Which Printer do you use?

I am looking to get a printer that prints bigger than 13x19 and it looks like the Epson 3800 is going to be my choice. I may wait to see the new 4880 in September but......

I am curious as to what are the most popular printers
people here on NSN use ?

I know the poll does not include every model but I think it covers
a good section of them. If you use something not listed please post
and tell us what you do use.

Thanks,
TMA

I bought my 2200 two years ago from a friend who was upgrading. It still works and does what I want it to so won't change until I have to!

Hi TMA, the poll is interesting but please realize it may not be the best way to shop for what you want. Just because a printer is "popular" it does not necessarily mean that it will fit your needs, right? There are some key questions involving features, such as roll paper support, the ink set, longevity, media compatibility, necessity of switching PK and MK inks, etc. which are difficult to gather and/or convey via a poll. Are there specific features you are interested in?

madmanchan wrote:Hi TMA, the poll is interesting but please realize it may not be the best way to shop for what you want. Just because a printer is "popular" it does not necessarily mean that it will fit your needs, right? There are some key questions involving features, such as roll paper support, the ink set, longevity, media compatibility, necessity of switching PK and MK inks, etc. which are difficult to gather and/or convey via a poll. Are there specific features you are interested in?

Thanks for your interest in helping !

I have the Epson 2200 and it is my first & only printer. It has treated me well and has clogged only a few times in the 4 years I have owned it and that was after months of non use.
I have never utilized it's roll paper system and 90% of the time I print on Epson Premium Luster but have used Ilfords Smooth Pearl as well.
I have used Epson Pro Matte paper a few times too.

The main reason I am interested in the Epson 3800 is because I want to print BIGGER pictures ! I made some collages that are nice but look a little small on 13x19. I also read that with the new ink system the 3800 uses that the colors are a tad more vibrant than the Epson 2200 inks ?

So in a nutshell , I mainly use Epson Luster & sometimes Epson Matte.
I want larger prints and hopefully more vibrant colors.

Is this the printer for me ?

Thanks,
TMA

I have the 3800 Epson but also have the Epson R800 (for smaller prints) and the R1800. I really like the R1800 and R800 for Premium Luster prints.

Van

Van Hilliard wrote:I have the 3800 Epson but also have the Epson R800 (for smaller prints) and the R1800. I really like the R1800 and R800 for Premium Luster prints.

Van

Van,

Thanks for replying. Does this mean you think the R1800 & R800
outperform the 3800 in printing on Luster paper?

Thanks,
TMA

Van,

Thanks for replying. Does this mean you think the R1800 & R800
outperform the 3800 in printing on Luster paper?

Thanks,
TMA[/quote]

I think all produce good premium luster prints. I like the effect of the gloss optimizer on the R800 and R1800 and that's not available on other printers. Otherwise, the 3800 produces equally beautiful prints -- and, of course, is capable of producing larger prints. Recently I tried some InkJetArt MicroCeramic paper and thought it was comparable to Premium Luster. It's available in 17 x 25 so I made some 17 x 25 prints on the 3800 and they are really nice (17 x 25 is perfect for making 16x24 prints with a border).
I became fond of the R printers after having a lot of clogging problems with other Epson printers. I never had any clogs from either the R800 or R1800 but I do remember on this forum reading about some problems others had with the printers (e.g., fine lines appearing on the print despite head alignment and other maintenance procedures).
I've had a little of that on the 3800 but it hasn't happened consistently enough for me to diagnose it -- or to regard it as a continuing problem.
Overall, I'm pleased with the 3800 and I love the impact you get from a 16x24 print compared to the 12 x 18's I used to print regularly on the R1800.

Van

TMA, if you want to print up to 17-inch wide sheetfed media (and do so yourself, rather than jobbing it to a printing service), then you have very few choices in an archival (pigment ink-based) photo printer. In desktop models, it's currently the Epson 3800, 4800 and newly announced 4880. In Canon, it's currently the iPF5000 or newly announced iPF5100.

If roll stock is not something you care about, then the 3800 would be a good choice in the Epson line. Aside from the brand new monster 11880, the 3800 has the most up to date head design of the Epson printers. And it offers the simultaneous load of photo and matte black inks, which the 4800/4880 don't. Even so with the 3800 there is still some black ink wastage when switching between photo & matte blacks, but it's automated and much less waste than with the other currently available Epson "pro" printers.

I don't have a 3800 myself but I've seen prints from it and they're excellent. Media like Epson Premium Luster and Ilford Galerie Smooth Pearl (both of which I use interchangeably) work very well with the K3 ink set. I would buy a 3800 myself in a minute, if only the device supported roll paper. I'm pretty confident you would quickly consider it a big step forward from your trusty 2200 -- faster, sharper, better color gamut, more neutral B&W's, less metamerism, etc. Also more economical ink costs due to the larger 80ml cartridges.

Pretty well any Epson pigment ink-based printer will clog if the conditions are conducive for it. Keeping the printer powered off when not in use (to properly stow the heads), printing with reasonable frequency, and running head checks & cleaning as required are just part of the game plan. For most people it's not a serious problem, although some folks do have more than their fair share of clogs...

If you're nearly always going to be printing on sheet luster media (whether it's Premium Luster, or one of its variants like Smooth Pearl or Micro Ceramic Luster, or UltraPro Satin, etc.), then I highly recommend the 3800. You won't have to worry so much about the black swapping issue, since you'll be printing on luster most of the time. If you do an occasional matte print here and there, then the cost and time associated with the switching of PK and MK inks will be quite small, almost negligible.

Prints on luster from a 3800 (and in general, Epson K3 printers such as the R2400, 4800, etc.) have noticeable improvements compared to a 2200, including:

- a deeper black, leading to higher contrast and dynamic range
- smoother tones and more neutral grays
- fewer artifacts (e.g., less gloss differential, less bronzing)
- less color shifting when the print is viewed under different lighting (e.g., less metamerism)

As noted above, you can indeed feed 17" x 25" luster sheets to a 3800.

Some more info on 17" x 25" sheets here:

http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp ... #where1725