Epson 3800

[JBrunner]

I've sorted out the teething problems and I am now happily producing digital negatives with my 2400. I have a line on a lightly used 3800 for $500. I've looked around here and the reviews for this printer for making DNs seem to be mixed. Is anyone here successfully using this printer for DNs, and if so did you modify it? (remove the pizza cutters for example). This printer has no warranty, being used, and it is an attractive price for a wide format printer, hence my interest.

 

[Kerik]

IMO, there is not a better printer out there for making digital negs. I've had mine for over 2 years and have not modified anything. I use QTR and Pictorico OHP.

 

[carioca]

The 3800 is a great printer.
Using the front feed, there are no issues regarding the Pizza wheel syndrome.
PM if doubts.

 

[Kerik]

I've never used the front feed (didn't even know it was there for a long time - I'm not real good at reading directions) and have no problems with pizza wheels. I've made prints from many negatives that would show them, if they were there. For example.

 

[donbga]

I've sorted out the teething problems and I am now happily producing digital negatives with my 2400. I have a line on a lightly used 3800 for $500. I've looked around here and the reviews for this printer for making DNs seem to be mixed. Is anyone here successfully using this printer for DNs, and if so did you modify it? (remove the pizza cutters for example). This printer has no warranty, being used, and it is an attractive price for a wide format printer, hence my interest.

Just be aware that Epson.com has refurbished 3800s with full ink carts available for $895 with free ground shipping. This maybe a better deal than one for $500 if the ink carts are not very full since a replacement set of carts are about $500.

As others have pointed out the Epson 3800 makes excellent digital negatives.

Don Bryant

 

[jd callow]

Is there a 3rd party continuous ink supply solution for the 3800? I used to run multiple epson 1289/90's on 3rd party ink and saved a ton of cash with no loss of in quality that I could see.

 

[Ben Altman]

I was just doing some idle research on this the other day. InkRepublic have a system, but it's expensive - over $600. That's a lot of ink... There are also reports and YouTube videos of refillable cartridges and resettable chips, but I couldn't figure out who was selling them. Someone in the Netherlands, maybe. Apparently the chip on the 3800 carts is a lot harder to crack than earlier wide format models.

 

[sanking]

With the Epson 3800 it really depends on the OHP and which inks are being used. I have never seen any pizza wheel marks using Pictorico and the MK ink with QTR, but when the PK ink is used with QTR to obtain the same Dmax transmission I do see pizza wheel marks. I am generally looking for a fairly high Dmax transmission value for carbon printing of about log 2.90 so that confounds the problem. The front loading system bypasses the pizza wheels so if anyone is having problem with pizza wheel marks it makes sense to consider this option.

Sandy King

I've never used the front feed (didn't even know it was there for a long time - I'm not real good at reading directions) and have no problems with pizza wheels. I've made prints from many negatives that would show them, if they were there. For example.

 

[sanking]

I use my printers almost exclusively for making digital negatives so the cost savings of a third party ink system is much less important to me than the possible risks in clogging with the system.

Sandy King

Is there a 3rd party continuous ink supply solution for the 3800? I used to run multiple epson 1289/90's on 3rd party ink and saved a ton of cash with no loss of in quality that I could see.

 

[sanking]

I missed part of your message, even though I have a message in the thread.

Not sure what you read that suggests mixed reviews for the Epson 3800 for digital negatives? Virtually everyone I know find it to be the best printer they have ever used for making digital negatives.

Regarding the pizza wheels, there should be no need to remove them. I have never seen any marks on Pictorico when printing with the 3800. And, if you are using another OHP that does not dry as fast as Pictorico you can use the front loader of the 3800, which bypasses the pizza wheels.

I can not imagine that anyone would be disappointed with the 3800 for making digital negatives. To my eye the resullts on print are as smooth and sharp as negatives made with Image Setters.

For best results I advise use of QTR with the 3800. Other systems work fine, but QTR offers maximum flexibility. Check out Ron Reeder's site for more information. http://www.ronreeder.com/

Sandy King

I've sorted out the teething problems and I am now happily producing digital negatives with my 2400. I have a line on a lightly used 3800 for $500. I've looked around here and the reviews for this printer for making DNs seem to be mixed. Is anyone here successfully using this printer for DNs, and if so did you modify it? (remove the pizza cutters for example). This printer has no warranty, being used, and it is an attractive price for a wide format printer, hence my interest.

 

[Kerik]

Ditto what Sandy said. The 3800 and QTR are a GREAT combo. I am teaching this approach in several workshops this year.

 

[JBrunner]

I missed part of your message, even though I have a message in the thread.

Not sure what you read that suggests mixed reviews for the Epson 3800 for digital negatives? Virtually everyone I know find it to be the best printer they have ever used for making digital negatives.

Regarding the pizza wheels, there should be no need to remove them. I have never seen any marks on Pictorico when printing with the 3800. And, if you are using another OHP that does not dry as fast as Pictorico you can use the front loader of the 3800, which bypasses the pizza wheels.

I can not imagine that anyone would be disappointed with the 3800 for making digital negatives. To my eye the resullts on print are as smooth and sharp as negatives made with Image Setters.

For best results I advise use of QTR with the 3800. Other systems work fine, but QTR offers maximum flexibility. Check out Ron Reeder's site for more information. http://www.ronreeder.com/

Sandy King

Hi Sandy,

The turns out I made a mistake (Me! Can you believe it?). This printer is a 4000. I knew that when I was looking for info on digi negs but misfired a neuron when I went to post this thread. The place with the printer is going to let me bring in a file to print out on OHP, so I should get some idea of its performance.

 

[sanking]

OK, as for the Epson 4000 this is not a printer I would recommend for making digital negatives. It is fine for making positive prints but like most Epson printers of its generation it tends to cause banding when printing digital negatives. I know three people who have tried to use the 4000 for printing digital negatives and all were disappointed.

Sandy

Hi Sandy,

The turns out I made a mistake (Me! Can you believe it?). This printer is a 4000. I knew that when I was looking for info on digi negs but misfired a neuron when I went to post this thread. The place with the printer is going to let me bring in a file to print out on OHP, so I should get some idea of its performance.

 

[dwdmguy]

I love it but...

I'm sorry for asking such a simple, newbie question, but what's a digital negative as it relates to the 3800 or any printer please.


Thank you.
Tom

 

[sanking]

With an inkjet printer one generally just makes a print, and that is it. A digital negative is a reverse image of the print on a special clear film. It is used to expose by contact printing a sheet of some type of sensitized positive material, such as vandyke, kallitype, cyanotype, pt/pd, etc. These processes require a same size negative because exposures are too long to be done in regular enlargers, and because the processes are only sensitve to UV light. The sensitizer material could also be a sheet of regular silver gelatin paper, in which case exposures are very short an could be done either with the light of the enlarger or with a 2-3 watt bulb light at some distance from the material being exposed.

Do a google search on "making digital negatives" and you will get lots of hits.

Sandy King

I'm sorry for asking such a simple, newbie question, but what's a digital negative as it relates to the 3800 or any printer please.


Thank you.
Tom

 

[mcole]

Epson 4800

OK, as for the Epson 4000 this is not a printer I would recommend for making digital negatives. It is fine for making positive prints but like most Epson printers of its generation it tends to cause banding when printing digital negatives. I know three people who have tried to use the 4000 for printing digital negatives and all were disappointed.
Sandy

How about the Epson 4800? Does anyone know if it also has the banding problem or how it works for digi negs?

 

[sanking]

I don't know anyone printing with the 4800 but as far as I understand the banding issue was eliminated with all of the *800 Epson printers.

Sandy King

How about the Epson 4800? Does anyone know if it also has the banding problem or how it works for digi negs?

 

[Davec101]

I don't know anyone printing with the 4800 but as far as I understand the banding issue was eliminated with all of the *800 Epson printers.

Sandy King

Which series does the 'Venetian Blinds' syndrome start at Sandy, is it the 7800 or 9800? I have access to a new 9880 however I have heard of this problem happening with this one too.

 

[sanking]

The problem was fairly common with the 2200, 4000, 7600 and 9500 line of printers. It seems to be far less common with the 4800, 7800 and 9800. I have not seen it at all with my 3800 but it was very common with the 2200.

What I refer to as "Venetian Blinds" are bands of unequal density in the direction of the movement of the printing head.

Sandy King

Which series does the 'Venetian Blinds' syndrome start at Sandy, is it the 7800 or 9800? I have access to a new 9880 however I have heard of this problem happening with this one too.