I'm sorry if this is in the wrong forum but I wasn't sure where to ask. Myself and Syyd are considering buying a large format inkjet printer 13"x19". The Epson is 'suposed to be the best print quality. But... There have been a lot of complaints that the ink/paper combination that is suposed to have an archival period of 26 years has serious problems. The problem is that the cyan ink changes to orange after a very short period of time. Anywhere from 24 hours to a couple of weeks. This problem is supposed (according to Epson) be caused by the quantity of ozone in the area that you live. Now I have aleady spoken to a member here that has had one for over 12 months and he has had zero problems with the print quality. I was wondering if anyone else had this problem too and could maybe advise whether or not it is a good buy. Many thanks, Colm...

In my work I have one and Ive never had any problems like that. In fact I think the printer is very good. We print hundreds of pages a week and it is still working with no problems for 1 1/2 years. Oh, and I live in the Canary Islands, in Spain. Hope this helps

Don't have a 1270, but have a Stylus Photo 2000p. It is SUPER! It's strictly an art printer--the ink is too expensive for it to be much of a draft printer. i've been printing things for sale since September of 2000 (6 months) and the color seems stable. (Caveat: Of course, i wouldn't recommend exposing any print or painting (for that matter) to a lot of direct sunlight.)

I had Stylus 3000 (A2) for more than 6 Months and No Problem till now Exept a Autofeeding Problem that was Fixed (under the warranty)

I have the 1270 and Yes your prints could turn orange if you use any of the preimum papers.(The fix to this is to cover them). As long as you don't use the preimum papers, everything will be fine. Epson contacted me about a refund but I said I wanted to keep it because it prints so fine. I have also heard nothing but great things about the 2000.

I have an Epson 660 and it's not exactly been happy to work with my Compact. It would start printing a picture and then kick the paper out. I've reconfigured the printer port and gotten successful prints out but they seem a bit on the red side. Any suggestions would be helpful too. Liz Pope Dreamspinner Inc.

Colm, there was a lot of discussion about this on the digital photo newsgroup and I bet there is more information about it on the printer newsgroup. I don't have the info right now, but you could search for discussions on www.dejanews.com and I'd bet you'd find a lot of information--whether good or bad. Diane

I've had the 1270 for about 8 months and have had no problem. I've done a lot of prints on premium paper and so far non of them has gone orange. I have some on the diningroom walls which is flooded with afternoon sun and none of those prints has gone orange - yet that is. Supposedly the new 1290 is much better than the 1270 and also cheaper than the 2000. Haven't tried it myself, but reviews of it has been positive. //Mike

Attached Link: http://www.tssphoto.com/sp/dg/2000p/index.html

Colm, If you are really interested in both print quality and longevity, you should be thinking about the Stylus Photo 2000P, not Stylus Photo 1270. It's by far the better printer. 1. Edge to edge printing on 13 by 19 2. 200+ year lightfast EPSON Archival'Inks. Click on the link to see full information from an independent source. While you're there, check out Ultrastable's paper and canvas. It's the best in the business and far superior to anything Epson makes. There is no other product out there like Ultrastable's Glossy Canvas. It's a little difficult to work with, but the results are lightyears ahead of everyone else in looks and longevity. -SMT

To prevent the color changing, spray the final image with a clear coat. You can buy the clear coat in a spray bottle at many photo shops.

In MacWorld, Epson was quoted as saying that the problem was in the paper, not the printer, and they would rectify it accordingly. In view of what others have said in this thread, I'm not sure now which is true...??? JIm I use an 870 stylus photo which depends upon the archival qualities of the paper, primarily, for longevity (I think). Otherwise, it's the same printer (just doesn't do larger formats).

Thank you all so much for all this help. It seems to me that there 'has' been problems with the archival paper but I have a feeling that the amount of problems that have been reported may make it apear more than it actually is. I would imagine that the vast amount of people that have not had this problem haven't stood up and said so. The 2000p is a little too expensive for us at the moment. I checked out the 1290 and couldn't find it on Epsons USA site. It is called the 1280 here. It seems that it uses the same paper. From what I have read the same problems exist. Thanks again everyone. PS: Does anyone know if Buffalo has high concentrations of ozone....LOL Colm...

If Buffalo has high concentrations of ozone, better leave town. As for the 1270 or 1280, try third party ink and paper manufacturers such as photoinkjet.com and inkjetmall.com. You can decide if you want a 4- or 6-color Epson, and which are real buys. There's a whole huge archival ink and paper business out there with lots of support.

Attached Link: http://www.epson.co.uk/sohoprod/printers/inkjet/styphoto1290/spec.htm

Colm, Here's a link to some info about 1290, it might be the same as the 1280 - I could not find any info on 1280 on the net. //Mike

Mike... Thanks for the link. It is very helpful. Allfive... I have absolutely no problen using third party inks and papers but I was under the impression that third party inks were out for these printers as the cartriges are 'chipped' or is that the HP printers..? Do you have any links for papers and inks??? Thanks, Colm...

Attached Link: http://www.tssphoto.com/sp/dg/index.html

inkjetart.com is THE best place I've every found for archival inks and paper. -SMT

Thanks smallspace...

http://www.inkjetmall.com http://www.photoinkjet.com Both are excellent sources of information on Epson printers, and third party inks and papers. Epson makes an 4-color 1160 printer for $300. 4-color is more archival at the moment, but you don't get the full CMYK gamut. That doesn't matter if you're not going to press. Inkjetmall.com has more specifics on it. They think it's excellent.