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Author Topic: Epson 3880 Just Arrived Paper ?  (Read 4026 times)

orcastu

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Epson 3880 Just Arrived Paper ?
« on: September 26, 2012, 04:28:44 pm »

This is my first message on the forums so Hello to all. 

I just got my 3880 today and after breaking my back to get it to its new home I have to say I am very impressed. Good build and easy setup so far.  Seems to print well to what my monitors are reporting.  Printed one black and white on their luster paper sample and I can't get over the quality and this is not even the best paper.  I have not seen this except from a lab before.  It is making me feel a bit better about the printer vs lab cost benefit analysis...that really ended up being more for convenience.

So a few questions after searching the forums. I have ordered some sample pack papers from Epson, Breathing Color and Red River for now.  Any suggestions for some other sample packs that represent papers you have had good experience with on the 3880, especially black and white. I know it is often a personal decision.

I ordered a sample of lyve canvas from red river and look forward to trying that out with their stretcher kits.  Would appreciate any tips on that.  I could waste a lot of ink and paper/canvas on this experiment.

I saw the post for 5 years of life for the printer and I am actually happy to see that considering they are MADE IN CHINA.

Thank you in advance for your replies.

Stuart
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Kirk Gittings

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Re: Epson 3880 Just Arrived Paper ?
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2012, 06:05:28 pm »

Quote
I saw the post for 5 years of life for the printer and I am actually happy to see that considering they are MADE IN CHINA.

Its a great printer. If anyone assumes all stuff made in China is crap and vice versa that all things made in the Us or the west is superior-it is a naive assumption.
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Thanks,
Kirk Gittings

orcastu

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Re: Epson 3880 Just Arrived Paper ?
« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2012, 08:13:52 pm »

Well I did not mean to offend anyone regarding made in china or imply even US is better.   It is interesting however that major manufacturers, for example Krups, manufacturers all their goods in Europe except those destined for the US are made in China.

Anyway I am extremely impressed by the 3880 so far. 
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hugowolf

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Re: Epson 3880 Just Arrived Paper ?
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2012, 08:14:20 pm »

It is such a personal and image specific thing, I would suggest sample packs from Hahnemühle, Canson, and Harman. Harman purely for their Gloss Baryta, Gloss Baryta Warmtone, and mat canvas.

Personal favourites include:
Harman Gloss Baryta (320, soft gloss; also available in 17 x 25 inches which better matches the 3:2 ratio of dSLRs)
Canson Baryta Photographique (310, lustre)
Canson Rag Photographique (310, smooth rag, but less expensive than the more popular Hahnemühle Photo Rag 308)
Hahnemühle German Etching (310, medium textured, but holds detail well where ink goes down)
Canson Arches Aquarelle (310, water colour rag)

If you are after middle weight papers (250-280 g/m² range), then there are too many to go through, but Epson Fine Art Velvet is a really nice paper.

Brian A
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orcastu

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Re: Epson 3880 Just Arrived Paper ?
« Reply #4 on: September 27, 2012, 08:54:29 am »

Thank you for the suggestions on the manufacturers and paper.  I have some epson fine art coming to take a look.  There are just so many choices it will be interesting to see the differences and make some selections.  I print regular color photos, black and white photo, and digital art I create from photo or scratch with painter 12.
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Marlene

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Re: Epson 3880 Just Arrived Paper ?
« Reply #5 on: December 23, 2012, 01:22:04 am »

I ordered a sample of lyve canvas from red river and look forward to trying that out with their stretcher kits.  Would appreciate any tips on that.  I could waste a lot of ink and paper/canvas on this experiment.
Stuart

Red River has stretcher kits?  I couldn't find them on their site.

Oh BTW just ordered a 3880 today and should have it next week.  :)
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bretedge

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Re: Epson 3880 Just Arrived Paper ?
« Reply #6 on: December 23, 2012, 03:44:50 am »

I use an Epson 2880 and Moab Entrada Rag Bright 190 for all of my prints regardless of whether they're color or black and white.  I love the stuff.  It's dual sided, has a nice "feel", just a touch of texture and it's a neutral white so it doesn't have any impact on the final colors.  I use it for all loose and matted prints sold at my gallery.  I've also found that it prints very consistently.  It didn't take long for me to figure out how to best process my images for output to Entrada Rag Bright 190.  No complaints at all. 

IWC Doppel

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Re: Epson 3880 Just Arrived Paper ?
« Reply #7 on: December 23, 2012, 04:05:25 am »

I have had my 3880 for a few months and already half way through my inks (light blacks), I have been thrilled with the textured matt fine art papers for B&W prints.

My favourites so far are Epson Cold pres Natural, hahnemuhle Musuem Etching (I slightly prefer to German and William Turner that are lovely as well) and fotospeed Natural textured is the best 'cheap' textured matt paper I have found so far.

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PeterAit

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Re: Epson 3880 Just Arrived Paper ?
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2012, 08:27:49 pm »

Great printer! My suggestion is to not get wrapped up in trying a whole lot of papers. Within paper types, differences are subtle and no photo was ever "made" or "ruined" by being printed on this paper versus that. If you are really interested in photography, as opposed to playing with your computer and printer, pick one good paper and work with it until you are reliably getting prints you are really happy with. The sample Epson sent you is probably premium luster photo paper and it's a great choice, not expensive and capable of excellent image quality in color and B&W. Believe me, if you're not happy with a photo printed on this paper, printing it on another luster/satin paper is not going to make any meaningful difference.

Of course, the choice between a satin/luster paper, a matte paper, and canvas is an important one. The BC Lyve canvas is terrific, IMO.
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irvweiner

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Re: Epson 3880 Just Arrived Paper ?
« Reply #9 on: December 23, 2012, 11:59:05 pm »

I would add a sample 17" roll of BC Crystalline, this is a precoated canvas (glossy or satin) accepting the PK ink instead of the MK. B&W or Color print vividly on its textured surface, definitely worth a try-do report back. I cut the roll media to my desired sheet size.

BC Vibrance Luster is an excellent paper exhibiting true brilliance and detail for slightly coarser luster texture--sample 17" roll cut to size.

There have been several suggestions posted here regarding the feeding of canvas into the 3880 'successfully', please search for my posting that doesn't require paper leaders. As well as others who do use paper leaders. It will be important to select the platen gap and paper thickness carefully.

good luck  irv weiner
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