I was having a few problems getting the Extreme to recognize my Epson 7600 printer on the network. It worked at first, but disappeared when I tried printing from it again. Mind you, I am not connecting the printer to the USB connection of the Extreme. The printer has an ethernet print server card installed in it, and that is connected to one of the ethernet ports on the Extreme. Anyways the key is to give the printer a static IP address. I was able to do it on my Netgear, but I didn’t know if the Extreme had the ability. It does.
- Open Airport Utility
- Click Internet
- Click DHCP
- Go to the bottom section labeled DHCP Reservations. Click the + symbol.
- Think of a description and fill in the description field.
- Choose the Reserve by MAC address radio button.
- Click Continue.
- Find the MAC address off the ethernet print server card, fill in the MAC address field.
- Choose an IP address you’d like to reserve.
- Click Done.
This solution seemed to work for me.
An Epson Stylus Pro 11880 is a super mega fantastic ultra awesome 64 inch large format inkjet printer which uses Epson’s third generation ultrachrome (pigmented) inks for the low low price of $14,995. This is a relative bargain when you compare it to other large format printers from companies you’ve never heard of like Roland, Iris, and Mimaki which can be as much as $45,000 and as little as $26,000! I just saw one thats $60,000. Anyways, outside of reach for most people unless they own a sign shop or a photo lab. Lightjet is crazier still. Come to think of it, $15k is a lot of money too. Fortunately, it doesn’t keep me from wanting it. Maybe because it seems more achievable.
I currently own a 24 inch Epson 7600 that I bought used last year. This has been the most reliable printer I’ve ever owned. I think it’s time to upgrade, and I want the 11880. 64 inch prints would be so cool. It could fill a room. Heads could be the size of full bodies. Big prints make a different impact that little 8.5 inch prints can’t even get close to. To quote Woody Allen’s Hannah and her Sisters, a quote I heard on NPR today but a movie I haven’t seen (maybe I’ll put it on Netflix), in the scene when the rockstar begins his journey into art collecting for his new house, “I need something really big.”
