Pages: [1] 2   Go Down

Author Topic: Epson 4880 or 3800  (Read 11943 times)

davewolfs

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 99
Epson 4880 or 3800
« on: November 11, 2008, 07:10:56 pm »

I'm sure that this has been asked before and it seems like these are both fantastic printers.  I have space for both in my office and the prices of the two are currently very similar with the rebates.  Any recommendations for either one of these printers?

Thanks,

Dave
Logged

Nill Toulme

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 738
    • http://www.toulmephoto.com
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2008, 08:03:21 pm »

If the price is close, what is the argument for the 3800?  The 4880 lets you use roll paper and 220ml cartridges — more flexibility with lower operating cost.

Oh yeah... switching out the matte and glossy blacks.  That's the trade-off.

Nill
Logged

colinm

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 125
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #2 on: November 11, 2008, 08:09:00 pm »

Quote from: Nill Toulme
Oh yeah... switching out the matte and glossy blacks.  That's the trade-off.

The 3800 will also do full-bleed on cut sheets and print on 4x6 sheets.
Logged
Colin

Tklimek

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 284
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #3 on: November 11, 2008, 09:16:09 pm »

When I was in the market for a printer; I too was deciding between the 3800 and the 4880.  I decided on the 4880 due to the fact that the ink alone that comes with the printer is almost worth the price difference; plus at the time I got a deal on some roll paper.  The ability of the 4880 to use roll paper is pretty big to some folks but YMMV.  It is a big beast though.  One bad design thing about the 4880; whoever made the plastic covers for the inkwells need to have their head examined as anyone who will most likely buy a printer like the 4880 will be switching to 220ml carts as soon as the defaults run out.  You can't have the plastic covers on with the 220 carts installed.....what bad design!

BTW....the 4880 TOTALLY ROCKS for print quality!!  I've been completely amazed.

Cheers....

Todd in Chicago

Quote from: colinm
The 3800 will also do full-bleed on cut sheets and print on 4x6 sheets.
Logged

grepmat

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 55
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #4 on: November 11, 2008, 09:16:31 pm »

Are you an advanced amateur or a pro that needs to mass-produce huge numbers of prints per week? If the latter, you already know what you need.

If you are an advanced amateur, you should get the 3800. It's much more practical for a typical fine art photographer, etc. The ink cartridges are nicely sized - economical yet not so big that the ink will go stale before you use it up. The ink swapping is *vastly* more economical, too. Over-all, for a home user it's likely to be as cheap or at least much less wasteful as a 4880. No roll capability (and no curl issues), but greater flexibility in other ways such as handling small sheets, which are nice for album snapshots or basic proofing. The size is much more compatible with a home office regardless of whether you have the space or not, and it's very easy to move. It's quiet and fast. The output is amazing (substantially the same as the 4880 except the 3800 supposedly does better dithering). Essentially no clogging, too.

You won't regret it. I love mine.
« Last Edit: November 11, 2008, 09:19:24 pm by grepmat »
Logged

davewolfs

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 99
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #5 on: November 11, 2008, 10:03:04 pm »

Quote from: grepmat
Are you an advanced amateur or a pro that needs to mass-produce huge numbers of prints per week? If the latter, you already know what you need.

If you are an advanced amateur, you should get the 3800. It's much more practical for a typical fine art photographer, etc. The ink cartridges are nicely sized - economical yet not so big that the ink will go stale before you use it up. The ink swapping is *vastly* more economical, too. Over-all, for a home user it's likely to be as cheap or at least much less wasteful as a 4880. No roll capability (and no curl issues), but greater flexibility in other ways such as handling small sheets, which are nice for album snapshots or basic proofing. The size is much more compatible with a home office regardless of whether you have the space or not, and it's very easy to move. It's quiet and fast. The output is amazing (substantially the same as the 4880 except the 3800 supposedly does better dithering). Essentially no clogging, too.

You won't regret it. I love mine.

Thank you for the replies everyone.  How long can the ink in these printers last before having to be replaced?  Also, how do either of these printers cope being turned off then back on?  I could easily see myself only printing with one of these printers max say 2-3 instances every couple of weeks.
Logged

Wayne Fox

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4237
    • waynefox.com
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #6 on: November 11, 2008, 11:19:20 pm »

Quote from: davewolfs
Thank you for the replies everyone.  How long can the ink in these printers last before having to be replaced?  Also, how do either of these printers cope being turned off then back on?  I could easily see myself only printing with one of these printers max say 2-3 instances every couple of weeks.

Once they are installed the life is supposedly 6 months, but I think that's pretty conservative.  I have a 3800 in a second location that hasn't been turned on for over 6 months.  I removed the cartridges and agitated them gently for a few minutes, ran and auto head clean, which took 4 cycles to eliminate a few clogged nozzles.  Up and running perfect prints on Epson Exhibition Fiber in short order.

The 3800 I have at home still has several of the original cartridges, and is over a year old.  It is often off for a week or more at a time, and has never had a clog.

I'm not sure what the symptoms are when the ink is too old.  Seems like agitating them every month or so to keep the pigments from settling out should work for quite some time.
Logged

grepmat

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 55
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2008, 10:24:33 am »

Quote from: davewolfs
Thank you for the replies everyone.  How long can the ink in these printers last before having to be replaced?  Also, how do either of these printers cope being turned off then back on?  I could easily see myself only printing with one of these printers max say 2-3 instances every couple of weeks.


Your expected usage is probably light to typical for the 3800. You should expect to replace the lighter colored inks in 6-9 months, and the darker ones in about a year or so. Despite the "6 month" expiration date, I've seen no problems at all with inks lasting much longer.  I've never bothered agitating them, even.

The printer (3800) is very tolerant of being left on all the time - no problem with drying heads at all in my experience. There is no fan, though a quiet pump (to pressurize the ink tanks) stays on a little while after your last print. You can also leave it off if you like. Also no problem.

It's a very easy printer to live with - perhaps the best available for typical home users who want to print a little larger.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2008, 10:25:24 am by grepmat »
Logged

davewolfs

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 99
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2008, 11:25:57 am »

Quote from: grepmat
Your expected usage is probably light to typical for the 3800. You should expect to replace the lighter colored inks in 6-9 months, and the darker ones in about a year or so. Despite the "6 month" expiration date, I've seen no problems at all with inks lasting much longer.  I've never bothered agitating them, even.

The printer (3800) is very tolerant of being left on all the time - no problem with drying heads at all in my experience. There is no fan, though a quiet pump (to pressurize the ink tanks) stays on a little while after your last print. You can also leave it off if you like. Also no problem.

It's a very easy printer to live with - perhaps the best available for typical home users who want to print a little larger.

How is the quality of the 3800 compared to the 4880 or Canon IPF5100, to the average eye do the prints they produce all look very similar?
« Last Edit: November 12, 2008, 11:26:15 am by davewolfs »
Logged

grepmat

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 55
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2008, 10:37:19 pm »

Quote from: davewolfs
How is the quality of the 3800 compared to the 4880 or Canon IPF5100, to the average eye do the prints they produce all look very similar?

Comparing the 3800 to the 4880, the prints will be virtually identical. If you examined the prints at high magnification, some might say that the 3800 would be better due to more advanced dithering. Other than that, the inks, etc., are the same. I'd be in favor of the vastly more home-friendly form-factor of the 3800.

I have no direct experience with the Canon printers save for playing with them at my friendly store. Sorry. But the Canon is an absurd beast that would not be welcome in my home, at least unless it had a 24" carriage (which it doesn't) plus if I printed in far higher volumes.
Logged

Tklimek

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 284
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #10 on: November 13, 2008, 12:02:53 am »

Just a few small quibbles....not sure now important they are; the 4880 comes with the very VERY special (wink wink) "Vivid Magenta" inkset while the 3800 does not.  Unless the 3800 can accept those inks as well (I don't really know...I don't have one.).  Also...here is the info from Epsons website:

*****************************************************************
Epson 3800

MicroPiezo® AMC™ Print Head Technology
One-inch wide, high performance print head offers a maximum resolution of 2880 x 1440
Produces variable sized droplets as small as 3.5 picoliters to greatly decrease print times, while optimizing photographic quality
Extremely sharp and accurate placement of ink droplets consistently delivers outstanding photographic print quality print to print
Learn More >

Accuphoto™ HD Screening Technology
Highly precise screening technology uses a radical new algorithm to determine dot placement, resulting in an extreme level of photographic image quality
Produces extremely fine photographic prints, even in bi-directional and lower resolution print modes
Compensates for various ink densities between resolutions, allowing for a single ICC™ profile to be used per media type

Epson 4880

Eight-Channel MicroPiezo® AMC™ Print Head with Ink Repelling Coating Technology
Print head design capable of handling eight separate ink channels
One-inch wide high-performance print head with 180 nozzles per channel
New ink repelling coating to dramatically reduce nozzle clogging

Epson AccuPhoto™ HD Screening Technology
Advanced screening algorithm resulting in prints with superior color and clarity
Maximum resolution of 2880 x 1440 dpi for incredibly sharp text and line art
Extremely accurate fine blends and photographic transitions

*****************************************************************

What I can tell you is that when I was buying my printer I went to my local Calumet photo and they printed out samples from each.  I couldn't really tell the difference in the samples that I received; but they were different papers, different photos, etc.  But what I can say is that the prints from my 4880 TOTALLY ROCK!!

:-)

Cheers....

Todd in Chicago
Quote from: grepmat
Comparing the 3800 to the 4880, the prints will be virtually identical. If you examined the prints at high magnification, some might say that the 3800 would be better due to more advanced dithering. Other than that, the inks, etc., are the same. I'd be in favor of the vastly more home-friendly form-factor of the 3800.

I have no direct experience with the Canon printers save for playing with them at my friendly store. Sorry. But the Canon is an absurd beast that would not be welcome in my home, at least unless it had a 24" carriage (which it doesn't) plus if I printed in far higher volumes.
Logged

davewolfs

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 99
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #11 on: November 13, 2008, 12:42:16 am »

How do you deal with switching inks on your 4880?

Quote from: Tklimek
Just a few small quibbles....not sure now important they are; the 4880 comes with the very VERY special (wink wink) "Vivid Magenta" inkset while the 3800 does not.  Unless the 3800 can accept those inks as well (I don't really know...I don't have one.).  Also...here is the info from Epsons website:

*****************************************************************
Epson 3800

MicroPiezo® AMC™ Print Head Technology
One-inch wide, high performance print head offers a maximum resolution of 2880 x 1440
Produces variable sized droplets as small as 3.5 picoliters to greatly decrease print times, while optimizing photographic quality
Extremely sharp and accurate placement of ink droplets consistently delivers outstanding photographic print quality print to print
Learn More >

Accuphoto™ HD Screening Technology
Highly precise screening technology uses a radical new algorithm to determine dot placement, resulting in an extreme level of photographic image quality
Produces extremely fine photographic prints, even in bi-directional and lower resolution print modes
Compensates for various ink densities between resolutions, allowing for a single ICC™ profile to be used per media type

Epson 4880

Eight-Channel MicroPiezo® AMC™ Print Head with Ink Repelling Coating Technology
Print head design capable of handling eight separate ink channels
One-inch wide high-performance print head with 180 nozzles per channel
New ink repelling coating to dramatically reduce nozzle clogging

Epson AccuPhoto™ HD Screening Technology
Advanced screening algorithm resulting in prints with superior color and clarity
Maximum resolution of 2880 x 1440 dpi for incredibly sharp text and line art
Extremely accurate fine blends and photographic transitions

*****************************************************************

What I can tell you is that when I was buying my printer I went to my local Calumet photo and they printed out samples from each.  I couldn't really tell the difference in the samples that I received; but they were different papers, different photos, etc.  But what I can say is that the prints from my 4880 TOTALLY ROCK!!

:-)

Cheers....

Todd in Chicago
Logged

vandevanterSH

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 625
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #12 on: November 13, 2008, 10:17:04 am »

"Thank you for the replies everyone. How long can the ink in these printers last before having to be replaced? Also, how do either of these printers cope being turned off then back on? I could easily see myself only printing with one of these printers max say 2-3 instances every couple of weeks."
*************
3800...

Steve
Logged

Jeremy Roussak

  • Administrator
  • Sr. Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 8961
    • site
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #13 on: November 13, 2008, 12:30:27 pm »

Quote from: vandevanterSH
"Thank you for the replies everyone. How long can the ink in these printers last before having to be replaced? Also, how do either of these printers cope being turned off then back on? I could easily see myself only printing with one of these printers max say 2-3 instances every couple of weeks."
*************
3800...

Steve
I can't claim very extensive experience, but I've had no problems with my 3800 over the last 9 months even when it's not been used for as much as three weeks. Quick nozzle check, once a cleaning cycle, then it's up and running. I switch it off when it's not going to be used for 24 hours, as advised by Eric Chan.

Jeremy
« Last Edit: November 13, 2008, 12:36:18 pm by kikashi »
Logged

dominion

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #14 on: November 13, 2008, 12:32:02 pm »

Quote from: vandevanterSH
"Thank you for the replies everyone. How long can the ink in these printers last before having to be replaced? Also, how do either of these printers cope being turned off then back on? I could easily see myself only printing with one of these printers max say 2-3 instances every couple of weeks."
*************
3800...

Steve

I am also  interested in purchasing a 3800 but am reluctant to buy a printer that was introduced in 2006! Does anyone have an idea if Epson is going to replace it?

thanks

Barbie
Logged

davewolfs

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 99
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #15 on: November 13, 2008, 12:54:18 pm »

Quote from: dominion
I am also  interested in purchasing a 3800 but am reluctant to buy a printer that was introduced in 2006! Does anyone have an idea if Epson is going to replace it?

thanks

Barbie

I wouldn't let that bother you.  Everything I have read says this printer is great.

For those who have worked with the Canon IPF 5100 and 6100, if you are printing smaller then 8x10 what are your options?  Do the photos have to be manually cut?
Logged

billg71

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 31
    • http://www.billgrahamphotography.com
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #16 on: November 14, 2008, 10:21:45 pm »

Quote from: davewolfs
I'm sure that this has been asked before and it seems like these are both fantastic printers.  I have space for both in my office and the prices of the two are currently very similar with the rebates.  Any recommendations for either one of these printers?

Thanks,

Dave

I have the 4800 and the 3800. If I could only have one, it would have to be the 3800. My printing is probably 50/50 matte/gloss and I'd go broke in a hurry switching between the two with the 4800. Turn the 4800 off for any period of time and I'll guarantee you'll cringe at the sound of the ink pump running while it does its startup routine.... OTOH, if you want a printer you can turn on at dawn, run prints through all day and turn off at dark day in and day out, the 4800/4880 is your best bet. The vacuum platen is a real plus, I get almost no blotches on leading/trailing edges of thick papers compared to the 3800. Ink is cheaper in the larger carts but the printer uses more in routine maintenance than the 3800, so I figure it's a wash. If you switch blacks frequently, I'd have to give the 3800 the thumbs up.

If you want to print 4x6/5x7, the 3800 is your only choice. If you want to print off rolls, it's the 4880.

Like I said, if I could only have one, the 3800 wins for casual usage. For high duty-cycle printing on either matte or gloss(but not both), it's the 4880.

I'm just glad I don't have to choose.....  

Bill

P.S. If it comes to absolute IQ, I'd have to give the edge to the 3800 because of the dithering. But you're picking at nits between the two...
« Last Edit: November 14, 2008, 10:25:39 pm by billg71 »
Logged
[span style='font-size:7pt;line-height:100%'][span style='color:blue']"The doctor told how he was once fishing in the Wind River area of Wyoming and he looked up and far above on the side of the canyon two dogs sat on a rock peeking at him from the brush that surrounded the rock. Only they weren't dogs, they were coyotes. They were curious about what he might be doing standing in a river waving a stick." [span style='color:black']Jim Harrison, Farmer[/span][/span][/span]

davewolfs

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 99
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #17 on: November 14, 2008, 11:48:44 pm »

Quote from: billg71
I have the 4800 and the 3800. If I could only have one, it would have to be the 3800. My printing is probably 50/50 matte/gloss and I'd go broke in a hurry switching between the two with the 4800. Turn the 4800 off for any period of time and I'll guarantee you'll cringe at the sound of the ink pump running while it does its startup routine.... OTOH, if you want a printer you can turn on at dawn, run prints through all day and turn off at dark day in and day out, the 4800/4880 is your best bet. The vacuum platen is a real plus, I get almost no blotches on leading/trailing edges of thick papers compared to the 3800. Ink is cheaper in the larger carts but the printer uses more in routine maintenance than the 3800, so I figure it's a wash. If you switch blacks frequently, I'd have to give the 3800 the thumbs up.

If you want to print 4x6/5x7, the 3800 is your only choice. If you want to print off rolls, it's the 4880.

Like I said, if I could only have one, the 3800 wins for casual usage. For high duty-cycle printing on either matte or gloss(but not both), it's the 4880.

I'm just glad I don't have to choose.....  

Bill

P.S. If it comes to absolute IQ, I'd have to give the edge to the 3800 because of the dithering. But you're picking at nits between the two...

Thanks for the insight, anyone have any comments on the Canons?
Logged

Tklimek

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 284
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #18 on: November 15, 2008, 01:40:35 am »

Hi Dave...

LOL.....I have a unique solution.....I haven't really printed on matte yet!!  I do have a roll of Epson UltraSmooth Fine Art 50 ft but haven't used it yet.  So far very happy with the Premium Luster I've been using.  I also have two boxes of the 17x22 Epson Exhibition Fiber that I'll need to try one of these days.  The ink switch is a consideration for some, but for now I've seemed to manage around it.

Also, I never turn my printer off.  I believe that is what pretty much everyone recommends and I have yet to have a problem with it (I've not had the printer 1 whole year yet) and my understanding is that is uses very little power so I'm not sure what anyone is gaining by turning it off when it is not in use.

Just my .01......(I'm not really qualified to give a full .02....  ;-)  )

I understand the the 3800 is also an awesome printer, but at the time I was looking; I figured in the extra ink I was getting with the 4880 (can the 3800 use 220 carts?), the ability to eventually use 220 carts (I'm still on my starter set), the ability to use roll paper, and at the time I bought my 4880; 3 free rolls of paper!  The price difference between the two was not that great after those considerations.

Cheers....

Todd in Chicago



Quote from: davewolfs
How do you deal with switching inks on your 4880?
Logged

vandevanterSH

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 625
Epson 4880 or 3800
« Reply #19 on: November 15, 2008, 06:57:41 pm »

"Also, I never turn my printer off. I believe that is what pretty much everyone recommends and I have yet to have a problem with it (I've not had the printer 1 whole year yet) and my understanding is that is uses very little power so I'm not sure what anyone is gaining by turning it off when it is not in use."
*********
(snip)
The frequency of this special cleaning mode is controlled by the printer itself. It will be done occasionally even if the printer is left on; however, it is not done frequently enough if the printer is simply left idling while powered on and not being used. Hence, the Epson engineer's recommendation is to turn the printer off when the time between two successive print runs is longer than a day.
(Taken from Eric Chan's FAQs)

Steve
Logged
Pages: [1] 2   Go Up