Pro 7900
EPSON 7900 & 9900
User Report
by Julian Mussi
© Spectraow, Inc.
415-382-8681
Nov 2008
Introducing the Epson Stylus Pro 7900 and 9900
In May Epson announced two new professional inkjet printers, the Stylus Pro 7900 (24”) and Stylus Pro 9900
(44”). Far from a simple update to the existing 7880 and 9880, these printers form a separate product line, with
Epson continuing to produce the x880 series. The new models build upon the existing X880 series while introducing some fairly innovative functionality. Many of the changes are focused on improving speed and reducing
operating costs. At the same time Epson has expanded the color gamut with the new Ultrachrome HDR ink set
featuring an orange and green ink. One very welcome change is that the new printers have been designed to
allow both the Photo and Matte blacks to be loaded in the printer at all times, and switching between blacks is
now a simple and quick process. The paper feed system has also been totally redesigned, including the cutter. Additionally, Epson is also offering an optional spectrophotometer as an accessory for the printer. Overall,
Epson has made some bold moves in the design of this printer without compromising those elements that have
made their professional printers so successful in so many markets.
The chart below highlights some of the differences between the X880 and the X900.
Epson 7900/9900 Epson 7880/9880
MSRP $3995/$5995 (without spectro) $2995/$4995
Inks C,lc,M,lm,Y,PK,MK,LK,LLK,O,G C,lc,M,lm,Y,PK,MK,LK,LLK
Inkset Epson Ultrachrome HDR Epson Ultrachrome K3 vivid
magenta
Auto cleaning and nozzle verication
Print Head Nozzles 360 180
Max Ink Cartridge size 700 220
Auto Black Switching Yes No
Dimension & Weight
Print time 16x20 @ 720 dpi
Yes No
53.4/73.4 X 26.3 X 48 186lbs/255lbs 53/67 X 30 X 46 131lbs/198lbs
3:47 min 6:41 min
Printer Hardware
The 900 series have a distinctive look that announces their break from the 880 series printers. The x900 is
much more rectangular and considerably more bulky, giving it a more industrial feel. The visual change also
results in some basic functional changes. Gone is the ubiquitous paper release lever, and the ink compartment drawers are also now locked, and must be released from the control panel. Connectivity is identical to
the x880, featuring a USB 2.0 port as well as a 10/100 BaseT ethernet port. A second USB port located on
the back of the printer provides a dedicated connection to the optional SpectroProofer. One thing that hasn’t
changed is that like the X880 series printers the X900 ships with 110ml cartridges, even though the smallest
cartridge size sold fr the X900 is 150ml. The stand and paper try have also received a minor makeover. It is
worth noting that Epson has not announced a 17” model of the x900 series, so the 4880 will remain the top of
the line 17” product for the time being.
Control panel
While I don’t generally consider the printer control panel of vital importance, it has been signicantly upgraded
on the X900. Perhaps most striking is the change to a full color display. I’m not really sure how useful this is,
but it certainly looks great, and it makes
identifying which inks are low much
simpler. Compared to the X880 the menu
options are quite similar, making it familiar territory for current Epson users. The
paper selection portion of the menu is
the notable change. Like HP and Canon,
the X900 printers require that the paper
being loaded be selected from a list on
the printer. This list includes all standard
Epson papers as well as options for
“custom” papers. I found it quick and simple to select paper type from the list. This information is communicated to the driver and helps to ensure that the correct ink and platen settings are used when printing. Navigation
in general was simple and the inclusion of animations on the screen aids users in performing simple tasks such
as loading the paper or changing inks.
Paper feed system
Epson’s media handling system has always been very
straightforward and has seen little change over the last
10 years. The simplicity of the system was its strength,
and while I’m not generally a fan of xing things that aren’t
broken, the new media handling system on the 900 series
is really nice.
My favorite change is the lack of a paper spindle. Instead,
the roll adapters are placed in the end of the paper roll
and locked in place with a lever. Once secured, the roll is
placed directly in the printer’s roll holder. To accommodate
different paper sizes the left roll holder moves on a track.
On the 9880 the 44” spindle has, upon occasion, had “issues” with overhead lights, so this is a welcomed improvement. After using it for a few hours I kept thinking
“why didn’t someone think of this earlier!”
The new system also utilizes an automatic paper feed system. All that is required to load a roll is to feed a
small amount of media into the printer, and then with the push of a button the printer automatically advances
the paper. The system can correct for small amounts of skew, and I found it to be fairly forgiving and easy to
load. The system also automatically winds the slack out of the roll and provides back tension. The 9900 also
has an optional take up reel for heavy production environments.
Another new feature on the X900 is end of roll encoding, a system that keeps track of roll length and paper
type. It does this by printing a bar code-like strip on the end of a roll before it is removed from the printer. The
next time the roll is loaded the printer will automatically retrieve the paper type and remaining length of the roll.
This is very handy when printing on multiple paper types, but can also be disabled if not required.
In my opinion the media handling on the 900 series is second to none. It’s also good to note that the printer still
accepts media up to 1.5 mm thick.
Cutter
This is an feature that at rst seems so minor as to barely merit mention, yet in reality is a signicant improvement. The paper cutter in the X900 has switched from a blade, to a self sharpening rotary cutter, giving it a
number of distinct advantages over the previous system. First, it allows the printer to make lightning fast cuts in
a single pass. The second improvement is that it can now cut through heavy ne art papers and even canvas.
For ne art printers this is a big time savings! No more sloppy hand cuts resulting in expensive media waste.
You can now send 4 canvas prints to the printer, go to lunch, and when you return have four cut sheets in the
paper bin. Lastly, by placing the cutter in a different section of the printer than the print head, the paper dust
from the cuts are less likely to attach to the print head and cause nozzle clogs - a potentially big deal!
Noise
This is another advertised feature I didn’t give much attention, but I’ve grown to appreciate this change. The
rst time I made a print on the 7900 I had to walk over to the printer to make sure that it was actually printing.
Like the X880 series, the suction is louder when the printer rst begins to print but is then reduced. On the
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