Opinions about Epson 7880

[lassethomas]

I have the chance to acquire a used Epson 7880 printer in what looks like fair to good condition with some inks a roll of paper for $500.

Don't know much about the Epson X880 line?

Any experiences, pitfalls, quirks or praise...?
Anything really

[Greg]

I acquired my EPSON STYLUS PRO 7800 probably 14 years ago. Since then I have run dozens of 100 foot rolls of paper through it. It was stored for about 5 years till last year when I wanted to start to use it again. At that time several nozzles were clogged. Took running the Power Cleaning Cycle probably 5 times over a week's time with a new set of inks to get it up and running again. It's been going on six months since resurrecting the 7800. I just make sure that I print something with it every week to keep the nozzles from clogging. Resides in a 62-72 degree room with 35-45% humidity. Only "problem" I have with the printer now is that the manual paper cutter button does not work, and I can easily work around that. Other than that, I have had 0% problems with the 7800.

[lassethomas]

I acquired my EPSON STYLUS PRO 7800 probably 14 years ago. Since then I have run dozens of 100 foot rolls of paper through it. It was stored for about 5 years till last year when I wanted to start to use it again. At that time several nozzles were clogged. Took running the Power Cleaning Cycle probably 5 times over a week's time with a new set of inks to get it up and running again. It's been going on six months since resurrecting the 7800. I just make sure that I print something with it every week to keep the nozzles from clogging. Resides in a 62-72 degree room with 35-45% humidity. Only "problem" I have with the printer now is that the manual paper cutter button does not work, and I can easily work around that. Other than that, I have had 0% problems with the 7800.

Greg, thanks for sharing.
I indeed did buy the printer. It actually was in much better condition than implied. As good as new, only had done 105 prints.
And therefore pretty clogged. But 6 or 7 cleaning cycles later it it seems OK.
Very pleased!

[Carl J]

Hi,

I know this last post is 2 years old but is a printer like the 7880 (priced similarly but having seen more use) still a reasonable deal in 2023 for black and white prints and digital negatives? I understand these older printers can take third-party inks, refillable cartridges. What kinds of problems is one likely to run into (with an older printer)? I know they have to be run regularly to avoid clogging, possible issues with sheet feeding vs. rolls, other issues (how long can a well-maintained printer last). Are there any software support issues, or other potential downsides? I'm committed to the analog darkroom but interested in exploring digital printing and options up to 24".

Thanks

[bdkphoto]

Hi,

I know this last post is 2 years old but is a printer like the 7880 (priced similarly but having seen more use) still a reasonable deal in 2023 for black and white prints and digital negatives? I understand these older printers can take third-party inks, refillable cartridges. What kinds of problems is one likely to run into (with an older printer)? I know they have to be run regularly to avoid clogging, possible issues with sheet feeding vs. rolls, other issues (how long can a well-maintained printer last). Are there any software support issues, or other potential downsides? I'm committed to the analog darkroom but interested in exploring digital printing and options up to 24".

Thanks

I've had my 3880 working for years, no real issues at all. I've converted to the refillable cartridges from inkjet mall, once I went through the process a few times it became easy - the inks use the standard epson profiles. They also have cleaning and maintenance supplies that work well as well as comprehensive tutorials for maintenance and workflow. All my recent work has been in color but I've had great success in the past with Quadtone rip for B&W. I would not hesitate to set up a dedicated printer for B&W but I don't have the space at the moment.

I just finished the printing (yesterday) for my upcoming museum exhibition here in NYC. I'll let everyone know details later next week..;-) !!

https://shop.inkjetmall.com

[Carl J]

I've had my 3880 working for years, no real issues at all. I've converted to the refillable cartridges from inkjet mall, once I went through the process a few times it became easy - the inks use the standard epson profiles. They also have cleaning and maintenance supplies that work well as well as comprehensive tutorials for maintenance and workflow. All my recent work has been in color but I've had great success in the past with Quadtone rip for B&W. I would not hesitate to set up a dedicated printer for B&W but I don't have the space at the moment.

I just finished the printing (yesterday) for my upcoming museum exhibition here in NYC. I'll let everyone know details later next week..;-) !!

https://shop.inkjetmall.com


Hi Bruce, thanks, I appreciate your reassuring comments. Great images on your site. A bit torn between Epson and Canon. What do you use for your color work?

[bdkphoto]

Hi Bruce, thanks, I appreciate your reassuring comments. Great images on your site. A bit torn between Epson and Canon. What do you use for your color work?

I've been using the epson 3880 for color with the cone color inks in refillable cartridges -

[Michael Rosenberg]

I had bought a used 7880 over 10 years ago. Only put epson K3 inks through it. It is a great printer, and I have used it to print a lot of digital negatives, color prints, and black and white prints. Never had a single issue with it. All paper is top loaded, never used roll paper.

Mike

[Carl J]

I had bought a used 7880 over 10 years ago. Only put epson K3 inks through it. It is a great printer, and I have used it to print a lot of digital negatives, color prints, and black and white prints. Never had a single issue with it. All paper is top loaded, never used roll paper.

Mike

Michael, this is good to know about the 7880 (and similar) large format Epson's. Sounds like they can do it all. I'm still in the research phase of older vs. a new (or newer) printer. Things like if there are 'must have' features in newer printers or if it's been more of a steady evolution and an older printer can still work well. Sounds like an older printer can still be a viable option, as it sounds like the technology is fairly mature. I have the typical concerns about printing frequency (techniques for avoiding clogs), cost of paper and inks (larger capacity, more $$$, but also more options), time needed for coming up to speed with software (including monthly costs if using one of the more popular software packages, access to drivers, etc.), but seems like keeping these considerations in mind a used larger printer could be a reasonable way to go and I'm keeping my eyes open. Even if a printer is relatively 'cheap' there are a lot of other costs to keep in mind.

thanks, everyone!