Epson printers

[Curt]

I have been looking on the Epson site for a printer and the 3800 and 3880 have been out of stock for some time now. Does anyone own a 2880 printer? I'm still hoping to make digital negatives and would like to know if anyone uses a 2880 to make them.

Thank you,
Curt

 

[pschwart]

I have been looking on the Epson site for a printer and the 3800 and 3880 have been out of stock for some time now. Does anyone own a 2880 printer? I'm still hoping to make digital negatives and would like to know if anyone uses a 2880 to make them.

Thank you,
Curt

The Epson site has refurbished 3800's for $895. I have been satisfied with the Epson refurbished printers I have purchased, including an R800, R1800, and 3800.

 

[Curt]

The 3800 in the refurb store is gone but I noticed that the 2880 uses the same ink set that the 3800 does but I don't know about the size, the 2880 might have a smaller cartridge size. The 1900 used a different ink set, #2 instead of the K3 as in the 2880 and 3800 and up, I don't know if that's a huge deal but it is a plus in my mind. The 2880 also has a front feed as someone pointed as to be better at preventing roller marks.

Curt

 

[ann]

the difference is with the size of the carts which means a difference in cost.

epson told me the 1900 is really great for glossy color, but not black and white and mat papers.

 

[Curt]

Thanks Ann, I really liked the 1900 but I don't think it was the right printer for digital negatives, I could be wrong and just got a defective model but... who knows for sure.

I showed a couple of prints to some family members and asked them to really look hard and find the fault in printing. They couldn't find anything wrong with the prints until I pointed out the white track marks in parallel rows. They said who would know.

I for one couldn't live with that for one. Which printer do you have Ann? Do you make digital negatives?

Best,
Curt

 

[pschwart]

Thanks Ann, I really liked the 1900 but I don't think it was the right printer for digital negatives, I could be wrong and just got a defective model but... who knows for sure.

I showed a couple of prints to some family members and asked them to really look hard and find the fault in printing. They couldn't find anything wrong with the prints until I pointed out the white track marks in parallel rows. They said who would know.

I for one couldn't live with that for one. Which printer do you have Ann? Do you make digital negatives?

Best,
Curt

The 3800 has 80ml cartridges, one of its best features. I think the 2880 has the usual tiny Epson cartridges (12ml?). You will spend a LOT on ink, especially during the learning phase. The 3800 requires a lot of real estate. I had to put mine in the garage and print over my wireless network.
If you can find a 2880 cheap enough maybe it's not a bad alternative.

The R1800/R1900 have an Ultrachrome ink optimized for making glossy prints. I have an R1800 and the prints on matte paper are fine. The printer doesn't support Advanced B&W and it only has PK and Mk, but it makes really fine B&W if you replace the native inks with a dedicated monochrome set. The R1800/1900 can lay down 1.5 picoliter droplets, and this makes for exceptionally smooth prints and digital negatives. The R1800 can achieve sufficient densities for digital negatives without resorting to QTR or colorized negatives, something the 3800 can't do, and I think this is a *big* win.
Too bad that 1900 didn't work out for you. I think the negs I get from my 1800 are a hair better than what I get from the 3800.

 

[Curt]

Wow the 2880 has 11ml cartridges, that's small, why did Epson do that. It's apparent that I need to do some more homework here.

Thanks,
Curt

 

[pschwart]

Wow the 2880 has 11ml cartridges, that's small, why did Epson do that. It's apparent that I need to do some more homework here.

Thanks,
Curt

All the Epson desktop printers (all brands, actually) have tiny cartridges.
Why? We all know the answer to THAT. $$$. Epson will tell you they are not in the printer business, they are in the paper and ink business. And just think of scores of incompatible cartridges types, and all those unrefillable millions of empty cartridges going into landfill. It's really the worst kind of product design.

 

[ann]

curt,

i have an epson 3800 and an hp9180.

the few digital negatives i have made were on an epson 1480.

 

[pschwart]

curt,

i have an epson 3800 and an hp9180.

the few digital negatives i have made were on an epson 1480.

Maybe you meant Epson 1280? This was a 6-color dye printer that made pretty good colorized digital negs but had a frightful reputation for clogging. I don't think there was a model 1480, but I the 1400 is the current equivalent of the 1280. I have one but but it's still in the box so I can't say if it's appropriate for digital negatives. It is capable of 1.5 picoliter droplets so if it can deliver sufficient density it should make very smooth tones like the R1800.

 

[ann]

you know , i am not sure, i will look tonight when i go into for a class as it is in a box in the lab.

 

[John Lockhart]

I bought a used R1800 for digital negatives and so far I am quite happy. I print the negatives on Pictorico using setting for glossy paper. The ink seems to block UV very well - perhaps too well. If anything it makes the negatives too contrasty.

 

[Curt]

I don't mean to beat this to death but does anyone have an Epson R1900 printer and if so do you use it for digital negatives. I'm wondering if the refurbished model I had was the problem and not the printer series but I don't have anything to judge it by.

Epson is still out of 3800 and 3880 printers. The R1400 is a dye based printer and the R1900 on up are pigment based, this is why they are preferred for digital negatives, more density correct?

One problem I see is if I get a new R1900 and have problems with making digital negatives I can't tell Epson that as they don't support any printing media but Epson media, and ink for that matter.

 

[pschwart]

I don't mean to beat this to death but does anyone have an Epson R1900 printer and if so do you use it for digital negatives. I'm wondering if the refurbished model I had was the problem and not the printer series but I don't have anything to judge it by.

Epson is still out of 3800 and 3880 printers. The R1400 is a dye based printer and the R1900 on up are pigment based, this is why they are preferred for digital negatives, more density correct?

One problem I see is if I get a new R1900 and have problems with making digital negatives I can't tell Epson that as they don't support any printing media but Epson media, and ink for that matter.

I see ONE 3800 refurb available on the Epson site right now for $995. Not a great price, but there it is if you have your heart set on one of these.
The 1400 can be had refurbished fror $179. The old 1280 was a dye printer and made nice colorized negatives so I'm guessing the 1400 will, too. Disclaimer: I haven't tested this yet The 1900 is available refurbished for $379 so this seems to be the best bang for the buck. I will eventually get one of these as a backup for my 1800.

 

[jckuba]

The 3880 has a max resolution of 2880 x 1440 dpi while the 2880 has a max resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi. Does anyone know if the extra resolution helps or if it just lays down too much ink on the OHP.

 

[TareqPhoto]

I see ONE 3800 refurb available on the Epson site right now for $995. Not a great price, but there it is if you have your heart set on one of these.
The 1400 can be had refurbished fror $179. The old 1280 was a dye printer and made nice colorized negatives so I'm guessing the 1400 will, too. Disclaimer: I haven't tested this yet The 1900 is available refurbished for $379 so this seems to be the best bang for the buck. I will eventually get one of these as a backup for my 1800.

Epson 3880 is in stock, or you want only 3800?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/649771-REG/Epson_CA61201_VM_Stylus_Pro_3880_Large_Format.html

I am very happy with my 3800

 

[Curt]

I see that it is listed and has been for a couple of days or more. Right now I'm getting a new computer, monitor, and software so a printer is right there in line with these.

This has become a journey, books have once again become my friends and long walks soothing to the soul. I started out in the forest of the Hybrid world as a babe and now in infancy I am rediscovering the technology from the beginning, again. Oh sure I'm an avid browser with Windows / Explorer / Safari user, iPhone modern applications but an older Photoshop, when it logs on to Adobe a bunch of geeks there are probably laughing out loud.

At one time I switched out processors and motherboards, added memory, drives, backup drives, reconfigured, the entire gamut of computer life. Now it's like I have been in a coma for a decade and just awoke to a new world. The days of Basic, Pascal, C, assembly language and others are a distant memory to me.

What happened in the last decade? Life happened: I had a career, family, home, shop, travel, and life. What was that Ferris Bueller said?

... Ferris: Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. ...

As I move forward to the simple task of making some digital negatives I intend to "stop and look around once in a while".

 

[lxdude]

Epson recycling

All the Epson desktop printers (all brands, actually) have tiny cartridges.
Why? We all know the answer to THAT. $$$. Epson will tell you they are not in the printer business, they are in the paper and ink business. And just think of scores of incompatible cartridges types, and all those unrefillable millions of empty cartridges going into landfill. It's really the worst kind of product design.

Staples will now take Epson cartridges for credit, up to 10 per month. $3 each credit significantly reduces the cost and eliminates the problem of dealing with the empties.

 

[ann]

Curt,

sorry it took me so long to get back to you, it is an epson 1280 not 1480, and we have used it for digital negatives.

 

[pschwart]

Staples will now take Epson cartridges for credit, up to 10 per month. $3 each credit significantly reduces the cost and eliminates the problem of dealing with the empties.

Atlex charges $48 for 3800 cartridges; Staples charges $60 (list price). Atlex has good prices on the smaller desktop cartridges, too.

 

[Curt]

Curt,

sorry it took me so long to get back to you, it is an Epson 1280 not 1480, and we have used it for digital negatives.

Ann, the 1280 has held its own, I found a new one, Epson Stylus Photo 1280 Inkjet Printer (Silver), for $549.99. That's a new printer of an older design.

I say that I'm only going to print digital negatives but the temptation to make a few prints is sure to happen from time to time. There goes the ink.

 

[pschwart]

Ann, the 1280 has held its own, I found a new one, Epson Stylus Photo 1280 Inkjet Printer (Silver), for $549.99. That's a new printer of an older design.

I say that I'm only going to print digital negatives but the temptation to make a few prints is sure to happen from time to time. There goes the ink.

I truly hope you did not actually buy a 1280 for $549. That's an outrageous price for a seriously obsolete printer, and newer printers are superior in every way. If you found a 1280/90 for $50-75 it might be worth fooling with, but I wouldn't spend more. These often sell on eBay for well under $100 ...

 

[Curt]

I truly hope you did not actually buy a 1280 for $549. That's an outrageous price for a seriously obsolete printer, and newer printers are superior in every way. If you found a 1280/90 for $50-75 it might be worth fooling with, but I wouldn't spend more. These often sell on eBay for well under $100 ...

No I didn't buy one, only found a new one and was surprised by the price.