Epson Stylus Pro 7890 and Stylus Pro 9890 Wide Format Inkjet Printers Review

This article will review the Epson Stylus Pro 7890 and Stylus Pro 9890 wide-format inkjet printers. These printers were announced in the fall of 2010 and began shipping to customers in December 2010.

The Epson Stylus Pro 7890 and Stylus Pro 9890 are high-quality wide-format photo and fine art printers. They meet and exceed the demanding requirements of photographers and fine art printers.

The main difference between the two printers is the size of the printer itself and the maximum width it will print. The 7890 allows users to print up to 24″ wide, while the 9890 allows users to print images up to 44″ wide.

print head technology

Both printers use a MicroPiezo TFP printhead that produces a variable droplet size, the smallest of which is 3.5 picolitres. These printers have the ability to print images at a resolution as low as 360×360 dpi and as high as 2880×1440 dpi. Most users will typically print photo-quality images at 1440×1440 dpi or 1440×720 dpi. This tends to be the happy medium between print quality and print speed.

Supported operating systems and connectivity

Both the Epson Stylus Pro 7890 and the Stylus Pro 9890 will work on a Mac or PC. Macintosh supported operating systems are Leopard 10.5.8 or higher. For a PC, users must be running Windows XP, Windows Vista, or Windows 7.

Both printers can be connected via a 10/100Base-T Ethernet port or Hi-Speed ​​USB 2.0. Both are extremely reliable and stable ways to connect the printer. For those businesses where multiple users will be printing or if the printer cannot be located near the host computer, the Ethernet connection is an excellent option. For those users connecting via USB, a cable of no more than 10 feet is recommended to avoid connectivity issues.

Supported roll paper sizes

Stylus Pro 7890 and Stylus Pro 9890 allow users to print borderless images. Roll sizes that can be used are 10″, 13″, 16″, 17″ and 24″ wide for both printers. The 9890 also allows users to print borderless images on 36″ and 44″ roll paper. Wide.

Both printers allow users to print on roll paper or manually feed a single sheet. Although single sheet feeding can be time consuming, some users prefer this method to eliminate curl associated with printing on roll paper. However, many users who print on roll paper will simply “rewind” a printed image to remove curl from the paper.

Ink and switch between Photo Black and Matte Black

The ink used in the Stylus Pro 7890 and Stylus Pro 9890 is Epson UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta Ink technology. These inks are offered in three sizes: 150ml, 350ml and 700ml. Although there are nine inks loaded in the printer, eight inks are used at the same time. The ninth ink is a Matte Black or Photo Black ink. This ink channel can be changed depending on the medium the user is printing on. This provides the optimum black ink density on specific types of paper (matte surface or photo surface). The small drawback of changing black inks is the minimal loss of ink during the black ink change. Users will lose between 1.13 ml and 3.34 ml with each change. The ink change process also takes between 2:00 and 3:00 minutes to complete.

recommendations

The Epson Stylus Pro 7890 and Stylus Pro 9890 printers can produce high-quality, high-resolution photographic results for businesses that consistently require exceptional results. This printer is suitable for color critical fine art reproduction studios and photo studios that print their own work in-house. The wide range of paper roll sizes and borderless printing options and the ability to switch between black inks should satisfy any user’s needs.