considering a 3880...anything else to consider?

[jneilt]

I am considering a 3880 and might even opt for some greyscale inks for B&W printing...

Not familiar with 'all' the options out there...anything else i shoudl consider?

I have a wide gamut monitor on order and plan to set paper profiles, etc...

[kdriceman]

Originally Posted by jneilt

I am considering a 3880 and might even opt for some greyscale inks for B&W printing...

Not familiar with 'all' the options out there...anything else i shoudl consider?

I have a wide gamut monitor on order and plan to set paper profiles, etc...

I recently got the 3880 also and am very satisfied with it, but I also looked hard at this:

http://www.dpreview.com/printerreviews/canonpixmapro1

[algrove]

Calibrate your new screen.

[WPalank]

Have you considered the 4900? It has the better ink set which is un-upgradeable.
Is the foot print or size that much larger than the 3800?

[Jeff S]

Originally Posted by WPalank

Is the foot print or size that much larger than the 3800?

Huge compared to the 3880....115 lb versus 43 lb, and comes shipped on a wooden pallet. Much bigger dimensions, bigger cartridges, roll paper, etc.

Jeff

[Jeff S]

Originally Posted by jneilt

I am considering a 3880 and might even opt for some greyscale inks for B&W printing...

Not familiar with 'all' the options out there...anything else i shoudl consider?

I have a wide gamut monitor on order and plan to set paper profiles, etc...

The 3880 is a great machine. I assume you know that if you go for 3rd party b/w inks, e.g., Cone, you will essentially have a dedicated b/w printer without an easy way to transition to color. Whole different workflow.

I recommend you get custom profiles for your papers on your equipment. Stick to a couple of papers at first; there are some wonderful options these days. And, if you're not an experienced digital printer, then stick to the stock Epson inks and learn everything you can about the printer. There are myriad ways to extract subtle but significant improvements by adjusting your monitor, software (LR4 is terrific) and printer settings and controls. You may consider a RIP at a later point.

Just as in the darkroom days, results will vary by the person doing the work, with most of the difference coming from the judgment on what to do (developing a good eye), not so much the how to do, which can easily be learned over time.

Jeff

[Bill Allsopp]

I have had my 3880 about two weeks, perfect prints straight out of the box including B&W using correct paper profiles. Not necessary to get dedicated B&W inks.

[jneilt]

WPalank - I considered the 4900, but the size is a killer for me.

Algrove - The new screen will be calibrated. I ordered both an NEC PA and a Eizo CG...could not decide between the two so I figured I would put them sXs and look. I think the Eizo is going to be overkill for the $ (almost 2x). I needed (and have been putting off) a desktop with some serious storage as I have been cramming everything onto wife's laptop and she is tired of that.

Kdriceman - I have briefly looked at the Pixma Pro, from what I understand the in printer profiles are available for more papers? Is this actually true?

I was not aware that using specific inks limited the printers future use, but that makes a lot of sense now that I put it to thought. I just bought an MP and have really been enjoying shooting and processing my own stuff. It's been 21 years since I processed or even paid attention to B&W and I forgot how pleasant and gratifying it is...kinda the 'comfort food' of photography. I have seen both B&W image crops from both the canon and epson and prefer the epson.

Are paper profiles that hard to come by?

[Jeff S]

Originally Posted by jneilt

WPalank -
I was not aware that using specific inks limited the printers future use

It's not future use that would concern; rather it's being able to use the printer seamlessly on a current, regular basis to do both b/w and color.

Jeff

[WPalank]

Originally Posted by jneilt

Are paper profiles that hard to come by?

Not really. From what I have heard Epson is doing a pretty good job on their website. Also, I was very happy with Hahnemühle's profiles on their site.

Many people rave about Eric Chan's profiles on Luminous Landscape Forums. Eric is one of the developers of Adobe Lightroom. You can order specific profiles to the paper you decide to use, including gray scale. They seem to be a very reasonable price as well.

I use ImagePrint RIP which may be overkill for the 3800. Their grayscale profiles are completely neutral, first print out (meaning no green or magenta cast). It can be done in ABW, but usually takes some tweaking.

Also, I can print to 24" on the short side for an M9 file which means uprezzing the file. The engine in IP is fabulous for this process.

Finally, if new to Printing, I can't say enough about Jeff Schewe's and Michael Reighman's video series "From Capture to Print". Especially if you are using Epson Printers and Lightroom. Hours and Hours of videos breaking down the different components.

[microview]

Originally Posted by kdriceman

I recently got the 3880 also and am very satisfied with it, but I also looked hard at this:

Canon Pixma Pro-1: Digital Photography Review

Thanks for the link. After the first flurry of 'look-at s' and then the flood disaster postponing deliveries, few later reviews appeared. Incidentally, the UK price has already dropped by well over £100 since product launch!