Epson 3880 - Stylus Pro Color Inkjet Printer Brochure - Page 3

Browse online or download pdf Brochure for Printer Epson 3880 - Stylus Pro Color Inkjet Printer. Epson 3880 - Stylus Pro Color Inkjet Printer 3 pages. Printer
Also for Epson 3880 - Stylus Pro Color Inkjet Printer: Specifications (2 pages), Network Manual (39 pages), Brochure & Specs (8 pages), Start Here (2 pages), Start Here Manual (6 pages), Limited Warranty (12 pages), Color Management Manual (47 pages), Brochure & Specs (8 pages), Network Manual (38 pages), Quick Start Manual (2 pages)

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Epson 3880 - Stylus Pro Color Inkjet Printer Brochure

critical to have the paper loaded into the rear,

manual feed and not the auto sheet feeder as

the latter approach will truncate the image, even

though it looks OK in the print preview. This isn't

mentioned in the user guide.

Print time at Level 5 (with high speed print-

ing switched off0 for an 832x360 mm image on

950 x 431 mm paper was 29:40 minutes. The 6.0

millilitres of ink used was calculated to cost $7 .44

in return for a rather sizeable print. At the end of

printing the paper will remain on the fully extend-

ed receiving tray so it's safe to attend to other

matters during the printing. The two prerequisites

for rear-feed printing are adequate space and

having the paper well ﬂ attened out after cutting

down from a roll. Curled paper can be loaded, but

it can lead to head strikes.

Job information is accessed by the printer's

LCD read-out panel. By working through 'Printer

Status' and 'Job History', data for the last ten

prints can be accessed, including the amount

of ink consumed to 0.1 millilitre accuracy. If

the graphic representation of ink levels isn't to

your liking, the menu will show the percentage

remaining for each cartridge.

Epson's UltraChromeK3 inks may not enjoy

quite the same longevity ratings as the HP

pigments, but they are extensive enough. The

Wilhelm Research rating (for a print under glass

with no UV ﬁ ltration) for the Premium Glossy

paper is 85 years, for the Ultrasmooth it's 108,

the Velvet is 166 and the Premium semi-matte is

rated at 67 years. In album or book storage the

ratings are between 200 to 300 years.

Flying Colours

All the usual tests we conduct were passed with

honours – and include using various paper types

including dual-sided with back-to-back registration

marks for book work, large prints and border-

less prints. The 'canned' proﬁ les were accurate

and didn't require any test strips. I'm not one for

printing test charts because there are so many

variables involved and a truly helpful evaluation

is hard to achieve. There is an improvement in

colour gamut compared to the 3800, but it would

take special instruments to ﬁ nd the differences.

Printing a series of favourite prints and comparing

the results from other printers is my preferred

way of making assessments. Provided the appro-

priate media is selected and all printing settings

are correct, the Stylus Pro 3880 certainly turns

out great results with minimum fuss.

The Epson Velvet Fine Art paper is 100

percent cotton rag, has an acid-free base and

a bright white surface. Expensive as it may be,

this paper is something special and would be my

ﬁ rst choice for ﬁ ne-art printing in both colour and

black and white when using the 3880. The Epson

UltraSmooth Fine Art paper is also a favourite,

but its base colour may be a little too yellow

for some tastes.

The Verdict

The beauty of the Epson Stylus Pro 3880 lies

just not in its elegant appearance, but in its ease

of set-up and its printing capacity. The major-

ity of users will probably opt for Epson's own

media and can conﬁ dently adopt the included

proﬁ les and follow the let 'printer manages

colour' method. Those who prefer other media

merely install the appropriate ICC proﬁ le, turn off

colour management via Mode>Custom>Colour

EPSON

Printer Type:

A2+ format (17 inches wide) for

photo-quality prints via a nine-colour pigmented

inkset (but eight cartridges in use at any one time

with auto switching between matte black and

photo black).

Maximum Resolution:

2880x1440 dpi.

Ink Cartridges:

Individual per colour, 80 millilitre

capacity. Epson UltraChromeK3 VM/VLM pigments.

Colours are photo black, matte black, cyan, light

cyan, vivid magenta, vivid light magenta, yellow,

light black and light light black. Smallest droplet size

is 3.5 picolitres.

Borderless printing on cut sheets from

Paper Sizes:

150x100 mm up to A2. Printer cannot accept paper

rolls. Maximum custom print size is 432x950 mm.

Interfaces:

One USB 2.0 high-speed connection

Clockwise from top left:

The maximum user-defined paper size is

•

431.8x950 mm, but paper must be inserted

from the rear manual feed.

Final print preview ensures all is well.

•

The 'Quality Options' page allows for the selection

•

of one of five print quality levels plus a high speed

printing mode.

The print progress display includes a graphic rep-

•

resentation and also shows both the printing time

remaining and the ink levels in each cartridge.

Manual adjustments can be made via the Color

•

Controls panel.

Page layout is the second print panel.

•

Print panel.

•

Controls>Off and let 'Photoshop Manage Colour'

with the proﬁ le locked in.

Priced at $2195 the 3880 is tantalising enough

for those contemplating a new or replacement

A3+ printer. Although the 3880 is more cost-

efﬁ cient with inks compared to an A3+ printer it's

important to appreciate this advantage doesn't

come into play until a large volume of prints is

produced. Anyone requiring just A3 or A3+ size

prints would need to carry out some calculations

with regard to the initial outlay and the on-going

ink cartridge costs.

In many respects the Epson Stylus Pro 3800

could be regarded as 'entry-level' to the A2 for-

mat because it lacks some of the features

of bigger and higher-end models such as a roll

paper feed, larger ink cartridges and a built-in

colour calibration device. But being relatively

affordable and far more compact, this printer

allows many more photographers to move into

the A2 format. Signiﬁ cantly, there are no compro-

mises in print quality.

STYLUS PRO 3880

$2195

and one Ethernet connection.

39 dB (A).

Acoustic Noise:

Main Features:

Micro Piezo print head with

180 nozzles per colour, variable droplet sizing,

AccuPhoto HD2 screening, LUT Technology, five

print quality levels and two speed modes, Advanced

B&W mode, auto matte/photo black ink switch-

ing (according to media type), head alignment and

maintenance sensors.

Dimensions (WxHxD):

19.8 kilograms (without ink cartridges

Weight:

or media).

$2195 (inc. GST). Ink cartridges are $99 each.

Price:

Distributor:

Epson Australia, telephone

1300 131 928 or visit

684x257x376 mm (closed).