Epson | Stylus Pro 9880 Inkjet Printer | SP9880K3

The Epson Stylus Pro 9880 Inkjet Printer incorporates a durable, 44-inch wide printer engine design and uses UltraChrome K3 ink technology - now enhanced with Epson's breakthrough Vivid Magenta pigments - to produce archival prints with amazing color accuracy, gloss level, and scratch resistance; all while providing consistently stable colors that significantly outperforms other professional printers. Furthermore, the use of three levels of black ink provides neutral or toned black-and-white prints with impressively high density levels and virtually no metamerism or bronzing.

With an even higher level of ink droplet accuracy than found on previous Epson printer models, the MicroPiezo AMC print head has been enhanced with an exclusive ink repelling coating technology to dramatically reduce nozzle clogging. And, when combined with the Epson AccuPhoto HD screening technology you'll be able to print with at an astonishing resolution of 2880 x 1440 dpi, and obtain extremely accurate fine color blends and photographic transitions.

Capable of handling virtually any media type, in roll or cut-sheet, up to 44-inches wide, the Epson Stylus Pro 9880 sets the standard for professional media use. It also incorporates a front-loading, straight-through path capable of handling fine art paper and heavyweight media up to 1.5mm thick. Whether you're producing sellable color or black-and-white photography, fine art reproduction, or producing color accurate proofs for client approvals, never before have Creative Professionals had such a powerful tool, allowing them to produce their vision without compromise.

Key Features

• Eight-Channel MicroPiezo AMC Print Head with Ink Repelling Coating Technology: The Epson MicroPiezo print head, combined with variable sized dot technology, and Active Meniscus Control (AMC) technology delivers unprecedented image quality, reliability, and print speeds. Unlike thermal-type print heads that use heat to spray droplets onto a page, MicroPiezo print heads use electrical pulses that provide greater ink droplet size control and the ability to place smaller ink droplets onto a page. Furthermore the AMC technology precisely controls the curvature of every ink droplet within each nozzle before releasing it onto the media for extreme precision and accuracy in regards to droplet placement and shape. This results in amazing print quality that thermal technology can't match. The large print head used in the Epson Stylus Pro 9880 is about 1" wide, with 180 nozzles per channel so a larger swath of your image can be rendered at a time, and that naturally results in faster print speeds. In addition, the use of a cutting-edge ink repelling coating dramatically reduces nozzle clogging, for more consistent print output.

• Epson AccuPhoto HD Screening Technology: Epson's breakthrough AccuPhoto HD screening technology uses a radical different algorithm for determining dot placement, resulting in exceptional photographic image quality with superior color and clarity. Its ability to compensate for various ink densities between resolutions enables a single ICC profile to be used for a particular media type, thereby improving productivity, and this system allows for a maximum print resolution of 2880 x 1440 dpi for incredibly sharp text and line art. Furthermore, this highly precise screening technology allows for extremely accurate fine blends and photographic transitions, even in bi-directional and lower resolution print modes

• Automatic Head Alignment and Nozzle Check: The Stylus Pro 9880 printer includes an Automatic Print Head Alignment system that utilizes a built-in sensor inside the printer to provide unmatched accuracy and automate the process of printer head alignment for increased user convenience.

• Epson UltraChrome K3 Ink with Vivid Magenta: The acclaimed Epson UltraChrome K3 ink system utilizes an 8-color pigment-based professional ink set which has been improved in the Stylus Pro 9880 with the addition of the revolutionary Vivid Magenta pigments. This latest generation of ink technology utilizes High-density pigments for an extremely wide color gamut, while the Vivid Magenta pigments provides improved representation of extreme blues and purples. The superior color and clarity provided by this ink formulation gives your images an almost three-dimensional look that far exceeds what a traditional color silver halide photograph can produce. Furthermore, Epson has improved their Microcrystal Encapsulation technology to further reduce the gloss differential thereby reducing metamerism while improved pigment and resin chemistry provides prints with superior scratch resistance.

• Impressive Color Stability and Archival Life: Epson UltraChrome K3 ink provides outstanding color stability immediately after printing, so there is no short term color shifting seen as the ink dries. Furthermore, the print permanence ratings exceed 200 years (depending on print media used) for truly sellable prints.

• Three-Level Black Ink Technology: The Stylus Pro 9880 printer simultaneously used Black, Light Black, and Light Light Black inks to significantly improves the printer's gray balance while eliminating color casts, and provide impressive midtones and highlights for smoother tonal range, and improves overall black density for significantly richer blacks up to 2.55 Dmax (L value of 3.90 on Epson Premium Luster Photo Paper). This capability virtually eliminates bronzing and enhances the ICC profiling process for ColorSync and ICM workflows.

• Advanced Black-and-White Printing: The Advanced Black and White Printing mode is a unique Epson screening and color management technology developed to produce darkroom-quality black and white prints from either color or grayscale files. This unique driver takes full advantage of the three-level black technology to produce professional black-and-white prints from color or grayscale image files with no color crossover or color cast. Users can also produces high-quality toned black and white prints from a single ink set, thereby expanding creative options.

• Two User-Exchangeable Black Ink Modes: Epson UltraChrome K3 ink provides two different black ink modes to optimize black ink density for various media types. The standard Photo Black ink mode can be used for any media type with professional results. However, certain Epson media types (eg. Velvet Fine Art, Enhanced Matte, and UltraSmooth Fine Art), produce better results using the optional Matte Black ink mode which dramatically increases black optical density. This capability enables the use of just one printer for all media types.

• Intelligent High-Capacity Ink System: The printer uses eight individual ink cartridges at either 110ml or 220ml capacity, and can even utilizes both 110ml and 220ml ink cartridges simultaneously to optimize ink usage. Furthermore you'll greatly increase productivity because the printer allows replacement of ink cartridges on the fly, even during the middle of a print job.

• Superior Connectivity: The Stylus Pro 9880 Inkjet Printer is fully compatible with both Windows and Macintosh systems and includes standard ports for high speed USB 2.0 and 10/100 BaseT Ethernet connections.

• Professional Media Handling: Print on virtually any media type, in roll or cut sheet, with widths ranging from 10 to 44-inches wide. All media is front-loaded via a unique straight-through media path, and the printer provides accurate automatic loading of cut-sheet media up to 1.5 mm thick posterboard. The user adjustable Roll Media Spindle accepts either 2-inch or 3-inch media cores, and on certain media types, users can produce accurate impositions using a work-and-turn process. A built-in Automatic Cutting System supporting most media types and an optional Manual Media Cutter is available for cutting very thick media. Furthermore, an optional Automatic Take-up Reel System is available for unattended production of large print runs.

• Trouble-Free Printing: A built-in sensor reads printed data for highly precise alignments of all color channels, and functions in both unit-directional and bi-directional print modes, plus a built-in sensor reads the nozzle check patterns and automatically cleans print head if required.

• True BorderFree Printing: The Stylus Pro 9880 Printer is capable of printing off both left and right edges of roll based media, while automatically cutting top and bottom edges to produce a full-bleed print on all four sides.

• High Performance Engine Speeds: Utilizing Epson's latest high-performance print head technology, the Stylus Pro 9880 is among the fastest professional desktop printers in the industry with 16 x 20" print speeds of up to 4 minutes 20 seconds in fine mode. Users can even print 40 x 60" prints in the SuperPhoto - 2880dpi quality mode at a decent speed of about 80 minutes. At this speed level, photo output services and other dedicated application environments can improve overall productivity while still delivering a superb product.

• Epson PreciseColor Technology: Epson PreciseColor Manufacturing Technology brings an unexpected level of consistency to the printing process. Through this enhanced manufacturing process that includes colorimetric calibration; Epson ensures that individual printers of the same model produce prints that are indistinguishable from each other. This eliminates the need for internal calibration devices since Epson evaluates and adjusts each printer's performance at the manufacturing stage.

• 16-bit Printer Driver: The Epson 16-bit printer driver gives the Stylus Pro printers the ability to work in an entirely 16-bit workflow on Apple Macintosh OS X operating systems. This highly precise driver technology overcomes previous driver limitations and enables extremely accurate transitions and gradations in the final prints. The 16-bit Print Driver is the ultimate driver solution for use with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom with Apple Macintosh OS X operating systems, and takes full advantage of Apple's OS X architecture and printing window.

• World-Class Service and Support: The Stylus Pro 9880 Inkjet Printer includes one-year of coverage under the Epson Preferred Protection Plan with toll-free telephone support available Monday through Friday and usually next- business day, full unit exchange service. There are also optional Epson Preferred Plus service plans available for 1- or 2-Years.

Printing Method
Performance
Paper Handling
Connectivity

Physical

Printing Method

Printing Technology: 8-channel, drop-on-demand, Advanced MicroPiezo AMC print head with ink repelling coating technology and Auto Head Alignment and Cleaning technology

Maximum Resolution: 2880 x 1440 dpi

Minimum Ink Droplet Size: 3.5 picoliters with Variable Droplet Technology

Ink Type: Epson UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta pigment-based ink

Ink Palette: C, LC, VM, VLM, Y, LK, LLK, PK/MK

Ink Cartridge Configuration: Uses 8 individual ink cartridges (total 9 cartridges available)

Performance

Print Speed: 16" x 20" print: 4:20 to 12:57
20" x 30" print: 7:55 to 23:18
40" x 60" print: 27:00 to 79:51
time listed in Min:Sec

Input Buffer: Not Specified by Manufacturer

Printer Duty Cycle: Not Specified by Manufacturer
Cutter life: 2,000 cuts (coated media)

Print Archival Life: Up to 200 Years (depending on print media)

Paper Handling

Maximum Paper Width: 44"

Maximum Printable Area: 40" x 60" (Cut Sheet) with border
44" wide with length limited by application, OS, and Driver RIP used

Paper Sizes: Roll Media with width of 10", 13", 16", 17", 24", 36" & 44"
Cut Sheet from 11" x 14" to 40" x 60"

Borderless Photo Sizes: Borderless printing with roll media sizes of 10", 13", 16", 17", 24", 36" & 44"
Top and bottom edges can be automatically cut to any length

Paper Types: Inkjet media approved for use with pigment based inks

Maximum Paper Thickness: 12.5 mil (roll, tray and top feed slot)
1.5 mm posterboard (rear manual feed slot)

Paper Capacity: Cut Sheets
Front feed slots: 1 Sheet
Roll Media
Limited by total roll diameter of 4" with 2" core or 6" with 3" core)

Special Media Support: Works with non-paper based inkjet media

Connectivity

Computer Interface: USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) 1.1 compatible
Ethernet (10/100Base-T) RJ-45 connector

Compatible Memory Cards: None

Direct Print Capable: No

Network Capable: Yes (via Ethernet)

PostScript Support: Optional PANTONE licensed and SWOP certified PostScript Language Level 3 Compatible RIP by ColorBurst
Supported by most leading third-party RIPs and workflows

System & Software Requirements

Windows System

Pentium4 3.0 GHz or better processor
Windows XP, XP Pro x64, Vista, Vista x64
1GB RAM (2GB recommended)
30GB free hard drive space
CD-ROM or DVD Drive (4x speed)
USB Port and Shielded USB "AB" Cable (10' max. length)
or
Ethernet-equipped PC and Cat 6 cable

Macintosh System

PowerPC G5, Intel or higher processor
Macintosh OS X (10.4.9 or higher, 10.5 or higher)
1GB RAM (2GB recommended)
30GB free hard drive space
CD-ROM or DVD Drive (4x speed)
USB 2.0 Port and Shielded USB "AB" Cable (10' max. length)
or
Ethernet-equipped PC and Cat. 6 cable