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This printer was purchased to replace an Epson Stylus Pro 4000 that I have been using for about the past 3 years. When the 4000 came out, it was supposed to be technological breakthrough and had multiple rave reviews. Ultimately, I've been disappointed with it, both from a "quality of final print" and "ease of printing" standpoint. The Epson Stylus Pro 3880 is two generations beyond the 4000, and corrects the major flaws of its predecessor.
I consider myself an advanced amateur photographer, having printed all of my own photographs (B&W and color) in the darkroom for more than 25 years. I'm really comparing the results of the Stylus Pro printers to the best results that I could achieve using traditional methods. Digital photography is going to replace 99% of traditional photo processing, so the standard seems fair.
From a print quality standpoint, the SP 4000 suffered from significant bronzing (metallic sheen when viewed at an angle), metamerism (color shifts dependent on lighting) and gloss differential (difference in sheen depending on thickness of ink sprayed in an area). The majority of these flaws have been addressed by the latest generation of ink (Ultrachrome K3 with Vivid Magenta) and the newest printhead. On B&W prints, where bronzing was the biggest issue, bronzing is now completely absent on prints using Epson Exhibition Fiber paper and Ultra Premium Luster. I also don't appreciate any significant color shifts (metamerism) when viewing prints under different lighting conditions or different angles. Gloss differential has been significantly improved, but not completely eliminated. With the SP 4000, the ink would turn glossy surfaces semigloss, leaving a very distracting pattern. With the SP 3880, the only areas with subtle gloss differential are areas where there is no ink at all (washed out highlights). If there is any ink at all on the surface, the print looks even and smooth, even on glossy paper.
The quality of the prints are really quite amazing. For the first time in my life, I looked at a couple of prints that I made in the "Advanced B&W" mode and had to admit that they were as good as anything that I could have produced in the darkroom. The Epson Exhibition Fiber paper (F surface) has a look and feel very similar to the Ilford FB (fiber based) Glossy paper that I used to print on. The color prints are also stunning. Although the Ilfochrome prints I used to make had a level of color depth and saturation that was hard to beat, these SP 3880 prints are at least 98% as good with 20% of the effort and 100% better control (via Photoshop).
The machine itself appears reasonably well built and thoughtfully designed. It's not quite the beast that the 4000 was, but that's mostly a good thing. This machine can actually be lifted by one person and takes up a footprint that's about 20% less than the 4000. The front door where the prints come out does seem a bit flimsy, but with care it should hold up. The only unanswered question for me regards ink jet clogging. The SP 4000 was very difficult to unclog if it sat unused for a week or two. I would estimate that at least half my ink went towards unclogging the print head. I understand that the newest generation is supposed to be better, but I'll find out over the next few months. Right now, the printer is being used nearly daily, trying to reprint all of the pictures that I was 80% satisfied with in the past.
In summary, the Stylus Pro 3880 is a significant advancement from older machines. It might not be enough to justify upgrading from a 3800, but if you're using a 4000/7600/9600 generation machine, you'll never regret it.
Addendum: The one year follow-up!
After one year of printing fairly regularly, I have to say that I am still very pleased with the printer. The most amazing thing, by far, is the fact that the ink jets have never clogged even once. The old SP 4000 clogged even after 5 days of disuse. Although I'm generally printing small photos, I'm actually still on my first set of ink cartridges. I easily went through 5-10 times the amount of ink with the SP 4000. I didn't realize how much ink I was actually wasting clearing the ink jets regularly (in spite of never running a "power" cleaning). My only minor complaint with the printer is still the mild gloss differential. For more critical prints, I've sprayed on PremierArt's Print Shield with good results. No other issues so far and many outstanding prints in both color and B&W.
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