Epson sets benchmark for large-format printers with Stylus Pro 11880

Epson Philippines Corp. (EPC) pioneered another benchmark in large-format pro-graphics with the launch of the Epson Stylus Pro 11880 64-inch-wide large-format printer (LFP).

The Stylus Pro 11880 is engineered with Epson’s new Micro Piezo printhead technology and UltraChrome K3 ink with Vivid Magenta.

According to Eduardo Bonoan, EPC senior general manager and division head of sales and marketing, the Stylus Pro 11880 is designed for professionals in the photography, fine art, and proofing markets and promises to exceed limits in high-resolution printing with no compromise on print scale and media versatility.

Engineered with Epson’s leading core technologies, the Stylus Pro 11880 includes Epson’s latest Micro Piezo Thin Film Piezo (TFP) printhead and an eight-color inkset, which features Epson’s renowned formulation of UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta that significantly widens the color gamut and further cements the reputation of Epson’s award-winning UltraChrome K3 as an industry benchmark.

The Stylus Pro 11880 incorporates nine 700ml high-capacity individual ink cartridges with automatic switching between photo and matte black inks, and also ink status LEDs for each cartridge.

The new Gigabit Ethernet interface delivers fast data transfer speeds, coupled with the on-board data processing module. Epson Super Halftone technology, a new screening algorithm, further improves image tone and definition. 

The combination of these features and inksets makes the Stylus Pro 11880 the most advanced digital LFP in the Philippines to date.

“These technologies have allowed business owners to benefit from the dramatic turnaround time of every printing requirement since Epson LFPs are able to reproduce final prints more accurately in a shorter turnaround time between jobs,” says Bonoan.

“The innovation to print onto aluminum or offset printing plates has also allowed small and medium printing firms to offer competitive prices from digital press,” he adds.

The new Micro Piezo printhead fulfills all the requirements of a professional printer — quality, durability and speed. The nozzle density has increased from 180 to 360 dpi for each color, the world’s highest for an inkjet printhead using Piezo electric technology.

Epson has doubled the number of nozzles on the printhead while maintaining the same size of ink droplet and accelerated print speeds.

Despite the microscopic size of its elements, this next-generation Micro Piezo head retains all the advantages of the current printhead, including Variable-sized Droplet Technology, and is further enhanced to present several advantages over available competitive printers in the local market.

Specific to the demands of ultra-wide format printing, the printhead has greater control over speed and ink droplet size critical in exhibition-quality photo prints.

The cluster of micro-fine nozzles on the printhead ejects uniformly shaped ink droplets at higher levels of consistency and reliability then ever before. And because nozzles were doubled from 180 to 360, the printhead generates faster printouts to increase production speed.

UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta, meanwhile, further expands the already wide color gamut of UltraChrome K3 and is a breakthrough in pigment chemistry. The full inkset includes nine ink cartridges: photo black, matte black, light black, light light black, cyan, light cyan, yellow, vivid magenta, and vivid light magenta.

The two magenta inks use new high-density pigments that create more vibrant color — especially blues and magenta — colors often found in seascapes and landscapes.

Both photo black and matte black cartridges are installed at the same time so there is no need to manually switch during the printing process since the printer automatically chooses the most suitable black ink depending on the media type used.

UltraChrome K3 ink with Vivid Magenta enables superb gray balance and precise color without any color cast. It also maintains the superior features of the UltraChrome K3 ink such as great color accuracy of neutral and dark colors, excellent short-term color stability and smooth tonal gradation from shadow to light.

The permanent Epson Micro Piezo printhead also offers unrivalled consistency in each print. This means that every print will be the same as the first, even if the artwork is printed months apart, making it ideal for studios producing limited edition print runs.

The Stylus Pro 11880 is compatible with a wide range of Epson media up to 1.5mm in thickness, including glossy paper, matte paper, matte board, fine art paper, and plain paper.

It features an automatic take-up reel to support heavy-duty production for improved usability. It will also support flexible paper handling for cut sheet printing from A3 to 64 inches.

The supremely capable Epson Stylus Pro 11880 has a retail price of P895,500.