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 compart-
ment 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 famil-
iar 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 communicat-
ed to the driver and helps to ensure that the correct ink and platen settings are used when printing. Navigation
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 veri-
cation
Yes No
Print Head Nozzles 360 180
Max Ink Cartridge size 700 220
Auto Black Switching Yes No
Dimension & Weight
53.4/73.4 X 26.3 X 48 186lbs/255lbs 53/67 X 30 X 46 131lbs/198lbs
Print time 16x20 @ 720 dpi
3:47 min 6:41 min
