Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Digital Black & White => Topic started by: IanBarber on August 08, 2019, 05:35:52 pm

Title: Epson R3880 & Marrutt Inks
Post by: IanBarber on August 08, 2019, 05:35:52 pm
I have an Epson R3880 and the cost of OEM inks is getting ridiculous and I am in 2 minds whether to look more closely at a third party ink set.
The Marrutt ones look interesting because they have refillable carts and they say that as long as you have about 10% OEM ink left, you can slip one of their carts with their ink and carry on from where you left off.


My understanding is that you cannot use the ABW driver or to me more precise, they do not recommend using it and the workflow they suggest is to create profiles and print through those even for black and white which is a shame because I do enjoy using the ABW and seem to get very good results.


I was wondering if anyone uses their inks with a 3880 and if so, be interested in your feedback.


Ian
Title: Re: Epson R3880 & Marrutt Inks
Post by: RobWignell on March 18, 2020, 06:51:59 am
Hi Ian.  I have loaded some Marrutt ink into my Epson 7880.  I bought the printer cheaply as it was completely blocked up and, once I got it working have used it to explore how to make ICC printer profiles.  I have used two other inks: InkTec and Cone Colour from InkJetMall.  Because I was experimenting along the way, I don't have any really relevant direct comparisons between the three different ink sets except to say that the gamut volume of ICC profiles generated using InkTec and Marrutt inks were noticeably larger than the gamut volumes of profiles made using Cone Colour ink.  There were slight variations with each set of ink when using different numbers of patches, patch sizes and numerous variations in the switches available in Argyll software for producing printer profiles.  However, as you will see from comments on other parts of this site, the real test is if the prints please your eye not distracting numbers like gamut volume.  As a standard print I have been using the set from DataColor and the differences in print results from all three ink sets are at worst subtle.  I haven't done as much printing with the Marrutt ink as with the other two inks and I expect that I will stay with it while its price remains competitive.  That said, the InkTec ink is just as good and even cheaper.  I expect that the Cone ink is better quality and certainly more expensive for both ink and shipping (to Australia where I live).  I hope this helps.  Rob
Title: Re: Epson R3880 & Marrutt Inks
Post by: Paul_Roark on April 04, 2020, 02:26:58 pm
For black and white, the dedicated B&W inksets (and formulas) that use STS or MIS inks (and there are other B&W dedicated inksets also) can hold down ink costs to being almost irrelevant.  How much you can save depends, in part, on how much you are willing to do yourself.  Carbon is a tough, lightfast pigment that has been used for thousands of years.  It the best basic pigment ink for B&W photo printing.  The color "toner" (bluish pigments to offset the carbon warm-slight yellow natural color) is where much of the action is.  Having it be stable and easy to manage is key.

My general B&W ink information page is at the following URL:

https://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/

The specific inkset I now use in my wide format printer is at the following:

https://www.paulroark.com/BW-Info/7800-Glossy-Carbon-Variable-Tone-2016.pdf

Printer profiles for printing, many with QuadToneRip, are in the footnotes of my PDFs.

Hope this is helpful to some who might be looking for ink solutions.

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com

Title: Re: Epson R3880 & Marrutt Inks
Post by: dgberg on April 07, 2020, 12:50:07 pm
Two of my pigment printers have refillable carts. 3880 and 9900. I use OEM K3 ink in both that I have purchased from printer owners that are replacing their older printers. K3 is readily available. Just draw it out with a syringe and put in your refillable. You should be able to buy for .10 a ml or less.
Great savings and you still print with OEM ink so no profile changes or ABW issues.