Epson 9900

Epson developed its new generation of inkjet printing technology with the Epson Stylus Pro 9900 (44inch). This is truly a remarkable printer for fine art reproduction and photography printing, and is a substantial upgrade from the previous series of Epson printers, such as the Epson 11880, Epson 9880, and so forth.

The Epson 9900 couples the proprietary MicroPiezo TFP™ print head along with the performance of Epson UltraChrome® HDR inks.

 

Key Features of Epson stylus pro 9900

- Handling ten separate ink channels with the help of thin film Piezo (TFP) head design
- Reduces nozzle blocking with the help of one inch wide print head consisting 365 nozzles per 
  head and auto black ink sharing technology
- Ten color screen technology makes the print output fine and clear in quality
- Resolution of 2880 x 1440 dpi results with unmatchable fineness and clarity in the picture 
  with out any granules in the photo due to processing technology
- Colorimetric calibration with precise alignments of all colors
- Accurate automatic media loading technology with 44 inch in width of the sheet
- Electronic control over the roll rewind and up roll because of spindle free media rolling
- Three level black ink technology with automatic black ink switching technology
- High capacity ink system with front control panel

Epson stylus pro 9900 uses pigment ink for maximum longevity. The printer's advanced technology includes auto nozzle verification and cleaning, along with ink repelling capabilities. This Epson series comes with 10 colors, with the added advantage of orange and green new shades. It has the stand out technology of photographic driver screening technology with e-platen technology added to it.

Three level ink technology makes the three shades of black very prominent in the printing where black, light black and grey can be differentiated and printed without dots or shaded effects. 

Customer service cababilities are maximized with this model for being built with standard connectivity of USB 2.0 & 10/100 BaseT Ethernet. Furthermore, a one year warranty is provided for this model. 

 

Details

Product Brochure

The Epson Stylus Pro 9900 is a large format aqueous inkjet printer. This is a widely used printer in the photography and fine art industry. It prints on a wide variety of substrates up to 44" wide, and can handle sheet paper as well as rolls. Epson created a new ink set for this machine: Ultrachrome HDR. The result is richer, deeper colors; especially the blacks.

 

TEN-CHANNEL MICROPIEZO TFP PRINT HEAD

Print head with 360 nozzles per channel
Auto-sharing black ink channel (Matte and Photo)
Highly accurate dot placement
Variable-sized droplets as small as 3.5 picoliter

 

EPSON ACCUPHOTO™ HDR SCREENING

Max resolution of 2880 x 1440 dpi
Extremely accurate highlight-to-shadow detail

 

AUTOMATIC NOZZLE VERIFICATION AND CLEANING

Built in Sensors verify nozzle status without printing
System performs automatic head cleanings when needed

 

AUTOMATIC PRINT HEAD ALIGNMENT

Built-in sensor performs alignments of all color channels
For both uni-directional and bi-directional print modes

 

EPSON ULTRACHROME HDR INK

Ten-Color Pigment-Based Ink
Extremely wide color gamut
All-new orange and green ink
Improved Microcrystal Encapsulation™ Technology for reduced gloss differential
Improved black density up to 2.6 (Dmax)
Available in 150ml, 350ml, and 700ml

 

THREE-LEVEL BLACK INK TECHNOLOGY

Uses Black, Light Black, and Light Light Black ink
Outstanding highlight-to-shadow grayscale accuracy for a smoother tonal range
Virtually eliminates bronzing
Enhances the ICC profiling process for ColorSync™ and ICM™ workflows
Automatically switches between Matte Black and Photo Black

 

PRINT SPEEDS

Print Mode	16" x 20"	20" x 30"	40" x 60" (9900 only)
Fine - 720 dpi	2:53	5:03	15:26
SuperFine - 1440 dpi	3:47	6:39	24:20
SuperPhoto - 2880 dpi	7:14	12:52	40:05

 

EPSON SPECTROPROOFER

Optional 24- or 44-inch wide spectrophotometer developed with X-Rite
Installs directly into the front of the printer
UV-cut and non-UV-cut versions available

 

MYEPSONPRINTER.COM

Advanced web-based printer information and management system
Automatically tracks printer consumables usage and print job information
Provides cost-per-print estimates

 

PROPER COLOR MANAGEMENT

Color management involves more than just an ICC profile, so it takes a firm understanding for how color actually works. A color profile determines how a color's numeric values map to its visual appearance, either on screen or off a printer. The very first step to managing your color is to insure that you are viewing your color accurately. In order to accurately view how a printer profile will output a particular file, you must calibrate your monitor. The Eye-One Display2 is the industry standard for monitor calibration, but you can also use devices like the ColorMunki Photo, the Spyder-3 Pro, or the PANTONE Huey Pro. Each device is equipped with the necessary software to calibrate your monitor and maintain consistency in color representation. If you do not own one of these devices though, you can still complete the rest of the profiling process (without the ability to soft-proof on screen). To start, let’s go through the process beginning with the color settings in Adobe Photoshop.

 

HOW TO MANAGE THE EMBEDDED ICC PROFILES

To access your color settings in Photoshop, click on the Edit pull-down menu and locate Color Settings near the bottom of the list. Your working space specifies the color profile that is to be used for either a CMYK or RGB workflow. The profiles you choose as your working space can be whatever you specify as there is no right or wrong setting. The most commonly used working spaces are Adobe RGB (1998) and U.S. Web Coated (SWOP) v2. These are selected due to their relatively wide color gamut and consistency with the vast majority of reproducible colors. Looking in the bottom portion of the window you will find the Color Management Policies. These policies determine what action Photoshop takes when you have files that have a different embedded profile to what your working space is set at. Normally, these settings are set to "Preserve Embedded Profiles" but changing that to "Convert to Working" will keep all of your files in the same color space. This is important if color consistency is what you strive for. Last but not least, Profile Mismatches and Missing Profiles should be "checked" to activate "Ask When Opening". This way, any time you open a new file you will be notified if the file you are opening is embedded with a profile other than your working space. It is always best to convert to your working space.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF USING THE CORRECT BLACK INK

Now that you have your color settings complete, let's go through the process of creating a custom ICC Profile. These settings are universal regardless of the device being used for profiling. In the following example, we will be profiling our Lyve Canvas. To start, you want to make sure that the Epson 9900 is using the correct black. The 9900 is equipped with Matte Black and Photo Black, and it is very important to use the black that best suites the media you are printing on. Photo Black is used for any photo papers that have a gloss, satin, or luster sheen. But Photo Black is also used on glossy canvases, such as our Crystalline Gloss or Satin Canvas. Photo Black has sheen to it so printing with it on the media types mentioned will produce blacks that match the sheen of the paper. If you were to use Matte Black on a photo paper, you will experience gloss differential in the blacks or any colors that are combined with black. Gloss differential (not to be confused with bronzing) mainly happens with black since the black inks in the 9900 have very different properties. Using Photo Black on a matte paper will result in the image looking somewhat washed out and less vibrant. On the flip side, using Matte Black on a photo paper will have a noticeably dull look in any dark areas due to the Matte Black's dense properties and lack of sheen. Please see the images below to have a better understanding of what this looks like. Lyve Canvas is a Matte canvas so we will use Matte Black to achieve the best possible results. Be sure to set your printer to Matte Black if it is not already using it. Switching Photo Black to Matte Black uses about 1.13ml of ink and Matte Black to Photo Black uses about 3.34ml of ink. This is because the black inks share a line in the ink delivery system so the ink currently in the line is purged to allow the opposite ink to be used. The entire process takes about 2-3 minutes.

 

 

PRINTING TARGETS AND CREATING YOUR OWN ICC PROFILE

Now that you are using Matte Black, let's begin our profile creation. First, locate the target file your profiling device (spectrophotometer) requires to build a profile. The Eye-One Pro or ColorMunki Photo (X-Rite products) produces the best, most accurate results in minimal time. In this example, we will be using the Eye-One iO scanning table equipped with the Eye-One Pro. While there are many target files that will produce great results, I find that Bill Atkinson's 1728 target seems to produce the best results overall. Open the target file, and do not embed any profile or working space. Target files are untagged RGB files so applying a profile to it may affect the end results of the profile. With the target file open, go to File>Print. On the first print dialog box you have Color Handling options on the right. Prior to Adobe CS5, you have 3 options: Printer Manages Color, Photoshop Manages Color, or No Color Management. When printing targets for a custom ICC profile, it is vital that this be set to No Color Management (Printer Manages Colors in Adobe CS5). This is because the profile you are building will manage the color. If you print targets with an ICC Profile (or any other type of color management) you will drastically affect the end result of the profile. Having set the Color Handling to No Color Management, you can now proceed to Page Setup (Printer Settings in Adobe CS5).

 

 

CHOOSE THE RIGHT MEDIA TYPE TO MAXIMIZE YOUR INK CAPACITY

The Epson 9900 has lots of standard media types that are used for printing. Many people wonder what the correct setting is for a particular media. The short answer is to match the media type in the driver with what most closely resembles the media you are printing on. But sometimes you can achieve better results through experimentation. The media types in the Epson driver have set ink loads that will differ depending on what you are printing on. Canvas, for example, can absorb more ink than a typical photo paper so it's important to use a media type that outputs more ink. If you do not utilize the maximum capability of your media, the prints can appear washed out and dull. However, outputting more ink than the media can handle will result in over-saturation, mottling, pooling, ink bleeding, and lack of sharpness in the overall print. To find the right balance, it's best to do a small test print of solid colors (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black) and visually check if any of these instances occur. For Lyve Canvas, Epson's Watercolor paper setting produces just the right amount of ink to push the output and color gamut to its threshold without any problems. Depending on your print room temperature/humidity, your results may vary slightly so it is best to test multiple media types before determining which is best to use. As long as you do not see any of the artifacts described above and the color looks vibrant, you are ready to proceed.

 

RESOLUTION – HOW MUCH DO YOU ACTUALLY NEED?

The Print Quality is best determined by what media you are printing on. Under Quality Options, you will find various resolution/print modes. 1440x720dpi offers great resolution without sacrificing speed. 2880x1440dpi may be considered "over-the-top" since you will not notice additional resolution sharpness on canvas due to its texture and porous look. 2880 will also slow your printer down considerably and use slightly more ink overall. Of course, these resolution settings are moot if the file you are printing is relatively low in pixel depth (also referred to as low resolution). High Speed mode should be left on as this utilizes bi-directional printing (print head fires ink in both directions of travel). If you are not sure how a particular image will print, click on the View menu and select Actual Pixels in Photoshop. This will accurately show the resolution of your image at 100% (the size the image will be printed at). While canvas tends to be more forgiving in terms of output (in regards to a low resolution file), a typical photo paper will not be as forgiving.

 

 

Below Print Quality, you have a Color Mode. When set to Automatic, the Epson driver will apply a color mode to the print. Usually this will raise the overall saturation of the image being printed, especially in the Reds and Blues. This should not be applied to building a profile due to color shifts that may occur. These settings can be experimented with during the printing process, but for profiling they should be turned off. To do so, change the Color Mode from Automatic to Custom. When Custom has been selected, click on the pull-down menu below and select Off (No Color Adjustment). This will leave the target file unaffected. Now that all of these settings have been made, you are ready to print out the targets for profiling.

 

 

USING YOUR NEW ICC PROFILE

When the targets have been printed, allow them to dry for 15-20 minutes prior to scanning with your spectrophotometer. After scanning and building your new ICC Profile, you are now ready to use it for your next print. Please watch the video below to see the correct print settings when using an ICC Profile you’ve created. Please see our videos below for downloading and installing our ICC profiles as well as the proper print settings with custom ICC profiles.

 

 

 

RECOMMENDED INKJET CANVAS FOR THE EPSON STYLUS PRO 9900

If you are looking for the best canvas and fine art papers for the Epson Stylus Pro 9900, look no further than Breathing Color. Our industry leading Lyve Canvas is OBA free and has a measureable improvement in dmax and color gamut. Combined with our own Timeless Giclee Varnish, your prints will not crack and will be certified archival for 100+ years. Lyve offers increased sharpness in detail and resolution, giving you a photo realistic image with the texture that canvas provides. If you are looking for a glossy canvas that does not require varnish, take a look at our Crystalline Canvas. Crystalline is our groundbreaking new product that is the first OBA free, bright white glossy canvas on the market. Since it requires no varnish and is highly scuff resistant, you can immediately stretch your canvas prints. And with our EasyWrappe and EasyWrappe Pro there has never been an easier solution to canvas printing.

To further explore our canvas, and for specific tips and techniques please take a look at these videos below:

 

Lyve Canvas - OBA Free Archival Inkjet Canvas

 

Timeless Rolling Instructions

 

EasyWrappePro™ Create a Professional Canvas Gallery Wrap in Minutes

 

How to do a Mirror Edge in Photoshop for a Gallery Wrap

 

RECOMMENDED FINE ART PAPER FOR THE EPSON STYLUS PRO 9900

If you are looking for the best fine art paper on the market, you’ll want to see our Optica One and Elegance Velvet papers. Made from 100% cotton rag, Elegance Velvet is a lightly textured water resistant paper that is acid and lignin free. Elegance has a remarkable ink load capacity which will give you increased color gamut and saturation. Optica One is 100% cotton rag paper with a smooth matte finish that is also acid and lignin free. Optica One is a leading paper in terms of tonal range, line quality and contrast. Take a look at our Print Quality Evaluation which shows our print quality analysis according to the ISO (International Standards Organization). This evaluation compares our Elegance Velvet with some mainstream competitive products.

Have you ever wanted to varnish your fine art prints? Now you can with our Timeless Matte varnish! This gives you the ability to display your prints without glass, without compromising the protection of your prints. Timeless protects from UV light and the atmosphere, but dries clear and provides a true matte finish. Here is our video that outlines the process for coating fine art cotton rag papers:

Using Timeless Varnish to protect Fine Art Paper prints

 

RECOMMENDED PHOTO PAPER FOR THE EPSON STYLUS PRO 9900

Vibrance Luster is a heavyweight photo luster paper with an instant-dry surface and allows for maximum ink coverage. It utilizes a cockle-free RC base which gives the paper a true photographic feel. Vibrance Luster is a great "Plug-n-Play" type paper because it can be used with existing Luster Photo Paper profiles you already have. Vibrance Rag is a combination of 100% cotton and traditional baryta board which has a fine surface texture and a baryta gloss finish. This product is acid and lignin free, and has a premium inkjet receptive coating that produces exceptional black and white images as well as colorful images. This paper is great for photographers looking to present their work on a high gloss, high quality paper.

While there are many different ways to display your photo prints, a great way to set yourself apart is to use a unique display system like our Pavox. Simply mount your print to the provided MDF board and glue it to the ready-made frame. With its sharp appearance and flush mount surface, your photos will stand out from the normal photo frames and boxes you see regularly. For a similar product that mounts and displays your canvas prints, our Canvox is an easy, creative way to do so. The canvas print is mounted in a similar manner to an MDF board, and then glued to the supplied frame. The Canvox frame is specially designed to add depth to your prints and has been described as “a Gallery Wrap in a box”. There are no tools or special equipment required to produce either of these unique display frames. See the videos below:

 

Pavox Application Video

 

Canvox Application Video

 

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