| HP's
first pigment based inkjet printer gets high marks for ease
of use and impressive results
No other technology has helped digital photography and imaging
achieve its meteoric rise in popularity more than the ability
of hobbyists, serious amateurs, and professionals to take printing
into their own hands. The introduction of inkjet printers has
forever changed how we acquire the end product of all our efforts
- the tangible and tactile output we produce in the form of photographic
prints.
HISTORY
Not too long ago if you were interested in creating prints using
inkjet technology you had to settle for dye based printers. Dye
ink printers offered a wide gamut and produced luscious, saturated
prints but they were plagued by fading and color shifting, usually
within very short periods of time. For the professional photographer
selling prints or the serious amateur, inkjet was just not a
viable option. Then in the year 2000 Epson introduced the first
printer that used archival inks made from pigments. Pigment based
inks use microscopic particles in suspension to produce color.
These particles are much more resistant to environmental elements
that cause fading. Although the first pigment ink printer had
its share of problems the revolution had started. Over the years
Epson, to their credit, improved pigment printer technology and
today it has become a common method for producing long lasting
archival prints.
The benefit of all of this technological development is that
we now have a multitude of choices when we want to make prints.
There are now hundreds of options at our hands from a myriad
of paper types, to an exhaustive combination of print sizes and
formats. We no longer have to settle for the standard 8x10 print.
And who would have ever thought that we can now create four foot
panoramic prints on fine art matte papers that are rated to last
200 years using a desktop printer?
DESCRIPTION & SET-UP
The
Photosmart Pro B9180 inkjet photo printer is HP's first pigment
based inkjet. Since its introduction in 2006 HP has now released
several printers in different carriage lengths that use the
Vivera inkset. This inkset consists of eight colors: Photo
Black, Matte Black, Light Gray, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Light
Magenta and Light Cyan. There is also a second model, the Z2100
that uses these 8 inks. HP has also introduced a 12 color printer
in the Z3100 in both 24 inch and 44 inch lengths geared for
the professional imaging market.
The
B9180 is a consumer/prosumer level desktop printer capable
of printing up to 13 inches wide. It is a well made and designed
unit with an impressive feel of quality and rugged construction.
This is no flimsy printer and when I unpacked it in my kitchen
I had a difficult time carrying it upstairs to my digital darkroom. |
