Does anyone use the Epson 4880 to make transparencies? I am looking for a printer that will allow me to make good transparencies as well as capibility to produce dye sublimitation transfers too. Any info would be appreciated.
The 4880 printer is basically the same as the 4800 printer with some improvements (i.e. teflon print head, little faster,...). This newer model does everything that the 4800 can do. So it works great for printing both film positives and sublimation. The only negative with the 4880 printer is it has an encrpyted ink chip technology that prevented most of the non-Epson inks from working with the printer. Just recently was there away around this technology so we could put sublimation and film positive inks in the printer. So as far as I know, there are less than 20 companies running this printer in the setup you are talking about. I know several that are doing it and like it. Any time you are talking about the Pro model series of Epson printers (4800, 4880, 7800, 7880, 9800, 9880), you have less issues than you do with the smaller printers that require you to run a CIS system with them. This is why the Pro models are the preferred printers if you can afford the $2000+ investment in the printer.
Hope this info helps you. Feel free to ask additional questions that you may have. Good luck in your research.
I'd be curious to know more about the ink setup required to run sublimation and film transparencies.
Would the transparencies just be printed with sublimation ink?
...
fred
Fred,
Most of the setups are done putting sublimation inks in the CMYK channels. Then you would put an acceptable ink for printing film positives in one of the remaining channels. You then print using a RIP that has profiles specifically to only pull from the 4-channels of ink for dye sub printing. For more information, click on this link - Hybrid, Dual Purpose Epson 1400, 1800, 4800, 4880, 7800, 7880, 9880, 9880 - MultiRIP.
So I am looking to buy an Epson 4880 printer. What i am not understanding is what is stoping me from buying a Standard Epson 4880 and then getting software and Ink so that I can use it for Sub & Chrom. Does anyone know if this is possible.
Turning a Standard Epson 4880 into a Hybrid? Is this cost effective or is it cheaper to buy one that is already set up for you?
Thanks
Shane ( Seasoned Silkscreener looking to get into Sublimation )
There is really no difference between a standard Epson 4880 and a hybrid 4880 printer when you are talking about the printer itself. In fact, it is the same exact printer. The only thing that makes a hybrid different is the software that runs it and they fact you are using two different inks sets instead of one.
When you mention a Sub & Chrom system, you understand that this system is not designed for printing film positives like the previous posters were talking about, correct? A SubliJet IQ and ChromaBlast hybrid system is a light transfer garment hybrid system only. This is because both types of inks are made for a light transfer process. There are other hybrid systems that allow you to use different ink sets that are made for doing both film positives and dark transfers as well. The key behind what you can do with your hybrid printer is the software that is driving it. You can't use the Epson 4880 driver once you have a hybrid as it will use ink from both inksets and will mess up your design.
Hope this answers all of your questions. If not, please let us know what other questions you have.
Epson 4880? 
