Recommendations

[rabb]

OK folks so the old trusty SG3110DN has finally packed up after god knows how many years of brutal punishment. Hats off to Ricoh that the old girl has plodded on like a trooper for so many years without a hitch.
For those interested, I can't get rid of the ERR 20200 & 20252 messages. I believe these are the black cart and a head sensing issue???

As the 3110DN is no longer widely available new, what's the consensus on a replacement?

I've tried a couple of Epson printers before but none of them come close to the old 3110.

With the Christmas period fast approaching, what's your recommendation for a reliable replacement that won't leave f****ng pizza wheel marks all over my prints like the Epsons do?

Thanks in advance,
Rab

[webtrekker]

This is as much as I can find on the SC20252 error. Don't know if it is of any help ...

[UK Printed Mugs]

It is the SG400 which are no longer made but you can find decent ones on the second hand market. DO NOT buy the SG500 as you cannot make an ICC profile and so colours are off. We have five SG400's which were replacements for the SG3110 and these are brilliant although once they fail we are going to be in trouble.

[rabb]

I fitted new cartridges and also checked the optical sensor at the back of the head where the little head sensor fins are but still the same.

I do believe it's a mechanical issue rather than a component level failure but nothing I have done thus far has has resolved it. It's like the black line is failing to pull a vacuum to draw the ink through. In fact, I might go stick the breather plug in the cartridge to see if can draw a neg pressure.

I've found a used SG3110DN sub printer on ebay so I'm taking a punt that I can make it work. I really really don't want to go down the Epson route.
I started off with one years ago (An old WF series printer if I remember correctly) and it was god awful.

[rabb]

The big question is.......what to replace them with?

It is the SG400 which are no longer made but you can find decent ones on the second hand market. DO NOT buy the SG500 as you cannot make an ICC profile and so colours are off. We have five SG400's which were replacements for the SG3110 and these are brilliant although once they fail we are going to be in trouble.

[UK Printed Mugs]

There is no alternative to the brilliant SG400 aside from large format. There is no A4 that can handle an ICC profile that produces good enough results. Believe me, we have tried them and are in very close comms with Ink Experts.

[wayupnorth]

Can print manager import a custom profile for the sg500 ?

[UK Printed Mugs]

No. That's why we and everyone else I know in the industry bought and promptly returned their sg500 as useless for true rgb colour matching.

[wayupnorth]

Thanks, I am finally getting back into dyesub after many years, printer choice was easy back then but a bit confused now. I have an xrite istudio so can produce my own profiles. Does this not work if I print through photoshop using this profile or does the printer essentially ignore them ?.

[UK Printed Mugs]

Firmware restricts it by printing dithered colours if you bypass sawgrass print studio. You therefore cannot even print an icc profile sheet of colours to scan as they come out terrible.