The market for “entry-level” wide-format CAD printers will inevitably always be an intensely competitive one. After all, it is at this price point that manufacturers argue their printer offers greater “punch for one’s pound” than any rival – all within a small, convenient footprint.

Given the particular renown of Epson and Canon as printer brands, when you are on the lookout for a 24” A1 large-format device for your office, you might find yourself ultimately choosing between the former manufacturer’s SureColor SC-T2100, and the latter’s TC-21 model.

So, what factors will push you towards one of these printers over the other?

Before we go further, it is worth reminding ourselves of the essentials you are likely to be seeking in an affordable, A1 wide-format printer.

Whatever machine you invest in from this subcategory, you might not necessarily make heavy day-to-day use of the printer, but you will wish it to be straightforward to use. You will also want to be sure that whenever you call upon it, your machine will produce high-quality, colourful prints.

The dimensions of your A1 CAD printer will also probably be a factor. In this regard, there isn’t much to separate the Canon TC-21 from the Epson SC-T2100 – they are nearly identical in size.

In other senses, though, there are some major differences between these two sought-after printers. Here are a few of them:

  • The Canon TC-21 ships with an entire set of 70ml ink tanks, which is more than twice the quantity of ink the Epson device is supplied with. While the latter printer has an 80ml black ink tank and 50ml colours, it ships with just 26ml colours and a 50ml black.
  • The 1200dpi results provided by the Canon TC-21 mean users can look forward to excellent detail and accuracy. The Epson SC-T2100, on the other hand, produces prints of just 600dpi.
  • Wide-format CAD printers at all price levels should have stable paper feeds. Sure enough, the Canon TC-21 has roll holders that glide into the paper core, and that are manually locked into position to guard against any risk of misalignment. This contrasts with the situation for the Epson holders, which do not lock inside the core.
  • Speed, too, is a major strength for the Canon TC-21. This ImagePROGRAF device is 33% quicker at producing a colour A1 print than its Epson counterpart, and when it comes to black-and-white A1 images, it is 20% faster.
  • As for the Canon machine’s cut sheet A3 monochrome prints, these are produced a whopping 60% faster than the Epson can manage. In the case of colour images, the speed advantage is 30% for the Canon device.
  • Another thing the TC-21 can accomplish, is printing on media sizes all the way down to A6. The SC-T2100, on the other hand, is only able to go as far down as B5. So, if you desire the greatest possible flexibility here, the Canon is once again the “winner”.
  • Finally, if it is bright and colourful posters that you wish to create, the Canon device is capable of higher-impact hues than the Epson. This remarkable impact is optimised further by the 0.5mm border the Canon machine leaves (in the case of the SC-T2100, the minimum border is 5mm).

Prizma Graphics’ experts can direct you towards the most appropriate wide-format printer

So, you can probably guess what our summary is when it comes to these two printers. While the Epson SC-T2100 has its merits, the sheer performance and flexibility of the Canon TC-21 makes it a difficult option to ignore for anyone comparing A1 wide-format CAD printers.

Nonetheless, if you wish to learn more about the printers in our range that may best suit your own intended application(s), and to receive tailored advice and guidance, it is worth remembering that our team at Prizma Graphics is available via phone or email.