Tobin Posted July 23, 2012 Share #1 Posted July 23, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) I want to make 5x7, 8x12, 13x19 prints on fiber fine art paper at home. Not a high number of prints per year mostly for myself and the odd gift. Most prints will be black and white. What are people using at home for their M9 prints? Thanks Tobin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted July 23, 2012 Posted July 23, 2012 Hi Tobin, Take a look here Printer for M9?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
dr. rOb Posted July 23, 2012 Share #2 Posted July 23, 2012 Hi, I print on Epson 4900. The results on Baryta are are stunning (both color and bw) although it may take a while to profile it and get rid of the greenish cast for serious black and white work. I heard that Imageprint is a good RIP for the Epson 4900 and I am planning to try it. It is a BIG desktop printer Dr. rOb Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 23, 2012 Share #3 Posted July 23, 2012 The 4900, while a great machine, is overkill for your limited use. The 3880 is the biggest Epson you'll need, while the R3000 may suffice. I suggest you search for a side-by-side comparison, read the specs and decide what features are important for you. My 3800 is still going strong after 4 years and several thousand prints. Beyond getting the right machine, it's equally important that you determine the best settings, learn the front end software well (e.g., LR, PS, etc), get good papers, use proper profiles (custom preferred), etc. Much like in the darkroom world, the enlarger is only one piece in the chain; so is true of the printer. And of course the most important variable in both cases is you...the real printer. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanyasi Posted July 23, 2012 Share #4 Posted July 23, 2012 I own the Epson 4880, which is the predecessor to the Epson 4900. I love it, but you don't need it for your purposes. I haven't used the 3800, but from everything I have read, it is the way for you to go. I also would not bother with ImagePrint. I own it and will probably not bother upgrading. The profiles I download for free from the paper company are sufficient for my purposes. I like the ImagePrint profiles, but I find the program interface and layout capabilities to be woefully inadequate. One thing I would focus on: Does the printer allow you to have Photo Black and Matte Black cartridges loaded at the same time, or do you have to swap out? As I said, I am unfamiliar with the specifics of the 3800 (or is it the 3880?). My 4880 only permits me to have Photo Black or Matte Black loaded, but not both. The next printer I buy will allow both cartridges to be loaded at the same time. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reds Posted July 23, 2012 Share #5 Posted July 23, 2012 I have an Epson R2880, which will do 13x19 and is smaller than the others mentioned here. It's been superceded by the R3000 now. As others have mentioned, quality is a lot to do with your colour management, monitor and profiling for papers etc. All the modern Epson printers are more than capable of delivering a great print. Couple of other things to think about - you might consider a quality trimmer for cutting prints to size. I use an A3+ Rotatrim - that'll add £130-ish to your bill, but worth it IMHO. Also paper. I use Epson premium lustre for most things, and Ilford Gold Fibre Silk for black and white - it's gorgeous for that. A slightly warm base and lovely blacks. Changing blacks is a pain - I do wish Epson would come up with a better solution for that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 23, 2012 Share #6 Posted July 23, 2012 I have an Epson R2880, which will do 13x19 and is smaller than the others mentioned here. It's been superceded by the R3000 now. Post #3. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Printmaker Posted July 24, 2012 Share #7 Posted July 24, 2012 Advertisement (gone after registration) Here is a different thought, if you are considering a 4900, why not look into a factory refurbished Epson 7900? You will get both black inks with a cartridge size big enough to make economical prints. The footprint is not too different, nor is the price when compared to the 4900. And you may find the feed far easier on the roll printer. Black and white prints will look the same on the 3880, 4900 and 7900 however, you will be able to print slightly more accurate color with the 4900/7900 because it has the hex inks (orange and green). The key word is "slightly." Most people will never see the difference. FWIW: I have run Epsons for the last 15 years. My 9800s often run 60 or more hours a week without the least bit of trouble. Epson professional printers are the best printers made. You may never need this level of service from your printer which probably makes the 3880 the logical choice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 25, 2012 Share #8 Posted July 25, 2012 One thing I would focus on: Does the printer allow you to have Photo Black and Matte Black cartridges loaded at the same time, or do you have to swap out? As I said, I am unfamiliar with the specifics of the 3800 (or is it the 3880?). My 4880 only permits me to have Photo Black or Matte Black loaded, but not both. The next printer I buy will allow both cartridges to be loaded at the same time. The 3800 and 3880 (newer iteration) have and extra cartridge bay and permit switching blacks without loading a new cartridge. The cartridges are 80 ml vs 200ml for the 4800/4900. Also, there is no roll paper feed (unlike the 4800/4900), if that's an important consideration for you. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted July 25, 2012 Share #9 Posted July 25, 2012 I want to make 5x7, 8x12, 13x19 prints on fiber fine art paper at home. Not a high number of prints per year mostly for myself and the odd gift. Most prints will be black and white. What are people using at home for their M9 prints? Thanks Tobin You need an Epson R3000. It has four black inks and is superb at B&W. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanyasi Posted July 25, 2012 Share #10 Posted July 25, 2012 I just receive an e-mail from Epson advertising up to $150 US rebates on Epson Stylus 13" Photo Printers. This would drop the Epson Stylus Photo R3000 from $800 US to $650 US. The e-mail came from Epson America, so I don't know if the rebates are available in other countries. Ask before buying. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 25, 2012 Share #11 Posted July 25, 2012 Here is a list of current company rebates. These rebates are common and change from time to time. (They make the money off the inks; the machines are merely the entry fee, much like razors and blades.) It pays to shop around, as dealers often have discounts or rebates over and above those offered by Epson. These combined deals can be fantastic, particularly just before a new model is released. I got my 3800 for $750 off at the time, and good friend recently got a 4900 for less than half price. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobin Posted July 26, 2012 Author Share #12 Posted July 26, 2012 thanks everyone. I`m going with epson now for sure. Going to see if I can make a few prints at my local shop and go from there. You guys Rock! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick.edwards1 Posted July 27, 2012 Share #13 Posted July 27, 2012 I was in the same situation last year - I took the advice from this forum - 250swb in particular (thanks again 250swb) . I purchased an R3000 - what a great printer - I had an Epson 2100 prior to this - what an improvement! You cannot go wrong with an R3000 if you want A3+. And, Epson took my old 2100 in part exchange. Best regards, Nick. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RotarySMP Posted August 1, 2012 Share #14 Posted August 1, 2012 My experience with ink jets (Epson 870 and R800) is that they will drive you nuts if you only use them a few times a year. Maybe the newer ones are better, but nozzle clogs and ink wasted on clearing them made me give up on them. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted August 1, 2012 Share #15 Posted August 1, 2012 Nozzle clogs are no longer a problem with recent Epson machines. If one is concerned, running a print through every month or so would suffice. The real waste, though, is not the ink IMO, it's making so few prints a year. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted August 4, 2012 Share #16 Posted August 4, 2012 Epson 3880, just in case I would want a larger print down the road. Hear the 3000 is very good too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebban Posted September 1, 2012 Share #17 Posted September 1, 2012 It pays to shop around, as dealers often have discounts or rebates over and above those offered by Epson.when we snap shot of any model or any goods than we want to print out than we use printer for print. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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