so, after nearly 8 years with the r2400, i took the 'bait' of a $300 rebate and 'bit' on the new (relatively, actually two years since introduction) epson r3880. not that the r2400 was any slouch, altho it had become a little persnickity in its maturity. and this gave me an excuse to go one size larger, from 13 in width to 17 in width.
initial print was just perfect straight out of the box, with minimal setup time. good news, printer seems to be self-calibrating to 'some' degree at least, and did not require me to squint and do an eye test for nozzle alignments; no more having to swap out black cartridges; now with a disposable/replaceable waste ink tank so as to (try and) avoid a service call just for that maintenance issue; and a drop quieter. Maybe best news, is the relatively small footprint, only three inches more than the 2400, so it fit in the same space as before. Bad news...is the cost of a set of 9x80ml ink carts is about the same as a pair of cased Dovo straight razors! Albeit, on a per page basis, probably a little less than the smaller 13ml ones for the r2400.
now, for the next question...how many large prints will i do in a year? really not that many, and costco is such an amazing value for those. still, it's fun to watch this machine do its magic and get immediate gratification.
quite a change from the old days in the darkroom, running 16x20's in trays, drums or large countertop processors, 30 minutes a pop at 100deg F, with the nice scent of nitrates and chlorates wafting all around! now, i don't have to worry about those aromas, which would definitely clash with my A/S!!
Pics of course...
Here was the r2400 on same stand...
initial print was just perfect straight out of the box, with minimal setup time. good news, printer seems to be self-calibrating to 'some' degree at least, and did not require me to squint and do an eye test for nozzle alignments; no more having to swap out black cartridges; now with a disposable/replaceable waste ink tank so as to (try and) avoid a service call just for that maintenance issue; and a drop quieter. Maybe best news, is the relatively small footprint, only three inches more than the 2400, so it fit in the same space as before. Bad news...is the cost of a set of 9x80ml ink carts is about the same as a pair of cased Dovo straight razors! Albeit, on a per page basis, probably a little less than the smaller 13ml ones for the r2400.
now, for the next question...how many large prints will i do in a year? really not that many, and costco is such an amazing value for those. still, it's fun to watch this machine do its magic and get immediate gratification.
quite a change from the old days in the darkroom, running 16x20's in trays, drums or large countertop processors, 30 minutes a pop at 100deg F, with the nice scent of nitrates and chlorates wafting all around! now, i don't have to worry about those aromas, which would definitely clash with my A/S!!
Pics of course...
Here was the r2400 on same stand...
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