printer recommendations for advanced amateur

[Bev Sampson]

My Epson 2200 just died. I am looking for recommendations. I am an advanced amateur and am debating between the Epson R1800 and R2400. Which will give me the best, most accurate color photo prints. I am not interested in B&W. All information will be greatly appreciated.

Bev

 

[Diane Fields]

My Epson 2200 just died. I am looking for recommendations. I am an advanced amateur and am debating between the Epson R1800 and R2400. Which will give me the best, most accurate color photo prints. I am not interested in B&W. All information will be greatly appreciated.

Bev

Bev, if you are not interested in b/w then I don't think the 1800 would advantageous for you. The 2400 with the K3 inks would be the best as a 13" printer--but you really do need to calibrate your monitor and use paper profiles to get the most from it.

That being said, the consensus is that you come out better financially in the end to buy the 3800 if you have a bit more room. The inks that come with it trump the cost of buying the separate inks for the 2400. Both are wonderful printers.

Diane

 

[Bev Sampson]

Thank you Diane. I will look at the 3800. I have not done that so far. I have used Epson profiles with the 2200 but I am ashamed to admit that I have not calibrated my Dell 21" monitor. It is now about 4 plus years old and the 2200 prints were amazingly close to what was shown on the monitor except that prints were darker. I would compensate by saving a copy of each print after increasing exposure just slightly.

Thank you for your help.

Bev

 

[Diane Fields]

I should have also said that I replaced the 2200 with a 3800. My 2200 is still alive and well, but I do a lot of mono printing and the K3 inks are a major improvement there. I really like the 3800--have had it since Dec. of last year. I had a 1280 (dye) before the 2200 which I had a number of years--and I'm happy to report too that the 3800 seems to have a very good record so far for little clogging. I haven't had one in that time and on other printer forums little has been mentioned about it.

There's a very good site for the 3800 that might be helpful by Eric Chan
http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/faq.html

Diane

 

[Bev Sampson]

Thank you again Diane. I also had a 1280 before my 2200 but never was very impressed with the 1280 output.

I have been researching the 3800 and I am very confused. B&H link shows two 3800 with two different prices. Is one newer than the other? Ink cartridge costs are the same for both yet they have different B&H product codes.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...alSearch=yes&O=catalog.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t

I will now check Eric Chan's site. Many thanks.

Bev

 

[Cem_Usakligil]

Agree with Diane. If you are interested in the 3800, a must read here (including a video):
http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/printers/Epson%20Pro3800/page-1.html

Cheers,

 

[Diane Fields]

Thank you again Diane. I also had a 1280 before my 2200 but never was very impressed with the 1280 output.

I have been researching the 3800 and I am very confused. B&H link shows two 3800 with two different prices. Is one newer than the other? Ink cartridge costs are the same for both yet they have different B&H product codes.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/con...alSearch=yes&O=catalog.jsp&A=search&Q=*&bhs=t

I will now check Eric Chan's site. Many thanks.

Bev

Yes, there are 2 'packages' or there were. I assume its the same without looking it up. There is the basic 3800 and the one that might have been referred to as Professional Edition. It includes a RIP of sorts--unneeded by 99 1/44% of the 3800 printers LOL. Buy the plain vanilla version. Here is Epson's 'tour' of the 3800 which you might enjoy
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/WideFormat/WideFormat3800Landing.jsp?ref=r0302EUb49&s_kwcid=epson%203800|622405080&gclid=COj63-mm_44CFQMsFQodtjWD3A

 

[Ray West]

Hi Bev,

As others have said, but how sensitive is the 3800's auto 'blocked nozzle/cleaning' cycle? Is it an excuse to waste more ink? Does it clean individual nozzles, or all of them? Epson are striving to lock you into their inks and papers. Once they do that, watch the price of their ink.

At the moment, Epson are upgrading the 4800 to 4880, and some good deals on the 4800 are around (at least in uk, so I've been told). The 4800 comes better equipped with decent paper roll feed and cut off cf 3800. The r1800, which I have, has very small nozzles, easily clogged. Not so with the 4800 or 3800. If you want to run Epson inks, then the 3800, if you want choice of inks, then 4800, I guess. The r1800 is fine, if regularly used with pigment inks, less frequent use is possible with dye.

Best wishes

Ray

 

[Bev Sampson]

Thanks Ray. I hear you about Epson inks. This Epson 2200 is my third epson printer beginning years ago with the Photo EX, followed by the 1280 and now the 2200 that I have used for probably 4 years.

A few years ago before I retired cost would never have been a problem. But in retirement initial printer costs and subsequent ink costs do play into the ultimate decision. Justifying those costs as a hobbiest is difficult. I do though like perfection. That 3800 sure is appealing.

From what I am reading on the internet ink jet clogs like mine can rarely be fixed. I have run the cleaning process at least 7 times and now neither black cartridge prints at all. I am wondering if running head allignment would help.

Thanks for your response.

Bev

 

[Andrew Rodney]

I've owned the 2200/2400 and I'd agree, if budget permits, go 3800. Its a lot more printer for the money. I have a 4800, I prefer the 3800. Build in network card, small footprint (fit where the 2400 was). Plus great profiles from Epson, including the new paper just announced which is astounding. Just in terms of ink costs, you'll end up saving over time with the 3800 over the 2400. Its much faster, better dither, bigger prints. Also, the quality of the build and consistency is superior to the non pro printers like the 2400.

 

[Ray West]

Hi Bev,

I wrote here on opf about my r1800 'clogs'. http://www.openphotographyforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1066 iirc, not used since July 2006 to Nov 2006. I unclogged it. I've not used it since. I may give a blow by blow(maybe even a suck by suck) account of my endeavours to unclog it after nearly a year sat idle. I spoke to 'my printer gurus' just before my previous post to you. They think I'm a lost case ;-) . If you print at least once a week, then the r1800 will be fine, particularly if you use dye inks. (I use a cis system, so have a choice). I expect we could unblock your machine , it could be fun trying, if you are patient, and can get a pint of 'Windex', and a syringe. Don Lashier got his 2200 going after a year, without windex, so give us more info., if you want to revive yours.

(The r1800 inkdrop size is 1.6pl, the 4800 is 4.2pl iirc. nearly three times the size, so I guess the 4800 nozzles are much bigger than the r1800. I don't know about the 2200, Google may tell you, maybe a tech spec sheet somewhere.)

Best wishes,

Ray

 

[Bev Sampson]

Ray, I will gladly give you information, if you would specify what you would want. I ran the nozzle check and head cleaning check this morning.

First run both blacks were almost there. (Yesterday, both were missing.)

Second run both blacks began breaking up.

I quit then. About six months ago, before the blacks went missing, at the beginning of each 8 x 10 print there was a shading or orange/red coloring down the entire side of the print. It was evident immediately as the print came out. After a few prints, the distorted colors on the left emerging side would disappear only to reappear after printer was not used for several days.

Cartridge size for R2400 is 15 ml
Cartridge size for 3800 is 80 ml.
3800 per cartridge at Atlex is $48.
R2400 per 5.5 equivalent cartridges at Atlex is $61.50.

What info would you need to help me return 2200 to productivity?

Bev

 

[Bev Sampson]

Thanks for all the helpful advice. It is very much appreciated.

I just placed an order with B&H for an Epson Stylus 3800 Pro and a few accessories.

My decision to go with the 3800 was because the R1800 has an updated version R1900 that is not available in the US. Further, the R2400 has been on the market for a while and probably will be updated soon. Mostly, I am tired of the small ink cartridges that I have in my current 2200 and the very frequent head clogs. My fear was that the same situation would exist with the R2400. I have been unsuccessful in unclogging the 2200 now to the point that it will not print reliable colors. So I hope I have better luck with the 3800.

Diane, I think you are the one who really got me to do some deep investigation.

Again, thank you to all.

Bev

 

[Diane Fields]

Thanks for all the helpful advice. It is very much appreciated.

I just placed an order with B&H for an Epson Stylus 3800 Pro and a few accessories.

My decision to go with the 3800 was because the R1800 has an updated version R1900 that is not available in the US. Further, the R2400 has been on the market for a while and probably will be updated soon. Mostly, I am tired of the small ink cartridges that I have in my current 2200 and the very frequent head clogs. My fear was that the same situation would exist with the R2400. I have been unsuccessful in unclogging the 2200 now to the point that it will not print reliable colors. So I hope I have better luck with the 3800.

Diane, I think you are the one who really got me to do some deep investigation.

Again, thank you to all.

Bev

Bev, I'm glad I did. I really think you will love it. One tip--that really bumfuzzled a lot of folks. When you use the back feed, hold onto the paper lightly and push it down until you feel some resistance. Continue to hold onto it for just a few moments as the printer pulls it in and sets the beginning. YOu may not even use this unless you use a heavier paper, but for some of my fineart paper, it needed that.

If you have questions, check the URL I gave you--and feel free to ask. I love mine--many do. I have had no problems at all--no clogs at all and I admit sometimes it sits several weeks--then a flurry of printing. I couldn't do that with other Epsons without at least a nozzle cleaning. And---the prints are just so beautiful.

Diane