Responses? Shouldn't I say "response"? I wish I could, but Epson has had as many
different reactions to this issue as a leopard has spots. Epson first suggested that drying
each print for 24 hours, covered with a piece of ordinary copy paper, would allow the ink to dry
completely and solve the problem. (It didn't). Epson then said the problem occurs only
with the Premium Glossy (PGPP) paper. (Not true). The explanation then shifted to the cyan, or
light cyan, dye. But now Epson says the cyan dye is exactly the same as in prior inksets -- but
what of the light cyan dye?. Actually, Epson's claim is that the 1270 inks have "equivilent
gasfastness" to prior inks. Is this true? See what my
gasfastness
tests show.
To my knowledge, Epson has never acknowledged any problem with the black dye.
At this point, Epson's official position seems to be that the orange shift is a paper problem that only occurs on Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper. But as you read this web site, you'll see that position simply doesn't hold up. My tests of various Epson papers demonstrate this shift occurs on most Epson, and many 3rd party, papers. Some shift less rapidly than others, but they all shift. Epson has even coined a new term: "gasfastness" to describe the problem. For the moment, Epson claims the 1270 inks have equal "gasfastness" to earlier Epson inks. I've tested that claim, too.
In November 2000, Epson released a new, reformulated version of the Premium Glossy Photo Paper, This paper supposedly contains an antioxidant coating to slow, but not prevent, the orange shift. Epson claims the new paper will slow the rate of oxidation by 5 to 6 times. So in a location where the current paper lasts for 24 hours, the new paper might last close to a week! On the other hand, in a location where the orange shift occurs very slowly, the new paper might be an acceptable compromise. Of course, if factors other than oxidation are at work, it might not help at all.
Unfortunately, the first batches of this new paper were defective, and Epson has recalled the entire lot. I was able to test a sample of this defective batch, which you can read about here. But I can't say whether these results are representative of the final product, supposedly due out "any day now." I can, by the way, confirm that the new paper is indeed defective. Within a couple of weeks of printing, all the dark areas of the print are covered in what looks almost like a flurry of tiny snowflakes.
The 3rd generation PGPP is now available. It can be identified (at least in the U.S.) by a sticker with a manufacture date of December 2000 or later. This paper appears to resolve the "snowflake"
problem, and it resists the orange fade longer than does the first generation PGPP. But it only delays the problem, not prevent it, and there have been some reports that prints made on the new paper have problems with a green tinge to the shadows. I'll be doing some more tests and comparisons to evaluate this paper.At the time of this writing (December 2000) Epson America has a quiet, unwritten "buy back" program in place for anyone who complains to Epson about the orange shift. If you contact Epson at Epsonsupport70@ea.epson.com, or call Epson's customer service line at (800) 533-3731, and register your complaint, you'll have 1 year from the date of purchase of your printer to return the printer to Epson and receive a refund of the purchase price. Epson offices in other parts of the world seem to have their own policies. Check out Keith Kreb's site for some information on buyback options outside the U.S.
There seems to be quite a bit of confusion, even within Epson America, about just what the
buyback policy is. In September of 2000, there were a number of reports that Epson was
no longer offering the 1 year buyback program. But as of now, the 1 year offer seems to be
in effect. Some people (including me) have been reimbursed even for supplies they had already
used. Others have been told Epson will only reimburse them for unused supplies. I strongly
suggest that if you're interested in the buyback offer, you contact Epson immediately, and
"get on the list" before Epson changes the policy. And demand a refund for used
supplies as well as unused ones. Professional users who sold the images made with
the used supplies seem to have better luck getting reimbursed for them. Hint, hint.
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