shootinglulu Posted May 20, 2010 Author Share #21 Posted May 20, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Hi, I haven't been back since i posted my question and then replied to myself, appologies for not responding! My decision after much reading is that the Epson 3880 is the printer which suits most and to resolve my problem i had an extension added to my desk top:D Simple! It is a bit cramped but never mind. Thanks very much Lucy Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted May 20, 2010 Posted May 20, 2010 Hi shootinglulu, Take a look here A3 size printer like Epson 3880?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
stunsworth Posted May 20, 2010 Share #22 Posted May 20, 2010 I notice that Eric Chan has started making (free) B&W profiles for the 3880. ICC Profiles for the Epson 3880 Advanced B&W Photo Driver Jeff, I never responded, but thanks for the link. The only paper I have that's he's profiled is the Ilford Pearl. For anyone else who's interested, there are profiles for the 3800 here... ICC Profiles for the Epson 3800 Advanced B&W Photo Driver and instructions on how to use them - driver options etc - here... Epson 3800 Step-By-Step Printing Workflow Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_tribble Posted May 20, 2010 Share #23 Posted May 20, 2010 Hi, I haven't been back since i posted my question and then replied to myself, appologies for not responding!My decision after much reading is that the Epson 3880 is the printer which suits most and to resolve my problem i had an extension added to my desk top:D Simple! It is a bit cramped but never mind. Thanks very much Lucy Lucy - I only do low-volume printing and mostly print to Haman / Hanemuhle Baryta coated semigloss stock. In the end I went for the Epson 2880 and have no regrets. The cost per-print is going to be higher - I accept. However, the outlay has felt reasonable and the footprint's the same as my old Photo 2100. Glad you're happy with your solution - I thought long and hard about the 3880 too. Thought I'd add this to the discussion to help others with their planning. Best... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shootinglulu Posted May 20, 2010 Author Share #24 Posted May 20, 2010 Chris thanks for that. I'll have another look i think. I like what i hear about the Epson 3880 but i worry that it is out of my league and how often will i need to print a2 ect and the amount of ink to get through could be excessive. I can't know really until i start printing. Can i ask, why did you decide against the 3880? Thanks a lot. Lucy Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delander † Posted May 20, 2010 Share #25 Posted May 20, 2010 One of the important aspects of the 38 series printers as opposed to the 28 series is the size of the ink cartridges. Not only is the ink cheaper per ml but I found that with the smaller cartridges I was forever running out of one or another, a lot of time spent ordering cartridges. I bought my 3800 about 9 months ago and have just replaced the two grey inks, and I do quite a lot of printing. Never done an A2 print however, mostly A3+. Hi Steve, try the Eric Chan profile and see what you think. Have you tried Epson Traditional photo paper (AKA Exhibition Fibre) not cheap but gives great look. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted May 20, 2010 Share #26 Posted May 20, 2010 Hi Steve, try the Eric Chan profile and see what you think. Have you tried Epson Traditional photo paper (AKA Exhibition Fibre) not cheap but gives great look Jeff, I've tried the ABW profile for Ilford Pearl and I'm impressed - and of course it means you can soft proof the print. By an odd coincidence I ordered some of that paper this afternoon. Perhaps even odder Epson seemed to be the cheapest supplier - £30 for 25 sheets of A4 with free first class delivery. I've never used it before, but if I like it then I'll order some at larger sizes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted May 21, 2010 Share #27 Posted May 21, 2010 Advertisement (gone after registration) Even though the 3880 (or 3800, which I own) has 80 ml cartridges, the folks at Cone conclude that the printer reads empty cartridge when, on average, there is 12 ml left. The Cone inks for the 3880 (either b&w...7 shades... or now color as well to match the Ultrachrome inks) come in refillable cartridges that are far cheaper per ml and are almost triple the size of the Epsons. The Cone color inks are also being discounted $150 for new users. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted May 21, 2010 Share #28 Posted May 21, 2010 To add to above post, the b&w inks are similarly being discounted by $150 for starters. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted May 21, 2010 Share #29 Posted May 21, 2010 And finally, speaking of discounts, atlex.com is selling refurbished 3800s, including full one year warranty, full ink set and shipping, for $749. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted May 21, 2010 Share #30 Posted May 21, 2010 Jeff, that's a fantastic price given that in the UK each of the 7 ink cartridges cost around $70. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted May 21, 2010 Share #31 Posted May 21, 2010 (edited) Jeff, that's a fantastic price given that in the UK each of the 7 ink cartridges cost around $70. Exactly. Not much different here. Epson is in the ink business, not the printer business. FWIW, when I was considering dedicating a new Epson 4880 to the Cone inks, the dealer was willing to buy my full Epson set from me for about $400 for him to resell, so that I wasn't spending for both Epson and Cone inks. And, recently, I had my 3800 serviced by a local company (licensed to do Epson warranty repairs) just before the warranty expired, and because of some unforeseen delays, they returned the refurbished printer to me along with a complete set of new inks. It was like getting a new printer after the first year, with $450 worth of inks to boot. I will never use another service company. Jeff Edited May 21, 2010 by Jeff S Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted May 23, 2010 Share #32 Posted May 23, 2010 Hi Steve, try the Eric Chan profile and see what you think. Have you tried Epson Traditional photo paper (AKA Exhibition Fibre) not cheap but gives great look. Jeff, a quick note to say that I've just printed a couple of photographs on the Epson Traditional Photo Paper using Eric's profile, and I'm very impressed indeed. I don't think I've ever printed a photo with better blacks. They're very reminiscent of a wet print. I'm genuinely bowled over with this combination and will certainly be using the paper from now on. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
delander † Posted May 28, 2010 Share #33 Posted May 28, 2010 Hi Steve, I'm pleased you like Epson traditional photo paper, it is a great paper. I used to use Ilford smooth pearl for my general printing but now have moved over to Epson premium Luster which produces results very near to the trad photo paper. I dont know if you noticed but Eric Chan recommends using the perceptual rendering indent for his B&W profiles. Jeff Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted May 28, 2010 Share #34 Posted May 28, 2010 Jeff, yes I noticed that. Soft proofing with his profiles gives results that are almost identical to the finished print. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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