Epson 3880- still good after a long nap!

[StuNY]

I left my poor 3880 alone for about 6 months now as other things came up and I didn't need to make prints. Just sat there in the attic with the dust cover on and turned off as usual. Last night I had a rush of printing required so with great worry ran a test print fearing clogged nozzles that would require some serious cleaning cycles. Test image came out perfect so went for it with the next 60. All perfect. Was a great feeling to put it back to bed knowing I don't have to worry so much if I don't use it for a while. Of course after looking at the images thought "I should be making more prints" haha!

[DF1]

That's good to know. I also have a 3880 that I have left idle for 2 or 3 months at a time will no ill effect. But hearing that after 6 months there was no problem with your prints is great news. How very different from my old R2400 which used to clog up and require head cleaning every 3 or 4 prints.

[JayWPage]

That's really something, 6 months of being idle and not a single problem. I have only been operating mine since the beginning of this year and already I have lost the black channel once while printing which required a cleaning cycle to restore, and I use my Epson 3880 weekly.

I wonder if there are some manufacturing differences or variations on the specs that have changed over time. How old is your printer, when did you buy it?

I bought mine in in December 2013 and it was manufactured in China. Was yours made in China or Japan? I believe the 3800's were made in Japan, and maybe also the early production of the 3880's.

[StuNY]

Had it about 4 years now. The cover I think makes a difference. Before I had one I seem to remember more frequent clogs after not using it for a while.

[Chrisso26]

I have an R2400 which I use about once a year.
Actually, it's not bad on the maintenance front (for me). I haven't had too many clogging issues. It had it's annual outing this week, and the only problem I had was being out of a couple of ink cartridges.
It saddens me about the disposable society.
This printer makes great prints. Obviously there have been newer and perhaps better printers come along since.
Now none of the bricks and mortar stores carry the ink. So I have to plan ahead and order online, and sometimes pay a premium for official Epson cartridges.

[pluton]

OP:
What is your climate zone?
Is your attic refrigerated or humidified(swamp-cooled)?
Just wondering.

[LawrenceBraunstein]

The topic of nozzle clogging is one which pops up frequently here at the LuLa forum. I’ve read some harrowing experiences from very distressed photographers in connection with clogging problems, particularly regarding Epson printers. Having said that, perhaps no Epson printer has such a good reputation for clogless operation than the 3880. This has certainly been the case with my own Epson 3880, and though I can’t claim to have ever come even close to having left my printer ‘unused’ for 6 months, several months have passed on a few occasions before resuming printing, usually without the need for any nozzle cleaning or, at worst, just a single pass to free up those one or two stubborn nozzles. One thing I’ve often heard here from other photographers is that room humidity plays a vital role. Those photographers living in dry climates seem to have more - and more often - problems with clogging. Though I don’t live in a dry climate myself, I do use a humidifier during the winter months in order to help put back some of the humidity normal heating often removes.

Hope you continue enjoying your 3880 for many maintenance-free years to come!

Larry

[StuNY]

OP:
What is your climate zone?
Is your attic refrigerated or humidified(swamp-cooled)?
Just wondering.

I am in the New York City suburbs. Attic is not part of house ac system so pretty much isolated but stays warm in winter. Has a window ac unit that is used occasionally. Printer wasn't used during winter so pretty dry up there, then a bit humid in summer. Pretty sure it has been idle since at least Christmas!

[howardm]

my 3880 is EONS ahead of my old 3800 (which would clog constantly and ultimately the reason I got rid of it).  Rarely have a problem w/ the 3880 and sometimes no issue after a month and clogging after a week so little rhyme or reason to it.  The only time I had a big problem w/ the 3880 is when almost all of the installed carts were close to empty (was trying to use the last bit of them from my 3800 which forced low carts to be replaced before doing a cleaning.)

[free1000]

I've never had a problem with my 3800 until this weekend as I need to make 17 prints for an exhibition in 2 weeks time. 

First the magenta then cyan and another clogged up.

I'm considering getting a new 3880 to replace it as I need about 5 new inks, and I'd get a new set with the new printer saving me a fair bit of money at this point.

Another problem I'm having is that with A2 Harman Lustre paper, it's not printing straight, the print is emerging with about 3mm of skew, this is from the top feed.

This seems to be an endemic problem with the 3000 series printers, so looks like I may just have to live with that.

[AFairley]

If only the last part of the print is skewing, try supporting the print when it is output by placing one or two 3/4" thick books or similar on the output tray.

[LawrenceBraunstein]

“Another problem I'm having is that with A2 Harman Lustre paper, it's not printing straight, the print is emerging with about 3mm of skew, this is from the top feed. “

Paul, this is the only problem I ever had with my 3880, and it only occurred while printing A2 papers (smaller sizes were fed in properly). I found a very cleaver solution for this online. It involves adding a second feed guide on the left side (Epson already supplies a small guide on the right side). You can find a good description of the whole procedure (including photos) at the following web address:

http://dpzen.com/node/1325808

Though I altered the design slightly with the guide I made for my 3880, the results have been excellent. Since then, I haven’t had one skewed A2 print.

Best of luck,

Larry

[Some Guy]

.... I found a very cleaver solution for this online. It involves adding a second feed guide on the left side (Epson already supplies a small guide on the right side). You can find a good description of the whole procedure (including photos) at the following web address:

http://dpzen.com/node/1325808

Though I altered the design slightly with the guide I made for my 3880, the results have been excellent. Since then, I haven’t had one skewed A2 print.

Best of luck,

Larry

I found it easier to just put a plastic spring clothespin on the left side of the panel pull-up feed tray.  Wedge the paper between the right plastic pull down pin built onto the feed  tray, and the clothespin of the left side, and you are good to go.

I also had a small skew problem with one of the 3880's.  I took a piece of brass tubing, flattened it so it would go over the right plastic pull down pin, cut a bit off the back of the brass tube so I could pull out a lip for the paper to sit on as it feeds and not slip under the tubing and back up against the plastic pin.  Then I wrapped the tube part sitting upright on the pin with a few wraps of electrical tape so it pushes the paper to the left a bit away from the Epson plastic pull down pin.  Then it feeds straighter and I've done 36" long prints with no border skew at all.

SG

[Iluvmycam]

That's really something, 6 months of being idle and not a single problem. I have only been operating mine since the beginning of this year and already I have lost the black channel once while printing which required a cleaning cycle to restore, and I use my Epson 3880 weekly.

I wonder if there are some manufacturing differences or variations on the specs that have changed over time. How old is your printer, when did you buy it?

I bought mine in in December 2013 and it was manufactured in China. Was yours made in China or Japan? I believe the 3800's were made in Japan, and maybe also the early production of the 3880's.

Yes me too. Got some clogs wirth black ink after few weeks idle. Wish mine would hold up for 6 months idle.