Raw & Post Processing, Printing > Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks
Using cut roll paper in Epson 3880
Dale_Cotton:
(Forum search engine not behaving, so apologies if topic already covered.)
I have a few long, narrow frames I want to re-use but my printer is the 3880. I’ve been thinking of buying a roll of 17” paper then cutting off appropriately sized lengths. My concern is getting the cut sheets to lie flat enough before inserting in the printer, especially at the leading and trailing edge. But also, because the printer does not have vacuum suction, it would be susceptible to an over-all curve with the ink-receptive surface bowing up in the middle of the sheet. Even with boxed, pre-cut sheets I have had head strikes from both these issues.
I do have a home-made de-roller with a 3 inch core.
Am I better off abandoning this project? If not, is there a particular photo ink paper that is particularly good for this task? Here in Canada I have easy access to 17 inch rolls of Ilford Gold Fibre Silk, Epson Proofing Semimatte, Inkpress Luster, Moab Lasal Luster (300 GSM), and Canson Photographique (310 GSM). But I would prefer to avoid the last two as being pricier than needed for the job.
Thanks so for any input!
stockjock:
--- Quote from: Dale_Cotton on May 26, 2017, 01:22:02 pm ---(Forum search engine not behaving, so apologies if topic already covered.)
I have a few long, narrow frames I want to re-use but my printer is the 3880. I’ve been thinking of buying a roll of 17” paper then cutting off appropriately sized lengths. My concern is getting the cut sheets to lie flat enough before inserting in the printer, especially at the leading and trailing edge. But also, because the printer does not have vacuum suction, it would be susceptible to an over-all curve with the ink-receptive surface bowing up in the middle of the sheet. Even with boxed, pre-cut sheets I have had head strikes from both these issues.
I do have a home-made de-roller with a 3 inch core.
Am I better off abandoning this project? If not, is there a particular photo ink paper that is particularly good for this task? Here in Canada I have easy access to 17 inch rolls of Ilford Gold Fibre Silk, Epson Proofing Semimatte, Inkpress Luster, Moab Lasal Luster (300 GSM), and Canson Photographique (310 GSM). But I would prefer to avoid the last two as being pricier than needed for the job.
Thanks so for any input!
--- End quote ---
I'm surprised nobody else has thrown an answer your way but I will take a stab at it. Back when I still used the Epson 3880 I did cut down some 17" rolls of Canson Platine. It is possible but it is irritating, time consuming, and generally quite the hassle. Here are some of the problems. 1) the surface of most papers is quite fragile. 2) Exactly how are you planning on cutting the paper? I used a Carl 18" rotary paper trimmer. That does a nice job of providing a clean cut put it makes measuring the correct distance and getting a perfect 90 degree cut surprisingly difficult. You need a very long table to lay the roll out on because you want the paper to be as flat to the surface of the table as possible. You could use a cutting mat but then you have to lay a straight edge along the paper and you risk marring the surface. Also, many cotton rag papers don't cut very well. The Canson Platine cuts terribly. 3) Once you cut the paper it does roll up. At the beginning of the roll you might not need to decurl it but by the end it won't lay flat by just putting some books on top. 4) Storing any paper longer than 22" can be hard. I never did find a box that worked well for 17x25" paper and I am unaware of any solutions for panoramic 17" wide paper.
If you do decide to pursue this project I suggest you start with a very cheap paper and see if you like the results. That way you won't have wasted much money. I am fond of the Epson Proofing White Semimatte Inkjet Paper S042003. It is cheap, easy to work with, lays flat, and surprisingly good quality for the price. It cuts very easily with a rotary trimmer and I assume box cutters would work fine.
FWIW.
Paul
David Sutton:
When I had a 3800 I would cut roll paper all the time to save costs.
I used a cutting mat, a steel straight edge and a craft knife. Worked fine for Ilford GFS and matte papers.
I'd allow an extra inch and a half at each end for head strike (not as bad as it sounds) and flatten on the kitchen table for a day under tissue paper using whatever large flat object I could find. Even foam core with books on top worked.
You could print after about 12 hours but the longer the better. It's the first and last inch or so that gave the most curl.
A rotary trimmer is also very useful for this job, but I found I had to be more careful with it to avoid scratches, compared to a steel ruler. Either way, cotton gloves and a rocket blower are probably a must.
On the 3800, there was a little lever on the side that was part of the paper feed, and it had to be in the correct position for longer pieces of paper to run through correctly, but I forget the details.
David
Garnick:
Hi Dale,
As mentioned already, this approach to cost savings can and will very likely be an exercise in futility and frustration. I would start with the reference to rotary trimmers. Well, there are rotary trimmers and then there are good rotary trimmers. For more years than I would want to mention I have been using the RotaTrim trimmers/cutters and have never had any sort of issues with them. I use the 15" and 24" varieties and are definitely not inexpensive. They are however excellent trimmers, made in Sheffield England and will last a lifetime of use, especially the second(current) iteration. My first one was purchased in 1974 and I've often wished it had a cutomter installed. I know it has seen at least a million + cuts during its lifetime and I have never had need to sharpen the blade, since it is self-sharpening with every cut. I still use that original cutter for pieces that don't require exact precision, and it still works as it always has. These are the definition of quality rotary trimmers, although I'm aware there is another brand that I would also recommend if I could recall the name, also very expensive. The bottom line being that if you are really bent on this approach you will likely need the proper tools to do so. The other very important tool would be the D-Roller, since your 3" diameter DIY unit simply is not going to do the job on most papers, especially resin based ones(Luster, Gloss, Semi-Gloss etc). Matte papers are somewhat easier and quicker to flatten, but no guarantee they will not cause destructive head strikes. Again, the D-Roller is not inexpensive, but it does do the job every time.
Hope this helps Dale. Good luck.
Gary
Alan Goldhammer:
I did some work for Museo several years ago and they sent me a 17x50 roll of Silver Rag. Having a 3880, I had to cut sheets. I have a Rotatrim cutter and a long dining room table to work on. It's possible to get square cuts. As you work your way down the roll, subsequent sheets will have more curl. I have four inch mailing tubes that I use to ship prints and these work fine to gently get the curl out of the paper. I just roll the paper onto the tube with the coating side face up also using a sheet of interleave paper to keep the side protected. It's definitely a hassle as others have already pointed out but if you are careful it does work and you can get the size you need. I think the 3880 can print up to 38 inch long prints.
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