Epson Stylus Photo R2880 Review

#1 H J Ventura

This is one of a number of reviews of the Epson R2880 I looked at before deciding to order that printer. As reviews go, it is rather brief and non-quantitative. Although I have only used the printer for a few days, I don't think I am as sanguine about ink usage as this reviewer appears to be. After a couple of swaps of the black cartridge and after printing perhaps 3 13 x 19 and 3 8 x 10 prints, the black cartridge level is already alarmingly low. This is one of the fears I had about this printer, it seems to be a valid concern.
I am rather puzzled that no one has addressed what appers to me to be a major issue: What do you do with the ink cartridge you remove when you swap black inks? Epson does not mention anything in their User Manual nor, sadly, do they provide a storage cassette for the removed cartridge. Surely it will dry out unless somehow sealed.
I did try to print on a canvas roll and gave up, I just don't have enough experience yet with this printer to tackle that. I managed to get the printer to feed in the roll but then it just chugged and clucked and would not print. The manual really is terse to the point of being uninformative.
The colors on photo paper are rich, saturated and
dynamic. Like printing on cavas, I have not yet attempted B/W printing but look forward to that.
I am sure many of my initial problems are due to pilot error, but the printer does seem to have one or two glaring limitations. If Epson comes out with a replacement that has larger ink cartridges and removes the necessity for swapping blacks, many buyers of this model will feel downright hoodwinked.

1:34 am - Wednesday, May 20, 2009

#2 neil Scott

Beware! When you change the PK ink for MK (or vice versa) if your ink status monitor is showing around 33% or less in the one you are taking out, then you will not be able to use that cartridge again!
There must be over 33% before the printer will recognise the ink if it is the other black.
Epson admit this and more or less say "Hard Luck"
The only workaround (which Epson haven't thought of yet) is to have a full cartridge always to hand. So if you are going back to PK from MK and your PK cartridge is known to be around 33% or less, then put in the FULL PK one, which will be accepted, and will prime up OK. Then replce the FULL PK with the lower volume PK and it works. In the meantime, however, if ANY OTHER COLOUR is low, you have a problem.
I am going to get a Canon.

10:27 am - Sunday, August 30, 2009

#3 H J Ventura

After longer use of the Epson R 2880 I have discovered a problem that, had it been known to me, would have persuaded me NOT to buy the printer. The very first cartridge I had to replace (yellow) was not recognized by the printer. Calls to Epson provided another cartridge which worked. Then I discovered the problem that Mr. Scott found, that when black PK and MK cartridges are swapped, if one is close to empty the printer will not recognize it when re-installed. This is a design defect that cannot be tolerated, particularly given the price of the printer and the cartridges.
I am a hobbyist, I cannot imagine that a professional would put up with such nonsense.

4:57 pm - Thursday, September 3, 2009

#4 neil Scott

To add to HJ Ventura's comments, the replacing black cartridge does not have to be "close to empty". It can hold up to about one third of the total volume, i.e. around 4mls of the original 11mls and you still find that the printer will not recognise it. The ink is dear enough without having to throw a third of it away!
As I said before Epson knows about this and is doing nothing.
As far as storing the removed black cartridge is concerned, try wrapping the whole thing in clingfilm. That's what I do, and it seems to work.

6:56 pm - Thursday, September 3, 2009

#5 Joe Riehl

I have just spent most of a day on the phone with Epson. The printer I have will not print a full borderless 19x17. It stops printing about an inch from the end. So far the suggestions have been:

1. Unplug the printer from the power strip and plug directly into the wall. Fail.

2. Unplug the printer from the usb port, re plug. Fail.

3. Delete the driver and reinstall. Fail.

4. Download new driver from interned and install. Initial fail. Installation hangs.

Each step is taking valuable time and is costly in ink and paper. I estimate 6 hours and approsimately $100 in ink.

BEWARE this printer!

11:36 pm - Thursday, October 15, 2009