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Archive 2014 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?

  
 
uintaangler
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


I own an Epson Stylus Pro 3880 printer and have been very happy with the ease of operation and quality of prints it produces.
I also picked up a used Stylus Pro 4000 from a friend who was closing down his office and let me have it for a song.
I find it much more difficult to get the same type of results on the 4000 that I get on my 3880 and the 4000 seems to need a power cleaning any time I let it sit idle for more than a couple of weeks - again not the case with my 3880
I use online icc profiles from the paper manufacturers and it seems that the 3880, being a newer model, has better profiles - could that be true?
My question is, if I would like to purchase an Epson printer capable of making 24" wide prints on roll paper - which model will most closely resemble my 3880 in ease of use and performance?
Thanks,
Bob



Jan 11, 2014 at 01:34 PM
Peter Figen
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


It's probably a 7900 or a 79xx variant that you're looking at, but they are never going to be the same. Your 3880 is designed for sheets while the bigger printers, while able to print sheets, are much happier with rolls. Luckily, the rolls are quite a bit less money. You can also use the giant 700 ml carts in the 7900 series printers, which last forever and bring the cost of ink down a lot as well. What you can't do is leave them unattended for weeks or months at a time and expect them to be clog free. They need to be left turned on and have at the very least, a nozzle check printed every couple of days, but preferably a couple of prints that utilize all the print head colors that will keep fresh ink flowing through that expensive ($1200) print head. Apparently the Canon's and HP's do not have the same clogging problem as the higher end Epson's do, but if you want to stay with Epson, the bigger printers make absolutely gorgeous prints. Fast too.


Jan 11, 2014 at 02:15 PM
ShotByTom
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


I have an Epson 7600 and absolutely love it, but it does need a lot of attention. They can be bought for very little these days, but the ink is getting harder to find.


Jan 11, 2014 at 03:04 PM
hugowolf
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


uintaangler wrote:
I use online icc profiles from the paper manufacturers and it seems that the 3880, being a newer model, has better profiles - could that be true?


Yes, I think the paper manufacturer's profiles have improved, and they are unlikely to make new profiles for printers that are no longer in production.

uintaangler wrote:
My question is, if I would like to purchase an Epson printer capable of making 24" wide prints on roll paper - which model will most closely resemble my 3880 in ease of use and performance?

The Epson 7890 would be the closest, but it needs near daily running and a relative humidity level above 30% (preferably 40-60%) or you will get clogging problems. Sheet feeding is ok, but you can't always guarantee minor skewing - but you would have the 3880 for smaller sheets.

I have on a few occasions used 9890 (the equivalent 44” printer) profiles on the 3880 and they have been fine. Custom profiles made for the 3880 have not work out on the 9890.

I would actually recommend looking at the Canon iPF6400 and iPF6450, unless you are printing most days of the week.

Brian A



Jan 11, 2014 at 03:27 PM
hugowolf
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


Peter Figen wrote:
... Luckily, the rolls are quite a bit less money...


Actually Peter, for the few Canson and Hahnemühle papers available in that size, US Arch D (24 x 36”) sheets are less expensive per unit area than all roll sizes. For example…

Hahnemühle German Etching 24 x 36" is $1.19 sq ft, 24 inch roll is $1.99 sq ft.
Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308 24 x 36" is $1.36 sq ft, 24 inch roll is $2.14 sq ft.
Canson Rag Photographique 24 x 36" is $1.51 sq ft, 24 inch roll is $1.78 sq ft.

I don't know what particular quirk in production or marketing causes this, but I have taken advantage of this for years. It has paid off the cost of a very large Rotatrim (54") many times over.

They are not economical for 13 x 19" sheets, but almost every other cut is way better than the standard US office sizes in which paper is now sold. Eight 9 x 12" (or 8.5 x 11" if you really must), four 12 x 18", two 12 x 36" panos; and for 17 inch printers, two 17 x 24", which is a much more usuable size than 17 x 22".

Brian A



Edited on Jan 11, 2014 at 04:52 PM · View previous versions



Jan 11, 2014 at 03:52 PM
uintaangler
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


I live in Utah and keeping any room in the house above 30% relative humidity is a pipe dream
Should that be a consideration in choosing a large printer or is there some way to work around very, very , very low relative humidity and still keep a large Epson functioning?



Jan 11, 2014 at 04:14 PM
hugowolf
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


I live in Utah and keeping any room in the house above 30% relative humidity is a pipe dream
Should that be a consideration in choosing a large printer or is there some way to work around very, very , very low relative humidity and still keep a large Epson functioning?


I live in Virginia. I run a 9890 and a 3880. Since getting the 9890, the 3880 will sometimes go for weeks without a print or nozzle check. I have had to do a cleaning cycle twice.

The 9890 prints almost every working day. When it lies idle for a day I do a nozzle check in the morning and before leaving in the evening. I do a nozzle daily before printing.

I have no problems in the humid Virginia summers. In the arid winters I struggle to keep the humidity over 30%, I have had whole colors (not just a few nozzles) drop out. While cleaning two dropped colors, they are cleared up, but another color has completely dropped out.

I probably do a pairs cleaning once every two weeks during the winter months - generally early on because I have waited too long to set up my passive humidity system. Sometimes I will run a print of a Granger Chart on one half of a 8.5 x 11 inch sheet, which uses about 20-25¢ of ink, and that is enough to clean up a few nozzles.

I have yet to have a persistent clog. Everything so far has cleared up after at most a couple of pairs cleanings. (On the larger Epsons, you do not have to clean every nozzle, but can clean pairs that share the same channel, so little ink is wasted on a regular pairs clean.)

With an large format Epson in Utah, I think you would need to buy a room humidifier. However, how does your 4000 do? By all accounts, one of the worse printers for clogging. If it does ok, then maybe a 7890 would be too.

Brian A


Jan 11, 2014 at 04:49 PM
Peter Figen
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


"Should that be a consideration in choosing a large printer or is there some way to work around very, very , very low relative humidity and still keep a large Epson functioning?"

It has to be a consideration or you will have problems. Just the nature of the beast. But, there are ways to address that, and one effective way is to make a vinyl cover for your printer and put a tray of water under the printer. Monitor the RH with a good hygrometer (I got one that you can calibrate for less than $15 off Amazon, plus a calibration pouch) It's all the more important the second you go out of warranty and the repairs get, shall we say, painfully expensive, but you also have to be aware that the newer series of printers that use the latest generation of print heads will all need print head replacement somewhere down the line, and judging from anecdotal evidence I've seen, it seems to be at around the five year mark. Depending on where you live the repair can range from $1700 to $3000.

Brian - Maybe you're paying too much for you Hahnemühle. The mark up on that is exceedingly high but it seems to be fair traded - y'know - everyone everywhere selling for within pennies of each other. I do know that if you work with a local store, and have a good relationship with the right person, the pricing is, or can be, much more reasonable. But there are other reasons for using rolls anyway - infinite sizing variation with less waste and ganging multiple images on large canvasses for even higher efficiency.



Jan 11, 2014 at 05:22 PM
Peter Figen
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


Forgot to add that my own 9900 just hit the five year mark last week and it's in the shop getting a new print head, pump and cap station and wiper blade assembly. $1700 here in L.A. but a friend in Atlanta just did the same thing and his was close to $3K.

I also forgot to mention that pesky little wiper assembly. Epson doesn't tell you anywhere, but you really should replace them about once a year and clean them with distilled water more often. They're only $13 and take less than a minute to change, so that added preventive maintenance is both easy and inexpensive.



Jan 11, 2014 at 05:25 PM
uintaangler
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


Peter Figen wrote:
, but you also have to be aware that the newer series of printers that use the latest generation of print heads will all need print head replacement somewhere down the line, and judging from anecdotal evidence I've seen, it seems to be at around the five year mark. Depending on where you live the repair can range from $1700 to $3000.



Peter,
First of all thanks for all the great information.
Are you saying that I might have less issues with an older large format printer?
I'm reading between the lines of your comment that I have quoted right above my words here.
Bob



Jan 11, 2014 at 05:30 PM
uintaangler
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


a123 and hugowolf . . thanks for your responses


Jan 11, 2014 at 05:31 PM
chez
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


I'll chime in with my two cents worth. Unless you are printing almost on a daily basis, I would stay away from the large 24"+ printers from Epson. They are truly made to be used a lot and do require constant maintenance if not used consistently. I had one and used it sporadically and got frustrated with the clogging issues. Sold it, now have 24" and 44" HP Z3100 printers and I just leave them always on and they never clog. I live in British Columbia and we have very dry air during the winter months...no clogs. I would highly recommend you look at HP if you are not printing daily. As a bonus, they come with built in profiling abilities so you can make your own custom profile for any paper you choose.


Jan 11, 2014 at 06:37 PM
hugowolf
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Which Epson 24" Printer is most like the 3880?


Peter Figen wrote:
Brian - Maybe you're paying too much for you Hahnemühle. The mark up on that is exceedingly high but it seems to be fair traded - y'know - everyone everywhere selling for within pennies of each other. I do know that if you work with a local store, and have a good relationship with the right person, the pricing is, or can be, much more reasonable.


Small town, 20-25k population, small state (population-wise), I doubt there is anyone local doing better prices. I used to have college.edu connections for better prices, but the prices quoted are itSupplies/Atlex, freee shipping and no sales tax. They are what we yokels have to pay.

When I lived and worked in London, I never paid retail for anything except beer. I had a wholesale smoked salmon place 15 mins walk away, for example. It did nothing but smoked salmon. I spent my first 28 years in big cities, having to travel 150 miles for decent olive oil was quite a shock, and the stuff that was sold as beer then, well it makes me nauseous just think about it.

Peter Figen wrote:
But there are other reasons for using rolls anyway - infinite sizing variation with less waste and ganging multiple images on large canvasses for even higher efficiency.


Oh for sure, including the not mentioned fack that Hahnemuhle don't seem to know how to pack large sheets, and one out of four boxes of 24 x 36" paper will arrive damaged. And there is the storing of large sheets, which isn't a minor problem in a small studio if you don't have a flat file system.

But I still stock 24 x 36 inch sheets as well as 24 and 36 inch rolls. I rarely print 44 inches except canvas. It is nice having paper go in flat and come out flat.

Brian A



Jan 11, 2014 at 07:57 PM





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