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Author Topic: Epson 7880  (Read 8894 times)

martinog

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Epson 7880
« on: July 10, 2008, 10:07:12 am »

Hi everyone. I have an ailing Epson 2200 and may need to buy a new printer soon.

Has any body had much experience with the 7880 printer regarding clogs and loading cut sheet media. I will be using matt papers virtually all of the time so ink the black changing is not too much of an issue for me.

I had been thinking about the 7900 but the pennies might not stretch that far and the 7880 is priced very competitively at the moment.

Thanks

Martin
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canlogic

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« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2008, 02:39:51 pm »

Quote
Hi everyone. I have an ailing Epson 2200 and may need to buy a new printer soon.

Has any body had much experience with the 7880 printer regarding clogs and loading cut sheet media. I will be using matt papers virtually all of the time so ink the black changing is not too much of an issue for me.

I had been thinking about the 7900 but the pennies might not stretch that far and the 7880 is priced very competitively at the moment.

Thanks

Martin
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=206982\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I have a 7880 bought last october. I have had virtually no problems with it. Even had to let it sit idle for a 6 week period. I do have it in my basement which is fairly cool and a little humid so that may be why I have had no clogs. Absolutly fantastic output from it. Mostly useing the new Harman and Ilford byarta papers.
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1dmkIII, some lenses, Epson 7880, iMac,

booksmartstudio

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« Reply #2 on: July 10, 2008, 02:53:19 pm »

I would get it for the price.  The image quality is not going to be night and day when they come out with the new printers.
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Kory Gunnasen
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sesshin

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« Reply #3 on: July 10, 2008, 04:14:07 pm »

Great printer, mine has worked flawlessly since it came out. Just be sure to do regular head cleaning and nozzle checks and you should be good. The only bad thing is that you have to manually switch blacks, but that just goes with the territory. I am patiently waiting for the 7900 to be released for that.
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seangirard

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Epson 7880
« Reply #4 on: July 10, 2008, 04:34:20 pm »

I've had a 7800 for a couple years and this has basically solved my clogging problems:

1) Run a small purge file automatically each morning.
2) Keep a damp sponge in a little container inside the printer up near the heads.

I'm sure 1 has a lot more to do w/ the lack of clogging than 2. I also keep a lightweight piece of fabric draped over the top for dust. I regularly go a week or so between actual prints. I do run a nozzle check to be sure before making prints.

As for cut sheet... I taped a piece of heavy stock along the guide line. Makes it a little quicker to line things up.
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bill t.

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« Reply #5 on: July 10, 2008, 08:03:47 pm »

Stay away from the "Auto" cleaning mode, it's a big-time ink waster.  If you get a bad pattern, run one cleaning cycle, wait 10 to 15 minutes, then try another head pattern.  If that doesn't look good, shut off the printer for 30 minutes, then come back.  I live in a arid environment, those steps are all I need to clear even pretty egregious clogs 95% of the time.  Don't want to know how much ink I wasted before figuring this out.  The delays between cleaning and testing are the key, "Auto" doesn't wait long enough.

Cut media is no problem at all, just be sure you have enough room around the printer to physically manage the bigger sheets.
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Del

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Epson 7880
« Reply #6 on: July 10, 2008, 08:18:01 pm »

I have had one for a few months now, moving up from a 2400.  I like it a lot and have had no real issues with it at all.  I do rolls and cut sheets, both work very well.  I only use matte ink, so can't comment beyond that.  I love printing 8 foot long panoramas that people seem to love. Good luck.
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Del

Paul2660

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« Reply #7 on: July 11, 2008, 11:28:30 am »

You didn't ask, but I would also consider the HP 2100 series. or the 3100 44"

As a Epson user, 7 years, now on a 9880, I think my last decision was a mistake.

HP, offers much more modern technology over even the 7900 and for sure over the 7880.

Examples:

Both Matte and Photo ink set in the printer at the same time, no need to flush, (big deal to me)

Built in profile capability and the method that HP uses IMO is better than what the 7900 will offer i.e. profile unit on the actual head, not a separate assembly.

Ability to change out the print head when problems occur and replacement costs very reasonable.  User Friendly, no need to call Epson for service call, and you don't have to replace the entire head.  

12 inks over the 8 of the 7880,  

I have seen deals on the HP line also.  Not as aggressive as Epson, but you can still get a deal below list.

For my work, the ability to have matte and photo in the same printer at the same time would make the deal worth it.  

Paul C

Just some points to consider.
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Paul Caldwell
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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« Reply #8 on: July 11, 2008, 01:33:59 pm »

I, too, have an Epson 2200 which I expect to die before much longer. When it does, I will probably get an Epson 3800, which does have both MK and PK inks installed at all times (unlike the bigger Epsons), and which doesn't require four strong guys or a forklift to move it if needed. I don't have much need for roll paper or prints wider than 17 inches, so it suits me just fine.
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-Eric Myrvaagnes (visit my website: http://myrvaagnes.com)

Del

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« Reply #9 on: July 11, 2008, 01:43:28 pm »

Quote
I, too, have an Epson 2200 which I expect to die before much longer. When it does, I will probably get an Epson 3800, which does have both MK and PK inks installed at all times (unlike the bigger Epsons), and which doesn't require four strong guys or a forklift to move it if needed. I don't have much need for roll paper or prints wider than 17 inches, so it suits me just fine.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=207348\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Speaking from experience; actually two middle-aged guys can move a 7880 all day long if necessary-no big deal. It takes up the same space as the desk and 2400 I previously owned did. It seems to me that paper selection is greater for 24" printers than 17" versions, which is one of the reasons I chose the 7880 over the other models.  To each their own however.
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mmurph

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Epson 7880
« Reply #10 on: July 11, 2008, 04:53:50 pm »

Quote
paper selection is greater for 24" printers than 17" versions, which is one of the reasons I chose the 7880 over the other models. 

Ink is a lot cheaper too. Compare $52 for 80ml to $82 for 220ml.  Street prices.  

Roll paper is also much cheaper than sheet. Atlex.com has the per sheet and per square ft numbers.  

For example, Hahnemuhle Fine Art Baryta costs 2x as much as the Ilford Gold in sheets. But in rolls, the 24"x39' Hahnemuhle is $123 at Calumet, the 24"x40' Ilford is $110.
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Christopher

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« Reply #11 on: July 12, 2008, 02:01:24 pm »

Quote
Ink is a lot cheaper too. Compare $52 for 80ml to $82 for 220ml.  Street prices. 

Roll paper is also much cheaper than sheet. Atlex.com has the per sheet and per square ft numbers. 

For example, Hahnemuhle Fine Art Baryta costs 2x as much as the Ilford Gold in sheets. But in rolls, the 24"x39' Hahnemuhle is $123 at Calumet, the 24"x40' Ilford is $110.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=207398\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I now have a Epson 7880 and really like it. Before that I used to own a Z3100 44in and was never really happy. Had to many problems with the printer and HP, have to admit will probablery never buy a HP printer again.
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Christopher Hauser
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amplexis

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Epson 7880
« Reply #12 on: October 25, 2008, 12:55:34 pm »

i had a 7800 that died in a lightning storm. i just replaced it with a 7880. the epson drivers are very different. where is a good place to get a profile for moab entrada natural for the 7880? i downloaded the .icc file from the moab site and my prints done on the 7880 have verry muddy shadows compared to those i printed on the 7800. am i missisng some setting in the driver? is the profile at fault?
the old 7800 let me print at 2880/1400 but the 7880 driver only lets me go up to 1440/720 with matte black installed.
any hints?
thanks,
vincent
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Wayne Fox

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« Reply #13 on: October 25, 2008, 10:31:44 pm »

Quote from: Paul2660
Built in profile capability and the method that HP uses IMO is better than what the 7900 will offer i.e. profile unit on the actual head, not a separate assembly.

Ability to change out the print head when problems occur and replacement costs very reasonable.  User Friendly, no need to call Epson for service call, and you don't have to replace the entire head.  

12 inks over the 8 of the 7880,

Some thoughts ..

I'm not sure building the spectro into the printer is a big technology leap.  I've always wondered why you can't buy the printer without the built in solution, since most production labs and high end printers have much more advanced solutions anyway and will never use it. I suspect the built in spectro's most important function is characterizing paper, and in fact is so important they printer has to have it built in.

Profiles furnished by most major paper makers for the 7880 are as good and sometimes even better than profiles the z3100 can make for itself.  If you are buying a 7880, it is doubtful you even need to bother making any profiles, unless you want to play with some odd papers.  Obviously the 79/9900 printer profiles may not be as readily available for non Epson papers at first, but I would much rather buy a stand alone solution than to pay for the profiling hardware every time I bought a printer.

The ability to change the print head isn't much about improved technology, it is a required design feature of the printer.  Both Canon and HP heads are consumables, because they handle clogged nozzles by remapping them to spares.  Eventually you run out of spares, so you have to replace the head.  Not saying this is bad mind you, it's just a difference in the head technology.  It is doubtful you would ever need to replace the head of any of Epsons current printers .. unless you do something to damage the head.  Why increase the cost of the printer designing replaceable heads when the likelihood of their needing replaced is nearly none.

And despite 12 inks, the HP doesn't improve much on the gamut of even the Epson 9800, which is most noticeable in the reds - despite primary red being of the the additional inks.  Perhaps the 3200 addresses that, but it should have been fixed a long time ago.

After monitoring this forum for the past  couple of years, at times it appeared to be z3100 troubleshooting forum, makes me wonder about reliability. Sure many probably have had no problems, but there sure have been a lot of threads about problems with the z3100.

I tried a z3100 for a couple of weeks ... didn't even outperform my 9800.  Much happier with a Canon ipf6100 and an Epson 11880.  I think the 7900 will equal or surpass the 11880 ... can't wait for mine to arrive.  The z3200 may address some of the problems with the 3100, but who knows?  I'm pretty sure I know how well the 7900 will perform, since it's technology has been in the 11880 for over a year now.

The HP is a really good printer, but I don't think there are any real significant advances in the technology.  What I see as technology advances is what Epson introduced with their 11880 heads ... some pretty significant advances there.



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Wayne Fox

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« Reply #14 on: October 25, 2008, 10:39:19 pm »

Quote from: amplexis
i had a 7800 that died in a lightning storm. i just replaced it with a 7880. the epson drivers are very different. where is a good place to get a profile for moab entrada natural for the 7880? i downloaded the .icc file from the moab site and my prints done on the 7880 have verry muddy shadows compared to those i printed on the 7800. am i missisng some setting in the driver? is the profile at fault?
the old 7800 let me print at 2880/1400 but the 7880 driver only lets me go up to 1440/720 with matte black installed.
any hints?
thanks,
vincent

Doesn't sound right.  Are you using watercolor paper - radiant white as your paper type?  This should allow even 2880 DPI, although doubtful you need that on this type of paper.  Moab profiles are usually pretty decent ... should give you acceptable results.

You may have something amiss in your system or setup.
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colinm

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« Reply #15 on: October 26, 2008, 12:25:22 pm »

Quote from: Wayne Fox
Moab profiles are usually pretty decent ... should give you acceptable results.

Depends heavily on the luck of the draw. Some of them are decent, others I've had the same (or worse) results as he did—muddy shadows, muddy greens and browns, greys that aren't neutral and shift back and forth between magenta and green casts.

I wouldn't rely on any Moab profile being useful unless you've first run off something like Bill Atkinson's test image and found everything to come out looking alright.
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Colin

alan a

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« Reply #16 on: October 26, 2008, 03:56:47 pm »

Quote from: Wayne Fox
I'm not sure building the spectro into the printer is a big technology leap.  I've always wondered why you can't buy the printer without the built in solution, since most production labs and high end printers have much more advanced solutions anyway and will never use it. I suspect the built in spectro's most important function is characterizing paper, and in fact is so important they printer has to have it built in.

Profiles furnished by most major paper makers for the 7880 are as good and sometimes even better than profiles the z3100 can make for itself.  If you are buying a 7880, it is doubtful you even need to bother making any profiles, unless you want to play with some odd papers.  Obviously the 79/9900 printer profiles may not be as readily available for non Epson papers at first, but I would much rather buy a stand alone solution than to pay for the profiling hardware every time I bought a printer.

After monitoring this forum for the past  couple of years, at times it appeared to be z3100 troubleshooting forum, makes me wonder about reliability. Sure many probably have had no problems, but there sure have been a lot of threads about problems with the z3100.
I have not owned or used the 7880.  I have owned and used a smaller Epson; the Epson 4000; and the HP Z3100.

I agree with Wayne about HP reliability. Just look at the first two or three pages of the forum right now -- at this snapshot in time.  Wayne is correct -- this forum does appear to be troubleshooting forum for the Z series.  That is a key reason that I said in the thread on the 7900 that I am considering that printer rather than the Z3200.  I own a Z3100, and can testify to the problems.

I am close to agreeing with Wayne about profiles from major paper makers, but only because I want to sell my Z3100 and move back to Epson.

But I'm only close to agreeing, and not there quite there yet.  Very experienced users, such as Onsight, in the other thread, report that the profiles from the paper makers are inadequate.  So I'm not sure about that.  But if it was true -- that I could rely on the paper makers -- I would be less concerned about the on-board spectro.

I do think the spectro in the Z3100 is a wonderful feature though, as I have explained in the thread on the 7900 vs the Z3200.  It is very regrettable that Epson didn't include software to drive their own spectro for profiling.  If they had I'd buy the 7900 with spectro in a nanosecond, and pay the extra $800, to return to Epson.

So for me, the other unresolved question is GD comparing HP and GE with Epson without GE.  I have not personally seen the comparisons.  See the other thread. ***

Christopher has used both printers, maybe he can comment?

What does the 7880 sell for?  By all accounts the 7900 is a huge leap forward, so why not wait for that?

*** P.S.  I think I am using the correct term -- GD, rather than bronzing, based on reading the definitions of those terms on other internet sites  But I wonder?  What I am describing is the effect of black or gray -- gray is a real problem with the Z series -- printed against white or a lighter color.  It is just that -- very different at an angle, and jumps out and shines at you.  Obvious with Luster, but really evident on Semi-Gloss, HP Satin, or Epson Semi-Matte Photo papers. The GE eliminates it on the whole.
« Last Edit: October 26, 2008, 04:06:50 pm by alan a »
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keithcooper

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« Reply #17 on: October 26, 2008, 06:32:19 pm »

Excellent printer - I use one in conjunction with a 9600 (used for matt printing)

I was recently away for a few weeks and forgot to get the house plant waterer to switch on the printer, not a problem on my return.

My only minor cause of hassle is that sometimes the OSX (10.4) driver gets itself confused and ends up trying to include particular colorsync colour management. Seems to be connected with paper sizes, but I've just got used to double checking print driver settings before hitting the final print button - irksome, in that it's wasted a sheet or two of paper :-)

Keith Cooper


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amplexis

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« Reply #18 on: October 27, 2008, 12:37:04 pm »

so fortunately we purchased the printer from DTG and they were kind enough to create a 7880-entrada natural profile this morning.
i am now totally happy with the 7880. moabs profile gave me really ugly results. also moabs profile uses "watercolor paper-radient white as
it's paper type which allow 1440-720 as maximum resolution in the epson 6.52 driver. DTGs profile uses "ultrasmooth fine art paper" as it's
paper type and this allows 2880-1440 printing.
enjoy,
vincent
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