Epson Pro 3800 3rd party refill ink: comparison

[pharmacist]

Hi Red John,

Yes it does, but you will need to choose the Vivid Magenta version, so the IRK4 nano inkset for the Epson Pro 3880. The Epson R2880 uses the same ink configuration like the Epson Pro 3880 and the R2400 equals the Pro 3800.

 

[Red John]

Hi pharmacist,

IRK4 nano inkset and K4 UltraPro Pigmented inks of Precision Colors should provide identical results in R2880 and 3880 printer models? Both share the same formulation of Image Specialist. Is this correct?

Kind regards.

 

[pharmacist]

No it does not: Inkrepublic previously used the same Image Specialists K4 (=K4 UltraPro from precisioncolors.com) under it's own name IRK2. This ink can still be purchased at Inkrepublic.com. The IRK4 is their own formulation with optimized resin to make the ink shine much more compared to the Image Specialists K4 inkset. So the IRK4 nano is NOT the same !!!

 

[Red John]

Thank you pharmacist for the explanation.

Could you have tried IMA24/36 V3 of IJF? Have you any comment about this?

I have read very positive comments on this pigment ink.

 

[pharmacist]

No I do not: so making comments based on my own experience are lacking. My own experiences are with Epson K3, Image Specialists IM-K4 and the Inkrepublic.com's IRK4 nano.

 

[RogerB]

Thank you pharmacist for the explanation.

Could you have tried IMA24/36 V3 of IJF? Have you any comment about this?

I have read very positive comments on this pigment ink.

Have you already seen my comments at www.hermitage-ps.co.uk/3rd_party_inks.htm

 

[irvweiner]

RogerB, excellent article and analysis, much appreciated. Which cart system are you using?

irv weiner

 

[RogerB]

RogerB, excellent article and analysis, much appreciated. Which cart system are you using?

irv weiner

Thanks Irv. I am using the funnel-fill carts supplied by Cone - I took advantage of a bundle in one of their "Black Friday" sales so I got the carts and the ink at a reasonable price. I believe these are the same carts as those supplied by InkRepublic and I think they are very well made. I tried the InkjetFly (80ml) carts when I switched to their ink, but didn't like them as much, so I've gone back to the funnel-fill type.

 

[pharmacist]

Hi RogerB,

very interesting review. What you have discovered is the problem with the rather (too ?) strong magenta causing the IJF ink, just like the Image Specialists IM-K4 ink. I too have a problem with the magenta with my previous ink, which forces me to counter the magenta cast in the ABW-mode with making the tone cooler.

Something other interesting similarity: Both Image Specialists IM-K4 and the IJF IMA24/36 V3 ink yield a larger gamut compared to the orignal Epson K3 ink. Is this a coincidence ? Anyhow: the gloss of the Image Specialists IM-K4 is less compared to the original Epson K3 and the Inkrepublic.com's IRK4-nano.

Inkrepublic IRK4-nano ink has very good gloss, even beter compared to the original Epson K3, much better neutrality in ABW-mode without any tweaking on almost every type of photo paper I have tested, but a rather weak magenta. Note: the batch of IRK4-nano I am using now is rather old (maybe 15 months or so ?) and I contacted Inkrepublic.com and since last year they have improved the magenta/light magenta formulation and I am now waiting for the new batch to be tested.

 

[RogerB]

Hi pharmacist,

It'all very confusing isn't it? I wonder who really makes what? In many ways the IJF seems similar to the InkRepublic, except that the IJF magenta is obviously different! The InkRepublic PK looks very interesting, and very similar to the IJF. I switched to IJF mainly because the PK is much better than the ConeColor, and very close to the Epson. I print a lot of glossy B&W so the increased density range matters a lot to me. I am not too worried about matching OEM colours because part of my (small!) business is colour management - profiling is an everyday thing for me.

The gloss differential of the IJF is really good on the Harman Gloss Baryta that I mainly use. The look is very much like real air-dried darkroom prints to me.

Have you ever tried to compare lightfastness of the different inks? I have submitted samples of the IJF to Aardenberg Imaging but they have not yet gone into test. Shortage of funds I believe. I am preparing to start my own, purely comparitive, tests in the next week or two. I will compare (measured) colour shifts in Epson, IJF, ConeColor, Lyson and a few dye inks under the same light exposure. It will be a bit of a long-term project but I wondered if you, or any other forum members, had attempted quantitative comparisons of colour shifts. There seem to be plenty of anecdotes but very few measurements.