- 1Epson Stylus Pro
- 1Printer Parts
- 1Printer Specifications
- 1Printable Area
- 2Options and Supplies
- 2Dimensions and Weight
- 2Printer Interfaces
- 2Printer Cover
- 2Safety Approvals
- 2Ink Cartridges
- 4Choosing the Correct Paper Path
- 5Loading Paper in the Auto Sheet Feeder
- 6Loading Paper Into the Rear Manual Feed Slot
- 7Loading Paper Into the Front Manual Feed Slot
- 8Control Panel
- 9Error Messages
- 11Viewing Status Information
- 11Checking Printer Status and Part Life
- 11Printing Status Information
- 12Checking and Cleaning the Print Head
- 13Aligning the Print Head
- 14Replacing Ink Cartridges
- 15Replacing the Maintenance Cartridge
- 17Cleaning the Printer
- 17Transporting or Storing the Printer
- 17Preparing the Printer for Shipment
- 18Updating Your Printer Firmware
- 18Related Documentation
Epson Stylus Pro 3800 Service Manual Download
Intro
Epson separates its photo printers into groups, such as the snapshot-dedicated PictureMate line, the amateur-through-enthusiast Stylus Photo line, and the prosumer-through-professional Stylus Pro line. However, the company's latest high-end printer, the Stylus Pro 3800 does a lot to blur the line between enthusiast- and prosumer-level printers. For example, its list price is less than that of Canon's EOS 30D digital SLR, but Epson still includes the same print engine and ink set that grace its $2,000 Stylus Pro 4800, though the two use different physical ink cartridges.
Page 1: Epson Stylus Pro Input voltage range Rated frequency range Input frequency range Rated current Power consumption Note: Check the label on the back of your printer for voltage information. 12/06 Epson Stylus Pro 3800 Pressurized on-demand ink jet Black: 180 nozzles × 3.
Like its pricier sibling, the Stylus Pro 3800 accepts paper as large as 17 inches wide. In fact, the biggest appreciable difference between the two printers is the 3800's lack of a roll-feed option, which means that the largest photo you can print is 17x22 inches. Of course, that should be plenty large for most situations.
It's worth noting that the Stylus Pro 3800 isn't for everyone. Its wide tonal range, long-lasting prints, fantastic black-and-white printing, accurate color prints, and wide array of paper types make it wonderful for enthusiasts and professionals. But, if you don't plan on selling your prints, or you lean toward scrapbooking instead of fine art printing, you may be more economically served by something such as Epson's Stylus Photo R2400 or R1800, HP's Photosmart 8750 or Canon's i9900. Plus, any of these other printers will take up less desk space than the Stylus Pro 3800. However, if you're after the best print quality available for less than $1,300, this printer should definitely be toward the top of your list. And if you plan to use the printer for proofing, Epson offers a professional edition, which includes the same hardware but also ships with professional RIP software. Despite all the major improvements that have occurred in home photo printers in the last few years, big time prints still require a big printer. But, even though it's a lot larger than most home printers, Epson's Stylus Pro 3800 manages to fit the same print engine as that of the company's much revered Stylus Pro 4800 into a unit that can fit comfortably, if a bit snugly, into a home office.
Somehow, the 3800 manages to come across as both blocky and stylish--at least to photo geeks--at the same time. Upon further inspection though, the efficiency and intricacies of Epson's design shine through. More than half of the front panel flips down and slides forward to become the output tray. The further the tray is extended, the more it rises up to meet the paper so that especially large prints are less likely to hit a snag on the tray as they emerge. On top, the back section flips up to become the input tray, the middle section flips up to provide access to the print head and the paper path, and about three-quarters of the forewardmost section of the top and the front section above the output tray opens to reveal the ink cartridges. Just be careful--to prevent mishaps, the ink cartridge door can only be opened through the printer controls, so don't try to force it open manually.
Next to the ink cartridge door there's a small monochrome LCD screen, a set of controls, and the power button. The screen displays the ink remaining in each of the printer's nine cartridges and which type of black ink is currently in use, and it provides direct menu access for maintenance and paper handling, as well as status reports on many of the actions the printer performs, such as switching between matte- and photo-black inks.
In addition to the regular paper input tray, which can hold as many as 120 sheets of plain paper or 60 sheets of Epson photo paper (depending on the paper type), there's a separate, slightly straighter path for fine art papers, which accepts only one sheet at a time from its own short feeder tray; Epson calls this the Manual-Rear paper source in its driver. For very thick stock, up to 1.5mm thick, you can use the Manual-Front paper source, which loads one sheet at a time from a slot just above the output tray. If you use the front loading option, you'll have to make sure there's adequate clearance behind the printer. In the case of 13x19-inch paper, that means 13.39 inches, and for A2 size paper, you'll need 17.71 inches. As long as you have the room for it, Epson makes the front-loading process very simple with a tray that lowers into place and has guides to help you align your paper.
Epson Stylus Pro 3800 Manual Download
The driver is similar to the one Epson includes with all of its higher-end printers and includes a wealth of tweaking options. We really like the color management section, which includes choices of Epson Vivid, Epson Standard (sRGB), Charts and Graphs, or Adobe RGB, as well as a clearly marked Off position. That's something that many printer drivers omit, leaving you to divine the combination of settings needed to circumvent the printer's color management when you want to leave that decision up to the application from which you're printing. Strangely, though this printer is obviously meant for advanced users, the driver still defaults to its basic automatic setting, instead of the more advanced custom mode. Plus, since there's no plainly marked Advanced tab, as there is in Epson's Stylus Photo printer drivers, it took us a second to figure out how to access the color management settings. Looking at its specs, you might not suspect that the Epson Stylus Pro 3800 is as solid a printer as it is. Resolution maxes out at 2880x1,440dpi, the minimum ink droplet size is 3.5 picoliters (some printers go as small as 1 picoliter), and Epson's MicroPiezo print head offers only 180 nozzles per color. However, Epson claims that its Active Meniscus Control (AMC) technology, combined with fancy new control algorithms, let them achieve more precise ink placement than any of their competitors. We won't go so far as to verify that claim, but we can say that the Stylus Pro 3800 does show a remarkable level of control over the ink it places on the page.