Customer reviews for Kodak 1400 Photo Printer

Average Customer Review (4.2 Stars / 5.0): Number of Reviews: 17
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kodak 1400 for events, Oct 31, 2007

reviewer: SGM from Mexico

Very nice prints but has feed problems. Many times will pull more than one sheet of paper in, must hold the stack and pamper the machine. Once you know the drill its pretty nice. Dust problems, almost always lose first print after transport to event.

Underwhelmed!, Jun 19, 2007

reviewer: Jon Willis from Farnborough

Speed of printing was never an issue when I bought this printer and for the first 8 prints all was fine. Then the paper would not feed into the printer. I cleaned the rollers which worked for five prints. on inspection the paper tray has 2 metal slits that the paper passes through. These were at different widths and causes the paper to skew as it fed into the machine. Even after repair the Printer jammed and rejected the paper. At £80 a box of paper I gave up. print quality is nothing if the printer is so unreliable. The atmosphere is slightly dusty where I work and causes marks on the paper. In summary if the paper tray is properly aligned (mine never was) and you work in a dust free enviroment then the Kodak Printer is for you. As for me I am looking at the Mitsubishi 3020. Footnote. I recently went to Thorpe Park and in their 'wild west dressing up place' where you have your pics taken, thry had 2 mitsubishis working flat out all day outside in the open with no problems

Living with the Kodak 1400, Nov 09, 2006

reviewer: Jamie Whitehorn (DigitalPicy.com/Photographer) from Basingstoke

I bought one of the first 1400's to come into the country in July 2005. I've now had this printer for over a year so I thought I'd share my experiences. In early 2005 I started looking for a new photographic printer. I had a shopping list, it needed to be able to print to a maximum size of 10"x8", it needed to be transportable so it could be used as an event printer, and needed to produce high quality, durable prints. One of the major reasons for wanting to get a photographic printer was I was getting fed up with the variable quality I was getting from commercial labs. Colours and brightness were both varying between prints runs almost at random (OK so I'm a perfectionist and the variations were small but very, very annoying). I needed end to end control of the process, from composing the shot, to final print. I settled on the Kodak 1400. My inital thoughts were covered in the DPReview forums (http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1003&message=14638620) but basically I was very pleased with the printer and really liked the results. So a year on has that changed? Yes, unfortunately it has, which is why this review only gets 2 stars. After a while I began to see some streaks across the photographs which a bit of investigation revealed were being caused by the pickup rollers where the printer collects the paper from the paper tray. Unfortunately dye-sub printers are very sensitive to any damage to the paper and it appeared that the rollers were slipping slightly and damaging the surface of the paper. A glance at the forums showed other people were also seeing this problem and various solutions were suggested including cleaning with isopropyl alcohol or window cleaner (from a Kodak engineer). The official Kodak suggestion is to clean it using isopropyl alcohol BTW. Cleaning the rollers did reduce the problem. However it has been reoccurring to a greater or lesser extent every since. It appears there are issues about the tolerances of the slots on the paper tray and with the thickness of the paper varying between batches which means that some batches of paper are OK, others are awful (ie unusable). You get scuffs on the paper or double feeds when two sheets go through. [Editor: We have also had this problem and we had many issues during the summer in the hot weather, that said temperatures were in excess of the 30 degrees that Kodak list in the spec sheets. This problem also manifests itself at other times of the year as well though] There is also an issue with some types of very light background where you would see a sort of granulation effect rather than a smooth graduation of colour. I particularly saw this on outdoor shots with a light, cloudy background. This was supposed to be cured by one of the firmware upgrades, but I still see it from time to time. The only cure is to use Photoshop to reduce the background to a single colour and then re-print the picture (which costs me time and money). [Editor: This has been an ongoing problem an is now much better but still not resolved 100%. This has never been an issue with the Mitsubishi CP3020DE/DAE printer] So I felt that while this was a great printer when it was working on form, there were a number of problems. This all finally reached a head about a week ago. I hadn’t used the printer from a couple of weeks and when I turned it back on the scuffing problem was absolutely horrendous and I couldn’t get any usable prints out at all. Despite having cleaned the rollers very carefully, and tried a couple of different media packs (at £80 a go!) I was reduced to having to feed sheets in one at a time by hand to prevent the rollers scuffing the paper and be able to get usable pints out. I don’t have time to do this and I certain don’t want to do it in front of clients. So I was left with a dilemma - the printer was going to have to go back for repair (which I will have to pay for) and I can’t afford to be without a printer. I was going to have to buy another printer. Did I want to get another Kodak 1400? I still have 3 boxes of media (worth about £240) which could be used in a new one, but when I sat down and thought about it I realised my faith in the product has been too damaged (and has not been helped by the fact that Bob Collette who was a huge help in the DPReview forums has now retired from Kodak). I just don’t want to see these problems again. If I’m paying £400 for a printer I want it to just work, perfectly, first time without me having to fiddle with it. For this reason the replacement I’ve just bought is a Mitsubishi CP3020DAE, not a Kodak 1400. £325 pounds more expensive, but hopefully without the problems. Certainly the preliminary results look good. No marks from pickup rollers and no banding/granulation in light, cloudy backgrounds. [Editor: We have never has these problems with the Mitsubishi CP3020 printers in over two years] I've also run the Mitsubishi prints past some of my regular customers to get their reactions and they were perfectly happy with the results so print quality looks good as well.

Great printer! - Sure shows Kodak-traditions, Oct 12, 2006

reviewer: www.degeatal.com from Canada

The printer in general is great! Unfortunatly I can't give it 5 stars, since it is impossible to print "pure white". The paper is already not "white"! Even with the Kodak-ICC profile, your prints will turn out "warm" which is a Kodak tradition, even from many years ago. The speed, easy of set up, is fantastic! - The menus in the printer driver allow for all nec. options, which is great to tweak the print output, unfortunatly can't fix the "yellow paper problem". I'm used to, and still am using an "old" Epson 960, where I need to wait for my prints, and then let them dry for quite some time. So it is a fair trade off, if you want speed. Also nice to see that the ribbon is matched for paper, so you won't run out of colour and won't waste any when using the Kodak 1400. I can defenetly recommend the printer if you want instant nice prints and you're an average user. If you're more picky (like me), look carefully before making a choice.

Poor print quality, Jun 19, 2006

reviewer: AirFotos Ltd from Newcastle upon Tyne

The print quality of my Kodak 1400 is poor and not of a commercial quality. The images are not sharp and have a yellow shaddow - I think its because the print alignment is out. I have emailed Kodak Technical line on numerous occation's asking if its just a set-up problem but they don't respond. As a result I'm back to the Epson Photo R1800 which gives a far better result. [Editor: This reviewer did not purchase the printer from us and has not contacted us regarding this matter. As a result we are unable to comment objectively about this problem.]

Great technical support, May 28, 2006

reviewer: Andrew Burgess - Photographer from London

I called System Insight before purchasing my Dye-Sub printer and was given lots of information and sound impartial advise. I ordered it straightaway and was assured that even though I might find the kodak 1400 at a slightly cheaper price elsewhere the advantage of buying from System Insight, among other things, was the after-sales back-up I would receive if anything went wrong with my machine. It arrived the next day and sure enough, having downloaded the drivers my computer couldn't locate the new printer. I called System insight and they talked me through the problem until we found the cause - a faulty USB cable. Great technical support at the end of a phone line - a rare thing these days! And the printer? So far so good - easy to use and fantastic prints!!

The best printer I have ever purchased, May 08, 2006

reviewer: Lilian Webb from ROMFORD

Ihave spent untold money on printers trying to get what I see on my screen to print out the same but all of them fail with one issue or another.But since purchasing the Kodak 1400 It is just a case of print and every picture is perfect i would reccomend this printer Its the best

Kodak 1400, Feb 05, 2006

reviewer: none from home

Like most comments I must congratulate System Insight on their speedy delivery and help,no problems with printer apart from first loading of ribbon once that was sorted it was all systems go and the resulting print is excellent Lilian

Kodak 1400, Jan 06, 2006

reviewer: Delta Images from Leeds

the Kodak 1400 is certainly not a match for the 8500 it replaced, it has a problem with dust on the prints and the casing is just not built to last, but given it is half the cost of the 8500 it can still produce images well beyond inkjet, you need to treat it carefully and cover it when not in use to avoid dust and it will work perfectly, the same quality of the 8500 images, half the build quality, but half the price ! Pros: high Quality everytime guarenteed to impresse your clients Cons: home use build quality, needs more protection against dust

The Magic Box, Aug 25, 2005

reviewer: David Dugal Photography from Tyrone N. Ireland

It arrived as promised (great service from System Insight) and it delivered everything it promised. Quality of printing (I used glossy) was impressive in just under one and half minutes it delivered another sheet of magic ('course I had some input in that...!!!) Seriously though it's a SERIOUS piece of (portable) kit and the first fifty photo sheets will pay for it. I'll use my inkjet for the invoices!

One of the best printers I've used!, Aug 15, 2005

reviewer: Dave Wheeler (Photographer) from Fair Isle

First impressions of this printer are extremely favorable - excellent quality and also pretty speedy! Setting up was not too difficult - although the brief instructions were slightly less than helpful. It took a few moments of thought to realise that the ribbon had to be put in the carrier before placing in the printer (a bit of force was required to 'snap' the spindles down through the supports on the carrier). It was also a bit fiddly to place the carrier and ribbon into the printer - smaller hands would have helped! Now I know what I'm doing the next time should be much easier!Software/driver installation was straightforward, but the configuration utility is certainly not 'user friendly'! Having loaded it I decided to forgo this option as the prints produced under 'factory settings' were near-pefect! I noticed that after I had opened the lid (between prints) to have a look at what was going on 'under the bonnet' the next print had some spots on it - presumably dust? Subsequent prints were fine. I guess that dust could be a problem so I have just ordered a custom dust cover to use when the Kodak 1400 Photo Printer is not in use.

Kodak 1400 Dye Sub Printer, Aug 12, 2005

reviewer: John Dodds from North Yorkshire

Do you want a printer? a printer that will produce a 10x8 /12x8 image area? the Kodak 1400 will be just what you are looking for. If like me you want to produce saleable prints at, "in the field/events" etc then this is the best solution that I have come across so far. The price is right, the installation fuss free and its ability to perform print after print (so far) without problem has to make the 1400 a winner! As far as the customer is concerned the finished print is impervious to liquid spills sticky fingers etc is very tough (try tearing one, can be washed in soapy water and most importantly says Kodak on the back. End users still trust the name as a quality benchmark A few tips use only the gloss finish the matte prints looked too dull for my liking. When printing from Photoshop (V.5.0) select RGB colour space and check the printer control option box This for me produces on paper what I see on screen!! what more do you want. I also use a Canon i9950 A3+ Printer and an Epson 2100 A3+ printer both of which produce excellent results when given the correct tasks to do (both cost more than the Kodak 1400)so I do not speak with any brand bias. One last thing if you are still with me! The people at System Insight are great to deal with and I have no problem in recommending the Company.

First impressions of the Kodak 1400, Jul 14, 2005

reviewer: Eddie from Berkshire

I've had the Kodak 1400 for just a few hours but first impressions are extremely favourable. Incidentally, before I start on the printer I would just like to say how helpful, and speedy with the delivery, the people at System Insight are. I would not go anywhere else for anything that they stock. Now, on to the printer: Unpacking. I feel that Kodak are a bit mean not to include a power cable (for the UK) USB lead or a small box of paper/ribbon. However, System Insight include the first two of these free of charge. Just make sure that you order a Print Kit or you will not be able to swing into action. Setting up. This is quite straightforward - though I did spend a little time staring at the space where the ribbon was supposed to go trying to work out how it fitted. Eventually I realised that I was holding the ribbon carrier upside down (doh!) and it clicked in OK. It does need a fairly firm push to make sure that it is seated properly. Installing the driver was simple, though this must be done before the printer is connected to the computer. I also had a go at the printer calibration which went fine until I was supposed to judge which of the little squares was 'most neutral'. Turning to 'Help' told me that this meant the one that was most gray. I have to say that they all looked gray to me so I just went for the one in the middle and everything seems to be OK. Operation. This is really just 'turn it on and go'. I have started with the A4 glossy pack which turns out 8 x 10 inch prints. The margin on the long side of the paper is small (just under 2/10ths of an inch each side) but much larger along the short side (6/10ths at one end and just over an inch at the other). This made me think that I should be able to fill the large margin and make prints of about 8 x 11 inches. No way - it won't go any longer on the A4 size. I look forward to the 8.5 x 14 pack becoming readily available as that will produce prints which are 8 x 12 inch - the same ratio at which my camera operates. Incidentally, some sort of photo trimmer is an essential accessory for evening up or chopping off the margin. When the photos are sent to the printer there is a brief pause whilst things travel down the USB 2.0 cable, and then all sorts of things happen. Lights flash, motors whirr, strange coloured prints pop out of the front and then disappear back inside again and then, 90 seconds later, out comes final print. Results. It was for the results that I bought this printer and I have not been disappointed. It really does produce prints which have the 'wow' factor. I have been wasting far too much of my first pack of paper by going back over my archived photos, giving them a crop and a tweak in Photoshop and then seeing what the Kodak 1400 can do with them - and they are stunning. I prefer to set the brightness in the printer driver up a bit (+3) but even without this I was delighted with my first efforts. This is a superb printer and I just feel sorry for all my family and friends who are going to have to put up with me thrusting 8 x 10s under their noses and saying, "Just look at that!"

Kodak 1400 - Magic Machine, Jun 29, 2005

reviewer: Mrs Morris from Dorset

I have recently purchased the Kodak 1400 and it is absolutely brilliant, it is far superior than my existing HP Photosmart. I have reprinted pictures which have previously been produced on the photosmart and the colours are far more natural. This is a magic machine and I am overjoyed with my purchase.

Excellent print quality, but niggling setup, Jun 26, 2005

reviewer: Nick Gordon from Milton Keynes, Bucks

I'm a keen amateur photographer, with a decent digital camera (Canon 20D) and cupboards full of negs from the last 20 years. I got the printer so I could get high quality prints from both digital and scanned negs. These are my thoughts after the first few days. Installation & setup Not as simple as it should be. If you use Mac OSX 10.4, you need to get the latest drivers from the Kodak site (dated June 2005) - the ones on the CD won't work (so I understand). If you use 14-inch paper, whatever your OS (Mac or Windows), you need the latest driver/utility pack. There's a firmware upgrade, but it can only be installed via Windows (as far as I can see). For a long time I couldn't get anything out of it, not even a test print. The problem turned out be a slight mis-seating of the ribbon. The Windows driver pointed me at the ribbon, but the Mac driver didn't. Bah! Printing Having got it working, printing is excellent. It's quick (about 90 seconds for a 7x5 high-res image), and the quality is (to my eyes) outstanding - at least as good as I'd expect from a high street printer. It's exactly what I was looking for. General It's a good size, and very functional. Doesn't have much in the way of bells and whistles (e.g preview screen), but it does what it's supposed to. I'd buy another one. [Editor: All 1400's from us now come with an extra CD with the very latest drivers on, we will also perform the firmware upgrade free of charge on request]

How Good?, Jun 23, 2005

reviewer: IT/Photographer from Brighton

Wow! At last I have a professional printer that can print 8 x 12 inch photos to match the size of the sensor in my Nikon D70. It has taken a while to arrive, originally January was the delivery date and it arrived a few weeks ago. The printer is quite large, heavy and noisy when turned on but all of that is of no consequence when I saw the prints it produces. My recommendation is to go for the large paper and get some decent frames made for your walls. I do wish that the cost per print was lower but the printer does give fantastic results.

Fantastic, Jun 12, 2005

reviewer: Martin Grant / Photographer from Elgin, Scotland

Fantastic printer for the photographer that likes to be in control. I can now do 1 off reprints in minutes instead of having to wait for a D&P Lab. And the quality is 100%. If you need to tweek things you can see the results at the click of a mouse. What are you waiting for go buy one, You will love it Martin