Printer Recommendations

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 Post subject: Re: Printer Recommendations
Unread postPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 7:15 pm 
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Great website Michael (maybe could be added to a permanent location for those that need the info here). For what I'm doing (maybe 8x12 or smaller prints a month and 90% B&W) the R2880 sounds as good as anything.

Anyone using a monitor and printer calibrator like the Xrite ColorMunki (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Brand_X-Rite&ci=12000&N=4220238354+4291109525), or would just a standard monitor calibrator be good enough?

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 Post subject: Re: Printer Recommendations
Unread postPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2012 9:29 pm 
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Yeah, they've got some great stuff there. Will find a home for the link somewhere.

Even the R1800 is pretty well regarded, if that works for you. These printers all max out at a reasonable size for home printing. If you need to print bigger or have batch runs - having them done professionally makes more sense, I think.

If you stick with manufacturer inks and papers, or go with papers that have a corresponding profile for your printer - you should be okay (provided your monitor is accurate). This has been my strategy thus far. If you want to get creative, try out that oddball paper or just be as accurate as possible... You're on your own without a colorimeter. I've been eyeing the ColorMunki myself. I've been using a HueyPRO for years now, but it's a monitor-only solution.

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 Post subject: Re: Printer Recommendations
Unread postPosted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:31 am 
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Well it took me a few months; checking B&H for good rebates, free shipping, etc. I finally settled on the Epson R3000. So far I've tried a few different Epson papers, and purchased a sample box of Moab papers. Almost everything has been spot on. I'm looking forward to using the roll paper capabilities, and trying a sample pack of the Canson papers. It's huge for city apartment spaces, but I think a good printer is essential to the photographic experience I'm looking for.

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 Post subject: Re: Printer Recommendations
Unread postPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:47 am 
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Sweet, Alex! Congrats. I've heard good things about the R3000 and it's nice that you can use roll paper. I'd have to agree... If you're gonna do it, go big! It's got to do 11x14 at a minimum, IMO.

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 Post subject: Re: Printer Recommendations
Unread postPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 1:13 am 
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I'm still running through the random sample packs of paper before I make the $70+ commitment on a pack of 13x19 and the $125+ commitment on a roll. So far I've loved the Moab Entrada Bright for the few digital color images I have, and the standard Epson lustre has been as good as anything for my B&W scans.

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 Post subject: Re: Printer Recommendations
Unread postPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 2:03 am 
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I can understand that. I've got to go through the same process myself with my Canon, to get out of the Canon paper options (which are limited). The trick is finding a paper source that supplies profiles for your printer - unless you have your own colorimeter...

Did you ever read the Imaging Resource review of the R3000 printer? They have great reviews with a ton of info. I read the one for my printer quite a few times!

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 Post subject: Re: Printer Recommendations
Unread postPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 2:25 am 
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I'd recommend the Moab sample pack if your printer is listed among their icc profiles. It comes with two sheets each, and so far the icc profiles have been pretty spot on.

I did read the review, and will likely go back to it in the future

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 Post subject: Re: Printer Recommendations
Unread postPosted: Thu Feb 26, 2015 11:53 am 
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Time to kick this topic back to life. I just bought a Espon Stylus Pro 3880 yesterday. Haven't had the time to install it just yet though.

Anybody got experiences on one of these? Any particular tips or tricks I should know before starting?

Particularly interested if we have Leica X shooters in here using this printer..

It's my first real photo printer, so I'm quite exited about it :-) Calibrated my screen yesterday in preparation..

And I got the 3880 because it was cheaper than R3000 in practise. The printer price itself was 400€ more, but it comes with 80ml ink cartridges. The R3000 comes with 26ml cartridges, so you need to buy 2 x 9 ink spares to get same amount of ink. That would equal with Epson retail prices roughly 510€.. so ink considered, the 3880 was 110€ or 150usd cheaper!

//Juha


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 Post subject: Re: Printer Recommendations
Unread postPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 4:10 pm 
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Congratulations (belated) on getting the 3880. I've been thinking that may be my next printer. Currently I'm using a Canon PIXMA 9000 Mark II, usually with Moab Lasal Photo Matte 235. You were smart to look at the actual cost in use, factoring in the cost of ink. I got the Canon virtually for free as a premium when I purchased a 5D Mark II camera; however, a set of 8 13ml (type CLI-8) ink cartridges costs around $100 (US). I suspect a printer using larger-capacity ink cartridges might be less costly to run over the long-haul.

The Canon has operated reliably on the medium-weight papers with no maintenance (other than running the print-head cleaning routine) for the last two years. On the other hand, it doesn't feed 300 gm papers reliably. When I want to make large high-quality photo prints on heavy paper, that will be the time I get serious about an Epson 3880.


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 Post subject: New Canon Pro 100 Printer
Unread postPosted: Sat Jul 09, 2016 1:17 pm 
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Although this discussion of printers has been dormant for some time now, it was still of benefit in making my decision to get one of the Canon Pixma Pro 100 dye inkjet printers before all of their rebates & discounts expired. It got good reviews from Northlight Images & Imaging Resources, plus the Wirecutter rated it as the value runner up to their recommendation to get the Epxon P600 pigment inkjet printer. For my planned printing needs, I just couldn't justify spending about four times the cost of the Canon to get the Epson. Also the archival ratings of Canon's new dye inks are substantially improved over the old ones that would start fading almost right after printing! And at B&H in addition to their $100 discount off Canon's Price, they threw in 50 sheets of 13X19 semi gloss paper that they sell for $75. So the net price of the printer was less than $100, making it a much better choice for me.

Also a couple months ago I worked at a photo festival & got 4 or 5 packets of fine art papers from Canson, Canon & Epson. So that will give me a good test batch to try out while getting used to the printer. I have the ColorMunki monitor calibrator & hopefully with downloading the right printer profiles for the papers being used, the color management will turn out at least as good as I was getting sending my images out for printing. And if anyone out their has any experience with the Red River papers, I would appreciate hearing about it. They get some very good reviews as a reasonably priced quality product.


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