Anyone using an Epson Pro 3880 printer?

[Spie]

I'm in the process of upgrading my monitor and printer to take advantage of the fabulous image quality produced by the M9.

I've posted a query regarding suitable monitors here but I'm a bit short of information regarding the Epson Pro 3880 printer. I have read 1 very favourable review but I'd be very interested to hear from anyone who has one.

 

[Spie]

One thing to consider thought is that to get it to run correctly you will need to set it up correctly. Do some reading on colour management (I warn you it is a very deep minefield of information and confusion.). But essentially, buy a monitor and paper calibrator. Get your monitor calibrated to a target similar to your viewing conditions (say 65k, 100lumins), then make a paper profile for your paper of choice.

Do you want glossy, lustre or matte images? Personally I'm not a fan of super glossy papers, so I would look at something like the Illford smooth pearl (Lustre) or Hahnemuhle photo rag (matte). I would also seriously look at getting a decent third party RIP. I use Colorbyte Imageprint, which although does have it's quirks is a good and intuitive piece of software. It not only makes it easier to print images, but will improve image quality and ink efficiency of the printer.

When you talk about "viewing conditions" my study does get direct sunlight making viewing conditions variable throughout the day. Is this a problem?

I have no idea what a RIP is. Please explain.

 

[Spie]

I've decided to go for the 3880. It has excellent reviews, is fairly compact and can print on small paper sizes.

Which leads me to my next question. It doesn't have a roll option, which doesn't bother me, so I'll be using cut sheets. Probably A2, A4 and some small sizes. So what paper should I use for the most faithful reproduction?

 

[Spie]

Are any of the Epson papers worth a look? I can buy them at a reasonable price