Hello all,
I'm replacing my 2200, and am considering the 2400, 3800 and hp 9180 (I got inkjetart samples for these printers, and the 4800 and Canon 5000 for curiosity and reference---all samples are printed with 360 dpi input resolution, except for the 9180 which was 600 dpi, which unfortunately makes its comparison unfair...).
When I shuffle the prints and blindly order them best to worst for how they render fine detail, I consistently rank them 9180, 2400, 4800, 5000, 3800. The weak results for fine detail on the 3800 surprised me. I'm not saying the print was visibly bad (it's my favorite for color and tonality), but it is visibly less detailed than the other printers. And no, I'm not using a loupe or anything (although the differences are more obvious under some sort of magnification).
I would not expect the new screening or head to produce less detail than a 2400 or 4800. Anyone out there with the printer, have you crtically compared its fine detail to another K3 Epson printer? Do you think there is something off with my test print? Or am I just used to the very sharp results inkjets provide, and when Epson says the printer is "more photographic" they mean it prints slightly softer edges?
Does the 3800 benefit from a higher resolution file? My 2200 got a small (but at times worthwhile) boost from 720 dpi input. Maybe the 3800 needs more dpi input to render a really sharp edge? I want this sharpness for some prints; it gives an almost 3-d look.
Thanks much for any replys, information on this printer is still scarce!
Clyde Rogers