How well would Epson 3880 cope with being unused for 6 months?

[Edward Louis Marit]

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With regard to the question of inks as I print mainly in black and white I run piezography inks in my 3880 . I have never had any problem with them. Printing is through quad tone rip. When I want to print colour I put the flush cartridges in, do a couple of power cleans to flush the lines, and then put in the Epson colour cartridges., and print with the Epson software.It's a bit of a time consuming procedure due to the flushing required at each change but works perfectly. I briefly toyed with the idea of getting a 2nd printer for color (Epson 9900 for $2999.00 cad on sale with full ink set) but don't do enough color to warrant it.

 

With regards to phone companies we are lucky we don't have a monopoly here. When Telus ( the residual company that used to be the monopoly) screwed me twice spectacularly I simply switched everything to another carrier at home and my company which included about 50 mobile phone lines.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Architect

[wlaidlaw]

Humidity is not something that usually troubles me in France. The problem is usually extreme dryness and dust, which combine with the ink to make concrete. 

 

Wilson

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[Jeff S]

 I briefly toyed with the idea of getting a 2nd printer for color (Epson 9900 for $2999.00 cad on sale with full ink set) but don't do enough color to warrant it.

 

 

Well, now is a great time to pick up a new and significantly discounted 3880.  In the US at least (B&H, for instance), the cost is $869 after rebate, including a full ink set, which alone would cost roughly half of that.

 

Jeff

[wlaidlaw]

I just ran off my first couple of prints with the 3880. Beautifully crisp and sharp. I would say the colours are a tad more subtle than my Canon Pixma Pro-1, particularly the reds. Not wholly surprising as the Canon has a red in addition to a magenta cart. However to my eyes, none the worse for being a bit "quieter". The colours are very similar to my previous HP9810 but the print is sharper. The paper feed worked first time perfectly on Ilford Smooth Pearl with the 3880, which the Canon printer hates. I always have to run the roller cleaning routine before I load smooth pearl on the Canon as the top feed rollers tend to slip on it and it triggers a misfeed. The 3880 is actually very compact for a 17" printer. It is smaller than either my previous HP9810 or my current UK Canon Pixma Pro-1, both of which are only 13" printers. 

 

Wilson

[Jeff S]

 ….The paper feed worked first time perfectly on Ilford Smooth Pearl with the 3880...

As you probably have determined, there are 3 feeds available.  For any 'problem' papers, adjust the platen gap and/or try the front feed.  I find this helps with some stubborn, thicker Hahnemuhle papers, which I now use less in favor of Canson.

 

Custom profiles, if you're not already using, can improve colors and sharpness….as can various software/printer controls and settings…worth experimenting.  I liked my 3800 right off the bat, but time, technique and paper selection….and continuing editing software improvements…have made prints better over time.

 

Jeff

[wlaidlaw]

Jeff, 

 

I was printing using the Ilford GPSPP11_EPSpro3880_PSPPn profile. I generally find that you have to make the image a little brighter and contrastier on screen than your eye says is correct, for it to look right on the print. Over the years I have spent hours profiling screens with various generations of device (currently using a Datacolor Spyder 4 pro, which I see has just been superseded) and then sending prints of a TC9.18 test image off to get profiles written for it but have found these specific profiles, which don't come cheap, little better than a bit of tweaking on a manufacturer's standard profile. That is why I generally now stick to Ilford papers, as their profiles seem better than the Hahnemuhle and Canson profiles or need less tweaking. The Lyson profiles are reasonable but I don't like the appearance of their papers very much. Ilford seem to have stopped making their Lustre paper in A2, which is sad. Their prestige smooth is double the price of Epson Premium Lustre at £86 for 25 sheets. They do do a Prestige Gold Fibre Silk 310gsm in A2 at £84 for 50 sheets, which I may give a try. Anyone used this? 

 

Wilson

[Jeff S]

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Ilford Gold Fibre Silk (now called Prestige) has been my color go-to paper for a long time.  I have 2 profiles for it, one custom made using a friend's (very expensive) spectrophotometer, and one using a custom service that I've used with success (by Chromix).  It's a delightful paper, similar to some of my darkroom papers.  For b/w, I prefer Canson Infinity Baryta Photographique, which is quite similar to the Gold Fibre Silk.  For a warmer tone, I like Canson Platine or, even warmer, Innova Warm Cotton Gloss.

 

Jeff

[wlaidlaw]

I did some B&W today on Ilford Smooth Pearl again. Lovely without the bronzing that you could get on the HP9180 unless you went into the printer toolbox and turned all the colour off. Gradation of greys is excellent. I am delighted with my purchase of the 3880. BTW I think Ilford UK may have made an error with their pricing for Gold Fibre Silk. I think they meant £84 for a 25 box not a 50. I might give them a ring and order a box of 50, quoting their offer of £84 for 50 and see what happens  . I have enough A3+ and A2 to last me until I get back to the UK in June.

 

Wilson

[Jeff S]

17"x 22", box of 25, is typically about $140 in US.  13"x19"  is significantly less, about $80 for 25, or $150 for 50.

 

Good luck with that.  There was a grocery store in my area that used to provide any mis-marked item for free, regardless of price.  They eventually were compelled to eliminate that policy.

 

Jeff

[Nordvik]

Ilford Gold Fibre Silk is a baryta type paper, Smooth Pearl is a RC paper (Rasin, plastic). For Smooth Pearl use GPSPP12_EPSpro3880_PSPPn instead of GPSPP11_EPSpro3880_PSPPn. 11 is for an older paper, 12 for the 310g paper sold today.

 

I use 17" roll paper cut to 25,5" length instead of A2. You need to decurl the paper to use it for 3880.

[wlaidlaw]

Ilford Gold Fibre Silk is a baryta type paper, Smooth Pearl is a RC paper (Rasin, plastic). For Smooth Pearl use GPSPP12_EPSpro3880_PSPPn instead of GPSPP11_EPSpro3880_PSPPn. 11 is for an older paper, 12 for the 310g paper sold today.

 

I use 17" roll paper cut to 25,5" length instead of A2. You need to decurl the paper to use it for 3880.

 

 

I am still using up my older Ilford 280gsm A3+ smooth pearl paper (red boxes) so the 11 profile is correct. I have not started using my new paper in black boxes for which you are correct the 12 profile is the one. I find the Smooth Pearl is a little sharper for photos where you want a lot of detail in comparison to the baryta papers. However as I cannot get smooth pearl or the RC Ilford lustre paper in A2 other than in a 17" roll, which I am not convinced I could never get flat enough to feed reliably, if I used my guillotine to cut it into lengths, the nearest Ilford paper I can get is the Gold Fibre Silk. I have not tried the RC Epson A2 lustre paper I have bought as yet, so that may well be my answer. I hope so, as it is very good value at €45 for 25 sheets plus I have a coupon against my next purchase. 

 

 

Wilson

Edited April 30, 2015 by wlaidlaw

[Nordvik]

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[Nordvik]

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[Nordvik]

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Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[wlaidlaw]

I didn't have any luck cutting roll paper and trying to decurl when I had an Epson R1800 some 12 years ago, so for me, I think it is a process I will try and avoid if there is an alternative. I know my daughter's father-in-law, who is one of the USA's top professional art photographers, and prints off roll on Epson 7880 and 11880 wide format printers, always has stacks of prints for clients sitting in flattening clamps in a heated cupboard. Even he says how difficult it is to get roll paper 100% flat. For his really important exhibition stuff he often uses a huge Durst flat bed printer that takes up the whole of a large room. He can then print on very thick flat paper and even on steel or copper sheets with that. 

 

Wilson

[Nordvik]

I have cut a 30m roll of Enhanced Matte Epson and about half of a 27m Smooth Pearl Ilford into 25,5 x 17". I think the printer head hit the paper two times out of 50-70 papers. The problem with cutting paper like this is to get the cut at 90 degrees, if it is not the printer will not accept it. 

[wlaidlaw]

Cutting is no problem as I have a large guillotine (well one would in France  ). It is getting the paper flat enough to feed that concerns me. The 3880 seems less fussy than the Canon Pixma Pro-1, where the tiniest bend or curl in the paper will cause a misfeed. Even paper which has sat in a box and got slightly cold or damp (the Canon sits in an attic bedroom in my UK house, which until late last year, only had a small oil filled electric radiator in it) and is not exactly 100% flat, will misfeed in the Canon. 

 

Wilson

[Nordvik]

It gets flat enough if you decurl the first five cm at both ends (there are youtube videos for this, or use something like in my picture. I think that one is from IKEA). I had one or two head strikes with the Enhanced Matte paper, but none with Smooth Pearl.

The rear paper feeder is temperamental, you need to push the paper "just right". When you have done it a couple of times you will get the feel of it.

Edited May 1, 2015 by Nordvik

[Jeff S]

I prefer the front feed for temperamental papers.

 

Jeff

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[Nordvik]

Yes. The front feed can be nice. One weekend I printed on the thick card board that goes with ink-jet papers. It was late at night. And dark.

 

The margins for front feed is 20mm. Nice for Fine Art paper, but not for RC paper cut to get the largest printable area.