Using roll paper on epson 3880

[pbradin]

I saw/listened to an interview by Michael or Kevin about the new 13" Epson Printer with the new HD ink set. In the course of the interview, Michael or Kevin mentioned that he used 17" roll paper on a 3880 and just let the roll paper sit behind the printer on the table. I could use a bit more info on this and about how to play with the settings in the dialog box to make this work. I have some pano's that I want to print and am tired of taking them elsewhere when I get perfect color reproduction out of my setup at home.

[Nora_nor]

You meant 17" I guess
The SC P800 does have  a roll holder, I mean it is optional

[pbradin]

Sorry, Nora, I am trying to find out about using roll paper on the 3880. It does not have a roll paper holder.

[howardm]

How long a pano do you want to make?

You can get pre-cut up to 38" from RedRiver.

The 3880 will only print up to 37.x" long unless you go out and purchase additional software.

I would think you'd want some form of broomstick/dowel/clothing rod to hold the roll.  Accurate feeding and skew will be an issue.

[pbradin]

Thanks for the info. I had already thought of some sort of paper holder to keep the printing surface from being scratched. As for the Red River paper thing, I am in love with a few of the Epson papers and my setup gives me perfect color reproduction from screen to output. I have used Red River before, so thanks again.

[howardm]

I'm curious as to which papers you plan on using.

[pbradin]

I use a pretty large variety, but the ones I want to use in roll form are Hot Press Bright (matte) and Exhibition Canvas Matte. In sheet form I use Premium Semi-Gloss, Ultra Premium Glossy, Premium Matte 2-sided, Ultra Premium Lustre and I am trying their metallic glossy soon. I have already tried metallic glossy from LexJet. To me it is all about the look I like, not necessarily the price. I have used some Red River paper before on my R1800 a while back and it was okay, but it didn't "light my fire".

[JayWPage]

I think with the Epson 3880 printer you should cut roll paper to what ever length you need and flatten it before putting it through the printer. If you have a "favorite" non-standard length then you can pre-cut a bunch and flatten it between sheets of foam board ahead of time. Otherwise there are people on here who use various rollers to flatten paper more quickly (but this has never been a satisfactory method for me).

If you try to jury-rig a roll feed for the 3880, then how will you get a perfectly square cut so that the next print will load properly? Also it's going to be a bother to get the paper to feed properly in the first place if it has  much of a curl in it, and it may not stay flat in the printer thereby risking head strikes. I don't know if the new P-800 has a different designed paper feed inside the printer to keep the paper flat without a vacuum system, maybe it has more rollers inside.

NB: if you are pre-cutting the paper, cut it several inches longer than needed. It is hard to get the curl out of the ends of the paper. You want the printed part of your print past the outside edge of the printer before the paper comes off the rollers and "jumps". If the border is too narrow, your print may be ruined if this happens.

The 3880 is not meant to be used with "rolled-up" paper, the paper should be flat. I think you are going to waste a lot of paper and ink otherwise.

[dwswager]

I saw/listened to an interview by Michael or Kevin about the new 13" Epson Printer with the new HD ink set. In the course of the interview, Michael or Kevin mentioned that he used 17" roll paper on a 3880 and just let the roll paper sit behind the printer on the table. I could use a bit more info on this and about how to play with the settings in the dialog box to make this work. I have some pano's that I want to print and am tired of taking them elsewhere when I get perfect color reproduction out of my setup at home.

Obviously, if you feed through the rear slot, you can keep the paper on the roll.  I would put it on a roll holder and elevate it above the back of the 3880 so it is feeding down into the slot.

However, I feel this is more a pain in the ass than it is worth.  I cut rolls to length as necessary.  I usually use 24" rolls and cut to a max 17" wide for a 17"x24" sheet.  I also will cut "pano" lengths up to 37" inches off these rolls and then curt away the extra.  I own a 24" Rotatrimmer that I use and a 40" Logan Simplex Elite mat cutter that has a paper cutter attachment that I use to trim away the excess from long sheets over 24".

[BobShaw]

I use roll paper all the time on the 3880.
You just cut it to the length that you want and feed it in the rear or middle slot. The middle or auto slot will only take up to 594mm. You can do up to 2 metres on the rear.

Another consideration is the paper thickness. The rear is designed for up to 0.5mm. I hang an empty roll centre above it to hold the paper.

Using the print driver is cumbersome at best.
Get Mirage Print and never look back (or print from an application again).

I am looking at the P800 as a replacement if my 3880 dies.

[RHPS]

Just to clarify, isn't it essential to cut the paper to length for the 3880? If you try to feed from a roll, the printer will just keep feeding paper at the end of the print until it reaches the end of the paper. In other words, it doesn't stop feeding when the specified paper lenght has been reached, only when the paper runs out.

[BobShaw]

Just to clarify, isn't it essential to cut the paper to length for the 3880? If you try to feed from a roll, the printer will just keep feeding paper at the end of the print until it reaches the end of the paper. In other words, it doesn't stop feeding when the specified paper lenght has been reached, only when the paper runs out.

Yes. It ejects the paper, whatever length. I set the paper size and the image in Mirage, but the actual paper size is larger as there is usually some marks at the ends.

[wildstork]

"You can do up to 2 metres on the rear."

How are you getting two meters on the rear, Bob?

I've been using a 3880 since they first came out and Epson has always stated in their info about the 3880 that 37" is the maximum length without a rip.  I've tried to get a 38" print several times and no go.  I always use the rear as well.

Lawrence

[BobShaw]

.. Epson has always stated in their info about the 3880 that 37" is the maximum length without a rip. 

Mirage is a pseudo RIP. Only the driver limits the size. I am just quoting the information but have no reason to doubt it.

[hugowolf]

Mirage is a pseudo RIP. Only the driver limits the size. I am just quoting the information but have no reason to doubt it.

A pseudo RIP would still have to use the driver; it is perhaps an actual RIP? It also appears, at least from the (very poorly translated documentation) to continue to have a pixel limitation.

And at US$320, it isn't a cheap solution.

Brian A

[howardm]

take a look at 'printfab'

[BobShaw]

And at US$320, it isn't a cheap solution.

It has saved me a lot more in ink, paper and blood sweat and tears.
Besides if you want long panos it possibly is cheaper than any other solution.

[printbreakr]

I don't use a 3880 but I do use a similar Epson printer. I have messed around with using rolls straight into the printer but to me it's just not worth the trouble of getting uneven cuts. I prefer to just unroll my media on a table, over a cutting board and making a perfect cut with a straight edge and sharp knife to the exact length I need (usually I add 3/4" because I like to hang my prints to outgas). It really doesn't take very much time, maybe 30-60 seconds.

The fact that the media is not flat caused me some trouble for a while as the printer did not want to grab the paper evenly during initial feeding. Flattening does help a lot with this. However, over time I have learned how the grabbing mechanism works and how the initially hold the media to compensate for that curvature. I don't even flatten the media anymore, but I think it would be easier until you get a strong understanding of how the media initially feeds and how to hold it for the first moment of feeding.

[alain]

Hi

I cut my roll before and add enough paper at the end so that I can use that for a smaller print (about 28cm).

I do decurl my rollpaper before with a big diameter (12cm) tube and to sheets of semi rigid plastic on (and some tape on the sides to get some air between the sheets.  The paper get placed between the sheets and rolled in the other direction.

[Ferp]

If possible, it would be helpful to get a little more detail on the last couple of replies.

The fact that the media is not flat caused me some trouble for a while as the printer did not want to grab the paper evenly during initial feeding. Flattening does help a lot with this. However, over time I have learned how the grabbing mechanism works and how the initially hold the media to compensate for that curvature. I don't even flatten the media anymore, but I think it would be easier until you get a strong understanding of how the media initially feeds and how to hold it for the first moment of feeding.

Are you able to describe how you hold the media to allow for the grabbing mechanism in a way that compensates for curvature?

I do decurl my rollpaper before with a big diameter (12cm) tube and to sheets of semi rigid plastic on (and some tape on the sides to get some air between the sheets.  The paper get placed between the sheets and rolled in the other direction.

I don't really understand this.  Is it possible to get more detail?  Any pictures?