So due to space I'm finding converting my bathroom into a darkroom a real chore. I'm beginning to think it's going to be a lot easier to buy a good printer and scanner and use those. I'm thinking of trying to get hold of a v700 or 750 form eBay. I really don't know much about printers. I want something that can give comparable results to wet prints and A4 is adequate for me. Can people just tell me a bit about them, what to look out for etc?
Thanks
Boscoe
Espon 3880. Simple, huh?
--Darin
The quality pigment photo printers all have larger paper sizes, it's a shame they don't make a state of the art small printer. The R3000 will print comparably and is a lot less expensive to buy but the ink costs much more. The 3880 is larger, more expensive but more economical on ink and higher build quality. You have to figure the amount of output you'll do to compare value.
There is NO PRINTER which can give results comparable to a wel done silver print!!!Originally Posted by Boscoe
If your criteria is absolute print quality I would recommend the R3000. It has 2 picoliter drops vs 3.5 for 3880, and if you print on very smooth paper and/or make digital negatives you can see a difference if you look very closely at the print. And my own experience is that the dreaded "pizza wheel" marks are less problematic with the R3000 than with the 3880 with some media.
On the other hand, the R3000 is limited to 13X19" size, compared to the 17" wide carriage of the 3880, and the smaller cartridges will result in higher ink cost.
Sandy
For discussion and information about carbon transfer please visit the carbon group at groups.io
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With all of these printers, is there a minimum number of times they have to be used each week or each month to avoid clogging issues? I know with my darkroom, my use varies a lot; there can be times when I am printing several days each week, but also a month or more when all I'm doing is developing, and using my scanner and inexpensive desk jet printer merely to make proofs. That has always been my concern about really getting into digital printing.
I would say that the inactivity/clogging problem has been solved with the newer, better photo inkjets (like the 3880). I used to get clogs on my old Epson 2200, but not at all on my 3880, and sometimes my 3880 can sit for a few weeks between print runs. Just speaking from my experience only...
Yes, although it varies and some people, that seemingly only exist on the internet and not in real life, claim that they can leave their Epsons for months at a time and never get a clog. Others seem to get clogs daily for no apparent reason. My latest experience was that my last Epson started to act flakey a few weeks after the warranty expired and repair costs were more than it was worth so out to the curb a $600 printer went.
Truth is that once I printed a few portfolios and prints to frame/donate/sell, there wasn't a reason to print very much. If I had $5000 to print an exhibit of 16x20s then I might get a new Epson but otherwise... I will send out to a good printmaker for the occasional fine inkjet.
Under ideal conditions I am sure that silver prints are "best" but I've seen very few prints and printers who create ideal conditions. What I mostly see exhibited are a lot of poorly printed silver prints with defects throughout and obvious Spotone marks, or alt process prints with a lot of excuses and "organic random happy accidents". In comparison, a rich inkjet without apologies is a welcome relief from amateur hour.
FWIW, I've had clogging problems with every inkjet printer I've used, with the exception of the 3880. I'm hard on printers; mine sit idle for weeks at a time between projects, and until recently, I lived in industrial spaces that had practically no climate control. The printers really don't like low humidity, like what they get here all winter long.
The recommendations for using and maintaining the 3880 are about the same as for anything else. It's not supposed to sit unused long stretches. But in most people's experience, it's unusually robust about putting up with neglect.
My current 3880 does clog from time to time, but it's usually after a long stretch of inactivity, and it's always cleared with a single head-cleaning.
Do you want to print color, bw, or both? Do you want to print on papers that require photo black ink or on papers that require matte black ink?
“You often feel tired, not because you've done too much, but because you've done too little of what sparks a light in you.”
― Alexander Den Heijer, Nothing You Don't Already Know
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