Epson Stylus Pro 4800 provides breakthrough potential for printing giclee, fine art photography.

Notice the word “potential.” We look forward to evaluating this Epson Stylus Pro 4800 printer to document its capabilities, and how well it meets the expectations. Absolutely crucial is to test, and document, independently, the situation of gloss differential, bronzing, metamerism, and comparable legacy problems. I credit Epson with honesty in bringing out these points as aspects that (in their past models) they need to improve. Of course people who experienced these problems with past models may be a tad miffed that they did not get these features when they bought the earlier generations.

The advertising for the Epson Stylus Pro 4800, so far, looks friendly and reasonable. This is a polite way of saying the ads are getting better (more realistic, now that the printer itself is improved with each generation).

What Epson does very well at, is reading the mind and desires of photographers and artists, and then designing and manufacturing an ideal printer to suite their needs.

The Epson Stylus Pro 4800 was a definite challenge for the new Canon imagePROGRAF W6400 and the HP Designjet 130, 30, 90, and the HP 9-color printer (which is not the size of the Epson printer). But that was over a year ago. Today (autumn 2006), Canon has fabulous new printers, the iPF5000, iPF6000, iPF8000, and iPF9000. Plus, HP has just come out with two ground-breaking technologies for giclee and fine art photography, the HP Designjet Z2100 and Z3100.

FLAAR, as an institute dedicated to fine art photography, photography of art, architecture, nature and landscapes, and a leading voice in the world of giclee printing, looks forward to direct experience with this new Epson Stylus Pro 4800 printer.

These initial comments introduce the Epson Stylus Pro 4800. We are also looking at the Epson Stylus Pro 7800 and Epson Stylus Pro 9800 on the pertinent FLAAR websites. Our end-user comments on the Epson Stylus Pro 9800 should be available already. You can reserve a copy by filling out the Survey Form now. Ask for “please send me, at no cost, the Gary Kerr report on his use of the Epson 9800, with comments on the pros and cons of this printer for giclee prints.”

Compare prices; is it best to buy by lowest price comparison?

You have two choices of where to buy: a box-pusher on the Internet, or a value-added company that can provide color management help, information on RIP software, and assistance in printing tips for fine art photography or giclee. That is why we interact with Parrot Digigraphic; their manager is Nick Mandarino. He has experience with digital photography. You will not find any used car salesman type of sales reps at Parrot Digigraphic. Their website is “ParrotColor.com”.

If you go to a box-pusher, the price will be cheaper, because no service is available, they can’t answer your questions about ICC color profiles, and they probably don’t actually use the printers themselves. They just ship you a box. And, once you get stuck with a problem, the value-added dealers may no longer be available, because the tradition is that you are stuck with the place that originally sold you your box.

Every several years there is either a new Canon iPF printer or a new Epson or a new HP water-based printer. It is hard to keep track of the advances in inks and color management features. FLAAR is keeping track by visiting printshops around the world that have these various brands. Each brand has its good points and a few issues and an occasional deficiency.             

If you are looking for a place that is not a box-pusher (meaning you want a place that provides service after the sale), then one place we know for many years is Parrot Digigraphic. Their telephone is 978.670.7766.

Epson Stylus Pro 4800.

Here is Nicholas Hellmuth with the Epson 4800, in his site visit at BGSU.

Most recently updated Sept 25, 2006.
First posted May 18, 2005 . Updated May 12, 2006.

The complete FLAAR Reports are in full-color PDF format. Our institute has comprehensive FLAAR Reports on over 73 different wide format inkjet printers, RIP software, color management, scanners, digital cameras and on countless markets such as wide format inkjet printers for photography, giclee, proofing, CAD, GIS, graphic design, signs, and specialty applications too. All FLAAR Reports by Dr Nicholas Hellmuth and his team are available on Wide-format-printers.NET.