“Does this printer use archival inks or pigment inks? Can it be used for Giclee printing? Do you know any printers that use pigment inks?”
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This model definitely does not use pigment ink. In fact, most of photo printers in the lower echelon of Epson's catalog do not. Anything you see advertised using a Claria ink-set is going to be dye based. Although I am sure it would void every warranty, and be highly discouraged by every Epson employee alive... aftermarket ink cartridges with pigment based ink will work just fine so long as you don't let it sit too long. The ideal alternative, albeit the less affordable one, is, of course, to take a step up to committing to a prosumer line model photo printer. The SureColor P400, 600, 800, R800, R1800, R1900, R2000, R2200, R2400, R2800, R2880, all are excellent in their own right. Outside from Epson, there's the Canon Pixma Pro 9500, and the Canon Image Prograf Pro 1000. I'd personally advise sticking clear of anything made by HP, but that's my personal bias of course. Make the decision you feel is right for your application use. Good Luck!
Sorry, there was a problem. Please try again later.I cannot speak to this model, but there are many printers available from both HP & Epson that are suitable for producing gallery/museum quality Gliclee prints. [EDIT] Some quick research shows this printer uses Epson Claria series inks, which are dye based - per Epson website. HP has several large format prints that specifically indicate they are suitable as Giclee. The key is as you mentioned pigmented ink, but also proven fade resistance on certain paper stocks. I have an HP Z3100 (discontinued) which has been tested to show 200+ years of fade resistance using HP inks & paper. Some papers tested were rated at 150+ years. I have heard that some Epson printers also use pigmented inks, but you may need to research which models and if they have tests confirming this. Giclee standards are more commonly met in certain models in the 24"-44" range, which of course are quite a bit more expensive. You may also be able to find a used HP Z series printer.
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