef dinners, plus meeting and workshop areas are just part of what the Klug's have planned for the former rectory.
To learn more about Dave visit daveklug.com, and Pat visit patklug.com. And, follow Double Dog on Instagram @doubledogstudios. If you are interested in discussing a potential show or event at Double Dog, please contact Dave or Pat.
Today, Hahnemühle introduced their Natural Line of papers at Photo Plus in New York, and we've added these papers to our website. Per Hahnemühle, "It focuses on FineArt inkjet papers made from unique raw materials: bamboo, hemp and agave. The plants that provide the cellulose require minimal maintenance, grow quickly and don’t need any pesticides. Their rapid growth means that more cellulose can be produced on the same cropland than with other raw materials, and they also require much less water, helping to save valuable resources and protect the environment."
The Natural Line papers can be found at this link. And, you can find information on Hahnemühle's Green Rooster Initiative, their commitment to our environment, at this link.
If you would like printed samples of the Natural Line papers, please call our office.
Epson EcoTank Printers for Business with 2 Years of Ink
Purchase one of these Epson Workforce EcoTank printers by March 31, 2020, and receive an instant rebate up to $125.00 (our website prices reflect this rebate). Click this link for a listing of these printers.
- the Buy 3 and Get the 4th Free promotion where the purchaser can get their fourth printer for free. Please download the Workforce ST-Series EcoTank flyer for complete details.
"Exposed" at the Gilberti Fine Art Studio and Gallery
09/23/2019
(Top) The Gilberti Fine Art Studio and Gallery in Coraopolis, PA is presenting the Polaroid image transfer work of Pittsburgh photographer Tom Gigliotti from October 1 through December 30, 2019, with an opening reception on Friday, October 4th.
This exhibit presents the results of Tom Gigliotti's work in converting photos done with Type 59 Polaroid film to digital prints. The exhibit shows work that has gone from the original Polaroid film to an intermediate Teslin Synthetic receptive substrate, to the final print and then to the digital print.
Mr. Gigliotti's conversion process results in one-of-a-kind images that reflect the techniques of the process. It's a creative process that's done by hand and by eye and that doesn't depend on the digital tools that are frequently used today.
Click to enlarge - Yellow Bucket by Tom Gigliotti, print size 24 x 29 7/8 inches.
Do Epson EcoTank Printers Change This Rule of Thumb?
"The more that you pay for a printer, the less you pay for ink."
And, are Epson printers really this small?
Epson Expression Premium XP-6000 All-in-One printer - 88.39
• T302 XL Black Ink, 550 pages: 27.39
• T302 XL Color Ink, 650 pages: 20.39
• Cost per black/ color page: 6.7/ 18.7 cents
Epson Workforce Pro WF-3730 All-in-One printer - 129.99
• T702 XL Black Ink, 1,100 pages: 44.39
• T702 XL Color Ink, 950 pages: 28.39
• Cost per black/ color page: 5.8/ 13 cents
Epson Workforce Pro WF-C5210 w/ ink pack - 129.99
• T902 XXL Black ink, 10,000 pages: 149.99
• T902 XL Color ink, 5,000 pages: 86.99
• Cost per black/ color page: 2.1/ 6.8 cents
Epson ET-2720 EcoTank All-in-One printer - 193.99
• T522 XXL Black ink, 4,500 pages: 14.69
• T522 XL Color ink, 7,500 pages: 14.69
• Cost per black/ color page: 0.9/ 0.5 cents Highlights: low cost ink, low cost per copy
Epson Workforce WF-7210 printer - 199.99
• T252 XXL Black ink, 1100 pages: 38.69
• T252 XL Color ink, 1100 pages: 32.99
• Cost per black/ color page: 5.3/ 12.5 cents
Epson Expression Photo XP-960 All-in-One printer - 243.99
• T277 Black Ink, 240 pages: 11.99
• T277 Color Ink, 360 pages: 11.99
• Cost per black/ color page: 4.7/ 10.9 cents Highlights: 6-color photo printer, 11 inch wide prints
Epson Workforce ST-2000 All-in-One printer - 246.99
• T502 Black Ink, 7,500 pages: 19.99
• T502 Color Ink, 6,000 pages: 13.99
• Cost per black/ color page: 0.4/ 1.0 cents Highlights: low cost ink, low cost per copy, 2 years of ink guarantee*
Epson Expression Photo XP-15000 printer - 313.99
• T312 XXL Black ink, 500 pages: 19.99
• T312 XL Color ink, 830 pages: 23.39
• Cost per black/ color page: 5.3/ 12.5 cents Highlights: 6-color photo printer, 13 inch wide prints
Epson Expression Premium ET-7700 All-in-One printer - 529.00
• T512 Black ink, 8,000 pages: 19.99
• T512 Color ink, 5,000 pages: 13.99
• Cost per black/ color page: 0.5/ 1.3 cents
Epson Workforce Pro ET-8700 All-in-One printer - 949.00
• R02X Black ink, 10,000 pages: 89.99
• R02L Color ink, 5,000 pages: 24.99
• Cost per black/ color page: 1.2/ 2.4 cents Highlights: 13 inch wide prints
Click this link for a listing of the printers shown in this comparison.
*Click this link for information about the "Two Years of Ink" program.
Rice Is a Food, Not a Tool.
06/25/2019
(Top) Another interesting article from iFixit - "Rice can transform an economy, save a boring meal, and stop winter drafts. One thing it absolutely, positively cannot do is save a wet cell phone. In fact, submerging your phone in rice makes the problem worse, especially if it’s still powered on...Dry, uncooked conventional rice was the worst of the seven options we tested. It absorbed the least water in 24 hours, losing out to silica gel, cat litter, couscous, instant oatmeal, classic oatmeal and instant rice."
Most of the content for this article came from repair shops, and the moral of the story is to use a repair shop rather than rice (or cat litter or couscous). But, it's useful to know that using rice to repair water damage can do more harm than good. Click this link to read the iFixit article.
Christine Frechard Gallery in Pittsburgh
06/12/2019
(Top) The gallery is featuring a photography and video installation titled Memories running from June 25 through July 30, 2019, with artwork from Victor Grauer, David Aschkenas and Masha Tatarintseva.
The gallery is located at 5126 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201, phone 412-407-9319.
Can That Canned Air
06/11/2019
(Top) We received an interesting news article from iFixit - a self-help repair website - about the downsides of using canned air to clean electronics and other stuff. Per iFixit: "Canned air, or gas duster, is what you probably reach for when there’s hard-to-reach gunk inside your gear. It’s easy to find at big-box stores or online, it’s relatively cheap (if you don’t think about paying for air), and it moves dust. It seems like the right tool for the job. But you shouldn’t use it." And, here is a list of cautions provided by one of the prominent canned air suppliers:
NEVER shake or tilt can before or during usage. Use in upright position only.
NEVER spray into an enclosed space, such as a trash can or paper shredder.
NEVER use on camera mirrors.
AVOID skin contact with product in a liquid form, may cause frostbite.
AVOID contact with product in liquid form, may cause plastic to discolor.
ALWAYS use only in accordance with directions on this can.
ALWAYS use with adequate ventilation.
DO NOT store in direct sunlight, enclosed vehicle, or expose to temperatures above 120°F (49°C)
DO NOT pierce or burn, even after use. Contains diffluoroethane.
KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
THE INTENTIONAL MISUSE BY DELIBERATELY INHALING MAY BE FATAL. Contact physician if such contact occurs.
Epson Out-of-Warranty Service for 24 and 44 Inch Printers
05/24/2019
(Top) Epson has just announced an out-of-warranty One-Time Service Plan for Stylus Pro 7900 and 9900 and SureColor P7000 and P9000 printers. As a member said on the Luminous Landscape forum: "For instance it would put them in the ballpark of what the replacement of an out of warranty Canon print head would run, though with the Canon you do it yourself. 90 days is plenty of time to evaluate the quality of the part and workmanship. I mean for me it might make the difference between choosing an Epson over a Canon for my next 44” and keep people buying Epson ink rather than jumping ship to another brand is smart."
(Top) From an article that just appeared in Forbes: "Now a Google security engineer, Clement Lecigne, has warned that another zero-day vulnerability that is also being exploited, impacting Windows 7 users, was being used together with the Chrome exploit to take over Windows systems." (A link to this article).
According to this article, Windows 7 and Google Chrome combine to allow hackers to use this exploit. Google Chrome has the highest market share for browsers (up to 50 percent), but it seems like dropping it (by switching to FireFox or Opera) if you are running a Windows 7 computer is a good idea (or, follow Google's advice and upgrade to Windows 10).
The New Epson SureColor T3170 Is a Great Printer!
03/02/2019
(Top) We have been putting an Epson SureColor T3170 printer through its paces - and the results are in - as Epson says, it's brilliant by design. It's compact (it prints 24 inches wide but it's not big and bulky), has a separate sheet feeder, provides the best color print quality that we've seen from a 4 color printer, and it's economical to buy and reasonably economical to use. The SureColor T3170 and T5170 (36 inches wide) printers are designed for architects, engineers, educators, and for anyone with in-house poster production needs.
Epson SureColor T3170 / T5170 Printer Features:
• Easy to Set Up and Operate
• Compact, Clean Design
• Replace Ink Less Often with High-Capacity Cartridges (50ml Color, 80ml Black)
• Print from Virtually Anywhere in the Office
• Performance You Can Count On
• Durable, Vibrant Prints
• Versatile Media Handling
• Precise, Sharp Detail for Engineering Drawings
You can download a T3170 data sheet or a T5170 data sheet. Or, you can check out our special T3170 bundle with a high-capacity ink set at this link. Or, you can call our office and get a copy of the print samples that we've done with the T3170 printer.
Local photographer David Aschkenas is doing a one night show of his photographs of the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance matches in Millvale, PA, that he has taken over the past 10 years. The KSWA has been entertaining their fans, the "Krazies," since 2000 - and it's a labor of love, not one of wealth and fame.
The show will take place at the studio of Mark Gualtieri, 179 43rd Street, Lawrenceville, PA 15201, on Friday, March 1, from 6 to 9 PM. One hundred photographs will be on display, and will be specially priced for this one night only event. Have fun, meet the wrestlers, become one of the "Krazies," and enjoy the great photography!
(Top) And, it doesn't seem to be on the users of their operating systems and software.
A few days ago, we ran Windows updates on a customer's Windows 7 computer and the updates broke Windows file sharing (The Register article).
We also found an announcement from Microsoft describing how bad Internet Explorer is (Forbes article). According to Forbes, the problem is that Internet Explorer is still the second most popular browser. So, is Microsoft saying that they really don't care about you - get over it, and move on?
And, for die-hard Windows 7 users (like most of the business world, and about 37 percent of PC users per Computerworld), support for Windows 7 is ending in January, 2020. Get over it and move on to wonderful and robust Windows 10.
Oops, that might be a problem, too - Techradar points out problems with Windows 10 updates.