Roland Symphony with 12-color extended gamut Symphonic Ultra Max inks for giclee and fine art photography

The first Roland 12-color printer was the d’Vinci with software from ErgoSoft. Great printer, fine RIP software (good people behind it), but because of industry politics it was a challenge to obtain really good 12-color inks. Epson requires that any ink flowing through Epson printheads come through Epson and pay a tithe (the “throughput tax”).

The result is that only politically accepted ink is available. In other words, the really great inks, if they are not part of the family, don’t get a chance.

So, the only way (under the current industry situations) for a really innovative ink to be available, is simply to use the best ink out there and don’t worry about the throughput tax.

Currently, the best ink available in multi-color formulas, is Symphonic Ink. Their ink, for water-based giclee, water-based fine art photographs, and textile printing, owes part of its spectacular quality to the software that manages it.

Remember, everything in digital imaging is a partnership. The printer is just a gizmo that holds the ink and holds the printheads. What makes one printer super is the software, the ink, and the media.

So if you take a good printer (current Roland Pro II), an exceptional ink (Symphonic Ink), and an outstanding RIP (the software available together with Symphonic ink) you get the best of all three.

This printer is called the Roland Symphony. Realize this is not an official Roland printer because the ink is after-market. So we can’t even show you a photo of this printer (to obtain one, you have to contact Scott Saltman at InkjetColorSystems.com).

You can buy a mass-market 11-color Canon iPF5000, but it is 11-colors not 12, and Canon is not (yet) a fine art or giclee printer company. Their background is copiers. ColorSpan actually has the most experience in producing both 11-color and 12-color inkjet printers.

But the quality is Roland quality on the printer engine; Symphonic Ultra-Max Ink quality in the ink aspect; and an outstanding (Evolution) RIP software from capable engineers. You can add your favorite media.

First posted : August, 2, 2006