tastarsupply.com Tastar Data ScreenConnect
tastarsupply.com tastarsupply.com
tastarsupply.com tastarsupply.com
To purchase from tastarsupply, please Login or Create an Account - Why?   
  Home » Articles of Interest My Account  |  Checkout   
Newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter
and receive informative articles,
special offers
and more.
Categories
Special Offers more
Clearance more
Media Finder more
Ink Finder more
Toner Finder more
Epson Media more
Latest Products more
Downloads
Documents
Informational Material
Reference Material
Information
Remote Support
About Us
W. PA Resource
Why Buy from Us?
Conditions of Use
Contact Us
Gift Certificate FAQ
Privacy Notice
Read Me
Shipping & Returns
Site Map
Secure Site


 

Secure communication ensured by Sectigo SSL Encryption

Articles of Interest
  03/01/2024 - Epson's Buy 3, Get 1 Free Media Rebate
  03/01/2024 - Fast PC Notebooks
  03/01/2024 - Fast PC Desktops
  03/01/2024 - Great Rebates on Epson P700 and P900 Printers
  01/07/2024 - How Often Should You Use Your Inkjet Printer?
  11/13/2023 - The Best Epson Printer for Screen Printing
  11/05/2023 - We Offer Remote Support
  09/06/2023 - Epson Wide Format Printers for Education
  06/13/2023 - Epson Firmware Update for Select P-Series Printers
Result Pages:  Collapse 

Epson's Buy 3, Get 1 Free Media Rebate
03/01/2024

(Top)



Buy 3 packages or rolls of Epson Signature Worthy and/ or Legacy media - and get reimbursed for the cost of the least expensive item via mail-in rebate. Media includes Epson's Luster, Hot and Cold Press, most Epson canvas, all of the Legacy papers and more - in sheets and rolls. For complete details, please download the Epson rebate form for this promotion.

For a complete listing of eligible Epson Signature Worthy and Legacy media, please click this link. This offer is valid through March 31, 2024.


Based on advice that we have received from Epson, the best way to submit a rebate is to do an online submission. The rebate form says to go to this web address: Epson Rebates

and enter the rebate number 23-21382 - which is shown in the address on the last page of the rebate form:

Epson Signature Worthy/Legacy
Media Rebate
Epson Rebate Center
PO Box 540009 (23-21382)
El Paso, TX 88554-0009

and to follow the provided instructions. The rebate center phone number is 800-277-6187.


Fast PC Notebooks
03/01/2024

(Top)




We've identified a few PC notebooks that provide excellent performance for the price. They have either AMD Ryzen or Intel latest generation processors. And, they all have 256 or 512 GB NVME solid state drives that give an extra performance boost.

Acer TravelMate TMP414 14IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,586, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 14 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution display and a 2 year warranty. It's currently priced at $839.00.

Lenovo ThinkPad E16 15.6IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 7730U with a CPU Benchmark rating of 20,468, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution display and a 1 year warranty. It's currently priced at $899.00.

Acer TRAVELMATE PRO TMP414 14IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U with a CPU Benchmark rating of 20,913, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 14 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution display and a 2 year warranty. It's currently priced at $929.00.

Asus EXPERTBOOK B2 B2402C 14IN that includes an Intel i7-1260P with a CPU Benchmark rating of 17,257, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 14 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $929.00.

HP EliteBook 655 G10 15.6IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 5 7530U with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,911, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 2 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1019.00.

Lenovo ThinkPad T16 16IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7540U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 19,093, 16GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, a 16 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,089.00.

HP EliteBook 645 G10 that includes an AMD Ryzen 7-7730U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 20,468, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 14 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1119.00.

HP EliteBook 655 G10 that includes an AMD Ryzen 7-7730U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 20,468, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 15 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,119.00.

HP ZBOOK STUDIO G9 16IN I7-12700H that includes an Intel Core i7 (12th Gen) processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 26,828, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,159.00.

Lenovo THINKPAD P14S G4 14IN Touchscreen that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 25,447, 32 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,159.00.

Lenovo THINKPAD T14 G4 14IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 25,222, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 14 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution Touchscreen display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,229.00.

Lenovo ThinkPad T16 16IN Touchscreen that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 25,222, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 16 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution Touchscreen display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,269.00

Lenovo THINKPAD X13 G4 13.3IN that includes an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 25,477, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 13 inch 1920 x 1200 resolution Touchscreen display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,289.00.

Lenovo ThinkPad L15 G4 that includes a 13th Gen Intel i5-1335U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 17,845, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD, a 15 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,309.00.

Click this link for a listing of these computers.


Fast PC Desktops
03/01/2024

(Top)



We've identified a few desktop PCs that provide excellent performance for the price. These computers have either AMD Ryzen or Intel 11th, 12th or 13th generation processors. And, they all have solid state drives that give an extra performance boost, and 1 or 3 year warranties. The more expensive models in this list have high performance graphics cards and would be great for CAD work as well as for work in the graphic arts.

Asus PN52 MINI PC that includes an AMD Ryzen 7-5800H with a CPU Benchmark rating of 21,258, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 1 year warranty. It's currently priced at $679.00.

Asus ExpertCenter D5 SFF that includes an Intel Core i5 12th Gen i5-12400 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 19,504, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $799.00.

Lenovo ThinkCentre M75S GEN2 SFF that includes an AMD Ryzen 7-5750G processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 24,551, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $809.00.

Dell OptiPlex 7000 7010 SFF that includes an Intel Core i5 (13th Gen) i5-13500 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 32,576, 16 GB of memory, a 256 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $849.00.

Dell OptiPlex 7000 7010 Micro that includes an Intel Core i5 (13th Gen) i5-13500 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 32,576, 8 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $869.00.

Dell OptiPlex 7000 7010 TOWER that includes an Intel Core i5 13th Gen i5-13500 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 32,520, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $899.00.

Lenovo ThinkCentre NEO 50S GEN 4 SFF that includes an Intel i7-13700 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 38,315, 16 GB of memory, a 256 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $999.00.

Asus EXPERTCENTER SFF that includes an Intel Core i7 (13th Gen) 13700 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 38,315, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1119.00.

HP Z2 G9 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 (13th Gen) 13700 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 38,315, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1199.00.

Dell OPTIPLEX 7000 SFF that includes an Intel Core i7 (13th Gen) 13700 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 38,315, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1219.00.

Lenovo ThinkCentre M70S SFF that includes an Intel Core i7 (13th Gen) 13700 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 38,315, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,219.00.

HP Z2 G9 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 (13th Gen) 13700 processor with a CPU Benchmark rating of 38,315, 16 GB of memory, a 512 GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,309.00.

Click this link for a listing of these computers.


Great Rebates on Epson P700 and P900 Printers
03/01/2024

(Top)




Buy an Epson SureColor P700 and you will be eligible to receive a $200.00 rebate from Epson, or, buy an Epson SureColor P900 and you will be eligible to receive a $200.00 rebate from Epson.

The SureColor P700 is a 13 inch wide photo printer that includes the Epson UltraChrome® PRO10 ink set that allows automatic ink switching between photo and matte black with no ink loss. The SureColor P900 is the 17 inch wide version of the SureColor P700.

Click this link to see these Epson SureColor printers and for links to the rebate forms. These offers are valid through March 31, 2024.


How Often Should You Use Your Inkjet Printer?
01/07/2024

(Top)

How often should you use your inkjet printer to avoid clogging and other problems - a video by Keith Cooper at Northlight Images, available on YouTube:


The Best Epson Printer for Screen Printing
11/13/2023

(Top)

As screen printers probably know, the Epson SureColor T3270 is an excellent printer for screen printing. It's 24 inches wide, easily handles 17 inch film with 3 inch cores and the Epson photo black ink provides excellent density and dot quality with a RIP. If you have an interest in this printer, please call our office for more information.

Click this link for information about this printer.





We Offer Remote Support
11/05/2023

(Top)



Another great cartoon penned by Gordon Pritchard and posted on printplanet.com at this link.


Epson Wide Format Printers for Education
09/06/2023

(Top)



Special education discounts are available to K - 12 and higher education institutions for purchases of Epson's wide format printers. The Brighter Futures program includes both the SureColor P-Series professional imaging printers and the SureColor T-Series architectural and signage printers.

EPSON Professional Imaging P-Series wide format printers are designed for Photography, Fine Art, Proofing, and Graphic Design. And, with Epson's Brighter Futures program, you can get significant savings off the regular price of SureColor P-series models:




To check out the Epson P-Series printers, please click this link.

Current Epson mail-in rebates can be used with SureColor P700 ($525.00 after the mail-in rebate) and P900 ($935.00 after the mail-in rebate) printer purchases, so the Brighter Futures pricing on these models is especially attractive.

The Epson T-Series printers are incredibly versatile and cover a wide variety of printing needs including posters (to promote football games, for example), maps, engineering drawings, banners, and even clear film for screen printing, at top of the line speeds. And, by utilizing Epson's Brighter Futures program specifically designed for education, you can get significant savings off the regular price for any of the SureColor T-series models:




To check out the Epson T-Series printers, please click this link.

For complete details, please download the Epson Brighter Futures Brochure.


Epson Firmware Update for Select P-Series Printers
06/13/2023

(Top)
Based on a notice from Epson:

Due to the continuing chip shortage, Epson UltraChrome HD and HDX ink cartridges of all sizes will transition to a different design with new part numbers starting June 1, 2023.

This change affects the Epson SureColor P6000, P7000, P8000, and P9000 printers worldwide. To use these new cartridges, the printers require new firmware BEFORE installing the new cartridges in the printer or running out of ink in the current cartridges. For that reason, it is critical that all customers update their printer to the latest firmware as soon as possible.

Click this link for more information.

Note: this firmware update needs to be done before switching to the new inks. Currently there is adequate stock of the existing ink that can be used without the firmware update. But, Epson is recommending that the firmware update be done as soon as possible to assure that all is good going forward.


"Remarks" by G. Tchakarian
02/13/2023

(Top)



Two copies of the "Remarks" photo book by G. Tchakarian, printed in 2001, are available for $100.00 each - proceeds will be donated to his wife Anna. Please call our office if you are interested.


Garo in California
02/09/2023

(Top)




Image and photo by Garo Tchakarian - thank you for all of your hard work for Tastar!


Garo Tchakarian
02/08/2023

(Top)

Garo Tchakarian has been helping Tastar in our ColorCentral demo room for the past few years. When he's in the demo room, he loves doing everything - running test prints on screen printing film, running demo prints for customers, testing various media (he used an awful lot of the Hahnemühle Hemp), working with color calibration and software RIPs and anything else that keeps him in touch with his roots in photography.

Garo is an accomplished photographer, and has recently scanned a few of his old negatives from photos that he took when he was in his home country. He was born in Sofia, Bulgaria and has been a photographer since 1975. During all of those years of creative activity, he has received over 15 international awards.

We would like to take this opportunity to display a few of these photographs. More of his photography can be found on his website.




Blind Man




For Whom the Bell Tolls




Maestro Cesario




Gypsy Boys




The House of Dying Memories


David Aschkenas at the Mendelson Gallery
11/09/2022

(Top)

Local photographer and expert printer, David Aschkenas, is having a show of his photography of Italian Synagogues and Churches at the Mendelson Gallery in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. The show's opening is on Wednesday, November 30, from 5 - 8 PM, and will be open on Saturdays and Sundays through December.






David Aschkenas website

Mendelson Gallery, 5874 Ellsworth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15232, 412-361- 8664
Mendelson Gallery website


We can dream...
06/14/2022

(Top)
One of our customers thanked us for sending them an invoice a couple of days ago - was it a dream?


Click to enlarge

Another great cartoon penned by Gordon Pritchard and posted on printplanet.com at this link.


In Stock Desktop Printers
04/15/2022

(Top)

 


In case you might be interested, we have a few in-stock desktop printers. You can check out the current list at this link.


Albert Puskaric - Sound Images
02/03/2022

(Top)
We've sold printers, paper and ink to Alberto for a number of years, and finally had the opportunity to see his work when he did a print on one of our demo printers. He does his work as a pencil drawing, then scans the drawing and prints from Adobe Photoshop. The quality and detail in the original drawings is incredible, and the high resolution scans of the drawings maintain the integrity of the original work.

Alberto has been pursuing his art career after retiring from teaching, where he taught classes in robotics, engineering, drafting, art and technical writing. You can see his work at his website Albert Puskaric Fine Art, at many other places on the internet, at 7 Springs Mountain Resort and on the Ocean City Boardwalk in warmer weather.




3rd Street Ocean City MD





Tony's Pizza





Fin n Feather at Seven Springs





Experience Seven Springs

Thank you, Alberto, for your outstanding art.


Turn Down the Heat with Inkjet Printers
10/27/2021

(Top)
Epson and National Geographic have come together to raise awareness of how conserving heat is a great way to help to minimize our impact on the environment. From the linked brochure shown below, inkjet printers have benefits, including:

    Less power consumption saves energy and money
    Fewer replacement parts, lower environmental impact
    Less intervention increases productivity.

Visit the Turn Down the Heat website.

Watch the Turn Down the Heat video.

Download the Turn Down the Heat brochure.


New Epson Service Plans - Get 5 Year Coverage
10/18/2021

(Top)
Buy a new Epson wide-format printer and add a service plan that will cover your printer for a total of 5 years (4 years for the plan plus the 1 year warranty that is included with the printer). This new plan is called the MAX Plan - "Buy 3 Years of Extended Service Plan Coverage & Get the 4th Year Free". The multi-year MAX Plan offers MAXimum service coverage beyond the printer's 1 year warranty, a MAXimum discount for buying more, and MAXimum peace of mind knowing that your equipment is covered by Epson service in case it's needed.

For a list of these plans, please Click this link.


But, I Don't Recognize You...
07/21/2021

(Top)



 
Our customers are now coming in without masks, and it really seems appropriate. Another great cartoon penned by Gordon Prichard and posted on printplanet.com at this link.


The Right-to-Repair Movement
07/08/2021

(Top)



An article that just appeared on BBC News: Apple founder Steve Wozniak backs right-to-repair movement.

This is something that IFIXIT and other companies (including us) have believed in for a very long time. When you buy a computer, you should have the right to upgrade memory, replace the hard drive, or repair it if it breaks. It's very difficult to do if everything is soldered on the motherboard - it makes replacing the computer the only available choice. Great for the manufacturer, extremely bad for the buyer of the product. And, Apple has used and refined this strategy to bring them to where they are today.

Steve Wozniak, thank you for remembering your roots. Maybe things are getting better!


Do You Share Your WiFi with Amazon?
06/20/2021

(Top)
 
A lot of people do - without knowing it. An recent article from the Rocket Yard (Other World Computing) blog:

Your Amazon Devices Automatically Share Wifi Without Your Consent.


Desktop Printer Ink Cost Analysis
06/01/2021

(Top)
 
Complementary to the table below, Epson has an ink cost calculator on their European website: Click this link. It will calculate ink costs in dollars, but at European ink prices. It still seems to be a good measure for calculating the relative cost of using one printer vs. another.

Epson SuperTank ST-2100 P/ S/ C - 4-color T502 - pigment black, dye-based colors - $249.99
max. paper 8.5 inches wide
black - 127 ml per bottle - 19.99 - $0.16/ ml
c, m, y - 70 ml per bottle - 12.99 - $0.19/ ml
cost per copy: 0.4 cents for black, 1.0 cents for color
To view printer information Click this link.

Epson WorkForce EC-C7000 P/ S/ C/ F - 4-color T812 - DURABright - $239.99
max. paper 13 inches wide
(cartridge size not available)
cost per copy: 4.2 cents for black, 11.5 cents for color
To view printer information Click this link.

Epson Expression XP-8600 P/ S/ C - 6-color T312, CLARIA Photo ink - C, M, Y, K, LC, LM - $249.99
max. paper 8.5 inches wide
9.3 ml per cartridge - 21.99 - $2.36/ ml
cost per copy: 5.4 cents for black, 18.4 cents for color
To view printer information Click this link.

Canon PIXMA G6020 MegaTank P/ S/ C - 4 color GI-20 ink - pigment black, dye-based colors - $269.99
max. paper 8.5 inches wide
black - 170 ml per bottle - 19.39 - $0.11/ ml
c, m, y - 70 ml per bottle - 13.39 - $0.19/ ml
cost per copy: 0.4 cents for black, 0.8 cents for color
To view printer information Click this link.

Epson Expression XP-15000 - 6-color T312, T314 - dye-based CLARIA ink - C, M, Y, K, Gray, Red - $349.99
max. paper 13 inches wide
9.3 ml per cartridge - 21.99 - $2.36/ ml
cost per copy: 5.8 cents for black, 19.2 cents for color

Epson WF-6590 P/ S/ C/ F - 4-color T748 - DURABright Pro - $359.99
max. paper 8.5 inches wide
(cartridge size not available)
cost per copy: 2.1 cents for black, 6.7 cents for color
To view printer information Click this link.

Canon PIXMA Pro-200 - 8 color CLI-65 dye-based ink - $599.00
max. paper 13 inches wide
12.6 ml per cartridge - 13.99 - $1.11/ ml
To view printer information Click this link.

Epson Expression ET-7750 P/ S/ C - 5-color, T512 - pigment black, dye-based photo black and C, M, Y - $649.00
max. paper 11 inches wide
matte black - 140 ml per bottle - 19.99 - $0.14/ ml
photo black, c, m, y - 70 ml per bottle - $13.99 - 0.20/ ml
cost per copy: 0.5 cents for black, 1.3 cents for color

Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 - 6-color, Claria ET Premium T552 - pigment black, dye-based photo black and C, M, Y and gray - $699.99
max. paper 13 inches wide
matte black - 70 ml per bottle - 21.69 - $0.28/ ml
photo black, c, m, y and gray - 70 ml per bottle - $19.39 - 0.28/ ml

Epson SureColor P700 - 10-color T46Y - UltraChrome PRO10 pigment based - $799.00
max. paper 13 inches wide
25 ml per cartridge - 37.39 - $1.50/ ml
To view printer information Click this link.

Canon PIXMA Pro-300 - 9 color plus chroma optimizer LUCIA PRO PFI-300 pigment-based ink - $899.00
max. paper 13 inches wide
14.4 ml per cartridge - 12.99 - $0.90/ ml
To view printer information Click this link.

Epson WorkForce ST-C8000 P/ S/ C/ F - 4-color T542 - 4 color DURABright - $939.00
max. paper 13 inches wide
black - 127 ml per bottle - 28.39 - $0.22/ ml
c, m, y - 70 ml per bottle - 22.39 - $0.32/ ml
cost per copy: 0.2 cents for black, 0.6 cents for color
To view printer information Click this link.

Epson WorkForce ET-16500 P/ S/ C/ F - 4-color T664 - pigment black, dye-based colors - $979.00
max. paper 13 inches wide
black - 140 ml per bottle - 19.49 - $0.14/ ml
c, m, y - 70 ml per bottle - 12.99 - $0.19/ ml
cost per copy: 0.4 cents for black, 0.9 cents for color

Epson SureColor P800 - 8-color T850 - UltraChromeHD pigment based - $1195.00 (discontinued)
max. paper 17 inches wide
80 ml per cartridge - 58.00 - $0.73/ ml

Epson SureColor P900 - 10-color T46Y - UltraChrome PRO10 pigment based - $1195.00
max. paper 17 inches wide
50 ml per cartridge - 40.99 - $0.82/ ml
To view printer information Click this link.


Photoshop Retouching
05/21/2021

(Top)
 






Photoshop retouching by James Fridman.


Hahnemühle Celebrates National Photography Month
05/19/2021

(Top)


In recognition of National Photography Month, Hahnemühle has published interviews with photographers who are sharing their passion for and stories of their photography. The links to these stories:

an interview with Esteban Toro click this link,

an interview with Bob Davis click this link, and

an interview with Pete Rezac click this link.


Our Warranty Policy
05/17/2021

(Top)
 



...penned by Gordon Prichard and posted on printplanet.com at this link.


Epson SureColor P900 Review on PCMag.com
03/29/2021

(Top)


Based on the article by PCMag editor Bill Harrel, the Epson SureColor P900 printer has earned the "Editors' Choice for professional-grade photography and graphic art inkjet printers. Epson's highly impressive SureColor P900 is a knockout 17-inch pro-grade printer for photos and graphic art, and it easily earns our Editors' Choice award."

See the full review at this link.

You can check out details on our website at this link. And, our prices are lower than Amazon's...


iFixit's 2020 Top 5 Most Repairable Devices
01/17/2021

(Top)

iFixit's 2020 Top 5 Most Repairable Devices

Guess what isn't on this list - any current Apple computer. When you look at iFixit's Laptop Repairability Guide, new Mac notebooks are at the bottom of the list - generally at a 1 or 2 out of 10 maximum points. HP notebooks, by comparison, generally are at a 9 or 10 out of a 10 rating.

Apple, please make your computers repairable!


Amazon is a Great Source for Products?
11/25/2020

(Top)
Some of the Epson printers that are tough to get because of the pandemic are available on Amazon at slightly higher prices. Their prices as of today on some of the tough to get models:

Epson SureColor P600 13 inch printer (discontinued) - $2,728.88 (list price $799.00)

Epson SureColor P700 13 inch printer - $1,888.88 (list price $799.00)

Epson Expression XP-15000 13 inch printer - $408.79 (list price $349.99)

Epson Expression 1430 13 inch printer (discontinued) - $1,876.00 (list price $349.99)

Epson SureColor P800 17 inch printer (discontinued) - $2,413.89 (list price $1295.00, general selling price 1,195.00)

Epson SureColor P900 17 inch printer - $1,295.00 (general selling price $1,195.00)

As of 2020, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, is the richest person on earth.


Types of USB/ Thunderbolt Ports
08/29/2020

(Top)
Ports on a typical new pc notebook: USB-C 3.2 Gen 1/DisplayPort (Power Delivery); USB 3.2 Gen 1 (PowerShare); USB 3.2 Gen 1; USB 2.0. Ports on a 7 year old pc notebook: 2 x USB 2.0; 2 x USB 3.0; USB 2.0/eSATA. Ports on a new Apple MacBook Pro: 4 x USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Thunderbolt 3, DisplayPort.

Our Guide to Ports

USB Type A: also known as USB standard A connector, the USB A connector is primarily be used on host controllers in computers and hubs. USB-A socket is designed to provide a "downstream" connection intended for host controllers and hubs, rarely implemented as an "upstream" connector on a peripheral device.

USB Type B: also known as USB standard B connector, the B style connector is designed to connect to USB peripherals, such as a printer, upstream port on hub, or other larger peripheral devices.



USB Micro B-1: the micro USB B connector essentially a scaled down form of the mini USB which allowed mobile devices to get slimmer while still maintaining the ability to connect to computers and other hubs.



USB 3.0 Micro B: also referenced as the SuperSpeed Micro USB B connector, this connector stacks five more pins on the side of the USB 2.0 Micro B connector to achieve the full USB 3.0 standard data transfer speed. USB 3.0 Micro B connectors are found on hard drives, digital cameras, cell phones, and other USB 3.0 devices.

USB 3.0 Type A (USB 3.2 Gen 1): inheriting the same design to the A-Type connector used in USB 2.0 & USB 1.1 application, USB 3.0 A is also provides a "downstream" connection that is designed for use only on host controllers and hubs. It has a maximum throughput of 5Gbps.


USB 3.0 Type B: the USB 3.0 B-Type connector is designed for USB peripherals, such as a printer, upstream port on hub, or other larger peripheral devices.



USB Type C or USB 3.1 (USB 3.2 Gen 2): the USB-C or USB Type-C connector is the newest USB interface came to the market along with the new USB 3.1 standard. USB Type C connector is compatible with USB 2.0, 3.0, 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2 signals.


Thunderbolt: Thunderbolt 1 (10Gbps) and Thunderbolt 2 (20Gbps) support bi-directional data transfer capability and power delivery for bus-powered devices.



Thunderbolt 3: Fully compatible with your USB 3.2 Gen 2 devices. The Thunderbolt 3 USB-C cable supports data transfer rates up to 40Gbps when connected to a Thunderbolt 3 device, enabling lightning fast performance. When connected to a USB C device, this cable supports rates of 20Gbps.


Computer Improvements?
08/09/2020

(Top)
New Apple 27 inch iMac:

From appleinsider.com: The latest update to the 27-inch iMac included the T2 chip, which handles encryption and security on the computer. Because the SSD is fixed to the logic board for hardware encryption, changing the logic board will erase all data on the drive, and changing the drive is impossible for the same reason.

Our take: just like the MacBook Pros, etc. the SSD is soldered to the logic board. If there is a problem with the board, the user will more than likely loose all of their data - just like with the MacBook Pros. And, if the drive fails or you outgrow it's storage capabilities, replace the computer, not just an inexpensive drive. There is plenty of room inside of the iMac for a mount for the drive. This is a definite attack on serviceabilty and upgradeability.

HP ZBook FireFly:

Taking a play from the Apple playbook, the new HP FireFly 14 has two interesting features: provided memory is soldered and not upgradeable, and there are only a few ports (and no LAN port). It's actually heavier than the equivalent HP EliteBook, so why did they sacrifice upgeadeability and flexability - to force a quicker upgrade to a new computer?

Lenovo ThinkPad T495S:

Another notebook taking a play from the Apple playbook, the Lenovo ThinkPad T495S has soldered memory, so don't outgrow the amount of memory that it is included at purchase (do applications get larger memory appetites as time moves forward?).


Epson Introduces New Service Plan Offerings
08/09/2020

(Top)
Epson has introduced new service plan offerings to protect their professional imaging printers. These plans can be used to get up to 5 years of warranty coverage for these printers. Click this link to download a flyer describing these new service plans.


Giclee Fine Art Prints in Washington, PA
07/26/2020

(Top)
World West Galleries

"When Peter West was a boy in the mid-1960s, he would be ferried into downtown Washington for classes led by artist Frank L. Melega, which would then sometimes be followed by a hamburger and a movie.", a quote from an article in the Washington Observer Reporter describing an exhibit at the gallery.

Mr. West has an extensive background in art that includes painting, photo silk screen reproduction and photography. And, he will produce Giclee prints of your artwork in his gallery/ studio. His services are available by appointment - 56 N Main St, Washington, PA 15301, phone: 724-225-4663.




An Interesting Article About Printers and Ink
05/11/2020

(Top)
Bloomberg Businessweek recently had an interesting article about HP's printer business and the attempted take over by Xerox:

Xerox and HP are in a $35 Billion Fight Over Ink Cartridges

Some of the highlights:

"Stuffed with foam sponges drenched in a fraction of an ounce of cyan, magenta, and yellow dyes, this bestseller, model No. F6U61AN#140, can spray 36,000 drops per second in the Envy printers made by HP Inc. The 63 Tri-color cartridge may not look like much, but that ink, which needs a refill every 165 pages, is ridiculously valuable. HP’s printer supplies business garnered $12.9 billion in sales last year, and the printer division overall represented 63% of the company’s profits."

"Then there was the ink. The solvents and pigments HP scientists concocted were so overpriced that the company could afford to sell its hardware at steep losses and make it up in ink and toner sales."

"...the executive team spent a significant portion of its research and development budget on stopping product lines from wasting microscopic amounts of ink, or on ways to make its printers less compatible with other companies’ cartridges."

"A critical mass of fed-up customers finally seemed to be sick enough of HP’s high cartridge prices to try generic ink resellers or, in some cases, counterfeiters. Weisler [former HP CEO] vowed to fight off the other ink producers, and later, the company said it would stop discounting certain pricey printer lines and make sure the deep-discount models couldn’t use non-HP ink."

It seems that Epson has realized that their customers aren't necessarily happy with inexpensive printers and outrageously expensive ink. Our review of their work from home printers shows how they have evolved to help their customers with more affordable printers and ink:

Epson Multifunction Printers Help You to Work from Home.

We try to add the "Cost Per Copy" figures to desktop printers listed on our website so that you have an idea of what the printer will cost over time. If you are a low volume user, a less expensive printer with more expensive ink might be a good choice. For high volume printing, a more expensive printer with less expensive ink might be better.


Epson Multifunction Printers Help You to Work from Home
04/20/2020

(Top)
We've put together a list of multifunction inkjet printers that are affordable and have a reasonably low operating cost. From our review, these Epson printers are less expensive to operate than other brands. And, since they are heat free technology inkjets, the added demand and cost of electricity is also lower than comparable printers.

Epson Work From Home Multifunction Printers starting at $100.39:

Workforce Pro EC-4030 - $123.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 2.8 cents, color page: 9.1 cents (see product link for more information).
Workforce Pro EC-4040 - $136.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 2.8 cents, color page: 9.1 cents (see product link for more information).
Workforce Pro WF-C5710 - $143.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 2.1 cents, color page: 6.8 cents (see product link for more information).
Workforce Pro WF-C5790 - $206.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 2.1 cents, color page: 6.8 cents (see product link for more information).
Workforce ST-2000 - $213.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 0.4 cents, color page: 1.0 cents (see product link for more information).
Workforce Pro WF-M5799 monochrome multifunction - $226.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 0.7 cents (see product link for more information).
Workforce ST-4000 - $299.99.
Approximate cost per black page: 0.4 cents, color page: 1.0 cents (see product link for more information).

For a listing of these printers, click this link. Note: offers are subject to model availability.


The Harry Guckert Co. - Supplying Area Printers Since 1812
04/01/2020

(Top)
In honor of April 1, 2020, we would like to feature a well-established Pittsburgh based printing industry supply company - The Harry Guckert Company. You can find information about them at this link. They've been serving tri-state area printers as long as we can remember, and they deserve our support. And, the offer of free toilet paper is probably part of the April 1st tradition.


If You Leave Your Epson Printer at Work
03/26/2020

(Top)
Epson just released a long term storage guide for their SureColor wide format printers. Click this link to download this guide.


Work from Home
03/22/2020

(Top)


We Are Still Shipping Orders
03/21/2020

(Top)
During the Coronavirus shutdown in Pennsylvania, tastarsupply will still be shipping orders. Our offices will be closed, but our inventory of Epson ink and paper is at a reasonable level, and, in conjunction with our suppliers, we should be able to ship your orders. You can use our Contact Us page to send us a note, or can phone us during normal business hours.

We hope that everyone is cautious and remains healthy through this difficult period. Thank you.


Epson Is Discontinuing Legacy Baryta Paper
03/07/2020

(Top)
Effective March 1, 2020, Epson will be discontinuing their current Legacy Baryta paper. If you have been using this paper, we still have a few rolls and sheets in stock. Click this link for a list of Epson Baryta that is still available at tastarsupply.

Epson will be introducing a new Baryta paper with the same wide color gamut and rich Dmax but without OBAs on a cotton fiber vs alpha cellulose base in sizes up to 60 inches wide. Legacy Baryta II shipping date is projected to be the second quarter of 2020.


Sorry, We Think That This Is Funny
01/27/2020

(Top)

Click to enlarge - a cartoon by Gordon Pritchard, published on PrintPlanet.com.


Did you know that Amazon has a device recycling program?
01/24/2020

(Top)
Amazon is the master of smart devices, and a master at keeping their recycling program a secret. For example, their recycling program's website Terms and Conditions include: "You may not create a link to any page of this website without our prior written consent. If you do create a link to a page of this website you do so at your own risk and the exclusions and limitations set out above will apply to your use of this website by linking to it."

So, without providing this link, and to provide more information on Amazon's recycling program, we'll provide a link to a great article by iFixit that discusses the program: Amazon's Disposable Tech.




Are You Still Running Windows 7?
01/15/2020

(Top)
Microsoft Windows 7, 8 and Server 2008 support officially came to an end yesterday (1/14/2020). And, we've been upgrading computers and servers to the Microsoft operating systems that are still being supported. But, if you didn't upgrade and are still running Windows 7, we don't think that it's necessary to panic. For example, this article at Forbes states the case for not panicking:

Microsoft Warns Windows 7 Is Dangerous To Use.

Or, another article from TechRepublic:

What to do if you're still running Windows 7.



From the information that we're seeing, it's important to move from Windows 7, but it's not necessary to panic and shut down your computers if it's not done immediately.


Fast Desktop PCs
11/10/2019

(Top)




We've identified a few desktop PCs that provide excellent performance for the price. These computers have either AMD Ryzen or Intel 8th or 9th generation processors. And, they all have solid state drives that give an extra performance boost, and 3 year warranties. The more expensive models in this list have high performance graphics cards and would be great for CAD work as well as for work in the graphic arts.

HP EliteDesk 705 SFF that includes an AMD Ryxen 7 Pro 3700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 26,231, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $969.00.

HP Z1 G5 Workstation Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,294, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $989.00.

Lenovo ThinkCentre P330 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,294, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,059.00.

HP Z2 G4 Workstation Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700K, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 17,127, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,139.00.

Dell Optiplex 7070 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,330, 16GB of memory, a 256GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an AMD Radeon RX 550 (Video Card Benchmark of 3,445) with 4GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,269.00.

Lenovo ThinkStation P330 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,294, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (Video Card Benchmark of 10,171) with 5GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,359.00.

HP Z1 G5 Workstation Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 16,294, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (Video Card Benchmark of 14,144) with 8GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,499.00.

Lenovo ThinkStation P330 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9700K, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 17,127, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an NVIDIA Quadro P1000 (Video Card Benchmark of 4,413) with 4GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,579.00.

Lenovo ThinkStation P330 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9900, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 19,293, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an NVIDIA Quadro P2200 (Video Card Benchmark of 10,171) with 5GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,599.00.

Lenovo ThinkStation P330 Tower that includes an Intel Core i7 9900, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 19,293, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an NVIDIA Quadro P1000 (Video Card Benchmark of 4,413) with 4GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,649.00.

HP Z4 G4 Workstation Tower that includes an Intel Core i9 9820X, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 21,084, 32GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. This desktop also includes an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4000 (Video Card Benchmark of 13,179) with 8GB of memory. It's currently priced at $2,949.00.

Lenovo ThinkStation P720 Tower that includes an Intel Xeon Gold 5218 16-core processor, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 20,622, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $2,989.00.

Click this link for a listing of these computers.


Double Dog Studios Open House
11/04/2019

(Top)



Double Dog Studios Open House. St. Joseph Rectory. Reimagined.

Double Dog Studios is formally opening with an open house on Saturday, November 30, 2019 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Dave and Pat Klug are dedicating the studio's galleries to Dave's paintings, drawings, and whimsey. Meet Dave and Pat, hang out and have a cookie and a beverage.

Double Dog Studios is located at 317 Second Avenue, Carnegie PA, 15106. It was once a part of the St. Joseph German Church complex (the church was destroyed by a fire in 1981, but the rectory was untouched). It is now owned by Dave and Pat Klug who have been bringing the building back to life using it as it once was - a living, working and gathering space. Three gallery areas, a store/gallery, a kitchen that will spotlight tastings and guest chef dinners, plus meeting and workshop areas are just part of what the Klug's have planned for the former rectory.

To learn more about Dave visit daveklug.com, and Pat visit patklug.com. And, follow Double Dog on Instagram @doubledogstudios. If you are interested in discussing a potential show or event at Double Dog, please contact Dave or Pat.






Hahnemühle Introduces the Natural Line
10/24/2019

(Top)



Today, Hahnemühle introduced their Natural Line of papers at Photo Plus in New York, and we've added these papers to our website. Per Hahnemühle, "It focuses on FineArt inkjet papers made from unique raw materials: bamboo, hemp and agave. The plants that provide the cellulose require minimal maintenance, grow quickly and don’t need any pesticides. Their rapid growth means that more cellulose can be produced on the same cropland than with other raw materials, and they also require much less water, helping to save valuable resources and protect the environment."

The Natural Line papers can be found at this link. And, you can find information on Hahnemühle's Green Rooster Initiative, their commitment to our environment, at this link.

If you would like printed samples of the Natural Line papers, please call our office.


Epson EcoTank Printers for Business with 2 Years of Ink
10/20/2019

(Top)
Epson is offering great deals on their Workforce ST-2000, ST-3000 and ST-4000 EcoTank printers that include up to 2 years of ink. For a listing of the printers, please click this link. And, to check out the details of the free ink program, please visit the Epson 2 Year Guarantee website. Or, download the Workforce ST-Series EcoTank 2 Years of Ink Claim Form

Epson's current promotions:

Purchase one of these Epson Workforce EcoTank printers by March 31, 2020, and receive an instant rebate up to $125.00 (our website prices reflect this rebate). Click this link for a listing of these printers.

- the Buy 3 and Get the 4th Free promotion where the purchaser can get their fourth printer for free. Please download the Workforce ST-Series EcoTank flyer for complete details.



"Exposed" at the Gilberti Fine Art Studio and Gallery
09/23/2019

(Top)
The Gilberti Fine Art Studio and Gallery in Coraopolis, PA is presenting the Polaroid image transfer work of Pittsburgh photographer Tom Gigliotti from October 1 through December 30, 2019, with an opening reception on Friday, October 4th.

This exhibit presents the results of Tom Gigliotti's work in converting photos done with Type 59 Polaroid film to digital prints. The exhibit shows work that has gone from the original Polaroid film to an intermediate Teslin Synthetic receptive substrate, to the final print and then to the digital print.

Mr. Gigliotti's conversion process results in one-of-a-kind images that reflect the techniques of the process. It's a creative process that's done by hand and by eye and that doesn't depend on the digital tools that are frequently used today.


Click to enlarge - Yellow Bucket by Tom Gigliotti, print size 24 x 29 7/8 inches.


Do Epson EcoTank Printers Change This Rule of Thumb?
08/07/2019

(Top)

"The more that you pay for a printer, the less you pay for ink."



And, are Epson printers really this small?

Epson Expression Premium XP-6000 All-in-One printer - 88.39
• T302 XL Black Ink, 550 pages: 27.39
• T302 XL Color Ink, 650 pages: 20.39
• Cost per black/ color page: 6.7/ 18.7 cents

Epson Workforce Pro WF-3730 All-in-One printer - 129.99
• T702 XL Black Ink, 1,100 pages: 44.39
• T702 XL Color Ink, 950 pages: 28.39
• Cost per black/ color page: 5.8/ 13 cents

Epson Workforce Pro WF-C5210 w/ ink pack - 129.99
• T902 XXL Black ink, 10,000 pages: 149.99
• T902 XL Color ink, 5,000 pages: 86.99
• Cost per black/ color page: 2.1/ 6.8 cents

Epson ET-2720 EcoTank All-in-One printer - 193.99
• T522 XXL Black ink, 4,500 pages: 14.69
• T522 XL Color ink, 7,500 pages: 14.69
• Cost per black/ color page: 0.9/ 0.5 cents
Highlights: low cost ink, low cost per copy

Epson Workforce WF-7210 printer - 199.99
• T252 XXL Black ink, 1100 pages: 38.69
• T252 XL Color ink, 1100 pages: 32.99
• Cost per black/ color page: 5.3/ 12.5 cents

Epson Expression Photo XP-960 All-in-One printer - 243.99
• T277 Black Ink, 240 pages: 11.99
• T277 Color Ink, 360 pages: 11.99
• Cost per black/ color page: 4.7/ 10.9 cents
Highlights: 6-color photo printer, 11 inch wide prints

Epson Workforce ST-2000 All-in-One printer - 246.99
• T502 Black Ink, 7,500 pages: 19.99
• T502 Color Ink, 6,000 pages: 13.99
• Cost per black/ color page: 0.4/ 1.0 cents
Highlights: low cost ink, low cost per copy, 2 years of ink guarantee*

Epson Expression Photo XP-15000 printer - 313.99
• T312 XXL Black ink, 500 pages: 19.99
• T312 XL Color ink, 830 pages: 23.39
• Cost per black/ color page: 5.3/ 12.5 cents
Highlights: 6-color photo printer, 13 inch wide prints

Epson Expression Premium ET-7700 All-in-One printer - 529.00
• T512 Black ink, 8,000 pages: 19.99
• T512 Color ink, 5,000 pages: 13.99
• Cost per black/ color page: 0.5/ 1.3 cents

Epson Workforce Pro ET-8700 All-in-One printer - 949.00
• R02X Black ink, 10,000 pages: 89.99
• R02L Color ink, 5,000 pages: 24.99
• Cost per black/ color page: 1.2/ 2.4 cents
Highlights: 13 inch wide prints

Click this link for a listing of the printers shown in this comparison.

* Click this link for information about the "Two Years of Ink" program.


Rice Is a Food, Not a Tool.
06/25/2019

(Top)
Another interesting article from iFixit - "Rice can transform an economy, save a boring meal, and stop winter drafts. One thing it absolutely, positively cannot do is save a wet cell phone. In fact, submerging your phone in rice makes the problem worse, especially if it’s still powered on...Dry, uncooked conventional rice was the worst of the seven options we tested. It absorbed the least water in 24 hours, losing out to silica gel, cat litter, couscous, instant oatmeal, classic oatmeal and instant rice."



Most of the content for this article came from repair shops, and the moral of the story is to use a repair shop rather than rice (or cat litter or couscous). But, it's useful to know that using rice to repair water damage can do more harm than good. Click this link to read the iFixit article.


Christine Frechard Gallery in Pittsburgh
06/12/2019

(Top)
The gallery is featuring a photography and video installation titled Memories running from June 25 through July 30, 2019, with artwork from Victor Grauer, David Aschkenas and Masha Tatarintseva.



The gallery is located at 5126 Butler St., Pittsburgh, PA 15201, phone 412-407-9319.


Can That Canned Air
06/11/2019

(Top)
We received an interesting news article from iFixit - a self-help repair website - about the downsides of using canned air to clean electronics and other stuff. Per iFixit: "Canned air, or gas duster, is what you probably reach for when there’s hard-to-reach gunk inside your gear. It’s easy to find at big-box stores or online, it’s relatively cheap (if you don’t think about paying for air), and it moves dust. It seems like the right tool for the job. But you shouldn’t use it." And, here is a list of cautions provided by one of the prominent canned air suppliers:

  • NEVER shake or tilt can before or during usage.  Use in upright position only.
  • NEVER spray into an enclosed space, such as a trash can or paper shredder.
  • NEVER use on camera mirrors.
  • AVOID skin contact with product in a liquid form, may cause frostbite.
  • AVOID contact with product in liquid form, may cause plastic to discolor.
  • ALWAYS use only in accordance with directions on this can.
  • ALWAYS use with adequate ventilation.
  • DO NOT store in direct sunlight, enclosed vehicle, or expose to temperatures above 120°F (49°C)
  • DO NOT pierce or burn, even after use.  Contains diffluoroethane.
  • KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN. 
  • THE INTENTIONAL MISUSE BY DELIBERATELY INHALING MAY BE FATAL.  Contact physician if such contact occurs.

Click this link to check out the iFixit article. Or, if you want to clean stuff with an electric air blower, check out the MetroVac DataVac Electric Duster/ Cleaner ED-500. We've used one for a few years and it does a great job.


Epson Out-of-Warranty Service for 24 and 44 Inch Printers
05/24/2019

(Top)
Epson has just announced an out-of-warranty One-Time Service Plan for Stylus Pro 7900 and 9900 and SureColor P7000 and P9000 printers. As a member said on the Luminous Landscape forum: "For instance it would put them in the ballpark of what the replacement of an out of warranty Canon print head would run, though with the Canon you do it yourself. 90 days is plenty of time to evaluate the quality of the part and workmanship. I mean for me it might make the difference between choosing an Epson over a Canon for my next 44” and keep people buying Epson ink rather than jumping ship to another brand is smart."

For the Stylus Pro 7900 and SureColor P7000 24 inch printers - $995.00.

And, for the Stylus Pro 9900 and SureColor P9000 44 inch printers - $1,395.00.


Don't Use Google Chrome with Windows 7
03/10/2019

(Top)
From an article that just appeared in Forbes: "Now a Google security engineer, Clement Lecigne, has warned that another zero-day vulnerability that is also being exploited, impacting Windows 7 users, was being used together with the Chrome exploit to take over Windows systems." (A link to this article).

According to this article, Windows 7 and Google Chrome combine to allow hackers to use this exploit. Google Chrome has the highest market share for browsers (up to 50 percent), but it seems like dropping it (by switching to FireFox or Opera) if you are running a Windows 7 computer is a good idea (or, follow Google's advice and upgrade to Windows 10).


The New Epson SureColor T3170 Is a Great Printer!
03/02/2019

(Top)
We have been putting an Epson SureColor T3170 printer through its paces - and the results are in - as Epson says, it's brilliant by design. It's compact (it prints 24 inches wide but it's not big and bulky), has a separate sheet feeder, provides the best color print quality that we've seen from a 4 color printer, and it's economical to buy and reasonably economical to use. The SureColor T3170 and T5170 (36 inches wide) printers are designed for architects, engineers, educators, and for anyone with in-house poster production needs.

Epson SureColor T3170 / T5170 Printer Features:

• Easy to Set Up and Operate
• Compact, Clean Design
• Replace Ink Less Often with High-Capacity Cartridges (50ml Color, 80ml Black)
• Print from Virtually Anywhere in the Office
• Performance You Can Count On
• Durable, Vibrant Prints
• Versatile Media Handling
• Precise, Sharp Detail for Engineering Drawings

You can download a T3170 data sheet or a T5170 data sheet. Or, you can check out our special T3170 bundle with a high-capacity ink set at this link. Or, you can call our office and get a copy of the print samples that we've done with the T3170 printer.


Now, This is Fun!
02/17/2019

(Top)
Or, is it?

Local photographer David Aschkenas is doing a one night show of his photographs of the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance matches in Millvale, PA, that he has taken over the past 10 years. The KSWA has been entertaining their fans, the "Krazies," since 2000 - and it's a labor of love, not one of wealth and fame.






The show will take place at the studio of Mark Gualtieri, 179 43rd Street, Lawrenceville, PA 15201, on Friday, March 1, from 6 to 9 PM. One hundred photographs will be on display, and will be specially priced for this one night only event. Have fun, meet the wrestlers, become one of the "Krazies," and enjoy the great photography!



More KSWA photographs and David's other collections can be found at David Aschkenas Photography. And, here's a link to an article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette about David Aschkenas, his work, and the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance.


Microsoft Seems to Have a Different Focus
02/11/2019

(Top)
And, it doesn't seem to be on the users of their operating systems and software.

A few days ago, we ran Windows updates on a customer's Windows 7 computer and the updates broke Windows file sharing (The Register article).

We also found an announcement from Microsoft describing how bad Internet Explorer is (Forbes article). According to Forbes, the problem is that Internet Explorer is still the second most popular browser. So, is Microsoft saying that they really don't care about you - get over it, and move on?

And, for die-hard Windows 7 users (like most of the business world, and about 37 percent of PC users per Computerworld), support for Windows 7 is ending in January, 2020. Get over it and move on to wonderful and robust Windows 10.

Oops, that might be a problem, too - Techradar points out problems with Windows 10 updates.


 Get over it and move on...


The Best and Worst Computer Warranty Support
12/23/2018

(Top)
The Best: HP Omen support. We sold an HP Omen notebook that had a broken Omen Command software module that would crash at start up. HP support was relentless at fixing the problem - they immediately escalated the ticket to their engineering group, and had a very quick fix for the issue. Their follow-through and communication regarding this issue was the best - they were extremely responsive and completely dedicated to fixing this problem.

Thank you to the HP Omen Premier Customer Success Team.

The Worst: Lenovo Warranty Support - Depot Repair. We are handling a repair of a customer's ThinkPad 13.3 inch notebook. The machine was pristine - no scratches, perfect screen, etc., but it had a broken hinge - it was very clear from looking at the ThinkPad that it was a defective part - caused by opening and closing the notebook from normal use.

Problems:

-11/28: it's difficult to find the correct phone number to call, once you find it, be prepared to wait an hour on hold, and then be transferred 3 times (and remain on hold again and again) to get to the right department.

-11/30: once the notebook arrived at the repair depot, we were told that it was accidental damage even though it clearly wasn't, and we had to fight to resolve that problem.

-the case restarted on 12/6 after it was escalated for review by a Lenovo case manager.

-we tried repeatedly to email and call Lenovo to get the status of the repair without any results - no returned emails or returned phone calls. There is an online case update link that only responds with "Error Occurred" since 12/19.

-12/28: still no response from the Lenovo case manager, and the notebook is still sitting in the repair center with no activity, and our customer still does not have his computer (although we did give him a Dell loaner notebook).

Successes:

-12/28 later in the day: the Lenovo case manager approved the case as a no cost repair.

-12/29: the notebook was repaired and shipped back to us and is due to arrive at our location on 12/31.

-1/2/19: the repaired notebook was returned to our shop - a successful conclusion to this support case. Thank you Lenovo for completing this repair.


The Less You Pay for a Printer, the More You Pay for Ink.
12/18/2018

(Top)
A review of Epson inkjet photo printers is a great example of this.

Epson Expression Photo XP-960 11 inch wide multifunction printer - $243.99 - ink cost per ml - $2.49

Epson Expression Photo HD XP-15000 13 inch wide printer - $319.99 - ink cost per ml - $2.47

Epson SureColor P400 13 inch wide printer - $419.00 (after rebate) - ink cost per ml - $1.39

Epson SureColor P600 13 inch wide printer - $549.00 (after rebate) - ink cost per ml - $1.24

Epson Expression Premium ET-7750 EcoTank 11 inch wide multifunction printer - $649.00 - ink cost per ml - $0.18 (average cost)

Epson SureColor P800 17 inch wide printer - $895.00 (after rebate) - ink cost per ml - $0.73

Epson SureColor P5000 17 inch wide printer - $1,395.00 (after rebate) - ink cost per ml - $0.46

Epson SureColor P6000 24 inch wide printer - $1,995.00 - ink cost per ml - $0.34 (700 ml cartridges)

Epson SureColor P10000 44 inch wide printer - $5,495.00 - ink cost per ml - $0.28


The Epson Print Academy
12/16/2018

(Top)
A website that I frequently visit is the forum on Luminous-Landscape. A couple of days ago, in the Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks discussion, they mentioned the Epson Print Academy channel on YouTube:

"Introducing the Epson Print Academy YouTube Channel. Videos include how-to detailed explanations of workflows, from monitor calibration, color management through to printing. Additional footage celebrates the craft of printing with visits to photographic festivals, workshops, and renowned studios. The Epson Print Academy is a central resource for how-to print with Epson Professional Imaging products."



The videos feature R Mac Holbert, who, according to Luminous-Landscape, "helped to invent fine art digital printing". They are definitely worth checking out.


Fast and Affordable Desktop and Notebook PCs
08/20/2018

(Top)
We've identified a few PC desktops and notebooks that provide excellent performance at a reasonable price. They have either AMD Ryzen or Intel 8th generation processors. And they all have solid state drives that give an extra performance boost.





A new workstation class tower with lots of free bays and PCIe slots is the Lenovo ThinkStation P330 - that includes an Intel i7-8700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 15,222, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $939.00.

Another inexpensive desktop in this list is a small form factor computer - the Lenovo ThinkCentre M715 - it includes an AMD Ryzen 7-1700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 13,813, 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1009.00.

A faster workstation class tower is the Lenovo ThinkStation P330 - that includes an Intel i7-8700K, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 15,974, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1139.00.

A small form factor PC with an 8th generation Intel i7 processor is the HP EliteDesk 800 - that includes an Intel i7-8700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 15,222, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,239.00.

A tower PC with an 8th generation Intel i7 is the Dell Optiplex 7060 - that includes an Intel i7-8700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 15,222, 16GB of memory, a 256GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,239.00.

A tower PC with an 8th generation Intel i7 is the HP EliteDesk 800 - that includes an Intel i7-8700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 15,222, 16GB of memory, a 512GB SSD and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,269.00.





Lenovo ThinkPad E580 that includes an Intel i7-8550U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 8,114, 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 1 year warranty. It's currently priced at $929.00

HP ProBook 450 G5 that includes an Intel i7-8550U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 8,114, 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 1 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,009.00

HP ZBook Mobile Workstation 15V G5 that includes an Intel i7-8750H, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 12,549, 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 1 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,239.00

Dell Latitude 5590 that includes an Intel i7-8550U, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 9,175, 8GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 1 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,369.00

HP ProBook 650 G5 that includes an Intel i7-8850H, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 13,293, 16GB of memory, a 256GB SSD, a 15.6 inch 1920 x 1080 resolution display and a 3 year warranty. It's currently priced at $1,589.00

Click this link for a listing of these computers.


Home Grown Puzzles from New Hampshire
08/02/2018

(Top)

In 1996, Rose Stevens decided that she had had enough of her job as an insurance underwriter and that it was time for a career change. She started traveling to area craft fairs selling jigsaw puzzles out of a 10' X 10' tent. Since then Piece Time Puzzles, LLC has continued to grow in her brother-in-law’s barn on Route 4 in Northwood, New Hampshire.

After much discussion and planning, her husband, Mark, built a roller press so that they could manufacture their own line of puzzles, including Custom Puzzles from snapshots. Using Epson wide format printers to print the puzzles, the Piece Time Puzzles brand of custom puzzles began rolling off the press in the fall of 2005. Since then, Mark and Rose have been busy expanding the manufacturing end of the puzzle business by offering more sizes (up to 20 x 28 inches) and images. By working with local artists and photographers, Rose has been able to license hundreds of new puzzle images to the delight of puzzle-lovers all over the country.


What started as Rose’s hobby to relax after work has turned into a flourishing family business, even Maude, their standard poodle, enjoys coming to work in the morning. You can visit the shop and see for yourself how nifty puzzles can be. You can watch as puzzles are printed, mounted, cut and packaged or test your skills by trying the brainteasers that are on display. And, don’t forget to look at all of the jigsaw puzzles while you’re at Piece Time Puzzles!

Click this link to visit the Piece Time Puzzles website.


Bar-B-Que, Pure Pittsburgh Style
07/17/2018

(Top)



Kenny Seeman is a long time customer at Tastar, moving from being a Heavy Metal musician, to working with very heavy metals, to doing the YouTube Heavy Metal Bar-B-Que Channel, that is flavored with a great dose of Pittsburghese. There's no better entertainment and enjoyment than barbecuing during a hot Pittsburgh summer.

As Kenny says on his channel:

"My channel,... just as the name says…. a mix of Heavy Metal... and Barbecue, the way I like it.

Heavy Metal…. LOUD and FAST!!!!! …..and Barbecue… LOW and SLOW!



This channel first started out with pictures. I just wanted to document the different techniques that I was using at a particular time. It has evolved into a video channel... and a channel that many people have taken the time to watch. This was intended solely for entertainment for me and a few of my friends, but we welcome anyone. All I'm doing is experimenting! I'm not saying…… do this…. or try this. I'm just saying ….This is what I'm having fun doing right now! There are plenty of channels out there that show you the proper and correct way to barbecue…… check them out! Me…I'm just doing My thing! HEAVY METAL STYLE!!!!!!!!!!"


Epson EcoTank Printers - Save up to 80% on Ink Costs!
07/15/2018

(Top)





Click this link to see Epson EcoTank Printers at tastarsupply.com.


Slow Computer?
07/07/2018

(Top)
From iFixIt.com - Speed Up Your Mac:

There are a lot of reasons to upgrade your computer's hard disk drive (HDD) to a solid-state drive (SSD) - here are three:

Faster everything: SSDs can read and write information up to 10x faster than a mechanical hard disk drive - that means faster boot up, application launch times, application performance and data-retrieval.

Increased durability: SSDs are more resistant to shock, vibration, and movement - making them well-suited for portable devices that are subject to sudden knocks and bumps.

Improved efficiency: Since SSDs don't have moving parts, they require less energy to operate. Less energy = increased battery life = awesome.

From TJ (one of our customers, who has a 4 year old i7 desktop PC that we upgraded to an SSD):

"This computer is running like you put a turbo kit on a Lamborghini engine and shoved it in a Honda Civic! Thank you guys so much for everything you have done for me on this!"


Justin Merriman, Photojournalist, Speaks to Us
06/26/2018

(Top)



He's an accomplished photojournalist - the credits on his website support this: "awards from organizations including Pictures of the Year International, Society of Professional Journalists, the National Press Photographers Association, National Headliners Awards, the Society for News Design, the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar, the Northern Short Course, the Southern Short Course, the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, the Military Reporters and Editors Association, and the Western Pennsylvania Press Club. He was awarded Photographer of the Year by the News Photographer Association of Greater Pittsburgh four times and most recently was honored with the Keystone Press Awards 2016 Distinguished Visual Award from the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association."



And, his most recent adventure is the role that he had in creating a film about the importance of language in basic human survival. The film, created by Duolingo, a Pittsburgh, PA based organization that provides a free science-based language education platform, premiered its first film, "Something Like Home" on Tuesday, June 19, at Pittsburgh's Kelly Strayhorn Theater. The documentary explores the role and importance that language plays in the lives of refugees from Syria.



Mr. Merriman has done a lot with and for his profession. We wish him continued success.


Epson Partners with CIT Direct Capital
03/09/2018

(Top)

Epson America, a global leader in printing technology, and CIT Direct Capital, the national digital small business lending unit of CIT Group, announced a partnership to offer financing for commercial and digital print customers. This partnership will allow CIT Direct Capital to provide Epson customers a primary source of financing through a single point of contact. This will simplify Epson’s financing process by streamlining communication between equipment manufacturers, dealers and funding sources, creating a more straightforward customer experience.

“Epson strives to provide our customers with every avenue to success and provide support on all aspects of the purchase, from selecting the equipment, purchasing, maintenance, and warranty,” said Mark Mathews, vice president, Epson America, Inc. “Partnering with CIT Direct Capital provides the ability for Epson to offer a variety of acquisition methods to our customers, ensuring they can select the method that best fits their financial and business needs.”

No money down: purchase your equipment today without impacting your cash flow.
$99 payments for 6 months: out-of-pocket cost = $594 in first 6 months*.
Flexible terms (12-72 months): find the monthly payment that works for your business.

(*First payment of $99 due in 30 days, followed by 5 additional $99 monthly payments. First full payment occurs in the seventh month and will include document fees. Total out-of-pocket cost of $594 in first 6 months. Offer available through June 30, 2018.)

Click this link to go to your CIT Direct Capital online application. Or, call us for more information.


Epson SureColor P5000 Achieves Imaging Excellence
01/01/2018

(Top)
17-inch Desktop Photo Printer Awarded Accolades from Top Industry Associations and Publications

Epson continues to set the bar for professional imaging excellence with its award winning 17-inch Epson SureColor® P5000. Since going on sale in January of this year, the SureColor P5000 is designed to deliver enhanced performance, reliability and professional image quality for desktop photography, fine art, graphic design, and proofing applications. Over the past year, the SureColor P5000 has received a range of accolades from top photography associations and outlets, underscoring its impact on today’s photography and graphic design workflows. Highlights include:

TIPA Award: Best Photo Printer – Widely recognized as the most coveted photo and imaging awards worldwide

Professional Photographer Magazine: Hot Ones 2017 Product – Official magazine of Professional Photographers of America, recognizes the printer as one of the 2017 Hot Products for photographers

Rangefinder Magazine: Editors’ Choice 2017 Buyer’s Guide – Award-winning monthly magazine, and the official publication of Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), highlights the printer as a gear of the year for 2017

Digital Photo Pro Magazine: Editors’ Choice Best Photo Printer – A trusted source for the latest news on photography, the outlet recognized the printer in its annual Gear of the Year roundup and awarded it Editor’s Choice for best photo printer.

Now through September 30, 2018, save up to $450.00 on an Epson SureColor P5000 printer. Click this link for eligible printers or download the Epson rebate form for this offer.


Artists at Work
11/09/2017

(Top)



Off-the-Wall Graphics stands out when it comes to expert knowledge and reliable, excellent performance in custom silkscreen printing, embroidery and color separations. Located in Greensburg, PA, the company is owned and managed by husband and wife team, Steve and Anita Kozinko. Steve is the screen print manager and the color separation and screen creation artist. Unique in his ability to separate jobs into the best color combinations for the screen printing process, he rarely uses standard CMYK colors traditionally used for offset printing. With their precise Epson SureColor T3270 printer, Steve generates screens up to 80 lines per inch that are printed using water-based, discharge or standard inks and - voila! His output equals works of art.



The equally talented Anita supervises the embroidery department. A prominent bead artist, her works have been exhibited nationally and regionally. She was named a finalist in the 2017 BeadDreams annual competition for her entry of Mandalas - a bead embroidered adult coloring book, and she received the Craft Award for her “Ancient Lights” at this year's Westmoreland Art Nationals Exhibition.



Along with their production team they continually provide exceptional service to businesses, non-profit organizations and schools. We've been pleased to serve Off-the-Wall Graphics for 20 of its 30 plus years in business.


Update Your Epson Wide-Format Printer Firmware
11/02/2017

(Top)
Epson has announced important firmware updates for the Webconfig feature in certain Professional Imaging Printer products. This update addresses a vulnerability that may compromise the security of the printer’s web browser. The CVE-ID for this vulnerability is CVE-2017-6443 and you can learn more about it on the CVE website.

Printers affected:
Epson Stylus Pro WT7900, all models, all previous firmware versions
Epson SureColor F2000, all models, all previous firmware versions
Epson Stylus Pro 4900, all models, all previous firmware versions
Epson Stylus Pro 7900, all models, all previous firmware versions
Epson Stylus Pro 9900, all models, all previous firmware versions
Epson Stylus Pro 7890, all models, all previous firmware versions
Epson Stylus Pro 9890, all models, all previous firmware versions
Epson Stylus Pro 4880, all models, all previous firmware versions
Epson Stylus Pro 4450, all models, all previous firmware versions
Epson Stylus Pro 11880, all models, all previous firmware versions
Epson Stylus Pro GS6000, all models, all previous firmware versions
Epson Stylus Pro 3800, all models, all previous firmware versions
Epson Stylus Pro 3880, all models, all previous firmware versions

You can also download the Epson data sheet describing this issue.


Pittsburgh Gives - Artist Image Resource
10/05/2017

(Top)
Five words come to mind to describe Artists Image Resource (AIR), located on the North Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Educate. Inspire. Stimulate. Experience. Create. Whether one is an established artist, a novice printer, or a person hungry to whet their creative appetite, AIR is the go-to facility locally, regionally and nationally for printmaking and is equipped to produce relief, intaglio, lithography, screen printing and digital printing projects. Its mantra ~ Production – Education – Community ~ is evident throughout the artist operated, non profit print and imaging organization. Buzzing activity of resident artists, students and community visitors is constant and print artworks can be viewed in progress or hanging on walls throughout its space. Go on a studio tour, sign up for a workshop or take an in depth, refresher tutorial and experience first hand what this extraordinary laboratory offers.



Executive and Artistic Director, Robert Beckman, enthusiastically talks about resident artist Ricardo Ruiz’s work in progress, describing one step of the process.




Can't transport your students or community group to AIR. . . they’ll come to you! Mobile printing units allow participants to learn all aspects of the photographic silkscreen process.




Ben Page is AIR's in-house printer extraordinaire. Here, he explains the intaglio process.




Examples of printmaker works decorate the walls of AIR adding interest, color and voice.


Ed Massery – Pittsburgh Architectural Photographer
06/27/2017

(Top)
From its rich past to a modern, bright future, architectural design is abundant, noteworthy and flourishing in Pittsburgh. To successfully showcase design aesthetics, both external and internal, of the many buildings and structures throughout the city is a formidable feat. Working as an architectural photographer for over 27 years, Pittsburgher Ed Massery has taken on the challenge with passion, skill and mastery.


Benedum Trees building roof, photograph by Ed Massery, 2017.



The Gateway Station is the jewel in Pittsburgh Transit Authority's light rail system. It was photographed by Ed Massery, 2012.

 

Visit Ed Massery's website, view his portfolio, and appreciate his distinct representation of architecture in Pittsburgh and beyond.


Omni William Penn Hotel lobby, photograph by Ed Massery, 2003.


Windows 10 Pro Desktop PCs for Business
06/26/2017

(Top)
We've identified a few PCs that have Windows 10 Pro installed and provide the best performance for your dollar. And, they all have 3 year manufacturer's warranties.

If you want a Solid State Drive rather than a mechanical hard drive and a 7th generation Intel processor, then check out this HP ProDesk 600 G3 Micro Tower - it includes an Intel Core i5-7500, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 7,822, 8GB of memory and a 256GB drive. It's currently priced at $779.00.

Or, step up to a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor with a HP ProDesk 600 G3 SFF PC - it includes an Intel Core i7-7700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 10,959, 8GB of memory and a 256GB drive. It's currently priced at $859.00.

The equivalent Dell with a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor would be a Dell Optiplex 5050 SFF PC - it includes an Intel Core i7-7700, with a CPU Benchmark rating of 10,959, 8GB of memory and a 256GB drive. It's currently priced at $859.00.

Get one of the first AMD Ryzen desktops - a SFF Lenovo ThinkCentre M715s that is running a Ryzen 7 1700 processor and a reasonably fast NVIDIA GeForce GT 730 video controller with 2GB of memory. The new AMD Ryzen provides a CPU benchmark rating of 13,813 at an unheard of low price. The Lenovo M715s currently priced at $999.00 (and it's a special order product that will take a couple of weeks to ship).

If you want a tower PC, with lots of room for internal expansion, the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower - is a great choice - it comes with a 7th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 4 memory slots that will support up to 64GB of memory, free drive bays and M2 slots, and 4 PCIe slots. It's currently priced at $1,029.00.

Get a workstation class PC, the Lenovo ThinkStation P320 Tower - it comes with a 7th generation Intel Core i7-7700K processor (CPU Benchmark 12,174), 16GB of memory and 4 memory slots that will support up to 64GB of memory, free drive bays and M2 slots, and 4 PCIe slots. It's currently priced at $1,219.00.


ANCIENT INK – Photographs by Mark Perrott
06/06/2017

(Top)
Tattoo ornamentation in America has come a long way since the early 19th century. While previously ignored and considered to be on the fringe of society, tattoos have reached an accepted, aesthetic level that is celebrated throughout mainstream America.

Photographer Mark Perrott has spent several decades documenting tattooed Americans. He began his study in 1979 at Island Avenue Tattoo in Pittsburgh, PA, and has explored tattoo parlors all across America. Coming up this month at the Erie Art Museum, Bacon Gallery, is a show of Perrott's current series, ANCIENT INK. Mark focuses his camera on the now increasing tribe of highly decorated and graying Americans, introducing the viewer to dozens of individuals, including Jim and Marge.



Jim, 2016, 50 in. x 50 in. inkjet print on© 2016, mark perrott 
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Ultra Smooth.



Marge, 2016, 50 in. x 50 in. inkjet print on© 2016, mark perrott 
Hahnemühle Photo Rag Ultra Smooth.

Pittsburgh native Mark Perrott has worked as a professional photographer for the past fifty years. In addition to his commercial work, which includes portraiture and photography for annual reports, Perrott has spent his life making photographs that document Pittsburgh’s citizens and its rich industrial landscape. In the early eighties, he gave special attention to the life and death struggle of steel in the Mon Valley, with a special focus on the Jones & Laughlin steel mill and its Blast Furnace Department, informally known as “Eliza.” Photographs from this project were used to create the book ELIZA, published in 1989 by Howell Press. In 1999, he published HOPE ABANDONED, a four-year investigation of Eastern State Penitentiary, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2013, he published his third book, E BLOCK, an extended photo essay on Western Penitentiary. Perrot's photographs are included in numerous museum collections, including the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.


Remembering Pittsburgh - Photos by David Aschkenas
04/01/2017

(Top)







A lot has changed in Pittsburgh over the last 40 years - the city has changed from an industrial center commonly known as the Steel City, to a technology center with high tech companies and universities populating the area.

Photographer David Aschkenas will be presenting Pittsburgh as it was with a series of black and white photographs shot between 1978 and 1982. His show, Remembering Pittsburgh, works by David Aschkenas, will be opening on April 7, 2017, at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Lantern Gallery. (And, as David mentioned, it's an opportunity to check out black and white prints on Epson's Legacy Platine paper.)

David Aschkenas has been a photographer for more than 30 years. His work has appeared in publications such as Time, Men’s Health, Good Housekeeping, Stern More, Marie Claire, PC World, Der Spiegel, Pittsburgh Quarterly, among others. Aschkenas’s work is held in numerous collections, including the Carnegie Museum of Arts, Pittsburgh, PA; The Minneapolis Institute of the Arts; University of Alaska Museum, Fairbanks, AK; the Polaroid Corporation; The Howard Heinz Endowment and The A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust Foundation, Pittsburgh, PA.





Epson Poster Paper Production
03/09/2017

(Top)
Epson has a new, and inexpensive paper - Poster Paper Production - that is perfect for posters, signs and displays. And, it's available in longer rolls - either 200 ft. or 175 ft., so you can run long jobs with less downtime for reloading paper. A 24 inch x 200 ft. roll of 175gsm paper costs less than 22 cents per square foot - vs. 43 cents per square foot for Epson's Semigloss 170gsm paper. Poster Paper Production is available in both 175gsm (7 mil) and 210gsm (9 mil) weights, and in 17, 24, 36, 44 and 60 inch widths.

Click this link for a listing of Epson's Poster Paper Production's available sizes and weights. And, if you would like printed samples of the paper, please give us a call.

If you are looking for a high volume printer, you can save up to $2,500.00 on Epson's new SureColor P10000 and P20000 printers. Click this link to see Epson's production printers.

Or, if you want a printer that is fast, inexpensive and great for signage, you can save up to $1,700.00 on Epson's SureColor T-Series 5-color printers. Click this link to see Epson's T-Series printers.


New Epson SureColor P5000 Series Printers
03/01/2017

(Top)
The Epson SureColor P5000 printers are the anticipated replacement for the Stylus Pro 4900. The new P5000's incorporate a number of improvements, including:

Refined printer design - improved dust and static control for reduced printhead nozzle maintenance

Improved Black density - higher-density Black pigments for a wider contrast ratio and enhanced clarity for both color and black-and-white prints

Exceptional print permanence - offers next-generation pigment ink technology for up to twice the overall print permanence than the previous generation of ink

Remarkable detail - Epson PrecisionCore TFP printhead delivers high print speeds with 360 nozzles per color channel, with variable-size ink droplets as small as 3.5 picoliters

And, the printers are available in 3 configurations:

Standard Edition - 10-color UltraChrome HDX Ink set features Orange and Green and three-level Black inks supporting advanced black-and-white photographic printing

Commercial Edition - includes an all-new Violet ink (in place of Light Light Black) to deliver an industry-best 99 percent PANTONE® PLUS FORMULA GUIDE solid-coated color matching, ideal for commercial and flexographic proofing applications.

Designer Edition - offers all the features of the Standard Edition, plus it includes EFI® Fiery® eXpress for Epson, an industry-leading software RIP with true Adobe® PostScript® 3™ for accurate CMYK and spot color printing.

For a listing of the SureColor P5000 models, click this link.

Rebates Available!

• Purchase an Epson SureColor P5000 Standard Edition printer by May 31, 2017, and you will be eligible to receive a $150.00 rebate from Epson.

• Purchase an Epson SureColor P5000 Designer Edition printer by May 31, 2017, and you will be eligible to receive a $200.00 rebate from Epson.

• For complete details, please download the Epson rebate form for this promotion.


Best Low Cost Color Accurate Displays
10/13/2016

(Top)
We've assembled a line-up of lower cost color accurate displays - that provide 100% sRGB and/ or Adobe RGB color accuracy. The are Asus, BenQ or Dell brand displays - not the big names like Eizo or NEC, but the displays do provide great value and great color. Click this link for our listing of color accurate displays at affordable prices.


Best Current PC Values
09/15/2016

(Top)
We've singled out a few PC's that currently provide the best performance for your dollar. They are all Windows 7 Pro computers (that include a Windows 8 or Windows 10 upgrade in the box), and they all have 3 year manufacturer's warranties.

Dell Optiplex 3040 - great for basic business computing - it includes a fast Intel Core i5-6500 processor, 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. And, for the next couple of weeks, it's selling for $569.00.

If you want a great entry level workstation, check out the new HP Z240 Workstation - it comes with a reasonably fast E3-1245V5 3.5Ghz Xeon processor (CPU Benchmark of 10,385) and it includes a 256GB PCIe SSD and 8GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,119.00.

Or, if you want a faster workstation, the Lenovo ThinkStation P410 - is a great choice - it comes with a fast Xeon E5-1650V4 processor that clocks in at 13,509 on the CPU Benchmark scale (vs. 9,951 for an i7-6700), 16GB of memory, and it includes an NVidia Quadro M2000 video card with 4GB of memory. It's currently priced at $1,869.00.


Epson SureColor P800 Sample Prints
09/12/2016

(Top)
We've been busy printing samples on our Epson SureColor P800 printer. We've been using some great test photos and printing on Epson Legacy papers - Baryta, Etching, Fiber Rag and Platine. And, we've been printing on Hahnemühle media as well - Baryta FB, Daguerre Canvas, FineArt Pearl, German Etching®, Photo Rag® Baryta, etc. We've been using the manufacturer's profiles for the printing, and the results have been outstanding.

If you would like a sample print, please call us and we'll send it out to you - you'll be able to see what the combination of a great printer and great paper can do.


Microsoft Pays $10K for Unauthorized Windows 10 Upgrade
06/28/2016

(Top)
Last Month, Microsoft paid a California travel agent $10,000 after she won a judgment in small claims court by successfully arguing that an unauthorized upgrade to Windows 10 crippled her work PC... Read the complete article at computerworld.com.


Malware from Microsoft!
05/24/2016

(Top)
Microsoft has gotten really outrageous with it's Windows 10 upgrade offer - it's now tricking people into upgrading who don't want any part of Windows 10. This is really upsetting - everyone that I know who uses a PC has bought their computer - they own it - but, Microsoft is acting like they own your computer and that they can do whatever they want to do with it - like forcing a Windows 10 upgrade whether you like it or not!

For complete details about this new Microsoft scam, read the article at pcworld.com!

And, remember that, if you haven't upgraded to Windows 10, you can use the free GWX Control Panel or Never 10 to get rid of this annoying malware from Microsoft.


Have You Upgraded to Windows 10?
02/14/2016

(Top)
We are old fashioned and don't like to do upgrades just because they are available - especially to a "free" operating system that bugs you to send money to Microsoft and does a much more thorough job of communicating what you are doing to Microsoft after you upgrade. Here are a few of tips that should help if you do choose to upgrade.

Turn off Windows 10 Peer-to-Peer updates and App Store software downloads - the Microsoft update service that uses your PC to provide updates to other Windows 10 computers. Follow the steps in this How-To-Geek article to disable the update sharing.

To get a more familiar look to your Windows 10 installation, install Classic Shell, available at this link. You'll get a more comprehensive and usable Start menu.

Replace the missing software DVD player with a popular free player - VLC media player.

Windows 10, by default is pretty invasive - it generously provides advertising from Microsoft, watches everything that you do, freely shares your wireless network, etc. You can read this PC World article about Microsoft's intrusiveness. And, you can download Win10Privacy to automate setting privacy settings.

If you just can't deal with your Windows 10 upgrade, and have been using it for less than 30 days, follow the steps in this Teching It Easy article to roll back to your previous operating system.

And, finally, if you haven't upgraded to Windows 10, you can use the free GWX Control Panel to get rid of the annoying and constant upgrade reminders. Or, you can get Never 10 from Gibson Research Corporation.


Ricoh Printers - Low Cost Per Copy
01/24/2016

(Top)
Buyers Lab tests show that many Ricoh printers cost significantly less to operate which is one reason why they "highly recommended" all six of these printer models.

Ricoh SP 213nw - black and white cost per copy as low as 3 cents.

Ricoh SP 3600dn - black and white cost per copy as low as 1 cent.

Ricoh SP 4510dn - black and white cost per copy as low as .7 cents.

Ricoh SP C252dn - color cost per copy as low as 8 cents.

Ricoh SP C252sf - color cost per copy as low as 8 cents.

Ricoh SP C831dn - color cost per copy as low as 5 cents.

Buyers Lab® testing shows Ricoh printers can provide significant savings over the competitive average. Saving 4¢ per print equates to a saving $20 every 500 prints. Download a PDF with this information. Or, download a review of a Buyers Lab® report on the Ricoh SP C252dn and the SP252sf printers.


New Epson Wide Format Printers Are Here!
11/04/2015

(Top)
We've got great prices on the new Epson SureColor P-Series Wide Format printers, with instant discounts up to $2,000.00!





Features:

• Next Generation Pigment Ink Technology - all new pigments for outstanding color performance and Improved Resin Encapsulation Technology for superior gloss uniformity

• Photo Black pigment 1.5 times more dense than the previous generation ink set, along with significant improvements to the overall contrast ratio and optical clarity

• Featuring completely reformulated pigment technology for improved print permanence, and up to twice the overall print permanence versus the previous generation ink set

• Latest PrecisionCore® TFP® print head with new ink repellent surface coating for reduced nozzle clogging

• New scheduled print head maintenance cycles - ideal for intermittent usage environments

• New Precision Dot advanced screening for accurate color and smooth tonal transitions

You can check out the new 8-color Epson SureColor P6000SE and Epson SureColor P8000SE, or the new
10-color Epson SureColor P7000SE, Epson SureColor P7000CE (with Violet ink), Epson SureColor P9000SE and Epson SureColor P9000CE (with Violet ink).


Making Money Printing Colors
08/27/2015

(Top)
It's not often that a company in our industry makes mainstream news - but, Pantone made it in this Bloomberg Business article.

Some interesting tidbits from this article:

Pantone in 2014 had a banner year - and grew more than any other time in it's 53 year history.

Adobe has a digital color wheel - at this link - that is very cool (you'll need to sign in with your Adobe account to access the color wheel).

"Of Pantone’s 120 employees, the mix-masters in the ink room now take a back seat to the "color economists" and "color psychologists."

It's really a world economy, and Pantone is a source of standardization - where a Pantone color printed in Pittsburgh, PA would be the same as a Pantone color printed in Vietnam.

In any case, color consistency is big business, and Pantone is in the forefront.


Microsoft Is Charging for Solitaire in Windows 10
07/30/2015

(Top)
From an article at pcworld.com:

"Microsoft wants you to pay for Solitaire, again, in Windows 10. Netflix charges you $7.99 per month for thousands of streaming movies and TV shows. Spotify, Slacker, Rdio and others charge about $10 per month for unlimited music. And Microsoft? They want you to pay $1.50 per month to remove ads from Solitaire."


EFI Warns Not to Upgrade to Windows 10
07/27/2015

(Top)
From an EFI email blast (read more at this link):

"Fiery servers running Windows® 7 or Windows 8.1 will not support the Windows 10 upgrade directly on the server. Please do not install Windows 10 directly on your Fiery server.

If the Fiery server is upgraded to Windows 10, it will not operate and the system will have to be rebuilt from original software disks or backup images.

Microsoft announced that a Windows 10 upgrade can be performed through Windows Updates starting July 29th. A "Get Windows 10" notification may pop up on your Fiery server asking you to upgrade to Windows 10. Please dismiss the notification."

We've actually been hearing a few good things about Windows 10, but we would provide the same advice. If Windows 10 will break a Fiery server, it could very easily break other software that is being used. Our advice is to not be an early adopter - let the problems and their resolutions be discovered and resolved before upgrading.


Hahnemühle's Comparable Ilford Papers
07/25/2015

(Top)
Hahnemühle has two sheets that are similar to popular Ilford papers:

Photo Silk Baryta 310 gsm (at this link on Hahnemuhle's website) compares well with Ilford Gold Fiber Silk. Photo Silk Baryta 310, features the look and feel of a traditional baryta photo paper.

Photo Pearl 310 gsm (at this link on Hahnemuhle's website) is close to Ilford Smooth Pearl with a slightly different white point. It's very close and anyone who has used the Ilford will have no problem using the Hahnemuhle Photo Pearl 310.

Until September 30, you can take advantage of our Private Sale on these sheets and rolls and save 10% - Click this link for complete details!


Best Color Printer Values
06/30/2015

(Top)
Printer manufacturers generally follow the rule that says that the less that you pay for a printer, the more that you pay for consumables. Because of introductory rebates, HP has broken this rule and is offering OfficeJet Enterprise printers at tremendous prices that are very frugal with supplies. Our calculations show that these printers cost 1.4 cents per black copy and 5.1 cents per color copy (you can see detailed costs per copy in our website listing for these printers).

HP OfficeJet Enterprise X555dn ($509.00)
HP OfficeJet Enterprise X555xh ($789.00)

If you want a traditional color laser printer that more closely fits the price vs. cost model, the lowest cost per copy is the

Ricoh SP C440dn ($1099.00)

(as low as 899.00 with a qualified trade-in and supplies purchase) - at .7 cents per black copy and 3.8 cents per color copy.


Cleaning Products that Help Wide Format Printers Run Well
06/08/2015

(Top)
We've added a few Ink2image cleaning products that will help to keep your Epson wide format printer in great shape. Ink2image's Lyson Dead Head Cleaning Fluid is designed to flush out inks and dissolve dried ink deposits. You can check out our selection of these cleaning products at this link.


Detours for Local Customers
05/11/2015

(Top)
We've added alternate route maps that will help our local customers traveling from the Liberty Tubes avoid congestion caused by the Rt. 51 and Rt. 88 construction. To view the alternate routes, click this link.


Epson Photo Paper Sale!
05/08/2015

(Top)
Stock up and save on Epson photo papers in sheets and rolls - including Exhibition Fiber, Luster, Glossy, Semimatte, and Metallic! Buy three packages of qualifying Epson Photo Paper and get reimbursed by Epson for the cost of the least expensive package (excluding tax).

For a complete listing of eligible items, please Click this link. Up to 9 claims can be made per customer address! Offer ends on July 31, 2015.


Epson Pano Awards
05/06/2015

(Top)
The Epson International Pano Awards showcases the work of panoramic photographers worldwide and is the largest competition for panoramic photography. Advances in digital photography and editing software has resulted in a surge in the popularity of image stitching, especially in the panoramic format. Panoramic film photography also remains alive and well.

There is a prize pool of $50,000.00, and the entry fee per image is $20.00 (or less for students, etc.). Click this link for more information!


Check Out Our New Ink and Toner Finders
03/03/2015

(Top)
If you are looking for ink or toner for your printer, check out our new Ink and Toner finders. You can use them to easily find inks or toners that work with your printer. We currently list printers that we have sold or that we recommend to customers. If you have suggestions for other printers, please let us know.


Save 25 Percent on ColorBurst RIP Software
02/09/2015

(Top)
Save 25 percent off list price on all Colorburst RIP SKU's - both the ColorBurst OverDrive RIP (Mac OS and Windows) and the ColorBurst Pro RIP (Windows only). Get PostScript RIP support for EPS, PS and PDF files, Pantone Color Matching, nesting, cropping, step and repeat and a host of other features at the best price ever.

To take advantage of this offer, enter coupon code cb25 in the Gift Redemption Code box as you checkout. For a complete listing of eligible items for this offer, please click this link.


Apple updates the Mac mini
10/19/2014

(Top)
It looks like Apple has once again done what is best for Apple, and has left their customers with less value and choice than ever.

The October, 2014 Mac mini is an updated version of the previous mini (updated in October, 2012). It includes the latest generation Intel Haswell processors, the latest on-board Intel HD 5000 or Iris Graphics, Thunderbolt 2, and USB 3.0. The October, 2012 models included previous generation Intel Ivy Bridge Core i5 and i7 CPUs, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Thuderbolt (1), USB 2.0 and FireWire. And, the 2014 Mac mini's start at $499.00 vs. $599.00 for the 2012's.



It sounds like a great deal - you get all of the latest technology rolled into a very small package - really nice updates to Thunderbolt 2 and much better graphics. But, you are being forced into the Apple non-repairable, throw-away model - the 2014 mini's memory isn't user upgradeable, making the $499.00 base model price very deceiving. 1. the base model comes with 4GB of memory that can't be upgraded, barely enough to boot a new computer, 2. it has a low power and very slow Core i5 processor (CPU Benchmark of 3651 vs. 3804 for the 2012 base model), and 3. it comes with a slow 500GB mechanical hard drive. And, if you aren't satisfied with it's performance in a year or so, you can throw it away, because it can't be upgraded.

On the high-end, the 2014 mini is even less of a bargain. A 2014 Dual-Core i7 (CPU Benchmark of 5068) model with 16GB of memory and a 1TB fusion drive clocks in at $1399.00 (the top-of-the line model with 1TB PCIe storage and AppleCare is $2298.00!). A 2012 Quad-Core i7 (CPU Benchmark of 8328) model with a 500GB SSD drive, a 1TB storage drive and 16GB of memory (with user installed upgrades) would cost around $1250.00. I'm sure that users would love to have Intel Iris Graphics and Thunderbolt 2. But, why force them to get the improvements by charging more money for a machine that is 40 percent slower in processing horsepower?

Finally, if you are looking at the 2014 Mac mini, include AppleCare in your purchase. Since the machines aren't upgradeable, if you need a new high-end motherboard, you will need to buy the model that corresponds to your mini - i.e., you'll need to buy a high-end one with a Core-i7 processor and 16GB of soldered memory. (Funny, adding that extra $99.00 AppleCare cost brings the base model price within $1.00 of the 2012 base model - which we felt didn't need AppleCare.)


Graph Expo Show Specials on Epson 7900 and 9900 Printers
09/28/2014

(Top)
Purchase an Epson Stylus Pro 7900 and you will receive a $750.00 instant rebate plus a Graph Expo Show Special rebate of $500.00 - for a total rebate of $1250.00. Purchase an Epson Stylus Pro 9900 and you will receive a $1000.00 instant rebate plus a Graph Expo Show Special rebate of $750.00 - for a total rebate of $1750.00.

Offers expire on October 31, 2014.


Boycotting the Football Industrial Complex
09/04/2014

(Top)
Boycotting the Football Industrial Complex.


Sale on New Inkjet Media from Epson and Hahnemühle
05/19/2014

(Top)
Check out new inkjet media from Epson and Hahnemühle and save 10 percent off our already low prices. The new Epson Metallic Photo Papers, available in luster and gloss finishes, add a sophisticated degree of intensity to your prints. The Hahnemühle papers include their new Metallic Canvas, with an extraordinary metallic gleam and a pearlescent gloss - and Photo Silk Baryta, an excellent replacement for the discontinued Ilford Galerie Gold Fibre Silk.

Click this link for complete details!


Stop Using Microsoft Internet Explorer!
04/30/2014

(Top)
[5/1/14 update: Microsoft has released patches for fixing this vulnerability - per Adrienne Hall, General Manager, Trustworthy Computing, Microsoft, "We believe, and take a huge amount of pride that, among widely used browsers, IE is the safest in the world due to its secure development and ability to protect customers, even in the face of cyber criminals who want to break it. This means that when we saw the first reports about this vulnerability we said fix it, fix it fast, and fix it for all our customers. So we did. The update that does this goes live today at 10 a.m. PDT [5/1/14]." This fix is available for Microsoft XP users as well as for users of Microsoft's current operating systems, and can be downloaded by using the Automatic Updates functionality of the operating system.]

By now, you probably have heard the news of the latest vulnerability to strike Windows computers. If you are using the most popular browser, Internet Explorer (IE) you should switch to a current version of another browser, like Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. And, no matter what browser you are using, you should update Adobe Flash to its latest version or disable it, since the vulnerability depends on Flash.

The latest flaw leaves users open to attack from hackers who can install malware on your system and hijack your computer. Microsoft reports that a patch will not be available until May 13.

If you are using Windows XP, the news is even worse. Microsoft will not release a patch for XP users since it stopped supporting XP earlier this month. As predicted, with no technical assistance and security updates, XP users will be more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. For more information about the end of XP and recommended system replacements, click here.


Announcements from Adobe
04/24/2014

(Top)
"At Adobe, we’ve always been steadfast in our commitment to providing you with state-of-the-art creative tools. That’s why, effective June 1, we're making Adobe Creative Cloud your exclusive source for all future creative licensing. This means that Adobe Creative Suite 6 will be discontinued under our TLP and CLP licensing programs. All other Adobe products available under volume licensing, like Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Presenter, will be unaffected by this change."

Beginning June 1, 2014, Adobe will implement standard, non-promotional pricing for Creative Cloud for teams for the commercial and government segments. Pricing policies for both the complete and single app plans have been set for new and migration seats.

The new standard pricing will be consistent across the channel and adobe.com, and is as follows:

Creative Cloud for teams complete (list price): $69.99
Creative Cloud for teams complete (introductory price): $49.99 (with up to 2-yr price lock)
Creative Cloud for teams single app (list price): $29.99
Creative Cloud for teams single app (introductory price): $19.99 (with up to 2-yr price lock)


Upgrade to OS X Mavericks - It's Free!
03/08/2014

(Top)
Upgrade to Mavericks - You Get What You Pay For!

We do a lot of Mac support in our shop - and felt that we needed to voice our opinion about this operating system.

Why to like it:

It's a free upgrade for Mac users running OS X 10.6 and above. And Macs built in 2007 and newer will run the operating system.

On relatively new Macs, it actually seems like it's a good system - like on Macs that were originally sold with OS 10.7 or 10.8 installed. And, it provides new features for home users that improve iPhone and iPad integration.

Why not to like it:

If you have an older Mac and/or older peripherals, it will probably break something. Some examples:

•External USB, Firewire and Thunderbolt drives can lose their data when plugged into a computer running Mavericks. When this does occur, there is no fix to recover the lost data.

•The Mavericks OS, running on older iMacs and MacBook Pros, too frequently boots to a black or white screen with just a cursor. The fix is to wipe the computer and re-install the operating system and everything else that was running on it.

•Mavericks doesn't support older printers or scanners. One fix is to install Parallels or Fusion and run older programs and drivers in Windows. Neither Parallels, Fusion nor Windows are free programs. Another fix is to buy new printers and scanners - they aren't free either.

•Mavericks has a significant color management bugs in Safari and in professional applications including Aperture and Lightroom. As of today, there aren't fixes for these problems.

Our recommendation - if you have an older Mac and you want to upgrade your operating system, pay 19.95 for the upgrade to 10.8, and forget about upgrading to OS X Mavericks. You'll more than likely find that it will be a less expensive choice. You still might have compatibility issues with older peripherals or software, since, like Mavericks, 10.8 doesn't support Rosetta. But, you won't have data loss, re-installation or color management issues.


Microsoft Windows XP Support Ends on April 8, 2014
02/28/2014

(Top)
Should you stop using Windows XP?

Over the last 12 years, Windows XP has had a great life—it was Microsoft's first contemporary operating system and is still being used on almost 30 percent of currently operating computers. In April, Microsoft will stop providing support for Windows XP. This means that Microsoft won't release security updates for XP that combat new security threats, that they won't update Windows Defender or Windows Security Essentials virus definitions and that they might remove the update services for XP as well.

Since it's less expensive for companies to support fewer operating systems, other companies will probably drop support for Windows XP as well. Possible examples are:

-Free antivirus providers, like Avira, will soon stop providing updates for XP users
-Adobe not providing security updates for Flash
-Oracle not providing security updates for Java
-Printer manufacturers not providing XP printer drivers for new printers
-Software companies not providing XP compatible versions of new software releases
-Web browsers, in addition to Internet Explorer, not updating to accommodate updates to web programming protocols.

Apple, which has a much shorter product life cycle than Windows, made the same transition with the move to Intel processors. Older Macs that don't have Intel processors can't run the latest web sites, can't use the latest printers and can't run the latest versions of software. The same type of obsolescence will occur relatively quickly with Windows XP.

Windows XP is more vulnerable to viruses than Windows 7 (three times more vulnerable) and Windows 8 (ten times more vulnerable).




Infection rate (CCM) by operating system and service pack in the fourth quarter of 2012 as reported in the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report volume 14.


Many industry watchers believe as the end-of-life nears cyber criminals may even step up their rates of attack and that “black hat” attackers may hold back exploit codes for release after the end date in April. (Sheldon, 2012 and AppSense)

Windows XP PC's are old enough to be replaced with new computers. The last copies of Windows XP were sold in October, 2010 (Tastar sold it's last XP PC in 2009), so any PC running XP is most likely more than five years old, an age where important components like motherboards and hard drives, are also heading toward end-of-life.

Windows 7 Pro, which is still the predominant operating system (running on approximately 48 percent of PC's), is readily available as a free downgrade with the purchase of a Windows 8 PC. Computers are technically sold with Windows 8, but with Windows 7 pre-installed. One advantage of Windows 7 over Windows 8 is that it will run XP Mode, where you can use older, XP compatible software. Another advantage is that it still maintains most of the look and feel of Windows XP.

Click here for a great selection of business PC's that are running Windows 7.

So, what should you do?
While XP has had a great run, its time to move on to a newer operating system. By sticking with XP, some say the question is not if you will get exploited, but when. The best choice would be to migrate away from Windows XP to a current operating system. Keeping antivirus software up-to-date will be little help if new exploits to the operating system are developed. If there are XP desktops remaining in your network, they should be used in isolated situations that don't require an active connection to the internet.

Feel free to contact us if you need assistance in making the move from Windows XP. We can help.


What's Wrong with This Picture?
01/19/2014

(Top)



This image is from a marketing email sent to us by HP on January 19, 2014.

tastarsupply.com sells computers designed for business - to check out our selection of what we feel are the best values in business computers - that are running Windows 7 Pro - click this link. Note: all of our Windows 7 Pro computers come with a Windows 8 license, too.


Apple’s Vision of Equality
12/27/2013

(Top)
Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, recently spoke at Auburn University about equality, right in tune with President Obama's push for greater equality in America. I find Cook’s equality platform to be ironic considering the way Apple treats its resellers, customers and its base country.

For over 20 years, Tastar Data Systems has been a member of the Apple Consultants network. We facilitate sales of Apple equipment by referring customers to an independent Apple reseller. One of our customers has been waiting two weeks for a MacBook, which on the Apple web site shows it as available to ship in 24 hours. The reseller’s response to us concerning the availability of this computer is troubling, "All Apple does is blow smoke right now. They are really messing with resellers this holiday season." Where's the equality in this relationship?

A Senate committee labeled Apple’s tax evasion this year as the Holy Grail of tax avoidance--its efforts have shielded $74 billion in profits from U.S. corporate taxation. Good for Apple, bad for everyone else who has to pitch in to cover the share of taxes that it is avoiding.

Several years ago, I was discussing an issue with our credit card processor and commented about how great it was to see that Wal-Mart was getting such great credit card processing rates. The representative pointed out that Wal-Mart’s rates are subsidized by everyone else who didn't get these favorable rates. Now that I am so much smarter, I now can see that Apple's tax avoidance strategies mean that I'm being forced to pay its share of taxes. Equality?

Apple's new iMacs have a repair rating of 3 out of 10 by iFixit--a great source for Apple parts. The previous iMacs that they replaced had a 7 out of 10 score and the new MacBook Pro's with Retina displays have an astonishing low 1 out of 10 score.


It appears Apple is designing these computers to be throw-away devices. If you buy the three-year AppleCare warranty, you can simply throw it away if it breaks after the warranty expires because it will be too costly to repair. Even worse is if you take the risk and decline the three-year AppleCare warranty. Is this policy good for consumers or is it good for Apple?

While we have been long supporters of Apple, Tim Cook’s vision of equality is troubling to the future of Apple and its customers.


Documenting the Dome: A Photographer's View of the Civic Arena
12/19/2013

(Top)
Documenting the Dome



In 1961, Pittsburgh’s Civic Arena made history when it opened as the first major-sports venue in the world with a stainless steel retractable roof. An architectural marvel, the arena was most notably home to the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team, but in its history hosted thousands of concerts from the Beatles to Elvis Presley political rallies, circuses and many other sporting events including wrestling, tennis, indoor soccer, NCAA basketball games, figure skating and much more. Fifty years later in September 2011, it made history again as it was demolished.




“No one had ever taken a building down of this type," notes David Aschkenas, an award-winning Pittsburgh photographer who was granted special access to capture its demise. Equipped with a hard hat and a safety vest, David spent nearly a year taking more than 10,000 photos of the dismantling of the famed silver dome.

“Because of asbestos, the arena could not be imploded,” said David. “The demolition crews had to carefully cut through the steel to dismantle the dome.”


David’s work can be seen permanently at Consol Energy Center, the new home of the Pittsburgh Penguins; in a newly released book Arena: Remembering the Igloo; and beginning next month, at the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s 707 Penn Gallery.




Five minutes with David Aschkenas.

How did you get started as a photographer?
After studying film at Penn State, I moved to Boston where my roommate was a photographer. I saw a print being developed in a basement darkroom that convinced me that still photography was the way to go. As an impatient person, I liked the idea of instantly capturing something vs. working in film where it took months to produce a final product. From there, I became consumed and learned everything I could about photography.

Do you still work with film?
I was late to embrace the digital photography movement, but when I got my hands on the Nikon D3, I was amazed at the quality. Since then, I have sold all of my film cameras.

What printers do you use?
At home I have an Epson Stylus Pro 7800. If I need to print something larger than 24”, like I did for my upcoming exhibit, I like having the option to go to Tastar to use the Epson Stylus Pro 9900.

What is your best tip for photographers who do their own printing?
Calibrate your monitor. Often people ask me how many times it took to get a certain photo to print perfectly. I tell them once. I calibrate my monitor every week and know exactly how the colors will appear in print. There is no guesswork.

Favorite photography assignment?
The best photo assignments are the self assigned ones, like the Civic Arena project or another self assigned project that I'm currently working on: photographing the Allegheny County Courthouse designed by Henry Hobson Richardson.




Guarding against the CryptoLocker Virus
11/27/2013

(Top)
No doubt you’ve probably heard about CryptoLocker, an extremely fast spreading virus that's hitting Windows users. We have directly come across several infections, including one Mac user who was using Parallels to run Windows applications.

Usually downloaded through email, CryptoLocker is ransomware that encrypts certain types of files and then attempts to get infected users to purchase a decrypting tool (using bitcoins) in order to regain access to their files. There’s a lot of chatter online on whether or not you should pay the ransom, and whether or not paying it will allow you to recover damaged files. If you pony up the cash within 72 hours, the cost is around $300, but if you wait, the price increases to 10 bitcoins, which is approximately $2,290.

There are a number of steps you can take to protect your valuable data from this destructive virus. You've probably heard most of these recommendations before, but they are worth repeating in light of this virus. And added bonus--they are less expensive than paying a ransom to recover your own files.

1. Make sure you have a good backup system in place. If your files are backed up, then paying a ransom is not an issue.

2. Use antivirus software. Enough said. We recommend Trend Micro Worry Free Business Security for networks and Symantec's Norton Internet Security for individual users. For additional information about anti-virus software, check out these articles: techradar.com's recommendations for the best free antivirus software (we don't like free...) or pcmag.com's review of antivirus software (sort the listing by Editor's Choice to see current recommendations).

3. Don’t open suspicious emails. Look closely at emails before you click on a link or download a file. Better yet, don’t click on a link. Just go directly to the company’s web site. The hackers have been known to disguise the malware in emails allegedly sent from USPS, ADP, XEROX and ironically, McAfee.

For more information about this malware and how to protect against it, click here.

Please don’t hesitate to call us if you need advice on setting up a secure backup system or installing antivirus software.


Backup Solutions - Is a NAS for you?
11/06/2013

(Top)
You’ve probably heard it a million times about the need to back up your files, but it’s something that is often overlooked until you have a computer crash. That’s when we get the panicked call.

It’s expensive and time consuming to try and recover lost data. A University of Texas study reported that 94 percent of companies suffering from a catastrophic data loss do not survive—43 percent never re-open and 51 percent close within two years.

To help you avoid a crisis situation, we are going to discuss in a four-part series, the various backup methods. This week’s topic is NAS—Network Attached Storage. Other topics will include cloud storage, servers and hard drives.

What’s a NAS?
In the late 2000s, several manufacturers started marketing NASs – Network Attached Storage. These devices serve the role of much more than storage with lots of features to increase productivity and simplify networking. Unlike a server, they come complete with robust software to help you manage the various functions. At this time, most clients use NASs as a server, but there are a whole host of other functions that users can take advantage of.

Tastar focuses on Synology devices, one of the industry’s leading manufacturers. See below for how you can benefit from a NAS, whether at the office or at home. Then give us a call for a recommendation for the right NAS to meet your needs.

File Storage
With a NAS, you can back up your files easily whether you are on a PC or a MAC. With flexible, easy-to-use software, you can automate the backup function effortlessly and customize it to your individual needs.

A NAS device can serve as a centralized storage device for just one or several computers in an office. Depending on the model you select, some NASs can be expanded to add additional storage bays.

Most NASs use RAID technology (Redundant Array of Independent Disks or Inexpensive Disks). RAID storage uses multiple disks to improve overall performance, add data protection via redundancy and increase storage capacity in a system.

In addition, NAS devices can back themselves up to external disks, a remotely located NAS or to cloud services.

Jim Marshall, Vice President and General Manager of Slavia Printing Company notes that the Synology system they use allowed them to eliminate its cumbersome tape backup system. “We use our NAS to store all of our prepress jobs. No longer do we have a big server and tape drives. And it is so much faster.”

File Sharing
One of the best functions of a NAS is the ability to store and share files. Ideal for business environments or even within your home, a NAS gives you a cross platform server that allows you to easily share Mac, Windows and Linux files with co-workers or access them from other computers within your office.

For photographers, Synology’s Photo Station software lets you share photos directly with clients and colleagues with or without password protection. You can send clients a link allowing them to either download or simply view photos.

To see how Photo Station can help photographers organize, store and share photos click here.

Web & FTP Server
Your NAS can be used as a Web server and includes built-in PHP and MySQL, ideal for web site staging and development. In addition, you can use it as your FTP server for remote file uploads and downloads.

Printer Sharing
While we love to sell as many as printers as possible, a NAS allows multiple computers to print to a central USB printer.



Printing configuration


Security
Whether you have one computer linked to your NAS or dozens, you will find reliable security options, such as encrypted access, IP blocking and other protective features to ensure that your data is secure. Additionally, you can manage user and group access rights on shared folders to ensure that information is available only to those who need it.

Remote Access

With a NAS, you can create your own personal cloud allowing you to freely and safely access your NAS from a remote device. Apps for the iPhone, iPads and Android allow you to easily connect to your NAS and manage your files.


Surveillance Solutions
Compatible with thousands of IP camera models, most Synology models support real-time monitoring, video and audio recording and playback with a wide range of customizable settings. You can also install apps on your mobile devices to monitor cameras anytime, anywhere, for total surveillance.

If you think a Synology NAS could be the right backup solution for you, now is the time to buy. Synology is offering rebates on a number of models until November 30, 2013. Click here.


Potential issues with OX X Mavericks and External Drives
11/01/2013

(Top)
As with just about every Mac OS upgrade, compatibility issues seem to crop up. Many who have made the move to OS X Mavericks and use Western Digital and/or LaCie external hard drives reportedly are experiencing loss of data.

While Apple has yet to come out with an official statement on the matter, there is a lot of chatter online: Apple support forums, MacRumors.

Western Digital is urging customers to take steps to protect data by uninstalling certain software applications. Read more here.

CNET has addressed the issue and has recommendations as well.

Before upgrading to OS X Mavericks, please take the appropriate steps to back up your data to another device. Or better yet, wait until compatibility issues have been ironed out.


Meet Ken Doo - The Happy Lawyer
10/18/2013

(Top)
What’s the difference between a lawyer and a photographer? Unfortunately, there are no cliché lawyer jokes that answer the question. Simply put, a photographer is much happier according to Ken Doo, a loyal Tastar customer.

Although as a child he enjoyed spending time with his father in his darkroom, Ken left a small rural community in central California to study at the University of California, Los Angeles. He later obtained the degree of Juris Doctorate at the University of California, Davis.

With a law degree in hand, his next move took him even further away from his California roots. Ken joined the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corp and was stationed in Ft. Hood, Texas. After several years, he left the military and returned to California working as a deputy district attorney prosecuting criminal cases for Monterey County.

After seven years, Ken changed careers from criminal prosecutor to single parent. Becoming disillusioned with the law, he turned his childhood fascination with photography into a career with the launch of Ken Doo Photography. Although his love of photography began with medium format film, Ken quickly found his niche using a Phase One medium format digital back.

Despite the advice of other professionals, Ken didn’t focus on one style of photography. He was having too much fun doing it all: portraits, landscapes, weddings, engagements, corporate events, and studio work. Asked to pinpoint his favorite, he finally fessed up to portraiture because of how much he enjoys working with people.

His passion for photography has translated to multiple awards for his work. Ken is the recipient of more than 25 Accolades of Excellence in Photography in categories ranging from fashion to weddings to landscapes.

Ken’s interest in producing the best prints of his own work launched a separate business, Carmel Fine Art Printing and Reproduction. “I think of myself as a photographer first, but with my expertise in printing, this business has taken on a life of its own,” notes Ken. Now he produces fine art prints, canvas prints, greeting cards, banners and small commercial print jobs for clients and other photographers.

From traveling to Alaska to photograph grizzly bears to capturing the love of a newly married couple, Ken has found that photography – even producing portraits of the very judges that he argued in front of – makes this lawyer happy. There is so much more to life than a well-paying job. Ken is quick to point out that, "Life is short. And I consider myself extremely lucky to have a career pursuing my passion while being there for my sons 100%."




Ken’s Tips

Bigger is Better
“If you are investing in a printer, buy a bigger printer than what you think you will need. I ended up selling my first printer, an Epson 7800, mere months after I bought it because it was too small. The 9800 was a much more capable printer. I've since upgraded to an Epson 9900. I can take on more jobs and generate more business with a larger printer. Keep in mind that if you want to produce gallery wraps, you’ll need to accommodate for the wrap, which means a wider format printer.

Awash in Color
“You need to entrench yourself in color management. I’ve spent a lot of time creating custom profiles. People who have the same printers don’t get the same results as I do. Over the years, I’ve had people ask me for my profiles because they are pretty darn good.”

Weathering the Storm
“Years ago when I first started out, I was told I was doing it all wrong. I needed to specialize. When the recession hit, photographers were told to diversify. Fortunately, my earlier diversification is what helped my business in a slow economy.”

Get Involved
“I keep abreast of cutting-edge photography and printing techniques by staying active on many forums. Some of my favorite web sites to visit include: Capture Integration, Luminous Landscape and GetDPI.com.

Also, I think it's important to be involved in your community. I'm active with swimming and water polo, taking on coaching responsibilities and photographing sports for the local high school. It allows me to be active with my sons and give back to the community, while keeping my name out there."


Photoshop Alternatives - Can Anyone Replace the Leader?
09/18/2013

(Top)
Let's face it. Adobe Photoshop is the industry standard when it comes to photo editing. It's hard to beat its impressive line-up of tools and features. With Adobe's new business model, the Creative Cloud, causing a small uproar, many loyal Photoshop users are considering alternatives.

You certainly can hang on to your current version of Photoshop, make the move to the Creative Cloud or take a gander at a few free or very inexpensive options. The one issue with alternatives is that if you need to work in the CMYK color space for pre-press work, Photoshop is still your best bet.

If you find that Photoshop is overkill for what you use it for, you may want to take advantage of a free trial to test out some of these alternatives.

If you are interested in what other photographers are pondering, you can check out some of the lively discussions on Luminous Landscape or at Creative Bloq about this subject.


Adobe Photoshop Cost: 699.00, Platform: Mac and Windows, Our Rating: *****



GIMP
Cost: Free, Platform: Mac and Windows, Our Rating: **
GIMP, which stands for the GNU Image Manipulation Project, is probably one of the most popular alternatives. This free, widely distributed software offers a powerful suite of tools for retouching, image composition and image authoring. While it has similar functionality as Photoshop, it isn't as polished and its interface is a tad clunky. GIMP offers limited CMYK support and relies on a plug- in by Separate+ for color management functions. On the plus side, there is an active community of users, a dozen or so how-to books and a vast plug-ins library. Best of all, it's free. But if you are going to use it regularly, consider making a donation.


Corel PaintShop Pro X6 Cost: 79.99, Platform: Windows, Our Rating: ***
Available in a standard and ultimate versions, Corel PaintShop Pro X6 is a great alternative, but only if you are a Windows user. While it doesn't have all the high end editing features of Photoshop, it certainly has come a long way and has much to offer including the ability to work with layers. As with most Photoshop alternatives, PaintShop Pro does not support working directly in the CMYK color space, but does offers CMYK conversion, channel splitting and more. At less than $100, you may be willing to sacrifice a few features for some extra money in your bank account.


Aperture Cost: 79.99, Platform: Mac, Our Rating: *
An Apple product, Aperture takes iPhoto to the next level. And as you probably guessed, it doesn't work with the Windows operating system. You get the ability to work with RAW formats and a decent selection of plug-ins, including a handful from Topaz Labs. Unfortunately, Aperture is heavy on organizing tools but light on editing features making it suitable for very simple photo editing.




Picture Window Pro Cost: 89.99, Platform: Windows, Our Rating: *
Called serious software for serious photographers, Picture Window Pro, by Digital Light & Color, offers a wide variety of photo manipulation and retouching tools, transformations (its version of effects) and the ability to create ICC color profiles for many cameras and scanners. They offer a free trial version with the full-blown version priced at a modest $89.99




Adobe Photoshop Elements Platform: Mac and Windows, Our Rating: ***
Adobe touts Photoshop Elements as the top selling consumer photo editing software. Note the wording…consumer. If you are a pro, Elements may be a little basic for you. While you may appreciate the familiar interface, Elements is a much simpler version of Photoshop that allows you to quickly edit images. At $99.99 (and on sale right now for much less), Elements gives you many tools to clean up, organize and enhance photos.


Pixelmator Cost: 14.95, Platform: Mac, Our Rating: *
At a bargain price, Pixelmator gives users a variety of tools for fast and easy photo editing. You can work with layers, masks and add a variety of effects. A bonus is that you can open Photoshop files. The software has a proofing tool that allows you to preview images in CMYK.


Liz Reed - Capturing the Beauty of Nature
09/10/2013

(Top)
As owner of Gallery in the Square in the Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Liz Reed exhibited and sold the artwork of others while putting her own artistic ambitions on hold. “I was frustrated not being able to do my own art full time,” said Liz, who holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon.
 


In 2006, after 25 years in the gallery business, when an ideal buyer cropped up, Liz took the opportunity to sell her beloved gallery. Since then, Liz’s passion for art has blossomed in several ways. She runs Elizabeth Reed Garden Design helping individuals, municipalities and corporations as a garden designer. Spending time in gardens naturally lends itself to her other business, Elizabeth Reed Photography. While there are many photographers who focus on flowers and plants, Liz takes it to a new level. Her artwork is a dynamic combination of photography and scanning.

“I am constantly picking up flowers and plant materials and nearly always have my camera in the car,” notes Liz. “While image capture on a scanner is not new, I like to experiment with layering.”

While Liz prints much of her artwork at home, she likes to visit Tastar Data’s ColorCentral to experiment with new papers and to output larger prints. “I used to get my large images printed commercially, but it’s great to be able to come to Tastar to use a printer that is properly calibrated, try out new papers and have complete control over the output.”

When Liz is not in the garden or her studio, she’s busy exhibiting at art shows in Pennsylvania and Florida, where she resides for several months in the winter. She also sells her beautiful creations on her Etsy web site.

Tastar Data’s ColorCentral is a demonstration room allowing customers to test new papers, RIP software and equipment such as the Epson T-5000 and Stylus Pro 9900 . The room is available Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and can be reserved by calling us at 412-884-8077.
 



Digital Color Printing - and Print Envelopes, too!
09/02/2013

(Top)



In conjunction with the Harry Guckert Co., a Pittsburgh based graphic arts dealer, we've packaged a high-quality tabloid size Ricoh laser printer with a custom designed envelope feeder. The system will feed a wide range of media - from post cards, heavy weight stock and envelopes, including standard No. 10's up to 9 x 12 catalog envelopes.

The Ricoh laser printer delivers exceptional full-color digital printing at up to 1200 dpi. The printer is driven by a true Adobe® PostScript® 3™ RIP and supports Pantone color tables as well as standard and custom ICC profiles. The Ricoh brings something else to the table - it's less expensive to run than other printers in it's class - up to 50 percent less expensive than the equivalent Okidata printer, and up to 20 percent less expensive than the Xante ILLUMINA digital color press.

If you're a printing company, and have moved to digital printing, you can supplement your "big iron" digital printers with our printer - feeder combo - and run envelopes, small stock and other hard to feed items that are difficult and time consuming to run on large copy systems.

For more information, please Click this link.


Product review: Epson Natural Canvas
08/30/2013

(Top)
Many customers have asked what the difference is between the Epson Natural Canvas and the Epson Exhibition Canvas. Yes, we can tell you that the Natural Canvas is lighter than the Exhibition Canvas, but we thought it would be best to have an end-user put it to the test.

We had Gary Gardner of Krishna Ministry do a comparison of the Natural Canvas versus the Exhibition Canvas that he normally prints on. As background, Gary uses traditional stretcher bars versus gallery wraps.

Thickness
Natural canvas: 19 mil
Exhibition canvas: 23 mil
Advantage: Exhibition Canvas (At least for Gary. See reviews on The Luminous Landscape by others who like the thinness of the Natural Canvas.)

Coating
Natural canvas: Any coating for this canvas can be rolled on, which saves money.
Exhibition canvas: Semigloss has to be sprayed and gloss has a difficult time taking any coating. When canvas is sprayed, there is a lot of overspray which equals lost money.
Advantage: Natural Canvas

Stretching
Natural canvas: When coated, the thinner canvas has a tendency to crack when stretched at the edges.
Exhibition canvas: Does not crack at the edges.
Advantage: Exhibition Canvas

Dynamic range
Natural canvas: Appears to be the same as the Epson Premium canvas. (Standard canvas from a few years ago.)
Exhibition canvas: Colors appear more rich when coated.
Advantage: Exhibition Canvas

Printing
Natural canvas: This canvas doesn't curl very much and is thinner. If you haven't used your printer in a while, you can just stick the canvas in without worrying about the printhead striking the edge of canvas.
Exhibition canvas: This canvas has a tendency to curl without use. The platen gap has to be increased to "Wider" before printing. The printhead sometimes can strike the edge of the canvas causing a malfunction in the printer.
Advantage: Natural Canvas

Shrinkage
Natural canvas: With a roll of 44" wide by 40' canvas, this canvas will shrink after printing on the 40' long side. On a 36" x 48" printing, the 48" side will shrink as much a .5" to .75" during printing.
Exhibition canvas: Does not shrink
Advantage: Exhibition Canvas

Pricing
Natural canvas: More expensive
Exhibition canvas: Less expensive
Advantage: Exhibition Canvas

If you've made the switch to the Natural Canvas, let us know what you think of its performance.


Power problems. Are you prepared?
08/23/2013

(Top)
While bad weather can be a minor inconvenience--our parking lot and the roads surrounding our building flooded this summer—at times it can strike a fatal blow to your business. A University of Texas study reported that 94 percent of companies suffering from a catastrophic data loss do not survive—43 percent never re-open and 51 percent close within two years. That’s scary.

Whether it is weather-related or caused by an electrical problem, a sudden power surge and/or prolonged power outage can wreak havoc not only on your equipment, but on your bottom line when you take into consideration downtime, recovery time and data loss.

If you are like many people we know, you have your computer plugged directly into a wall outlet or an inexpensive multiple outlet strip. This offers absolutely no protection against electrical problems.

Fortunately, companies can take a number of steps to protect their data—we’ll cover data backup in another article—but one of the easiest ways is to protect all your computers and valuable electronics with an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) or with a quality surge protector.

We offer UPSs from CyberPower because we feel they are very affordable, reliable and have a longer warranty than other UPSs on the market. In addition, CyberPower offers its Connected Equipment Guarantee on many of its products. This is a limited insurance policy that covers any damaged or destroyed equipment that was properly configured and connected to the UPS.

Surge protector vs. UPS

Understandably many folks are confused between what a surge protector does versus a UPS. We’ll explain, but first let’s talk about power strips. These are inexpensive devices that let you plug in multiple devices. They do not provide any protection against electrical spikes or power outages.

Surge protectors allow you to plug in multiple items and also offer protection from electrical surges and spikes. They regulate electrical currents and eliminate line interference—as they increase in price, they provide faster response times and more robust protection. Though a power surge can happen faster than the blink of an eye, the results can be devastating if you are not using a surge protector. It is important to note that surge protectors do NOT safeguard your equipment against a loss of power.

A UPS functions as a surge protector as well as a battery backup and allows you to continue on even if the power is out. More importantly, the added run time lets you save work, safely close applications and shut down computers and servers—protecting you from data loss. Most units can even power down your system safely and automatically in the case of a prolonged power outage. As the unit cost rises, you get longer run times, more robust protection and even power conditioning so that your equipment will not be subjected to normal power fluctuations.

In our opinion, your business is worth the added investment in a UPS and/or surge protector.


HP Desktops with Intel Haswell CPUs Now Available
08/05/2013

(Top)



We've added HP desktops that use the new Intel 4th generation Core processors (Haswell) to our PC lineup - they don't get better battery life (they're desktops!), but they do provide excellent value and take advantage of the strengths of the new processors.

The new Intel HD Graphics 4600 provides performance improvements of up to 100 percent over the previous generation HD Graphics 4000. The HD 4600 isn't the best choice for heavy duty gaming, but it will provide a performance boost for applications that take advantage of graphic processors - the way that Adobe Photoshop CS6 uses its Mercury Graphics Engine.

And, the Haswell processors provide a modest performance improvement over the previous generation. For example, a Haswell i7-4770, 3.4GHz processor scores 9996 on the PassMark® CPU benchmark, while the previous generation i7-3770, 3.4GHz processor scores 9431.

The HP PCs that we've added to our website are loaded with Window 7 Pro 64-bit (through downgrade rights from Windows 8).

In summary, the HP PCs offer definite improvements at similar price points to previous models, while also providing the advantages of Windows 7 Pro.

Click this link to see our new HP Haswell desktops (As with everything that we add to tastarsupply.com, we've only listed the models that we consider to be the best value.).


How Photographer Robert Strovers Creates Gorgeous Prints
07/30/2013

(Top)
Maybe you've admired his work in the Fairmont Hotel Pittsburgh or in many PNC buildings or in its Corporate Art Collection or perhaps UPMC buildings and facilities all over the city of Pittsburgh. While he's made his mark in Pittsburgh, today you'll find photographer Robert Strovers deep in the heart of Texas taking photos of everything from old cars to architectural details on old Spanish style buildings.

Even though he's not close to home, Rob has remained a loyal Tastar customer. He prints on an Epson 9890 and uses a variety of acid-free papers to showcase his work including Museo Silver Rag, Ilford Gold Fibre Silk, Hahnemuhle Museum Etching and Epson's Exhibition Fiber.

His favorite paper is the Hahnemuhle Museum Etching, Rob notes, "It has a beautiful slightly textured matte surface with substantial weight making it a hands down favorite paper for medium and large prints. Framers love this paper too because of the weight - it lays and mounts nicely and doesn't buckle or dimple."

Another recent favorite that he's using for select images is Hahnemuhle's Photo Rag Satin. "When I use it for black and white prints, I get a very low luster satin finish where there is ink while the white space areas remain matte. This really gives beautiful depth and dimension to the print."

His best printing tip? "Learn to calibrate your system so the monitor matches your printer. Use the manufacturer's profile for a given paper or learn to create your own custom profile. When doing custom printing for other artists and photographers nothing pleases me more than for them to say "WOW" when they watch the print come off the printer."

Rob notes, "Finding Tastar when I did saved me many dollars in shipping, lost time from waiting and the support was invaluable. Much of my studio setup includes items from Tastar: X-Rite ColorMunki, software, my RAID configured data storage hardware, the de-roller I use for taking the curl out of the roll papers and the nice heavy duty straight edge rulers and the cutting mats for work table tops."

Check out Rob's diverse styles at artisticpursuits.net.



Adobe Creative Cloud™ - What's to Like?
07/20/2013

(Top)
Adobe Creative Cloud™. A Change in the Future of Software?

"The only thing constant in life is change." François de La Rochefoucauld

Unless you live under a rock, you know that Adobe has made some big changes to its business model with the introduction of the Adobe Creative Cloud™. A move that has been inspired by what is good for Adobe, not by what is good for Adobe's customers.

While we applaud change and innovation, we’re not clapping for Adobe's latest brainchild and neither are many of its users.

For photographers who just use Photoshop, and maybe Lightroom, and not the full array of Adobe products, the Cloud is an expensive proposition. No longer will users be able to decide when they want to upgrade to a new software version. With the Cloud you will be forced to pay for upgrades you may or may not need.

For printing companies, this new variable update cycle subscription service is causing a lot of head scratching in the area of compatibility with customer files and the compatibility of plug-ins. For people who rely, and have paid handsomely, for plug-ins for their Adobe programs, the question is whether or not the plug-ins will work without having a fixed update cycle.

And, for companies with the need for two or three Adobe products - like Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator, they will be forced to rent access to the entire suite of products rather than paying for a much smaller selection, and will be forced to increase their annual payments to Adobe by up to 50 percent.

We’ve been monitoring this situation, and hope that Adobe will see that this is not the best scenario for many of its users. You can follow some interesting conversations on this topic by following a CreativeCow thread this link or a PrintPlanet thread this link. And, you can sign a petition asking Adobe to eliminate the mandatory Creative Cloud subscription model at this link. Hopefully, Adobe will get its head out the cloud and listen to the feedback from its loyal customers.

Result Pages:  Collapse 
Back
Customer Login
Create New Account

To purchase, please enter your user name:
and password:

Forgot your password?
Search


Price Between:

and

Advanced Search

  29358216 requests since Monday September 12, 2005

Copyright © 2005 - 2024 tastarsupply.com
Powered by osCommerce