ICC Profiles for the Epson 3880 Advanced B&W Photo Driver

by Eric Chan

Last updated: April 12, 2010

 

Point Lobos State Reserve, September 2009

 

Overview

Since 2007, I have been building ICC profiles for the Advanced B&W Photo (ABW) mode of the Epson 3800 printer. Those profiles, and some additional background info, are available on a separate page.

I have begun building ABW profiles for the newer Epson Stylus Pro 3880 model (which uses the UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta ink set, and has a newer screening method and different driver behavior). These profiles should produce good results on a 3880, but in general will not perform well with other printer models (e.g., R2880, 3800, 4880, etc.). Different models use different inks and/or different screening methods. It doesn't hurt to try these profiles with other models, but please be aware that the tonality may be significantly off (e.g., your prints may come out way too light or way too dark).

Download and Installation Instructions

Please download the appropriate ICC profile from the table below.

To install the profiles:

  • If you're on Windows, right-click on the .icc profile in Explorer and choose Install Profile from the popup menu.

  • If you're on Mac, drag them here: /Library/ColorSync/Profiles

Then restart your printing application (e.g., Photoshop, Lightroom) and you should see the profiles available in the Printer Profile popup menu.

Profiles and recommended driver settings

  • When using the provided profiles, be sure to use the Media Type and Tone settings listed below.
  • Use the Perceptual rendering intent (black point compensation doesn't matter).
  • Set the print quality to 1440 dpi for matte papers, 2880 dpi for photo papers.
  • Set the Platen Gap to Wide for all papers, except for Enhanced Matte (in which case use Auto).
  • Set the Paper Thickness according to the thickness listed in the paper specifications.
  • Disable (uncheck) High Speed, Finest Detail, and Edge Smoothing for all papers.
  • Leave all other driver settings (e.g., color density, drying time, paper feed adjustment, etc.) at their default values.

In the table below, the Media Type column lists the Media Type setting that you should choose in the ABW driver. I've used the following abbreviations:

  • PGPP = Premium Glossy Photo Paper
  • PLPP = Premium Luster Photo Paper
  • PSGP = Premium Semigloss Photo Paper
  • EEM = Enhanced Matte
  • VFA = Velvet Fine Art
  • USFA = Ultrasmooth Fine Art
  • WPRW = Watercolor Paper Radiant White

Similarly, the Tone column lists the Tone setting that you should choose in the ABW driver (Darker, Dark, Normal, or Light).

Using the Media Type and Tone settings that I've listed below is important, because I created the profiles using these settings.

Paper ABW Profile (zip file) Media Type Tone
Canson Infinity Baryta Photographique 3880 Canson Baryta Photographique ABW.icc PSGP Darker
Canson Infinity Platine Fibre Rag 3880 Canson Platine Fibre Rag ABW.icc PGPP Darker
Crane Museo Silver Rag 3880 Crane Museo Silver Rag ABW.icc PLPP Darker
Epson Exhibition Fiber 3880 Epson Exhibition Fiber ABW.icc PLPP Darker
Epson Hot Press Bright 3880 Hot Press Bright ABW.icc USFA Dark
Epson Premium Luster 3880 EPL ABW 2880 ABW.icc PLPP Dark
Epson UltraSmooth Fine Art 3880 UltraSmooth Fine Art ABW.icc USFA Dark
Epson Velvet Fine Art 3880 Velvet Fine Art ABW.icc VFA Dark
Hahnemühle Fine Art Pearl 3880 Hahnemuehle Fine Art Pearl ABW.icc PGPP Darker
Ilford Gold Fibre Silk 3880 IGFS ABW 2880 ABW.icc PSGP Dark
Red River Arctic Polar Gloss 3880 Red River Arctic Polar Gloss ABW.icc PGPP Darker
Red River Arctic Polar Luster 3880 Red River Arctic Polar Luster ABW.icc PLPP Darker
Red River Arctic Polar Satin 3880 Red River Arctic Polar Satin ABW.icc PLPP Darker
Red River UltraPro Gloss 3880 Red River UltraPro Gloss ABW.icc PGPP Darker
Red River UltraPro Satin 3880 Red River UltraPro Satin ABW.icc PSGP Darker

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