p.3 #1 · Thinking about inkjetmall ink for my 3880
jzucker wrote:
I agree Howard. The interesting thing is the assumption that Epson is not selling a product for profit and that they would necessarily make the best ink for their printer. Canon sells filters for their lenses but they are extremely low quality. Epson's business strategy is to sell the printer for low cost and recoup the investment/profit on selling the consumables. Even their 3880 carts which contain about 60ml of ink only allow you to use ~45ml before they register empty.
Anyway, thanks for keeping the thread on target. Hopefully we can discuss 3rd party inks without a bunch of flame wars about supporting epson, etc......Show more →
Correction! The Epson 3880 carts contain 80 ml of ink!
p.3 #2 · Thinking about inkjetmall ink for my 3880
for an 11x17 print, my starting price is $100. going cheap on ink is pointless when it contributes so little to my cost and yes, for that price, the print had better last a very long time. that's where the OEM ink vendors are unproven. paper, OTOH, really comes from only a few vendors and the brand names aren't so important.
Herb...
howardm4 wrote:
If someone is selling a raw print for $30+, I think they should be using best quality paper & inks. The production cost for a 'mass produced' 11x17 is around $4. Ultimately, the cost of the ink pales in comparison to the cost of top flight paper(s) and I always ask the artists/printmakers what paper & inkset they use.
p.3 #3 · Thinking about inkjetmall ink for my 3880
HerbChong wrote:
for an 11x17 print, my starting price is $100. going cheap on ink is pointless when it contributes so little to my cost and yes, for that price, the print had better last a very long time. that's where the OEM ink vendors are unproven. paper, OTOH, really comes from only a few vendors and the brand names aren't so important.
Herb...
makes no sense. ink is a magic voodoo incarnation but paper can be made by anyone and is unimportant?!?
There have been longevity tests on the oem inks. Go to Jon Cone's site and do some research.
One thing that has been demonstrated is that print longevity is related to both paper and ink.
p.3 #4 · Thinking about inkjetmall ink for my 3880
Just think...I am in London and can go to a museum and see water-colours on display that were painted in Victorial times.......were the paints (dyes basically) so much better then than those produced now by companies like OCP?
Personally, I think Epson and co should be congratulated for the way they have built up this mythology that there is something almost mystical in the way they formulate ink (and then have it manufactured by another company)..and so can charge through the nose for it!!
p.3 #5 · Thinking about inkjetmall ink for my 3880
anthonygh wrote:
Just think...I am in London and can go to a museum and see water-colours on display that were painted in Victorial times.......were the paints (dyes basically) so much better then than those produced now by companies like OCP?
Personally, I think Epson and co should be congratulated for the way they have built up this mythology that there is something almost mystical in the way they formulate ink (and then have it manufactured by another company)..and so can charge through the nose for it!!
But the most amusing statement was the one imploring me to buy the overinflated prices epson charges to support them as if they were habitat for humanity or something...
p.3 #6 · Thinking about inkjetmall ink for my 3880
I have the R2880 and decided to pull an empty cartridge apart to see just how much ink was left after it flashed empty.
I have to say I am seriously impressed by the quality of the cartridge itself..I am a graduate design engineer and can recognize a quality bit of engineering and design!
However, I have a set of cheap Chinese made refillable carts for my old R800.....they also do the job perfectly, but are not 'quality' items in the same way the Epson carts are.
My point I guess is that Epson may have a certain standard.....but it is not the only standard that gives an acceptable result...different standards can do just as well.....but be far less expensive to obtain.
p.3 #7 · Thinking about inkjetmall ink for my 3880
which goes to show how much you know about ink manufacturing vs paper manufacturing. there are only a few paper manufacturers and they make everyone else's paper almost exclusively for cost reasons. ink manufacturers are far more tied to specific vendors and for good reason. maybe you ought to read some patents for ink and head design and their interaction.
Herb...
jzucker wrote:
makes no sense. ink is a magic voodoo incarnation but paper can be made by anyone and is unimportant?!?
p.3 #8 · Thinking about inkjetmall ink for my 3880
HerbChong wrote:
which goes to show how much you know about ink manufacturing vs paper manufacturing. there are only a few paper manufacturers and they make everyone else's paper almost exclusively for cost reasons. ink manufacturers are far more tied to specific vendors and for good reason. maybe you ought to read some patents for ink and head design and their interaction.
p.3 #9 · Thinking about inkjetmall ink for my 3880
All I can say is both InkRepublic and Inkjetmall have excellent inks and kits, you should not go wrong with any of them. It's nice to save some bucks especially in this econ downtime.
p.3 #10 · Thinking about inkjetmall ink for my 3880
Thanks cbbm,
Folks, can we stop with the confrontational BS and just stick to folks who have actually *TRIED* the inks I'm asking about? If you have not tried them, please do not reply.
