Posted by Terry Sohl on October 22, 2009 at 3:48 PM
Hi,
Used to print all my own photos, on an Epson 2200. It died a while ago, and I started going with a printer in town.
They stink. I want to start printing my own again. Any recommendations? 13x19 is as big as I'll ever go, so something like the 2200 is fine.
I see the 2880 is recommended a lot. Any thoughts?
Posted by Mel Ladewig on October 22, 2009 at 4:25 PM
Go to the 3800/3880. Even if you won't print larger than 13X19, you'll save a ton of cash on ink with this larger printer in the long run and you don't have to use a fickle CIS system to do it.
Posted by Dan Borzynski on October 22, 2009 at 6:12 PM
I was thinking the 3800 class as well, especially if you do a fair amount of printing.
Some questions: How much printing a week do you do? I'd probably double the number of prints you are have done locally, simply because of convenience. Is roll paper something you anticipate using? Budget constraints - is the 2200 series as high as you'll go? Keep in mind ink costs as well. In the long run, the 3800 series is cheaper to operate but a lot more expensive at the start. Are you willing to consider Canon or HP? I'm not too familar with their offerings except those at another 0 of cost over the 2200 series, not that I can afford those.
(Sorry, I don't know much about the 2280 but it is probably a good printer)
From what he's saying the 3800/3880 are still top performers in the game. The upgrades to the 3880 don’t necessarily seem worth it so perhaps a discounted 3800 is in your future.
I’ve printed on mine for 2 years and never had any issues with nozzle clogs, etc. My biggest issue has been the pizza wheel marks on B&W images.
Posted by Larry Puckett on October 22, 2009 at 7:00 PM
Well, I don't know about Epson but I am totally blown away with the quality I get from my Canon Pixma Pro 9000. I got mine for only $100 when I bought my 50D and have used it to print photos that pop from 4x6 to 13x19. More importantly, I can go a couple months without using it and then crank it up and print immediately without any fear of clogging. I know it might not be archival but the photos will certainly outlast me and Canon is constantly working on new inks that extend the life of the print. They may never get them to the point where they last as long as pigmented inks but the color you get is phenomenal--Larry
Posted by John Mumaw on October 22, 2009 at 9:53 PM
Re: Epson 3800.
You can get an awful lot of excellent quality prints made from Mpix for the nearly $1000 that this printer costs, not counting paper and ink supplies.
For me it was partly completing the circle of photography. Having spent time in a darkroom I wanted the feeling of seeing a print emerge - not arrive in the mail.
Also, I've had color cast issues with Mpix and rarely shoot to their crop requirements.
Posted by Kent Staubus on October 23, 2009 at 11:09 AM
I am another who has prints delivered. I don't make enough of them to justify spending the big money for a printer at home. I'd rather spend the money on more lights and lenses. There are times I do want to make quick prints to give away to railroad crews etc. For that I have a $100 Kodak ESP3 printer. The ink is very cheap, I use Kodak paper from Walmart, and I can make a lot of 8x10s in a hurry for not much money when I need to. The one thing I don't like about sending images out to be printed is they only seem to want jpeg. I prefer to print from tiff.
Kent in SD
Posted by Eric Vaughan on October 23, 2009 at 9:38 PM
I would go with 3800 and here is why. The Epson 2880 is a great printer, but when you factor in how much more ink you get with the larger ink cartridges on the 3800, it is just as cheap or cheaper then the 2880. Look at it this way, if you bought the 2880 and enough extra ink to equal what you get with 3800, be about the same price. With the new 3880 coming out, should be able to pick up good deal on new 3800.
Discussion
8 repliesUsed to print all my own photos, on an Epson 2200. It died a while ago, and I started going with a printer in town.
They stink. I want to start printing my own again. Any recommendations? 13x19 is as big as I'll ever go, so something like the 2200 is fine.
I see the 2880 is recommended a lot. Any thoughts?
Some questions: How much printing a week do you do? I'd probably double the number of prints you are have done locally, simply because of convenience. Is roll paper something you anticipate using? Budget constraints - is the 2200 series as high as you'll go? Keep in mind ink costs as well. In the long run, the 3800 series is cheaper to operate but a lot more expensive at the start. Are you willing to consider Canon or HP? I'm not too familar with their offerings except those at another 0 of cost over the 2200 series, not that I can afford those.
(Sorry, I don't know much about the 2280 but it is probably a good printer)
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/printers/3880.shtml
From what he's saying the 3800/3880 are still top performers in the game. The upgrades to the 3880 don’t necessarily seem worth it so perhaps a discounted 3800 is in your future.
I’ve printed on mine for 2 years and never had any issues with nozzle clogs, etc. My biggest issue has been the pizza wheel marks on B&W images.
Check out Eric Chan’s run down for the specs and potential issues
http://people.csail.mit.edu/ericchan/dp/Epson3800/
You can get an awful lot of excellent quality prints made from Mpix for the nearly $1000 that this printer costs, not counting paper and ink supplies.
Just a thought....
That's a fair point for sure.
For me it was partly completing the circle of photography. Having spent time in a darkroom I wanted the feeling of seeing a print emerge - not arrive in the mail.
Also, I've had color cast issues with Mpix and rarely shoot to their crop requirements.
Kent in SD