Canon CT-21

So, I like it. But there is some learning...

Colour

One aspect is setting colour options, and ensuring it knows the paper type, else you get too dark or too blue, or whatever. This is a general thing anyway with colour printing, but on my PRO-1000 I only printed on the same proper photo paper all the time, and so it always just worked. On the CT-21 I have a roll of A1+ "coated" paper. It needs slightly different settings.

Paper Size

This is where it gets fun...

The paper is A1+ width, i.e. 610mm (A1 is 594mm). Fair enough, it means you can print over size, and cut down with bleed over the edge of the print. The catch is you need a big cutter or are good are cutting against a straight edge.

Just to be clear, A1+ is not the max size, it will print up to 18m long from a roll - a banner, which is just crazy!

The print driver essentially allows basic size options, for example, for A1, it can be A1 with 5mm margins, A1 borderless, or A1 oversize borderless. The A1 is great if you are putting in a frame with more than 5mm edges. A1 borderless is great if the frame has little or no border, or if cutting to A1 exactly. Oversize A1 is great for that bleed over the edge, but still has margins of a few mm on the A1+ paper each side and at the ends of the print.

Then there is a "scale to borderless roll" which goes to around 609mm wide, a slight white edge each side. It also cuts the length in to the edge of the print by a few mm. This means you get an over size print with two cut edges and two very narrow white edges.

Confused? Well, yes, too many options.

What I did was make the oversize with print close as you can, and ended up with nice over size A1. The snag is they don't fit in the clip frames so needed cutting, on all four sides.

Now, it can, of course, do A2 on the same roll, sideways - well A2+ (all the same issues, just on the other two edges).

But A3 and smaller I can use the sheet feeder and plain or photo paper, etc. However it does not do borderless at all on the sheet feed, always at least 5mm borders, so a tad more limiting.

Three sided borderless

There is yet another option - 3 sided borderless, and I realise now that this is actually what I need to use.

It prints the image the size you selected, so typically A1 exactly (to then go in a frame, but no scaling or cropping involved from the original artwork). But prints it as far to one edge as it can, and then cuts the start and end. This means you have two cut edges, one very close to edge, and one margin. The margin means only having to cut (or fold over) that one side of four. This makes it very easy to put in a clip frame, or only one cut to use with no frame.

This also means I could print smaller sizes, A3, A4, etc. These are extra easy as the (now quite large) margin fits in my guillotine. It also means all the same (roll) paper with the same colour settings, and edge to edge, unlike using the sheet feeder.

This is an example of A1 three sided borderless - only one side needs cutting or folding over. This is 840mm left to right.

Canon PRO-1000 vs CT-21

I have had a Canon PRO-1000 for some time, it is an amazing printer. It is a must for someone producing professional photographic image prints. I cannot stress how good quality it is.

But I have just replaced with a Canon CT-21. So I felt it's worth explaining why, and what difference it makes.

Do I need a photo printer?

The first point is whether I need a photo printer. It is my only colour printer, and I do print photos for the family that get framed and go on walls, and so on. But I print stuff like a menu with a colour logo on it, etc, which seems overkill to use a PRO-1000.

Basically, I probably do not need a professional photo printer, really. It is just my usual overkill.

What is my use now?

Given the ability to print up to A2, I have actually been using it for posters for the pub. They are stunning.

Is A2 big enough?

The catch is, posters at a pub, may want more, like A1. So I decided to get the TC-21, which is an A1 poster printer that takes roll paper feed. If someone accidentally orders A0 clip frames at the pub, I may be in trouble.

What of TM-255?

I considered the TM-255 - it uses 5 inks, not 4, but has a base, and is just so big. It looks great, but I simply did not have space. The TC-21 fits on my bench. The ™-255 is also high volume and stupidly quick, but the TC-21 is not a problem for what I need in terms of print speed.

Key points in favour of the PRO-1000

• The photo print quality is just amazing, cannot be faulted.
• It does edge to edge printing on most paper sizes (oddly not A5), which is very cool. Even A2.

Key points in favour of TC-21

• It does A1+. Indeed, it will do 610mm wide and 18m long if you want!!!
• It does roll paper feed (which I am using for A1+ or A2+), but it can take narrower paper roll.
• It does sheet feed (no need to take out rolls feed, just manual sheet feed via top loader), all the way down to A6. Very handy.
• Easy colour refill - the PRO-1000 is easy, but this is only 4 inks.

Some downsides for PRO-1000

• It uses 12 inks, this is a feature in terms of quality but a pain in terms of costs and hassle with ink. It also gets through "maintenance kits" which also cost.
• If you do not use for a while, weeks, it will waste a lot of ink and take ages to start up. But it will then print perfectly. I don't know if the TC-21 does this.

Some downsides of the TC-21

• It is bigger, check dimensions, but wider by quite a bit. Well, obviously it has to be.
• It does not do edge to edge well - it can get very close on roll feed, maybe 1mm each side, and cut with no margin top/bottom. But not at all on sheet feed. This is perhaps its main lack of feature.
• It is only CMYK not 12 inks, but the photo printing is still good, and good enough by far for some family photos.

I do not know running costs yet, but the results are pretty good.