News and rumours about cameras and printers

Epson 4900 printerEpson Stylus Pro 4900 A2 - Large format printer

Printer information

This page contains any specific Epson Stylus Pro SP 4900 (4880 replacement) information that we find or get sent.

We now have a full and detailed SP4900 review available.


Epson 4900 printer

2010 October

21st Keith visited Epson UK and had a look at the 4900 (and 7890)

The 4900 is being aimed much more at the proofing market and high end print side of things, which would explain why the 4880 is still a current product.

The 4900 is appreciably bigger than the old 4880, and if you look at the pictures below, you can see how it compares to the 3880

4900 inks right4900 inks left

4900 comapred to 3880

The optional spectro mounts near the front

4900 spectro position

4900 USB spectro attachmentand is connected via USB

14th The 4990 is available in the USA (Epson US)

September

29th We're told by Epson that the 4880 will remain a current product and available alongside the 4900.

21st The 4900 is announced (along with 7890/9890)

And yes, it does have black ink switching at last!

"The Epson Stylus Pro 4900 is a new 17-inch printer offering professional photographers a super-wide colour gamut with automated colour accuracy. Its high level of automation and robust mechanism make the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 a highly productive workhorse for the print studio environment. The Epson 4900 is priced at £2295 and will be available from November 2010."

 

front on view of epson 4900Key Features Summary

Latest 4900 Information

We'll update this page as we find new info, and hopefully will have a 4900 review to follow up from our 4880 review

The print head (right) reflects Epsons latest TFP Technology

Basic technical Specs
What's In The Box Printer, 11x110ml cartridges, power cable, software, guide, sample media
Printing Technology Epson Micro Piezo Advanced-TFP print head
Print Resolution 2880x1440dpi
Print Speed Up to 46m2/hr
Memory Printer 256Mb, Network 64Mb
Ethernet TCP/IP 100 BASE-TX, 10BASE-T
Cut Sheet A2 (17-inch), A3++, A3+, A3, A4, Letter
Print Margins Sheet Media Mode 1: 3 mm (top, sides, bottom); mode 2: 3 mm (top and sides), 14 mm (bottom)
Print Margins Roll Media 4 Modes available; Default: 3 mm on all edge, (top, sides, bottom)
Roll Dimensions 203mm-432mm, ( 8"?17" ), A4?A2+, 2inch-core/ 3inch-core
Edge To Edge Borderless Roll Media Max432mm;8/10/11/14/16/17", 210/254/297/300/329/420mm.8/11"&420mm req spacer
Edge To Edge Borderless Cut Sheet Right and left borders;210mm, 254mm, 297mm, 300mm, 329mm, 356mm, 406mm, 432mm
Power Consumption Operating: Approx.52 W. With SpectroProofer (option): Approx. 55 W
Power Supply AC 100-240V 50/60Hz
Standard Warranty 1-year onsite CoverPlus+
Dimensions W x D x H Storage:863x766x406mm. Printing 863x1134x405mm
Weight 52kg
Noise Level 45dB(A)
Driver Epson Driver with Layout Manager
Software Utilities Epson Driver with Layout Manager, Epson NetConfig, Epson Remote Panel 2, myEpsonPrinter.eu enabled, SpectroProofer utilities
Platform MacOSX10.4.11 or later (also WindowsXP/Vista/7 (32/64bit) )
Light Fastness 200yrs
Options SpectroProofer 17"

Features (Epson info)

Epson 4900 - side viewEpson UltraChrome HDR Ink Technology

  • * When printing on Epson Proofing Paper White Semimatte with the standard Epson driver at 2,880 x 1,440 dpi. PANTONE coverage may vary when printed with a 3rd party RIP.
    ** Dmax and L* values are based on Epson Premium Luster Photo Paper (260)
The printer ships with full cartridges and part of the ink from the first cartridges is used for priming the printer. Printer ships with 110 ml cartridges. Photo Black cartridge included, Matte Black must be purchased separately.

Epson SpectroProofer

  • * Adding SpectroProofer imparts three functional changes: Borderless printing and the front straight through thick-cut paper path are not available, minimum roll media cut length increases to 8.25 inches.

Epson 4900 printerSP 4900 Inks (200ml)

Pre release rumours/info

September 20th Photokina starts tomorrow, so we're expecting to get an Epson press release before too long.

July

  • 30th Epson are announcing three new professional printers at Photokina this year. Epson press info
  • The 4880 was announced in July 2007, along with the 7880 and 9880.
  • Look for the HDR ink set to appear in a 17" printer and update for the 11880.
  • What of the third printer? Possibly a 4500 'graphics version' such as the 9450, 4450 and 7450 (the equivalents to the 4400 et al. ) which are aimed at the "Point of Sale (POS), Computer Aided Design (CAD), Geographic Information System (GIS) and corporate markets"

2010 March

  • 9th After a trip to the UK Focus show yesterday, I'm minded to think we'll see an all new design 4900 printer announced for Photokina.
  • 10 ink carts, no black swap and pressurised carts were the big features I heard discussed.
    • I'm putting this one into the 'maybe' category, and might expect to actually see a printer by early 2011.

2009 January

  • 12th Since we had our first decent 3900 rumour today, this 4900 page has been set up.
  • No news yet - the 4880 was announced in mid 2007, so we don't really expect a replacement until 2010 at the earliest.
  • However, if you know better then please let us know ;-)
  • Expect a new design to allow more colour inks and both matt and photo black to be used with no complex switching.

4900 Information

Epson press info

The UK photography version

21 September 2010 –

Epson launches the Stylus Pro 4900 – a 17-inch production printer setting new standards in colour precision for the photography and fine art markets. Delivering the best print quality for commercial photographs and fine art reproduction, the printer boasts outstanding colour consistency and accurate colour matching. Its high level of automation and robust mechanism make the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 a highly productive workhorse for the print studio environment.

Creating exceptional photographs and fine art images is easy with the Epson Stylus Pro 4900, thanks to one of the widest colour gamuts on the market. Colours on the print are identical to that of the original image, even when reproduced on a wide range of media. The optional in-line SpectroProofer ensures repeatable colour accuracy and will accurately measure colour charts enabling the data to be used for custom media ICC profile creation.

Every print has a professional finish with precise and consistent colour reproduction. This comes from the printer driver’s advanced halftoning technology, coupled with Epson’s 11-colour UltraChrome HDR inks and Advanced-TFP print head for superior dot quality. These technologies are identical to those used in Epson’s larger format production printers up to 44 inches.

The Epson Stylus Pro 4900 represents a big boost in productivity, with a production speed of 46m2/hour and minimal maintenance requirements. Its high capacity front-loading cassette makes inserting paper easy, and automated paper changing means no time is wasted switching between cut sheet and roll paper. The printer also switches automatically between photo and matte black inks. All inks come in high capacity 200ml cartridges for less frequent changes and better value.

Martin Johns, market development manager for large format printers at Epson UK, says: “Offering photographers outstanding flexibility, the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 creates better-than-lab-quality prints on a wide range of media up to 1.5mm thick, including 330gsm Traditional Photo media presentation matte board, canvas and fine art paper. Users can select a paper path that best fits their needs from a choice of cassette, top and front manual board feed or roll.”

Qualified by ENERGY STAR, the Epson Stylus Pro 4900’s energy efficiency enables users to save money, be more environmentally considerate and keep power consumption down.

The Epson Stylus Pro 4900 is priced at £2295 and will be available from November 2010.

Key Features Summary
• 11-colour UltraChrome HDR ink set
• Reliable Advanced-TFP print head
• Print speed of 46ml per hour
• High capacity front-loading cassette
• 200ml high capacity cartridges
• Optional inline SpectroProofer
• Automatic switching between cut sheet and roll paper
• Automatic switching between photo and matte black inks, which are pre-installed
• ENERGY STAR qualified
• Choice of paper paths - cassette, top and front manual board feed or roll
• Print on media up to 1.5mm thick

Press release - proofing version

Epson launches the Stylus Pro 4900 – a 17-inch production printer setting new standards in colour precision for the proofing market. Delivering the best print quality for pre-press, packaging and design, the printer boasts outstanding colour consistency and accurate colour matching, and can reproduce 98 percent of all PANTONE1 colours. Its high level of automation and robust mechanism make the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 a highly productive workhorse for any proofing environment.

Creating consistent, accurate proofs is easy with the Epson Stylus Pro 4900, thanks to one of the widest colour gamuts on the market. Epson’s 11-colour UltraChrome HDR inks and Advanced-TFP print head give a professional finish every time, and are identical to the inks and technologies used in Epson’s larger format production printers up to 44 inches.

Automating the production of remote proofs doesn’t mean a compromise in quality with the Epson Stylus Pro 4900’s automatic colour certification and calibration. The optional in-line SpectroProofer ensures consistent, repeatable colour accuracy when using different media, rapidly measuring control strips and colour charts when creating ICC profiles and print verification results.

The Epson Stylus Pro 4900 represents a big boost in productivity, with a production speed of 46m2/hour and minimal maintenance requirements. Its high capacity front-loading cassette makes inserting paper easy, and automated paper changing means no time is wasted switching between cut sheet and roll paper. The printer also switches automatically between photo and matte black inks, with both installed to avoid stopping the print run. All inks come in high capacity cartridges for less frequent changes and better value.

Martin Johns, market development manager for large format printers at Epson UK , says: “Offering outstanding flexibility to the proofing industry, the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 is compatible with a wide range of roll and cut sheet media up to 1.5mm thick, including a wide range of proofing media, presentation matte board, 330gsm Traditional Photo media, canvas and fine art paper. Users can select a paper path that best fits their needs from a choice of cassette, top and front manual board feed or roll.”

Qualified by ENERGY STAR, the Epson Stylus Pro 4900’s energy efficiency enables proofers to save money, be more environmentally considerate and keep power consumption down.

The Epson Stylus Pro 4900 is priced at £2295 and will be available from November 2010.

US Info

Our Next Generation.
It was only a matter of time before our engineers found a way to push ink jet technology to the next level. By incorporating the most advanced technologies Epson has to offer, this could possibly be the most advanced photographic printer ever developed.

Introducing the New Epson Stylus Pro 4900

Designed to redefine the standard for photographic print quality, the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 incorporates our latest achievements in professional-level ink jet technology. By combining the precision of our MicroPiezo TFP print head with the extraordinary performance of Epson UltraChrome HDR Ink, our newest generation of Epson Stylus Pro printers continue to represent a level of technology unprecedented in Epson's history.

Epson UltraChrome HDR represents the latest generation of pigment ink technology. Now utilizing ten colors - including an all-new Orange and Green - Epson UltraChrome HDR Ink produces the widest color gamut ever from an Epson Stylus Pro printer. Even more remarkable, when combined with our new Epson AccuPhoto HDR screening technology, Epson has once again raised the level of print quality, while setting a new benchmark standard for photographic reproduction.

Our advanced Epson MicroPiezo TFP print head is capable of producing higher quality prints, at speeds up to twice as fast as our previous generation. And, with our latest ink-repelling coating and auto nozzle verification technologies, clogged nozzles are virtually eliminated.

Handling virtually any media type, in both roll or cut-sheet up to 17-inch wide, the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 continues to set the standard for professional media use. And for the first time, you can have both the front paper tray and roll feeder loaded with different media types and automatically switch between them as you print.

In partnership with X-Rite, Epson has developed a high performance, in-line spectrophotometer for commercial proofing applications. When driven by the latest front-end RIPs, the SpectroProofer can automate virtually any color management process in your workflow, making the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 the perfect solution for the most demanding local and even remote proofing applications.

Whether you're producing sellable color or black-and-white photography, fine art reproduction, or producing color accurate commercial and flexographic proofs for client approvals, never before have Creative Professionals had such powerful tools, allowing them to produce their vision without compromise.

Welcome to your next generation.

* Price is MSRP before any applicable rebate. Dealer prices may vary. All prices are in U.S. Dollars.

4880 specs FYI

4880 SPECIFICATION (full 4880 review)
Print Technology: Epson Micro Piezo drop-on-demand inkjet technology
Epson Variable-sized Droplet Technology and 3.5pl Epson Ultra Micro Dot
Print head configuration: 180 nozzles x 8 colours
Ink System: 9 colour pigmented ink (C, M, Y, LC, LM, LK, LLK, Photo K, Matte K) with CSIC with 8 slots (one slot for interchangeable Matte K and Photo K)
Ink conversion cartridges required for ink change between Matte K and Photo K are delivered with the unit
Resolution: 2880 x 1440dpi Epson Variable-sized Droplet Technology
Speed: Up to 12 m2/Hr (Plain Paper/Draft mode)
Driver: Mac OS X, OS 9. Microsoft Windows 98/ 2000 / XP
Interfaces: Standard: USB 2.0 (Compatible with 1.1), IEEE 1394 (FireWire)
Option: Expansion slot for Type B interface (Ethernet)
Roll Dimensions: Core diameter 2'' or 3". Max. outside diameter 150mm
PAPER HANDLING
Roll Media:




Cut Sheet:
Single roll (1 roll < 150mm / Outside diameter )
Media width 203.2mm - 431.8mm (8" - 17")
Minimum media length 279mm
Media thickness 0.08mm - 0.50mm

High capacity paper tray with automatic sheet feed (up to 250 pcs of Plain Paper)
Manual insertion feeder for media up to 1.5mm
Media width size A4/LTR - A2/C,(210mm - 431.8mm)
Media length 279mm - 610mm.
Media thickness 0.08mm - 1.50mm
PRINT MARGINS
Roll Media: 4 modes available; mode 1: 3mm on all edges (top, sides, bottom);
mode 2: 15mm (top and bottom), 3mm (sides);
mode 3: 15mm (top, sides, bottom)
mode 4: 25mm (top and bottom) 3mm (side)

2 modes available; mode 1: 3mm (top, sides, bottom);
mode 2: 3mm (top and sides) 14mm (bottom)
EDGE TO EDGE/BORDERLESS PRINTING
Roll Media / Cut Sheet: Both edge-to-edge and full bleed*1 for the following media widths: 8"*2,10", 12",14", 16", 17", 210mm, 257mm, 300mm, 329mm, 400mm, 420mm*1.
Top and bottom edges can be automatically cut to any length

*1 Full bleed only available on roll media
*2 8" & 420mm requires space
INK CARTRIDGES
  110 and 220ml ink capacity
Intellidge cartridge system for ink level control even on re-inserted cartridges
  110ml 220ml
Matte Black C13T543800 C13T544800
Photo Black C13T564100 C13T565100
Light Black C13T564700 C13T565700
Light Light Black C13T564900 C13T565900
Cyan C13T564200 C13T565200
Magenta C13T564300 C13T565300
Yellow C13T564400 C13T565400
Light Magenta C13T564600 C13T565600
Light Cyan C13T564500 C13T565500
LIGHTFASTNESS
  Up to 75 years for colour prints
In excess of 100 years for B&W prints
WEIGHT
  Approx. 39.4Kg (without ink and media)
DIMENSIONS
  848mm x 765mm x 354mm (Paper Tray Storage Min. Size)
848mm x 1105mm x 354mm (Paper Tray Expand Max. Size)
NOISE LEVEL
  Approx. 50dB
POWER CONSUMPTION
  Printing: 59W or less
Standby: 5W or less
PowerOff: 1W or less
OPTIONS
2/3 inch Dual Roll Feed Spindle (High Tension) C12C811191
Borderless Print Spacer for 420mm and 8 inch Roll Paper C12C811201
Auto Cutter Spare Blade C12C815291
Maintenance Tank C12C890191
EpsonNet 10/100 Mb Tx High Speed I/F C12C824054BZ
WARRANTY
  1 year repair or replace
Optional extension to 3 years

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