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Dye Sublimation Ink Comparison Chart
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| Ink Type Printer Model |
Subli-Trans Wholesale Ink |
Sublibrite II - Color Factory |
Laser Reproductions |
Rotech-Digital - US Sublimation |
ArTainium - Tropical Graphics |
Sublijet - Sawgrass Systems |
Ultra-Color - Gold Eagle |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ml | Cost | Unit Cost |
ml | Cost | Unit Cost |
ml | Cost | Unit Cost |
ml | Cost | Unit Cost |
ml | Cost | Unit Cost |
ml | Cost | Unit Cost |
ml | Cost | Unit Cost |
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| Epson 800/850/1520 Black | 25 | 50.00 | 2.00 | 26 | 40.00 | 1.54 | 25 | 49.95 | 2.00 | 25 | 49.50 | 1.98 | 25 | 49.50 | 1.98 | 25 | 133.00 | 5.32 | 24 | 50.00 | 2.08 | |||||||
| Epson 800/850/1520 Color | 45 | 50.00 | 1.11 | 39 | 40.00 | 1.03 | 45 | 49.95 | 1.11 | 39 | 67.50 | 1.73 | 45 | 49.50 | 1.10 | 36 | 72.00 | 2.00 | 39 | 50.00 | 1.28 | |||||||
| Epson 900/980 Black | 35 | 80.00 | 2.29 | 34 | 50.00 | 1.47 | 35 | 49.95 | 1.43 | 36 | 59.95 | 1.67 | 35 | 49.50 | 1.41 | 35 | 184.50 | 5.27 | 34 | 68.00 | 2.00 | |||||||
| Epson 900/980 Color | 75 | 74.95 | 1.00 | 72 | 50.00 | .69 | 75 | 49.95 | .67 | 72 | 74.95 | 1.04 | 75 | 49.50 | .66 | 69 | 104.50 | 1.51 | 72 | 68.00 | .94 | |||||||
| Epson 900/980 bulk ink system (initial ink order)* |
510 990 |
400.00 620.00 |
.78 .63 |
510 910 |
480.00 700.00 |
.94 .77 |
See | Bulk | Prices | 340 | 549.99 | 1.61 | ||||||||||||||||
| Epson 900/980 bulk ink system (refill, black or color) |
100 220 |
70.00 125.00 |
.70 .57 |
100 200 |
70.00 125.00 |
.70 .63 |
See | Bulk | Prices | 85 | 137.25 | 1.61 | ||||||||||||||||
| Epson 1270/1280/1290 Black | 18 | 60.00 | 3.33 | 25 | 65.00 | 2.60 | 18 | 64.00 | 3.55 | 20 | 65.00 | 3.25 | ||||||||||||||||
| Epson 1270/1280/1290 Color | 75 | 90.00 | 1.20 | 75 | 75.00 | 1.00 | 75 | 74.00 | .98 | 75 | 75.00 | 1.00 | ||||||||||||||||
| Epson 1270/1280/1290 bulk ink system (initial ink order)**** |
693 1293 |
600.00 930.00 |
.86 .71 |
700 1300 |
660.00 990.00 |
.94 .76 |
See | Bulk | Prices | See | Bulk | Prices | 510 | 823.50 | 1.61 | |||||||||||||
| Epson 1270/1280/1290 bulk ink system (refill, black or color)**** |
100 220 |
70.00 125.00 |
.70 .57 |
100 200 |
70.00 125.00 |
.70 .63 |
See | Bulk | Prices | See | Bulk | Prices | 85 | 137.25 | 1.61 | |||||||||||||
| Epson 3000 Black or Color | 100 | 90.00 | .90 | 100 | 70.00 | .70 | 100 | 70.00 | .70 | 110 | 72.95 | .66 | 100 | 72.95 | .73 | 85** | 137.25 | 1.61 | 110 | 82.00 | .75 | |||||||
| 3000 Extended/9000 Black or Color | 200 | 149.75 | .75 | 220 | 125.00 | .57 | 200 | 125.00 | .63 | 220 | 144.95 | .66 | 200 | 144.95 | .72 | 165** | 211.25 | 1.28 | 215 | 163.00 | .76 | |||||||
| Epson 3000 bulk ink system (initial ink order)* |
See | Bulk | Prices | 2000 | 1980.00 | .99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Epson 3000 bulk ink system (refill, black or color) |
See | Bulk | Prices | 500 | 495.00 | .99 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bulk*** | 118 | 76.70 | .65 | 125 | 58.00 | .46 | 125 | 58.00 | .46 | 125 | 75.00 | .60 | ||||||||||||||||
| 472 | 306.80 | .65 | 250 | 110.00 | .44 | 250 | 110.00 | .44 | 250 | 135.00 | .54 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1888 | 1038.40 | .55 | 500 | 208.00 | .42 | 500 | 208.00 | .42 | 500 | 250.00 | .50 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3776 | 1888.00 | .50 | 1000 | 395.00 | .40 | 1000 | 395.00 | .40 | 1000 | 475.00 | .48 | |||||||||||||||||
| Mutoh Falcon Black or Color | 220 | 144.95 | .66 | 220 | 211.25 | .96 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Encad Pro/ProE/500 Black or Color | 1000 | 612.15 | .61 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Sawgrass bulk ink system apparatus for the 900/980 is called the "Quick Connect" and the cost is $279, not including ink. This system for the 3000 is called the "Epson 3000 Refill System" and costs $500 not including ink.
The US Sublimation bulk ink system apparatus for the 900/980 is called "Jetblaster" and the cost is $125. This system for the 3000 is $425, not including ink. The ink for the Jetblaster bulk system can be any of the bulk ink size choices that US Sublimation offers.
US Sublimation and The Color Factory also offer bulk ink systems for the 800/850/1520 printers.
** Estimated, based on user measurement in grams, then converted to milliliters based on a conversion factor of 1 to 1.
***Bulk ink delivery systems are available from U.S. Sublimation, as well as other vendors such as M.I.S. Associates, which will allow you to use any brand of bulk ink in any of the above printers.
****For the 1280 printer bulk ink setups, the cost of the bulk apparatus is not included in the initial, except for the 1280 "ColorRite Continuous Flow Ink System" by Laser Reproductions and the 1280 "Tanks-Alot" system by The Color Factory.
For both the Laser Reproductions and The Color Factory bulk systems, you need to order a software reset CD called "The Equalizer" from M.I.S. Associates, for $20. http://www.inksupply.com This CD allows you to reset the chips in the internal carts so that you can use the bulk system.Tropical Graphics does not sell a 1280 Bulk Setup directly; they recommend the "Niagara" N-1270 Bulk Setup by MediaStreet, $235, not including the ink. http://www.mediastreet.com/cgi-bin/tame/mediastreet/niagra.tam
Sawgrass charges $279 for their bulk apparatus for their 1280 Quick-Connect System, not including the ink.
U.S.Sublimation charges $269 for their bulk apparatus, not including the ink.
Additional information about the Epson 1280 can be seen in the article "The Epson 1280 Printer Is Here and Going Strong!"
NOTES: All costs are in U.S. Dollars. Quantity discounts not taken into account, only single unit pricing is shown.
Data derived from the vendor websites as posted on 6/20/01, (with updates through 8/7/01) and from phone conversations with Kurt De Young, Sawgrass Systems, Rich Foltz, U.S. Sublimation and Bob Smith, The Color Factory between 6/20 and 8/7/01. Additional updates to pricing have been added on: 10/9/01, 2/24/02, 5/1/02
The above volume fill per dollar comparisons do not necessarily directly correlate to yield. Many other factors affect yield, such as driver ink limiting, frequency of required clean cycles, color correction driver performance, and wasted ink in the tri-color sets when one color runs out. The fill volumes on the 850 and 900 cart sets by Sawgrass are based on Kurt De Young's comment to me that they are filled exactly to OEM fill spec. I did the best job I could to come up with an accurate OEM fill volume spec, although Epson's corporate office would not divulge those numbers.
Copyright ©2002 Larry Cohn. All rights reserved.
Please contact me if there are any errors, at unhappyguy@hotmail.com
Posting and updating of this chart at http://www.dyesub.org is provided by Cherie Derrick who can be reached at cherie@dyesub.org. Much of the research data for this chart has been made possible through the cooperation and help of many fine members of the Dye Sublimation and Specialty Imprinting forum currently located at http://www.delphi.com/sublimation/start
Copyright ©2002 BitSoup, Inc.™ All rights reserved.