Photoshop Insider

My Beloved Epson Stylus Photo R2400 Has Been Replaced….By Something Better; The New R2880

By Scott on Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 at 5:41 am | updates.

This morning, Epson announced the replacement for my all-time favorite 13″x19″ printer (the R2400, which still sits proudly on my desk, though probably not for long), with their new Epson Stylus Photo R2880 printer, which takes advantage of Epson’s UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta ink technology, and a high-performance print head. It’s anticipated street price is $799.

You can read about all the new features in Epson’s Press Release, on the next page…

EPSON STYLUS® PHOTO R2880 CREATES 13-INCH EXHIBITION QUALITY PRINTS WITH EPSON ULTRACHROME K3™ INK WITH VIVID MAGENTA
Professional and Fine Art Photographers Now Have the Ultimate in Creative Control When Producing Black & White and Color Prints with the Epson R2880

LONG BEACH, CA – May 27, 2008 – Epson, the overwhelming brand of choice among professional photographers, today announced the Epson Stylus Photo R2880, a professional printer designed for photographers who seek the highest-quality sellable photographic and fine art prints. Incorporating the same technology as the Epson Stylus Pro printer line, the 13-inch Epson R2880 features Epson UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta ink technology, and a high-performance print head for professional photographic output.

The printer also features Radiance™ Technology, an innovation that smoothes color transitions and optimizes highlight and shadow detail. The Epson R2880 replaces the Epson R2400 as the flagship of Epson’s 13-inch printer lineup.

“Photographers will demand this printer for one primary reason, it will enable them to create the world’s finest exhibition-quality prints,” said Patrick Chen, product manager, Epson America Inc. “After three years of uncompromising development, the 13-inch wide Epson Stylus Photo R2880 will redefine the standards for creative control and print quality photographers expect from Epson.”

Epson UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta
Epson UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta ink technology is the industry standard by which all other professional-level ink technologies are judged. The ink set features a newer, high-density form of magenta pigments that produce a wider color gamut – dramatically improving reds, blues and purples. In addition, three-levels of black – black, light black, and light light black – deliver unsurpassed gray balance and stunning tonal range in black-and-white output.

Radiance Technology
Radiance Technology is a breakthrough mathematical architecture featured exclusively on the Epson R2880 and Epson R1900. Co-developed by color scientists at Epson and the Rochester Institute of Technology (R.I.T.), Radiance Technology optimizes how individual Epson R2880 inks are mixed to dramatically improve color transitions and reduce grain. The technology is built into the printer software, allowing for improved highlight and shadow detail as well as consistent color under different lighting conditions.

Unrivaled Control of Photographic Output
The Epson R2880 affords photographers and fine artists creative control, allowing the user to explore their creative options. Epson’s advanced black-and-white mode, included within the printer driver, enables precise control for neutral or toned black-and-white prints. Photographers can choose from one of four preset menus – neutral, warm, cool, or sepia – or further fine-tune images with custom slider bars and the color wheel.

More about the Epson Stylus Photo R2880

Professional Print Head – Features the same award-winning MicroPiezo™ AMC (Advanced Meniscus Control) print head found on the Epson Stylus Pro models for extremely sharp and accurate ink droplet placement
Superior Media Flexibility – Creates professional quality prints from 4”x 6” to 13”x 44” on glossy, luster and matte papers; supports 1.3mm art boards, roll media, including canvas; and fine art media including Epson Exhibition Fiber Paper
Direct CD/DVD Printing – Prints directly onto inkjet printable CDs and DVDs, making it easy to create professional digital portfolios
Archival Print Longevity – Offers print permanence ratings as long as 200 or more years for truly sellable color and black-and-white prints
Enhanced Connectivity – Allows two computers to simultaneously connect to the Epson R2880 via two hi-speed USB 2.0 ports for seamless printing from either computer
Epson PreciseColor™ Manufacturing – Applies colorimetric calibration to the permanent MicroPiezo® print head at the factory through an enhanced manufacturing process, eliminating the need for internal calibration devices or constant calibration
Exceptional Reliability – Features a new ink-repelling coating on the print head prolonging the life of the head and decreasing maintenance time; a built-in sensor also allows for automatic print head alignment and nozzle checking

For more information on the Epson R2880, please visit www.epson.com/SPR2880. For information on Epson products and services, visit Epson.com.

Pricing, Support and Availability
The Epson R2880 will be available in June 2008 for an estimated street price of $799.99 through direct market resellers, specialty photo stores, computer superstores, online retailers, and Epson’s retail Web site at www.epsonstore.com. The printer is backed by the one-year EPSON Exchange Limited Warranty and is supported by the Epson ConnectionSM, a customer support technical assistance line.

Comment form for this post

^#1

Hi Scott I just came across this post by chance. Its sounds amazing (I am just having a dooh moment having purchased the R2400 a few weeks ago, oh well, thems the breaks). I can´t find any post any where else so I was wondering how you print from your beloved Epson R2400. I get great results from Photoshop, but is really time consuming to set up and send each image to print (ie when I have a client that wants tons of different pictures printed at different sizes). The Epson Easy Print software that they provide with the printer is pretty good for batch printing, however the results are substandard. Any advice? Many thanks from Berlin

Mark

Mark Garner on May 27th, 2008 at 6:10 am

^#2

Cograts

How do you afford all this amazing new equipment from companies who sponsor you and which you constantly blog about? …and how can I get some of that sweet action?

Jim Boner on May 27th, 2008 at 6:48 am

^#3

Sadly Epson have not made the one thing that I find the most annoying about the R2400 - that you can’t have both Matt Black and Phto Black at the same time.

The quality of the 2400 I find excellent, and suits the work I do very well. But that work also means I do use both matt and gloss paper.. changing inks is well annoying - and wasteful on ink.

To answer a post above.. check out QImage.. very good once you master it’s interface.

Matthew White on May 27th, 2008 at 7:05 am

^#4

Just curious Scott. Do you ever use any other inks?

I’ve been using Jon Cone’s carbon pigment black inks for some time with great results. Seven shades of black sure make for smooth transition from black to white.

Earl on May 27th, 2008 at 7:51 am

^#5

Why buy a printer where you still have to swap matte and photo black. This is an inexcusable oversight by Epson. I bought the 3800 and can argue that it’s a cheaper printer out of the box when you factor in the additional ink in the 80mL cartridges versus the 13-14mL cartridges of the 2880. You also get all 9 ink cartridges installed with the 3800 and only lose 1-1.5 ml when switching and have the ability to print on surfaces up to 17 inches wide. Why take a step back with the 2880 and when you took a step forward with the 3800? Take my advice and factor in 4 additional ink cartridges of each color at 13.00. that’s 36 x $13.00 = $468.00. The cost of the additional ink actually puts the cost of the 2880 at more than the 3800 out of the box with the included 80mL cartidges.

Mark Higgins on May 27th, 2008 at 8:57 am

^#6

I agree with Mark. I’ve been saving all my empty R2400 ink carts just to evaluate what I’ve spent over the last couple of years on this printer. I’m currently just waiting for the 3800 replacement which should be soon.

Scott, Ask Epson if they still purge all the colors when you replace one cartridge. You can watch the ink supply drop about 7% across the board when you do this.

Ron on May 27th, 2008 at 1:20 pm

^#7

For those that are interested a review of this new printer is available on the English website “photo-i” at:

http://www.photo-i.co.uk/Reviews/printers/Epson_R2880/page-1.html

Dave Pollard on May 27th, 2008 at 5:28 pm

^#8

The dinky ink cartridges and black swap are the Achilles heel(s) of this printer. While I’m sure that print quality is quite good those two things should have you looking at other 13″ printers to see what’s available.

Ron Donson on May 27th, 2008 at 6:10 pm

^#9

Scott - you should think about giving your “old” Epson R2400 to me.

Nahhh, joking a side, it would make a great prize on Photoshop TV or even as a blog give-a-way or something. I am sure some lucky person would love to get such a fine printer, maybe even signed by the Photoshop Guys or all the crew over at NAPP! Think about it.

Ed O'Keeffe on May 27th, 2008 at 6:16 pm

^#10

Scott, Loved the R2200 and noticed in one of my many books of yours. Perhaps CS3 book, you were using 3800. Purchased 3800! Love the printer. Cant afford to keep up with latest releases, however curious though is vivid magenta worth upgrade.
thank you, Scott.
KS

Keith Shriner on May 27th, 2008 at 11:38 pm

^#11

I knew this would happen when I bought my R2400- that a newer, better, more bad ass-er Epson printer would come out and sure enough- but that’s just technology for ya. When is a printer going to print “good enough”? They talk about how the inks are so great blah blah and then they come out with— better ink. ?? How about not having to pull out an ink cartridge everytime you switch paper. No human can tell the difference between “super cool awesome ink” “and super-super cool awesome ink” when a photo is hanging on the wall.
The prints on my 2400 look great, so I’m saving some money and just keeping it.

Matt Timmons on May 28th, 2008 at 12:17 am

^#12

Any word (hint? guess?) when Epson will be introducing an replacement to the 3800? Has anyone heard anything about this?

Marj Green on June 4th, 2008 at 7:13 pm

^#13

Scott,

I am a beginning photographer, currentIy an Pre-press/designer. We have an epson stylus pro 7600 and 4000 and have just spent an hour looking for what size to print my photos out of lightroom as according to standard frame sizes. Why cant i find what standard frame sizes easily in conjunction with epson paper. Why do i have a packet of 13 x 19 ” sheets if there are no 13 x 19 frames? I know that I can just go to my local Michael’s or target to look at frames, but isn’t there some standards? What do you use to print, frame, cut down prints, and what do you do for panoramas? I appreciate everything you do. Thanks!

Jonathan Perez on June 5th, 2008 at 5:00 pm