I just bought myself an Epson 3880 for home. I really enjoyed the one Benny loaned me for the recent Karijini workshop. Anyway I thought I would buy it so I could do some rough proofing of new images at home. Well to say I was blown away by the quality was an understatement. Man that thing can print. So much so that I am printing my Australian Professional Photography awards entries on it. That would have to be the highest recommendation I could give any printer. If it is good enough for the APPAS it is good enough for anyone. I love it, my house is slowly becoming a dumping ground for the dozens of proofs I am printing. They might be worth something one day! Who knows. Anyway if your thinking of getting a printer that will do up to A2 sized prints, this is the puppy for you.
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It unfortunately doesn’t have a roll feed. To get that and cut sheet and thick media you have to go to the 4880, which is another $1,000.
i use one of em’ as well, great printer!! i agree on the roll paper issue though
Got its baby brother the R2880 love the print quality, also you can use roll’s on it.
I use, what I believe to have been one of the first R1800′s in WA. I love it to bits (Epson and I go back a long way – from when they built computers!!) and we are sort of ‘used’ to each other now and understand each other’s idiosyncrasies. With its A3+ cut sheets, roll and CD printing, it was the one for me back then. Now I want to go bigger cut sheets with roll and thick media and I don’t really want to have to retain the R1800 to print my CDs. There is nothing there. I think the R4880 is about the minimum and it doesn’t print CDs and I can’t really afford one at this time.
Sounds like a winner Fletch, how much are these bad boys going for ?
, I’ve got the 2880 and the roll feed option was what made me get that rather than the 3880. They both run the same ink set.
yeah the roll feed would have been nice but I’m not doing many panos now. Also I have the luxury of printing with my 9900 at the gallery so this little beast is perfect for me.
Tony I got it for a little under $2K.
Mate I think those tests prints are called Artists Proofs and worth a small fortune
When my ipf5000 dies I will be going to Epson.
Christian,
How much do you print at the gallery and how much do you send to Perth nowadays?
Christian that’s a big wrap for a printer. Where can I pick one up??? At Team Digital?!!?
It will print more than A2 – up to 430mm x 950mm if you use custom sizes, and if you want to pay for the Colorburst RIP ($1000+?) it will do unlimited lengths – but no roll feed. A great printer as you say.
Michael, we print everything ourselves now except for the Flex that we get done at CFL or CPL.
Tommy, let me know and I’ll get the boys from Team to send you one over.
Thanks for the heads up Ian. So you don’t have a roll feeder but can still print long prints with a rip, cool.
I haven’t got the RIP so the longest I have printed is 950mm. The practicalities of printing extremely long prints without a roll feed could be the stumbling block, but I would have thought 1.5m would be easy and with a bit of care up to 2m would work. I cut lengths off a roll to print. At $1000+ for the RIP, there are probably other alternatives eg 4880.
Team Digital were offering one of their 2 day Adobe workshop sincluded in the price – I am not sure if they still are, but it could be worth asking if it is of use.
I am waiting to unpack my new 3880 too. I bought one with last month’s special at Team Digital. Can’t wait to try out some different media on it.
Fletch wait until you see the new metallic paper Ben has in at Team Digital – he was going to send some down to you but he wanted me to have a look at it first
It is the dogs ….
Muzz is right the metallic paper looks stunning. We are waiting on stock which should be in late this week. Ill get some sample down to you Christian as soon as it arrive . In the mean while if anyone wants to have a look at the printed samples we have them at Team .
My comment went? I use the one below the R2400 which prints to A3+ which is just as good and the inks are half the price.
ah it was you Hazel. The R2400 isn’t still available is it? Tommy thought you were having a swipe at him and it seemed that way to me too. Because we thought it was a disgruntled photographer I decided to pull the comment. Now if it had your name on it I would have laughed! We are an insecure lot you know.
Oops sorry Tommy Wommy and Cwistian Wistian didn’t mean to hurt your feelwings.
Sorry not disgruntled at all . Just trying to say that yes the 3800 is ACE and so is the 2400.
Had mine for about 3 years now and love it but not sure if its still available.
Just bought one absolutely fantasic