Ink jet printer for b/w

[Iga]

Hi !
Absolute newbie in digital printing asks for advise :
Looking for ink jet printer for casual use at home for
Black and White only,
A3 max size,
used one, is it good idea ?
Opinions from actual users are very welcome.
Thanks,
Igor.

[Brian Ellis]

Epson 3800 used/refurbished or 3880, loaded with Cone inks.

http://shopping.netsuite.com/inkjetmall

I don't know where you're located so I don't know about the availability of these items wherever you are.

You probably could find something that would do the job for less money but this printer and ink combination is one of the best for b&w. You could also forget the Cone inks and use the Epson color inks with QTR. www.harrington.com Or you could forget QTR (though it's inexpensive and easy to use so there's no real reason not to use it IMHO) and just use the Epson Advanced B&W option in the printer software.

I wouldn't buy a used printer myself without knowing the seller and something about the printer but you don't give a price range and buying used or refurbished will save some money.

[Peter De Smidt]

I would get a new or refurbished 3880. Use the Epson inks and ABW mode to start.

[sanking]

I would get a new or refurbished Epson 3800 or 3880 and set it up with the Cone K7 carbon ink set. This will allow you to do gloss or matte printing, with an ink set that uses all carbon inks. In terms of permanence with an inkjet printer, this is as good as it gets, as independent testing has shown.

The 3800 and 3880 are basically the same printer, but Epson replaced the defective magenta of the 3800 (that caused many permanent clogs) with a better magenta in the 3880. They call it Vivid Magenta, but the skeptics among us believe that the change was basically a way for Epson to correct the problem for the magenta in the 3800 that caused clogs without taking responsibility for the problem.

In my experience the Cone K7 inks are no more likely to cause clogs than the Epson K3 ink set, in fact less likely than the 3800 with its magenta.

Sandy

[Peter De Smidt]

The Cone K7 carbon ink set is very good, as long as you like warm-tone prints. Mr. Cone recommends that before loading one of his ink sets that you load your printer with OEM inks to make sure it is performing properly. You might as well make some prints with the OEM inks if you're going to do that.

[marfa boomboom tx]

The Cone K7 carbon ink set is very good, as long as you like warm-tone prints. Mr. Cone recommends that before loading one of his ink sets that you load your printer with OEM inks to make sure it is performing properly. You might as well make some prints with the OEM inks if you're going to do that.

yes. +1
let the path be easy, since it is so bloody long

[Iga]

Thanks all !
3880 is A2 format as I see. I will print A4 and A3 only. What about R2880 or R3000 ?
Thanks,
Igor.

[Peter De Smidt]

The main issue with a 2880 is that the ink cartridges are much, much smaller than with the 3880. This will make printing with the 2880 much more expensive in the long run. I don't know about the R3000. Are you planing on printing with matte type papers or glossy? Neutral, cool or warmtone?

[Ari]

I have had an R2880 for a year now, and, like the OP, I print occasionally.
As such I haven't had to change any ink cartridges yet, and I bought the printer used.
It's a very good and versatile printer, once you understand the software side of it (speaking as a digital-printing newbie, too).
It, too, will accept third-party inks.

[Iga]

Thanks Peter and Ari !
Peter, printing in darkroom I rarely use matt paper. As for tone - I'd say 75% are warm tone, many Selenium and sepia toned.
Best,
Igor.