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Epson 9880 Resources

Hopefully you are not amongst the unlucky who have recently purchased an Epson 9800, now learning that Epson is raising the bar once again with their recent announcement and release of the Epson 9880 printer. Epson users and fine art printmakers in general should all start getting use to this ever-competitive landscape and the resulting need and rush to develop new inkjet printing technology - not only from a manufacturer such as Epson, but from Canon, Hewlett-Packard, and others as well. The professional inkjet printer marketplace and its dazzling prospect of perpetuous, high profit margin ink revenues has quickly made it one of the most sought after opportunities by industry behemoths like Epson (the Seiko-Epson Corporation), Canon, and Hewlett-Packard. On this page we will analyze the new Epson Stylus Pro 9880 printer for the professionals considering purchase.

Even if you already own an Epson 9800, the Epson 9880 is still a worthwhile investment. Every single giclee printmaker is jockeying for their unique position in the marketplace. Intelligently, most look for some sort of quality advantage to separate them from the rest of the players in the market. The Epson Stylus Pro 9880 is exactly what the most competitive players view as a "no brainer purchase". Because the Epson 9880 delivers increased color gamut, dmax, print speed, etc. - regardless of how marginal it may be to the human eye - it is measurably better than exisitng inkjet printers and can therefore be utilized to advantage. The main argument is that if I can print a 24"x36" print for the same cost as my competitor, in less time and with better color gamut, and offer it for the same price - I will win. It is this mentality that has pushed printmakers to invest in the new series of printers as soon as they are released. It is also the reason that Epson, Canon, and HP work diligently to improve their technologies and release inkjet printers that offer some sort of competitive advantage to its user.

Epson 9880: An Itemized Look

- The Epson Stylus Pro 9880 delivers extremely consistent print output with its widely acclaimed Epson Micro Piezo high quality printhead technology

- It utilizes maximum-density Epson UltraChrome K3 inks with the all new Vivid Magenta Ink Technology

- Image processing with Epson Super Halftone Screening Technology

- The Epson 9880 prints a maximum resolution of 2880 x 1440 dpi

- Like its predessesor models, this inkjet printer utilies individual high-capacity ink cartridges which are available in 110ml or 220ml sizes

- Diverse media size capabilities at widths of 44", 24", 36"or 17" in roll and cut sheet mode

- BorderFree™ roll printing from 8" up to 44" wide

- The ability to print on high quality media as thick as 1.5 mm

- Built-in automatic media cutting system. Users should however avoid using this system to continually cut inkjet canvas or heavyweight fine art papers.

- High-performance print engine speeds, much faster than previous Epson 9800 model.

- Standard USB 2.0 and 10/100 Ethernet interface

- User-friendly back lit LCD control panel where many of the printer driver functions can be controlled

- MyEpson Printer™ network compatible (see Epson website for further details)

- Pressurised ink cartridge technology for Epson Stylus Pro 7880 and Epson Stylus Pro 9880

- Cassette feed mechanism for Epson Stylus Pro 4880

- Optional take-up unit for Epson Stylus Pro 9880, a great new addition from previous models since users are now able to print in and maintain high volume and high quality production environements.

Please also visit these other helpful pages on the Epson 9880 Printer:

Epson 9880 Information
Epson Stylus Pro 9880 Pro Media Handling
Epson 9880 Advanced Color Management: ColorBurst RIP Software
Reviewing the Epson 9880 Printer
Epson 9880 versus Epson 11880 printer
Epson 11880, Epson 9880, Epson 7880 - MicroPiezo AMC Printhead
Epson Stylus Pro 9880 PreciseColor Manufacturing

About Epson

Epson is a global leader in imaging products including printers, 3LCD projectors and small- and medium-sized LCDs. With an innovative and creative culture, Epson is dedicated to exceeding the vision and expectations of customers worldwide with products known for their superior quality, functionality, compactness and energy efficiency. Epson is a network of 87,626 employees in 117 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and to the communities in which it is located. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., the Group had consolidated sales of 1416 billion yen in fiscal 2006. Epson Europe B.V., based in Amsterdam, is the Group’s regional headquarters for Europe, Middle-East, Russia and Africa. With a workforce of 2,400 employees, Epson Europe’s sales for fiscal year 2006 were 2,104 million Euros.

About the Epson 9880 Technology

New, 8-channel print head with ink repelling coating technology

* Print head designed to handle 8 separate ink channels
* One-inch wide, high-performance print head with 180 nozzles per channel
* All-new ink repelling coating to reduce nozzle clogging

New Epson AccuPhoto HD screening technology

* Advanced screening algorithm resulting in prints with superior color and clarity
* Maximum resolution of 2880 x 1440 dpi for incredibly sharp text and line art
* Extremely accurate, fine blends and photographic transitions

Variable-sized droplet with AMC technology

* Variable-sized droplets as small as 3.5 picoliters to greatly decrease print times while optimizing photographic quality
* Enhanced Active Meniscus Control (AMC) technology to precisely control the curvature of every ink droplet within each nozzle before releasing it onto the media
(The result is extremely sharp and accurate placement of the ink droplets for outstanding photographic print quality.)

Epson PreciseColor™ manufacturing
In order to ensure consistent printing between multiple Epson Stylus Pro printers of the same model, Epson has enhanced the manufacturing process to include colorimetric calibration. Eliminating the need for internal calibration devices, this system evaluates and adjusts each printer’s performance at the manufacturing stage, producing consistent color output from printer to printer.

Automatic print head alignment technology

* Built-in sensor that reads printed data for highly precise alignment of all color channels
(aligns both single and bi-directional print modes)

Automatic nozzle check technology

* Built-in sensor that reads nozzle check patterns and automatically cleans the print head if any problems are found – even partially clogged nozzles

Epson UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta ink technology

Industry-defining, 8-color, pigment-based ink system

* High-density pigments for an extremely wide color gamut
* Radically new formulation of Magenta pigments for extremely vibrant blues and purples
* Professional print permanence ratings for truly sellable prints
* High-gloss Microcrystal Encapsulation™ technology for reduced gloss differential
* Superior scratch resistance from improved pigment and resin chemistry
* Color that’s stable immediately after printing – no short-term color shifting
* Black density up to 2.5 with an L value of 3.9* (depending upon the media)
* Data based on Epson Premium Luster Photo Paper (260)

Three-level Black ink technology

* Simultaneously uses Black, Light Black and Light Light Black ink
* Significantly improves the printer’s gray balance while eliminating color casts
* Delivers outstanding midtones and highlights for a smoother tonal range
* Virtually eliminates the metamerism and bronzing of basic pigment chemistry
* Enhances the ICC profiling process for ColorSync™ and ICM™ workflows

Two user-exchangeable Black ink modes
Printers can utilize two different Black ink modes – Photo Black or Matte Black. This innovative solution optimizes the Black ink density for various media types, dramatically improving the final print quality.

The standard Photo Black ink mode can be used for any media type with professional results. However, for certain Epson media such as Velvet Fine Art, Enhanced Matte and UltraSmooth® Fine Art, using the optional Matte Black ink mode instead will dramatically increase your black optical density for even better print quality.

Professional media handling

* Versatile media handling — prints on virtually any media type, in roll or cut-sheet format, up to 44 inches wide
* Unique, front-loading, straight-through media path through which all media is loaded
* Accurate, automatic loading of cut-sheet media up to 44 inches wide in a variety of weights, including posterboard up to 1.5 mm thick
* User-adjustable roll media spindle — accepts either 2-inch or 3-inch media cores
* Built-in automatic cutting system that supports most media types
* Optional manual media cutter for cutting even the thickest of media types