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  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

I just bought the Epson 3800...

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
.. and I am desparately hoping to retain peace at home following such an impulsive purchase, which it really was (LOL).

It's too early to comment right now, but I'll report back on this beast later when I do some printing. Any experiences you might want to share will be more than appreciated :).

Cheers,

Cem
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
.. and I am desparately hoping to retain peace at home following such an impulsive purchase, which it really was (LOL).

It's too early to comment right now, but I'll report back on this beast later when I do some printing. Any experiences you might want to share will be more than appreciated :).
When the prints start to come out the other end, she'll be holding the paper like a mother tends for a new baby! just do the "prints for her" first!

Epson is really good at giving excellent profiles. Just make sure you read up on the latest BasS04 papers as these are, according to all reports, really worth testing. See the OPF discussion and further links here. I'm not sure whether or not the Epson software has profiles for these too?

Enjoy!

Asher
 

Diane Fields

New member
Cem, there are so many great papers to use with the 3800, that if you don't have a feel for the paper you like already, I'd recommend ordering some sample packs and try them. The new baryta papers are all very nice (well, haven't tried the Hahnemuhle). I ended up with the Ilford Gold Silk Fiber because I, too, like a warmer paper--and the prints are lovely from the 3800--both mono and color. The Epson Exhibition Fiber is worth trying---beautiful, though very cool--and pricey. One hint for using the back single sheet feed with these heavier papers (though some are printing from the center feed--but one at a time)---use a bit of light pressure as the paper is pulled into the feed--and continue to hold onto it until it 'settles'. This has given a number of people fits.

There are a number of papers in 17 x 25 sheet available also--Inkjetart, Hawks Mt., and Red River. If you print panos, you can do up to 37.5"--I'm not a big pano printer but had to try it. I cut 40" paper from roll semigloss and it printed beautifully. I will also say that I've had mine since Dec. 2006 and have yet to have a clog--and I don't print every day--sometimes it sits for a good while (off) and then I print quite a number at one time.

Diane
 
Congrats Cem!

I did not buy it, but I was reading a lot about it becvause I considered it at some stage for myself.

You will find that Euro/Liter cost is at around 650 euro for your baby, so this maschine was not built for volume printing, but I do not suppose that is your plan anyways. The larger the Epson specs the lower the per liter costs, like the 7800 at ~ €350/Liter and the 11800 ~€330/Liter. However the 3800 aint that bad at all, the Stylus Pro 2400 at a whopping ~ €1100/Liter puts the 3800 in perspective. (source: Hermann Will, Publisher of the German Magazine Fine Art Printer)

Just in case you did not come across this site before, it is probably the most comprehensive faq on this excellent printer:

http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/faq.html#native_res

The length limitation that Diane spoke of can be easily circumvented with a very small and totally recommendable investment in Qimage, besides other great advantages, with Qimage's poster feature, you can print any length you want and then just cut/paste the sections together. Example (see 6a):

http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage/qimagehlp/lbe.htm#6a

Qimage:
http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage/

I think you will be more than pleased with the output of this excellent printer. Enjoy Cem!
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
..
The length limitation that Diane spoke of can be easily circumvented with a very small and totally recommendable investment in Qimage, besides other great advantages, with Qimage's poster feature, you can print any length you want and then just cut/paste the sections together. Example (see 6a):
Hi Georg,

Thanks for this tip. Unfortunately, it does not apply to 3800 since it does not have a roll-paper support. But I knew about this limitation beforehand. 95cm max is for me long enough right now. In the meantime, some other solutions might surface or I might end up buying a RIP. My own company produces, amongst others, RIPs for high end prepress printers. Maybe they might have something for me ;-).

Cheers,

Cem

PS: The ink costs are around 1 euro per A4 (full resolution photo). Which is fine by me. My old i9950 costed 1.5 times of that.
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
Cem, there are so many great papers to use with the 3800, that if you don't have a feel for the paper you like already, I'd recommend ordering some sample packs and try them. The new baryta papers are all very nice (well, haven't tried the Hahnemuhle). I ended up with the Ilford Gold Silk Fiber because I, too, like a warmer paper--and the prints are lovely from the 3800--both mono and color. The Epson Exhibition Fiber is worth trying---beautiful, though very cool--and pricey. One hint for using the back single sheet feed with these heavier papers (though some are printing from the center feed--but one at a time)---use a bit of light pressure as the paper is pulled into the feed--and continue to hold onto it until it 'settles'. This has given a number of people fits.

There are a number of papers in 17 x 25 sheet available also--Inkjetart, Hawks Mt., and Red River. If you print panos, you can do up to 37.5"--I'm not a big pano printer but had to try it. I cut 40" paper from roll semigloss and it printed beautifully. I will also say that I've had mine since Dec. 2006 and have yet to have a clog--and I don't print every day--sometimes it sits for a good while (off) and then I print quite a number at one time.

Diane
Hi Diane,

Thanks a lot for the tips, I appreciate it. I've already bought a pack of Ilford Gold Silk Fiber (A4) and printed one B&W photo so far. The initial results are very good looking indeed. I am curious how it will handle color. Will come back on that later.

Cheers,

Cem
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
When the prints start to come out the other end, she'll be holding the paper like a mother tends for a new baby! just do the "prints for her" first!
LOL, good one Asher! I have indeed bought a pack of Baryta paper (Ilford Gold Silk Fiber) as I wrote to Diane above. To be continued....

Cheers,

Cem
 
Last edited:

Ken Tanaka

pro member
Good for you, Cem. I got a 3800 in late 2006 following a protracted stay on a waiting list at Ink Jet Art. (I still recall Diane cheering and encouraging me to hang in there.)

Quite frankly the 3800 is a remarkable gadget. My 2000 was an early piece of work. My 2200 was a work in progress. My 2400 was an excellent printer. But this 3800 is just remarkable. (Jeez, before typing this I had not realized how many Epson printer's I've owned. Pretty much their whole desktop-size lineage.)

Like others, I am an intermittent printer. The 3800 might be unused for weeks at a time and then called into regular active duty for a few weeks, not unlike how someone might use a home wet darkroom printer. I have never had a head clog.

I have also saved a great deal of expense (over the 2400 and its predecessors) in ink cost. The 3800's larger ink carts and its somewhat more judicious ink management make a BIG difference in consumable expense. In fact most of the current ink carts are from the original set! I would certainly have spent several hundred dollars on 2400 ink carts during this same time.

I like the 3800 so much that I even bought the custom Tumi cover for it!

Frankly, for anyone on the border between getting a new camera (or lens) and getting the 3800 I'd push them towards the 3800 if they want do any serious photo printing.
 
.. and I am desparately hoping to retain peace at home following such an impulsive purchase, which it really was (LOL).

It's too early to comment right now, but I'll report back on this beast later when I do some printing. Any experiences you might want to share will be more than appreciated :).

Hi Cem, congratulations.

From what I've heard in the Qimage forum on Yahoo, the QuadTone RIP is a very good choice for Black&White output on the Epsons. I have no personal experience with it, but perhaps others can chime in if they do. For color output, I doubt anything can beat Qimage at its price level.

Both programs are a real bargain, so they wouldn't jeopardize the peace at home too much, I hope.

Enjoy your printer,
Bart
 
I've had the 3800 for almost a year, and I must say that it is a superb printer with outstanding output. I think that you've been given some very good advice above, and I can only add my recommendation for Eric Chan's site with a special mention of his observations for B&W printing.
As you may already know, in Europe the Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper is called Traditional Photo Paper, and I personally would suggest using Epson's profiles for it which, unless you make your own, are very good.
 
On A Side note about OPF

I just want to say how much this OPF community makes a difference to my online experience conerning photography.

Don't know how this is for you folks, but this here is such a good example!

Cem just says he bought the 3800 and in no time at all a flood of really helpful information occurs.

This is what I eperience in OPF all the time and it is so very different in deed from a lot of other fora I visited before.
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
I just want to say how much this OPF community makes a difference to my online experience conerning photography.

Don't know how this is for you folks, but this here is such a good example!

Cem just says he bought the 3800 and in no time at all a flood of really helpful information occurs.

This is what I eperience in OPF all the time and it is so very different in deed from a lot of other fora I visited before.
Hear, hear! You're absolutely right Georg.

I would like to thank Ken, Bart and Ralph for their valued input.

Ken, you're right. It really creates a much better sense of achieving something in one's photography when one sees the results printed so well from this printer. That in turn motivates to do even better.

Bart, I'm checking out the rip but is is somewhat unclear. I downed a trial version but ended up printing a totally black A4 in the end. Must be doing something wrong ;-).

Ralph, as you pointed out the canned profiles seem to be spot on, but it is still early days for me to comment properly.

Regards,

Cem
 

Diane Fields

New member
Hi Cem, congratulations.

From what I've heard in the Qimage forum on Yahoo, the QuadTone RIP is a very good choice for Black&White output on the Epsons. I have no personal experience with it, but perhaps others can chime in if they do. For color output, I doubt anything can beat Qimage at its price level.

Both programs are a real bargain, so they wouldn't jeopardize the peace at home too much, I hope.

Enjoy your printer,
Bart

I was an enthusiastic supporter/user of QTR with my 2200--it made it possible to actually print almost metamerism free monos with it. However, one of the reasons I bought the 3800 was to print monos, both toned and not. Early on, others who I respected, (Jack Flesher and Andrew Rodney for 2) suggested printing monos WYSIWYG in RGB and I went that path until last month. Eric Chan, on his 3800 site, gave good info about using ABW with HIS profiles (otherwise you do not use paper profiles for ABW) for a number of popular papers. I tried this and had really good results--without measuring, I would say deeper blacks for one thing. I would suggest you try his technique since it looks as though you are going to use some of those papers. QTR really isn't needed for terrific mono printing with the 3800.

Diane
 
I was an enthusiastic supporter/user of QTR with my 2200--it made it possible to actually print almost metamerism free monos with it. However, one of the reasons I bought the 3800 was to print monos, both toned and not. Early on, others who I respected, (Jack Flesher and Andrew Rodney for 2) suggested printing monos WYSIWYG in RGB and I went that path until last month. Eric Chan, on his 3800 site, gave good info about using ABW with HIS profiles (otherwise you do not use paper profiles for ABW) for a number of popular papers. I tried this and had really good results--without measuring, I would say deeper blacks for one thing. I would suggest you try his technique since it looks as though you are going to use some of those papers. QTR really isn't needed for terrific mono printing with the 3800.

Diane

Stated in another way, Eric's profiles allow you to make a simulation for the ABW printing mode output as you normally in PS, something that isn't otherwise possible using the ABW mode of the Epson driver. To get really satisfactory output along the lines of WYSIWYG in PS, it is necessary to follow Eric's instructions to the letter.

Enjoy your new printer.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Happy 3800 users!

To make this thread a fuller resource:

Where did you choose to buy?

Is Colorburst Postscript RIP worth an extra $180?

How do you deal with Black ink changes as it's about $70 in wasted ink? Do you just use one ink?

Do you have tricks for feeding in long sheets?

Asher
 

Diane Fields

New member
For just about everything anyone needs to know about the 3800, see Eric Chan's 3800 FAQs
http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/faq.html#inkconsume

I bought where I was able to find one when they first came out--Pictureline in Salt Lake City. Good folks but there are lots of places to buy online with good prices, support.

There's no reason to buy the RIP for almost everyone. Its useful only if you are printing postscript images.

Switching inks is MUCH less expensive than Asher quoted here---that's most likely for the large printers. Switching from Pk to Mk is about $.85 according to Eric Chan's calculations in October 07. From Mk to Pk it was about $2.25 --and neither takes too much time. Because of the very short lines in this printer, its much less than the larger printers. I've found it to be reasonably economical---and I do switch---but plan my switches.

For long sheets--as 40"---my printer is set up against a wall---I lean the long paper against the wall and give it a little physical support until it starts to feed. For the 25" sheets, its really not too much problem. The support in the back goes up a fair amount so its helpful. For support when the pano came out so that I had no print strikes, I set a drafting chair with a box, about the same height---and let the sheet slide onto it. For 25", the tray is sufficient. I have had no reason to use the front manual feeder---the back feeder has easily taken all my quite heavy papers. I do plan to try printing on metal so will use the manual front feeder for that and will roll the printer away from the wall since it feeds through and back.


Diane

Happy 3800 users!

To make this thread a fuller resource:

Where did you choose to buy?

.

Is Colorburst Postscript RIP worth an extra $180?



How do you deal with Black ink changes as it's about $70 in wasted ink? Do you just use one ink?

Do you have tricks for feeding in long sheets?

Asher
 
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