Epson Stylus Pro 7880/9880: Printer Guide

Epson Stylus Pro 7880/9880
PRINTER GUIDE
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduce d, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of Seiko Epson Corporation. The information contained herein is designed only for use with
these Epson printers. Epson is not responsible for any use of this information as applied to other printers.
Trademarks
Epson, Epson Stylus, and MicroWeave are registered trademarks and Epson Exceed Your Vision is a trademark of
Seiko Epson Corporation.
UltraSmooth is a registered trademark; PhotoEnhance and Epson UltraChrome K3 are trademarks; and Epson
Preferred is a service mark of Epson America, Inc.
General Notice: Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of
their respective owners. Epson disclaims any and all rights in those marks.
The contents of this manual are subject to change without notice.
The ENERGY STAR emblem does not represent EPA endorsement of any product or service.
Legal Notices
Neither Seiko Epson Corporation nor its affiliates shall be liable to the purchaser of this product or third parties for
damages, losses, costs, or expenses incurred by purchaser or third parties as a result of: accident, misuse, or abuse of
this product or unauthorized modifications, repairs, or alterations to this product, or (excluding the U.S.) failure to
strictly comply with Seiko Epson Corporations operating and maintenance instructions.
Seiko Epson Corporation shall not be liable for any damages or problems arising from the use of any options or
any consumable products other than those designated as Original Epson Products or Epson Approved Products by
Seiko Epson Corporation.
2007 Epson America, Inc. 9/07 CPD-24356

FCC Compliance Statement
For United States Users

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to
Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference
when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate
radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause
harmful interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause
harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
(1) this device may not cause harmful interference, and
(2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.
WARNING
The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will invalidate the FCC
Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which exceed the limits established by the FCC for
this equipment. It is the responsibility of the user to obtain and use a shielded equipment interface cable with this
device. If this equipment has more than one interface connector, do not leave cables connected to unused
interfaces. Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the users authority to
operate the equipment.
For Canadian Users

This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.
Cet appareil numrique de la classe A est conforme la norme NMB-003 du Canada.
WARNING
This is a Class A product. In a domestic environment this product may cause radio interference, in which case the
user may be required to take adequate measures.
5
Contents Introduction
Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Options and Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Where To Get Help. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Macintosh System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Windows System Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Important Safety Instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Printer Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
1 Setting Up the Printer

Unpacking and Assembling the Epson Stylus Pro 7880 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Unpacking and Assembling the Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Unpacking the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Mounting the Printer on the Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Attaching the Paper Basket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Unpacking and Assembling the Epson Stylus Pro 9880 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Unpacking and Assembling the Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Unpacking the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Mounting the Printer on the Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Attaching the Paper Basket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Connecting the Power Cord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Installing Ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Connecting to Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Installing the Software for Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Installing the Software for Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Updating Your Printer Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Checking the Current Firmware Version. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Downloading the Firmware. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Updating the Firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Configuring the Printer for Your Network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
5
6 | Contents
2 Handling Paper and Other Media

Selecting Media for Your Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Guidelines for Using Epson Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Using Roll Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Roll Paper Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Loading the Paper onto the Spindle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Placing the Paper in the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Removing Paper from the Spindle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Switching Between 2-Inch and 3-Inch Roll Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Cutting Paper Manually with the Built-in Cutter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Printing Trim Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Using Cut Sheet Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Loading Cut Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Loading Small Cut Sheets or Fine Art Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Printing on Posterboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Adjusting the Platen Gap for Thick or Thin Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Using the Paper Basket . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Catching Printouts From the Epson Stylus Pro 7880 . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Catching Printouts in Front of the Epson Stylus Pro 9880 . . . . . . . . 64
Catching Printouts Under the Epson Stylus Pro 9880. . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Optimizing the Settings for Your Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Creating Paper Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Printing Your Paper Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Selecting Paper Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
3 Printing With Epson Drivers for Macintosh

Sizing Images for Borderless Printing on Roll Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Choosing Page Setup Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Choosing Basic Print Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Selecting the Correct Media Type Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Choosing Color Management Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Choosing Paper Configuration Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Choosing Roll Paper Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Controlling Borderless Image Expansion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Choosing Advanced Black and White Photo Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Creating a Custom Preset and Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Managing Print Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
6
Contents | 7
4 Printing With Epson Drivers for Windows

Sizing Images for Borderless Printing on Roll Paper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Choosing Basic Print Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Selecting the Correct Media Type Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Choosing Color Management Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Choosing Roll Paper Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Choosing Cut Sheet Paper Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Choosing Page Layout Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Choosing Advanced Black and White Photo Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Choosing Paper Configuration Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Saving, Exporting, and Importing Custom Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Saving and Exporting a Custom Settings Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Importing a Custom Settings Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Loading a Pre-Defined Settings Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Editing Printer Driver Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Managing Print Jobs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Using the Progress Meter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Optimizing Print Speed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Setting Monitoring Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
5 Maintaining and Transporting the Printer

Checking Printer Status and Part Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Printing Status Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Viewing Status Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Checking Printer Status From the Printer Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Checking and Cleaning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Running the Nozzle Check and Head Cleaning Utilities . . . . . . . . . 121
Checking and Cleaning the Print Head Using the Control Panel . . 122
Manually Checking and Cleaning the Print Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Running a Power Cleaning Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Aligning the Print Head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125
Replacing Ink Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Switching Black Ink Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Draining the Old Ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Installing the New Black Ink Cartridge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Updating the Printer Driver Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Changing the Date and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
7
8 | Contents
Using Maintenance Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Replacing the Paper Cutter Blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Removing the Old Blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Installing the New Cutter Blade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Replacing the Maintenance Tank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Cleaning the Printer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Transporting or Storing the Printer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Preparing the Printer for Shipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Moving the Printer on the Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Setting Up the Printer After Transportation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
6 Solving Problems
Diagnosing Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
Checking Error Messages and Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Improving Print Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152
Solving Operational Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Solving Miscellaneous Printing Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Solving Paper Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
Fixing Paper Eject Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Clearing Paper Jams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Uninstalling and Reinstalling the Printer Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
A Specifications
Environmental . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Electrical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Dimensions and Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Printer Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Safety Approvals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Roll Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Cut Sheets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Printable Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Ink Cartridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
8
11
Introduction This Printer Guide provides important information on setting up and using
your printer, loading paper, using the Epson printer drivers, and replacing
ink cartridges. It also tells you how to maintain your printer to keep it
working at its best, and provides troubleshooting tips in case you have a
problem.
For additional information, see the following:

The Quick Reference Guide provides a handy summary of procedures for
daily use and printer maintenanceloading paper, replacing ink
cartridges and other components, cleaning and aligning the print head,
and using the printers menu system. Attach it to your printer for easy
reference.
The on-screen Users Guide on the CD-ROM provides additional
information about the printer, drivers, and utility software. You can read
the guide using Adobe Reader (also supplied on your CD-ROM, if
you do not already have it).
The on-screen Network Guide on the CD-ROM provides instructions
for setting up and using your printer on a network.
Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips

Please follow these guidelines as you use this book:
WARNINGS must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.
Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.
Notes contain important information about your printer.
Tips contain additional hints on how to get the most out of your printer.
11
12 | Introduction
Tip: Check the Epson Pro Options and Accessories

Imaging website at
www.proimaging.epson. Your Epson Stylus Pro 7880/9880 offers these optional upgrades and
com for accessories and accessories:
options that are currently
available. Optional equipment
Option Part number
Automatic Take-Up Reel System (Pro 9880 only) C12C815251
Replacement 44-inch Take-Up Reel Core (Pro 9880 only) C815121
Paper Roller Spindle (Normal Tension) 2- or 3-inch
Epson Stylus Pro 7880: C12C811161
Paper Roller Spindle (High Tension) 2- or 3-inch
Manual Media Cutting System*
Epson Stylus Pro 9880: C815182
Replacement Manual Cutting Blade (for Manual Media C815192
Cutting System)
One-year extended warranty EPP7898B1
Two-year extended warranty EPP7898B2
* Designed for use with heavy media, which can damage the printers built-in
cutter.
In addition, you can order these user-replaceable items:

Consumables and user-replaceable parts
Part Part number
Replacement Ink Maintenance Tank (see page 157) C12C890191
Replacement Printer Cutter Blade (see page 154) C12C815291
Ink Cartridges See page 145 for
a complete list.
12
Introduction | 13
You can purchase optional equipment and genuine Epson ink and paper
from an Epson Professional Imaging Authorized Reseller. To find the
nearest reseller, visit www.proimaging.epson.com (U.S. sales), www.epson.ca
(Canadian sales), or call 800-GO-EPSON (800-463-7766). Or you can
purchase online at www.proimaging.epson.com (U.S. sales) or
www.epson.ca (Canadian sales).
Where To Get Help

Epson provides technical support and information on the installation,
Tip: If you experience configuration, and operation of professional printing products through the
difficulty with the Epson Preferred Limited Warranty Plan. Dial (888) 377-6611, 6 AM to
SM
toll-free line or your 6 PM, Pacific Time, Monday through Friday. Days and hours of support are
Unit ID number, call
(562) 276-1305.
subject to change without notice.
Before you call, make sure you have your Unit ID number, which is
included with the Epson Preferred Limited Warranty Plan information that
came with your printer. Youll also need your printer serial number and
proof of purchase.
Visit Epsons support website at epson.com/support and select your product

for solutions to common problems. You can download drivers, firmware,
and documentation, get FAQs and troubleshooting advice, or e-mail Epson
with your questions.
Macintosh System Requirements

To use your printer in either a stand-alone or per-to-peer network
environment, your Macintosh system should meet these requirements:
Mac OS X 10.4.9 or higher, or 10.5 or higher
PowerPC G5, Intel, or higher processor
At least 1GB of RAM (2GB or more recommended)
At least 30GB of free hard disk space for software and processing files
Quad-speed (4) or faster CD-ROM or DVD drive for installing the
printer software
13
14 | Introduction
Caution: Using an For USB connection: a compliant USB Hi-Speed 2.0 port and a
improperly shielded shielded USB AB cable from Series A (computer) to Series B (printer),
cableespecially a cable up to 10 feet (6 m) long
more than 10 feet (6 m)
longmay cause the For network connection: Ethernet-equipped Macintosh and a
printer to malfunction. Category 6 compatible cable
Note: USB 2.0 is
required to run the
printer at full speed. Windows System Requirements
To use your printer in either a stand-alone or peer-to-peer network
environment, your system should meet these requirements:
IBM-compatible PC with a Pentium 4, 3 GHz or higher processor
recommended
Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Vista x64, Windows XP
Professional x64 Edition, or Windows XP
At least 1GB of RAM (2GB or more recommended)
At least 30GB of free hard disk space for software and processing files
Quad-speed (4) CD-ROM or DVD drive for installing the printer
software
For USB connection: a Windows-compliant USB Hi-Speed 2.0 port
and a shielded USB AB cable from Series A (computer) to Series B
(printer), up to 10 feet (6 m) long
For Ethernet connection: Ethernet equipped PC and a Category 6
compatible cable
14
Introduction | 15
Important Safety Instructions

Before using your printer, read the following safety instructions to make sure
you use the equipment safely and effectively.
The printer weighs about 108 lb (49 kg) [Epson Stylus Pro 7880] or
198 lb (90 kg) [Epson Stylus Pro 9880] without ink or paper. Make sure
you have sufficient assistance when lifting it. (See page 19 for the
Pro 7880 or page 29 for the Pro 9880.)
When setting up the printer, make sure you have enough space around
it. You may need more space behind the printer if you print on large
sheets of heavy stock or posterboard. (See page 19 for the Pro 7880 or
page 29 for the Pro 9880.)
Place the printer on a flat, stable surface. The printer will not operate
properly if it is tilted or at an angle.
Avoid places subject to rapid changes in temperature and humidity. Also
keep the printer away from direct sunlight, strong light, or heat sources.
Avoid places subject to shocks and vibrations.
Keep the printer away from dusty areas.
Keep your entire computer system away from potential sources of
electromagnetic interference, such as loudspeakers or the base units of
cordless telephones.
Place the printer near a wall outlet where the plug can be easily
unplugged.
Use only the type of power source indicated on the label.
Connect the printer to a properly grounded outlet. Avoid using an
outlet on the same circuit as a photocopier or air control system that
regularly switches on and off.
Avoid using electrical outlets controlled by wall switches or timers.
Use only the power cord that comes with the printer. Use of another
cord may result in fire or electric shock.
The printers power cord is designed for use with the printer only. Using
it with other equipment may result in fire or electric shock.
Do not use a damaged or frayed power cord.
15
16 | Introduction
If you use an extension cord with the printer, make sure the total ampere
rating of devices plugged into the extension cord does not exceed the
Caution: Always turn cords ampere rating. Also, make sure the total ampere rating of all
the printer off using the devices plugged into the wall outlet does not exceed the wall outlets
P Power button. When ampere rating.
you press this button,
POWER OFF appears on Do not block or cover the openings in the printers case.
the LCD panel and the
P Power light flashes. Do not put your hand inside the printer during printing.
Do not unplug the printer
or turn off the power to Do not move the print head by hand unless instructed to do so by an
the printer until the panel Epson service technician; otherwise you may damage the printer.
shuts off and the
P Power light stops Do not insert objects through the slots. Take care not to spill liquid on
flashing. This ensures the printer.
that the print head is
safely capped. Do not attempt to service the printer yourself.
Power down the printer from the control panel, unplug the printer, and
refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following
conditions:
The power cord or plug is damaged; liquid has entered the printer; the
printer has been dropped or the cabinet damaged; the printer does not
operate normally or exhibits a distinct change in performance.
Before transporting the printer, make sure the print head is in the far
right (home) position.
For California customers only:

The lithium batteries in this product contain
Perchlorate Material - special handling may apply,
See www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate.
16
Introduction | 17
Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions

Keep ink cartridges out of the reach of children and do not drink the
ink.
Store ink cartridges in a cool, dark place.
If ink gets on your skin, wash it off with soap and water. If ink gets in
your eyes, flush them immediately with water.
Caution: Do not use too Shake ink cartridges well before installing them for best results.
much force when you
shake cartridges that Do not use an ink cartridge beyond the date printed on the cartridge
have been previously carton.
installed.
Use up the ink cartridge within six months of installation for best
results.
Do not dismantle ink cartridges or try to refill them. This could damage
the print head.
After bringing an ink cartridge inside from a cold storage site, allow it to
warm up at room temperature for at least three hours before using it.
The IC chip on the ink cartridge retains a variety of cartridge
information, which allows you to remove and reinsert it freely.
However, each time the cartridge is inserted, some ink is consumed
because the printer automatically performs a reliability check.
If you remove an ink cartridge for later use, protect the ink supply area
from dirt and dust, and store it in the same environment as this product.
Note that there is a valve in the ink supply port, making covers or plugs
unnecessary, but care is needed to prevent ink from staining items that
the cartridge touches.
Do not touch the ink supply port, its surrounding area, or the green IC
chip on the side of the ink cartridge. Doing so may affect normal
operation and printing.
17
18 | Introduction
Printer Parts
These illustrations show the Epson Stylus Pro 9880, but the parts are the
same for the Pro 7880 unless otherwise noted.
Roll paper on spindle Roll paper cover
Roll paper
mounting bracket
Paper lever
Front cover Control panel
Ink cartridge
compartment
Ink cartridge
compartment
Paper basket Casters
Network interface USB interface
AC inlet
Maintenance tank Paper straps

(Pro 9880 includes (Pro 9880 only)
two tanks, one on
each side of printer)
18
19
This chapter includes the following information:

Chapter 1:
Setting Up Unpacking and assembling the Pro 7880 and Pro 9880
the Printer Connecting the power cord
Installing ink
Connecting to your computer and a network
Installing the printer software for Macintosh or Windows
Updating the printer firmware
Configuring the printer for a network
Unpacking and Assembling the

Epson Stylus Pro 7880
WARNING: Two people are Follow these steps to assemble your printer and its stand. (If you have the
required to unpack and set Epson Stylus Pro 9880, see page 29 instead.)
up the printer.
Before you begin, make sure you have sufficient space to set up and use the
printer. The following illustration shows the minimum space required for
using the Epson Stylus Pro 7880:
Note: When choosing a

place for the printer, leave
adequate room for easy
access and ventilation.
Avoid locations subject to
direct sunlight, excessive
heat, moisture, or dust.
Also avoid locations near
potential sources of 8 in.
electromagnetic (20.3 cm)
interference, such as 12 in.
loudspeakers, cordless (30 cm)
phones, TVs, or air 6 in. 24 in.
conditioners. (15.2 cm) (61 cm)
You will also need floor space of approximately 8 8 feet (2.4 2.4 m) to
assemble the printer and stand.
19
20 | Setting Up the Printer
Unpacking and Assembling the Stand

1. Unpack the stand and make sure you have all these items.
Parts:
Bottom horizontal strut

2 Bases
2 Legs
Top horizontal strut

4 Basket hooks Paper basket
Tools and Accessories:
10 Hex screws 2 Strut bolts

2 Hex wrenches with washers
2 Wing screws with

4 Base bolts
2 lock washers
20
Setting Up the Printer | 21
Note: Make sure you 2. Insert the right leg into the right base as shown. (The bases and legs are
tighten all bolts before labeled L and R.) Use the large hex wrench included with the stand to
moving to the next fasten the leg with the two base bolts.
section.
Bolt holes
Underside view of base

showing location of bolt holes
3. Assemble the left leg and base in the same way.
4. Attach the bottom horizontal strut as shown, then fasten it with one
strut bolt at each end. Make sure the bolts are tight.
21
5. Attach the top horizontal strut as shown. Use the small hex wrench to
fasten the 10 hex screws with washers.
6. Make sure each part of the stand is tightened securely.
Unpacking the Printer

1. Open the box and remove the roll paper, spindle, polystyrene foam, and
cardboard cushions.
22
2. Remove the handles from the sides of the box as shown.
3. Lift the box up and away from the printer. Remove the ink cartridges
and other accessories from the side as shown below.
Remove ink B A
cartridges and
accessories
Note: The printer

includes a Photo Black 4. Make sure you have all the items shown below, in addition to the
cartridge. If you prefer to printer:
use Matte Black, the
Matte Black cartridge can
be purchased separately.
See page 144.
Roll paper and spindle
Power cord
Spindle adapters
8 Ink cartridges Photo/Matte Black 2 Paper guides

Ink Conversion Kit
23
5. Remove the cardboard panels and other packing materials from around
the printer.
Mounting the Printer on the Stand

1. Lock the casters to keep the stand from rolling.
24
WARNING: Two or more 2. Have two people lift the printer.

people are required to lift the
printer.
3. Mount the printer on the stand as shown.
25
4. Fasten the printer to the stand with the wing screws and washers.
5. Remove any packing tape. Check these areas:

the front cover
the ink compartment covers
the maintenance tank (on the right side near the bottom)
6. Open the front cover. Follow the red wire to locate the bolt and bracket
Note: To prevent paper securing the print head. Then unscrew the bolt and remove the bracket
jams, dont place the bolt as shown.
back in the printer.
Save the bolt and bracket in case you need to ship the printer.
Bolt
26
Caution: Do not touch the area shown below or you may damage the
printer.
Attaching the Paper Basket

The paper basket is a cloth sheet that attaches to the printer stand and
catches your prints as they come out.
1. Attach the basket hooks as shown. The free ends of the hooks should
point outward.
27
2. Snap the baskets plastic connectors onto the hooks at the rear of the
stand. Make sure the connectors are positioned as shown.
3. Rotate the front bar once as shown, so the fabric folds around the bar.
4. Snap the connectors onto the front hooks as shown.
28
5. If you find that your roll paper is curled too tightly to eject properly,
attach the two paper guides to the bottom of the printer. See page 179
for more information.
6. Unlock the casters. Then move the printer to the place of use. (The
casters are meant for moving the printer for only a short distance.) Lock
the casters after moving.
7. Make sure you save the box and packaging in case you need to ship the
printer.
Now go to Connecting the Power Cord on page 39.
Unpacking and Assembling the

WARNING: Two people are Follow these steps to assemble your printer and its stand. (If you have the
required to unpack the Epson Stylus Pro 7880, see page 19 instead.)
printer, and four are needed
to set it on the stand. Before you begin, make sure you have sufficient space to set up and use the
printer. The following illustration shows the minimum space required for
using the Epson Stylus Pro 9880:
Note: When choosing a

place for the printer, leave
adequate room for easy
access and ventilation.
Avoid locations subject to
12 in.
direct sunlight, excessive 12 in. (30 cm)
heat, moisture, or dust. (30 cm) 24 in.
Also avoid locations near (61 cm)
potential sources of
electromagnetic 12 in.
interference, such as (30 cm)
loudspeakers, cordless
phones, TVs, or air
conditioners.
You will also need floor space of approximately 13 13 feet (4 4 m) to
assemble the printer and stand.
29
Unpacking and Assembling the Stand

1. Open the box and remove the handles from the sides of the box.
2. Lift the box up, then set it aside.
3. Unpack the stand and make sure you have all these items:
Parts:
Support bar
Base sections
Basket hooks
Paper basket
Tools and Accessories:
4 Bolts
Hex wrench
2 Wing nuts with spring 5 Paper supports

washers and plain washers
30
4. Insert the support bar into one of the base sections as shown. Then
attach it with two bolts using the included wrench.
Leave the bolts a little loose, so that you can adjust the position when
you insert the bolts at the other end.
5. Attach the base section to the other end.
6. Tighten all four bolts securely.
Unpacking the Printer

1. Open the box and remove the roll paper, spindle, polystyrene foam, and
cardboard cushions.
31
2. Lift the box up and away from the printer. Remove the ink cartridges
and other accessories from the side as shown below.
Remove ink B A
cartridges and
accessories
3. Remove the cardboard panels from around the printer.
4. Make sure you have all the items shown below, in addition to the
printer:
Note: The printer

includes a Photo Black
cartridge. If you prefer to
use Matte Black, the Power cord Roll paper and spindle
Matte Black cartridge can
be purchased separately.
See page 144. Spindle adapters
8 Ink cartridges Photo/Matte Black 5 Paper guides

Ink Conversion Kit
32
Mounting the Printer on the Stand

1. Lock the two casters to keep the stand from rolling.
Caster lock
2. Orient the printer in relation to the stand as shown:
33
3. Using four people, grasp the printer in the four locations as shown, and
set the printer on the stand:
WARNING: Do not attempt
to lift the printer with fewer
than four people.
Top view
4. Fasten the printer to the stand with the wing nuts, spring washers, and
plain washers.
34
5. Remove any packing tape from the front cover, ink compartment
covers, and maintenance tank. Check underneath and on the sides of the
printer to make sure you remove all the tape.
6. Open the front cover. Follow the red wire to locate the screw and
bracket securing the print head. Then unscrew the bolt and remove the
bracket, as shown.
Save the bolt and bracket in case you need to ship the printer.
Bolt
35
printer.
7. Close the front cover.
8. Unlock the casters, move the printer to the place of use, and lock the
casters. (The casters are meant for moving the printer for only a short
distance.)
Attaching the Paper Basket

The paper basket is a cloth sheet that attaches to the printer stand and
catches your prints as they come out.
1. Attach the basket hooks to the upper guides on the left and right sides:
36
2. Turn the basket so its seams face downward, and spread it on the floor.
3. Pass the baskets rear bar to the back of the printer. Rotate the bar once
so that the fabric folds around the bar. Then insert the plastic pins into
the stand as shown.
4. Slide out the upper basket hooks to their full length. Then hook the
middle bar of the basket as shown.
37
5. Insert the lower bars into the holes on the bottom of the base as shown.
6. Hook the paper supports so they hang along the inside of the basket.
Install them in the order indicated below.
38
7. If you find that your roll paper is curled too tightly to eject properly,
attach the 5 paper guides to the bottom of the printer. See page 179 for
more information.
Connecting the Power Cord

Note: The illustrations in 1. Connect the power cord to the AC inlet on the back of the printer.
the following sections
show the Epson Stylus
Pro 9880, but the
instructions are the same
for the Pro 7880.
2. Route the power cord through one of the hooks on the left or right side
as shown.
Caution: Do not use an

outlet that is controlled
by an automatic timer or
wall switch. Otherwise,
you may accidentally shut
off the printer and cause 3. Plug the power cord into a properly grounded electrical outlet.
damage.
39
Installing Ink
Use the ink cartridges that came with your printer for initial ink charging.
During the initial installation process, it is normal for up to one-third of the
Note: The default black ink in each cartridge to be used.
ink cartridge is Photo
Black. If you prefer to use The cartridges shipped with your printer are provided mainly to charge the
Matte Black (sold ink system. Make sure you order a set of cartridges as soon as possible.
separately; see
page 144), you can install
the Matte Black cartridge
1. Press the P Power button to turn on the printer. In a moment,
immediately instead of INSTALL INK CARTRIDGE appears on the LCD display.
installing the supplied
Photo Black cartridge.
2. Press both ink compartment covers to open them. Make sure the ink
Note: You need to be levers are in the unlocked (raised) position.
present during the ink
installation process. Do
not leave the printer
unattended.
Ink lever
3. Remove the ink cartridges from their packages, then gently shake each
cartridge.
40
4. Install the ink cartridges in the printer.

Hold each cartridge with the arrow pointing toward the printer, then
insert it into its slot. Make sure you insert each cartridge all the way into
the correct slot and that you see the corresponding ink cartridge icon on
the LCD display.
5. After installing all 8 cartridges, lower the ink levers. The printer begins
Caution: Charging takes charging the ink delivery system and the P Power light flashes.
about 12 minutes. Never
turn off the printer,
release the paper lever, or
open the front cover while
the P Power light is
flashing, or you may
damage the printer.
6. When messages appear on the LCD display, follow the instructions to

raise or lower the ink levers, and to close the ink compartment covers.
Charging is finished when the P Power light stays lit green and the
PAPER OUT message appears.
After ink charging is completed, you need to load paper before READY will
appear on the display. See page 49 for instructions.
41
Connecting to Your System

You can use USB and/or Ethernet network connections.
For USB connection, make sure your system has the appropriate port and
you have a standard, shielded cable 10 feet (6 m) long or less.
To connect to a network hub, you need a standard RJ-45 CAT-6 network

cable. To connect directly to your computers network interface, you need
an RJ-45 CAT-6 crossover cable.
1. Make sure that both the printer and the computer are turned off.
2. Plug the interface cable into the appropriate port on the printer.
USB connection Network connection
3. Plug the other end of the cable into the appropriate connector on your
computer, or network switch or hub.
42
Installing the Software for Macintosh

Note: You can check for a Follow the steps below to install the software on a Macintosh. For Windows,
newer version of your see page 45.
printer driver on the
Epson support site at 1. Turn on your Macintosh and your printer.
epson.com/support.
2. Insert the printer software CD-ROM.
3. Double-click the Epson installer icon.
4. Read the license agreement and click Agree. You see this screen:
5. Click your printer model. You see this screen:
43
Note: If you see a 6. Click the Install button.

message that the installer
has detected an older 7. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software and manuals,
version of EpsonNet register your printer, and place a link to the Epson Professional Imaging
Config on your system,
you must uninstall the
Website on your desktop.
older version before you
can install the new one. 8. When you see the prompt, click Restart.
Open the Applications
folder and drag the 9. After your Macintosh restarts, open the Applications folder, open the
EpsonNet folder into the Utilities folder, and start the Printer Setup Utility.
trash. Then reinstall your
printer software. 10. Click Add. You see your printer in the Printer Browser:
Tip: If you want to

rename the printer for
easier identification, enter
a new name for it in the
Name field on this screen.
11. For USB connection, select your printer and wait while your Macintosh
finds the driver and the Add button becomes available. Then click Add.
For network connection, click More Printers and select a connection,
such as EPSON TCP/IP. Select your printer from the list and click Add.
44
You see your printer in the Printer List:
12. Close the Printer Setup Utility. Go to page 46 to update your printer
firmware, if necessary.
Installing the Software for Windows

Follow these steps to install the software for Windows:
1. Make sure your printer is turned off.
2. Turn on your computer.
3. Insert the printer software CD-ROM in your computer. The installer

Note: If you see starts automatically.
messages asking if you
want to install or run 4. Read the license agreement and click Agree. You see this screen:
various installation
programs, select
Continue, Continue
Anyway, or Install this
driver software anyway
as necessary.
45
5. Click your printer model. You see this screen:
6. Click the Install button.
7. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the software and manuals,

and place a link to the Epson Professional Imaging Website on your
desktop.
8. When you see a screen asking you to turn on the printer, press the
printers P Power button. (Make sure the printer is connected; see
Note: With Windows XP, page 42.)
if you see a Found New
Hardware Wizard screen, For network connection, click the Manual button, select the port you
select No, not this time, created for the printer, and click OK.
click Next, and click Next
again. 9. When you see the final installation screen, click Exit.
10. Register your printer with Epson, then remove the printer software
CD-ROM.
Go to the next section to update the printer firmware, if necessary.
Updating Your Printer Firmware

To keep your printer features and functionality up to date, you should check
Tip: For best results, use for a newer version of firmware on the Epson support site and update your
a USB connection when printer, if necessary.
you update the firmware
on your printer.
46
Checking the Current Firmware Version

1. Press the Menu button.
2. Press the d button until PRINTER STATUS is highlighted, then press

Menu.
3. Press Menu again and note the firmware version displayed. When done,
press the l button.
Downloading the Firmware

1. Visit Epsons support website at epson.com/support and select your
product.
2. Click Drivers and Downloads.
3. Choose the firmware update version for Macintosh or Windows and

follow the instructions on the screen.
You may also need to download the latest version of the EPSON LFP
Remote Panel utility.
Updating the Firmware

Caution: Dont turn off 1. Double-click the firmware file to extract it.
the printer while the
firmware is updating. 2. Click the EPSON LFP Remote Panel icon on your desktop. You see
the LFP Remote Panel. Make sure your printer is selected.
3. Click the Firmware Updater button.
4. Click one of the Update buttons. You see the Firmware Updater
window.
5. Make sure your printer is turned on, its LCD displays Ready, and it is
connected to your computer or network, then choose your printer.
Note: For more 6. Click Browse and find the firmware file that you just downloaded and
information on using the extracted. Select the file and click Choose.
LFP Remote Panel, click
Help to see the on-screen
7. If the firmware version of the file is newer, click Update to start the
guide.
firmware updating process. (If it is the same, you dont need to update.)
47
Note: After you install 8. When the update is complete, close the Firmware Updater window and
the software, you need to Epson LFP Remote window.
load paper and print a
test image. If the print If you connected your printer to a network, follow the instructions in the
quality is satisfactory, next section to configure the printer for your network.
your setup is done. If not,
you may need to align the
print head, as described
on page 143.
Configuring the Printer for Your Network
Once the printer is connected to your network, follow these steps to
configure it:
1. Turn on the printer.
2. Start EpsonNet Config.

The EpsonNet Config program searches for all Epson printers on the
network and displays the MAC address for each printer that it finds.
3. Highlight the printer that you want to configure and click

Configuration to access the TCP/IP selection screen.
4. If necessary, contact your network administrator for instructions on

assigning an appropriate IP address.
For more information, see the on-screen Network Guide.
48
49
The Epson Stylus Pro 7880 and Pro 9880 print on a variety of media,
Chapter 2: including roll paper and cut sheets in widths up to 24 inches (610 mm)
Handling Paper [Pro 7880] or 44 inches (1118 mm) [Pro 9880]. You can also use heavy
and Other stock, such as posterboard up to 59 mil (1.5 mm) thick.
Media
This chapter includes the following information:
Selecting media for your printer
Using roll paper
Using cut sheet paper
Using the paper basket
Optimizing the settings for your paper
Selecting Media for Your Printer

Epson offers a variety of coated, glossy, matte, and fine art paper, as well as
other media, for your printer. For a list of available media, see the on-screen
Users Guide.
The following table shows the paper sizes you can use:
Supported paper sizes
Roll paper Cut sheets
8 to 44.0 in. (203 to 1118 mm) Letter size up to 44 in.
Pro 9880 wide (112 cm) wide
8 to 24.0 in. (203 to 610 mm) Letter size up to 24 in.
Pro 7880 wide (61 cm) wide
Maximum 2 in. core: 4 in. (103 mm)
external roll 3 in. core: 6 in. (150 mm)
diameter
Thickness 3.15 to 19.7 mil (0.8 to 0.5 mm) 3.15 to 59 mil (0.8 to 1.5 mm)
Always test samples of paper stock in the printer before purchasing large
quantities or printing large jobs. If you use non-Epson paper or other media,
you may need to adjust various settings and create special paper
configurations. See page 69 for instructions.
49
50 | Handling Paper and Other Media
Guidelines for Using Epson Media

Follow these guidelines, as well as those included in your paper package,
when printing on Epson paper and other media:
Avoid touching the printable surface with your bare hands. Fingerprints
may affect print quality. Handle media by the edges or use cotton
gloves.
Be careful not to bend or scratch the paper.
Always choose the correct Media Type setting in your printer driver
software before you send your job. See page 87 (Mac OS X) or page 102
(Windows) for instructions.
Always select the correct paper source (roll or sheet) in both the printer
driver software and on the printers control panel. See page 83
(Mac OS X), or page 107 or page 110 (Windows) for instructions on
selecting the paper source in your printer software.
Keep unused media in its original packaging and store it in a cool, dry
place to maintain quality. Avoid storing your printouts where they will
be exposed to high temperature, humidity, or direct sunlight.
Store sheet media on a flat surface.
Using Roll Paper

You can use roll paper with a 2- or 3-inch core and a width of up to
24 inches (61 cm) [Pro 7880], or 44 inches (112 cm) [Pro 9880]. Manually
switching rolls is a simple process.
Roll Paper Guidelines

When printing on roll paper, be sure to follow the media handling
guidelines on page 50, as well as these special guidelines for roll paper:
When storing roll paper, keep it in its original packagingincluding the
bag, end caps, and box.
To avoid feeding excess paper, make sure the Sheet icon does not
appear on the LCD display. Press the l Paper Source button until the
or roll icon appears.
50
Handling Paper and Other Media | 51
Choose if you want the paper to be cut automatically after each

page is printed.
Do not leave roll paper loaded in the printer when it is not in use.
Choose if you want to print a series of pages and keep them together
for cutting later on.
Choose if youre printing on canvas or other heavy media. Media
that is too thick may damage the cutter. Use of Epsons optional Manual
Media Cutting System is recommended. See page 12 for more
information.
The following media (and other similar materials) may not work with
the built-in cutter:
Fine art paper (including Epson Textured and UltraSmooth Fine
Art Paper)
PremierArtTM Water Resistant Canvas for Epson
Vinyl
Matte board
Backlight film
Heavyweight polyester banner media
DuPontTM Semigloss Proofing Paper
If youre loading heavy paper, you may need to increase the paper
suction by pressing the u Paper Feed button. For lightweight paper,
decrease the suction by pressing the d Paper Feed button. (Release the
paper lever to adjust the suction, then secure it again.)
51
Loading the Paper onto the Spindle

Note: The spindle
accommodates both 1. Slide the black paper stop off the left end of the spindle.
2-inch and 3-inch roll
paper cores. To switch
between different size
cores, see page 56.
Avoid touching the 2. Position the roll so the paper unwinds as shown, then slide the spindle
printable surface of into the roll. Make sure the gray paper stop at the right end of the
the paper as much as
possible. Oils from
spindle is firmly locked into the core and there is no gap between the
your skin can affect paper and the paper stop.
print quality.
3. Slide the black paper stop back onto the spindle and insert it into the
end of the roll. Make sure it is firmly fixed into the left end of the paper
roll core.
52
Placing the Paper in the Printer

1. Open the roll paper cover.
2. Place the roll paper in the roll holder as shown. (The black end of the
spindle goes on the left.)
3. Make sure the printer is turned on, then press the l Paper Source
Caution: To avoid button until the (Auto Cut Off) or (Auto Cut On) icon
feeding excess paper,
appears on the LCD display.
make sure you dont
select when youre
using roll paper. 4. Make sure the P Power light is not flashing, then release the paper lever.
Caution: Do not release

the paper lever while the
P Power light is flashing,
or you may damage the
printer.
53
5. Feed the paper into the slot and pull it all the way through.
If the paper doesnt come out, you may need to adjust the suction. If
you are loading heavy paper, press the u Paper Feed button to increase
the suction. If you are loading lightweight paper, press the d Paper Feed
button to decrease it. If the paper still doesnt come out, open the front
cover and pull it out manually.
6. Holding the bottom edge of the paper, turn the roll back to remove any
slack. Then align the bottom edge with the horizontal and vertical lines.
54
7. Move the paper lever to the Secured position, then close the roll paper
cover.
Note: Opening the front

cover causes printing to
stop. Do not open the
front cover while printing
is in progress, or your 8. Press the Pause button (or wait for 5 seconds). The paper feeds into
print quality might be
affected. printing position automatically, and READY appears on the control
panel.
To avoid indenting or creasing the paper, remove it from the paper path and
roll it up when you are not printing.
Removing Paper from the Spindle

1. Open the roll paper cover.
2. If the paper is loaded for printing, push the paper lever back to the
Released position, then roll up the paper before removing it.
3. Remove the roll paper and spindle from the printer.
4. Place the spindle on a flat surface.
5. Slide the black paper stop off the end of the spindle.
6. Remove the roll paper from the spindle.
55
Switching Between 2-Inch and 3-Inch Roll Paper

You can convert the spindle to accept roll paper with a 3-inch core by using
the spindle adapters. Follow these steps:
1. Remove the black paper stop from the end of the spindle.
2. Slide one of the adapters onto the gray paper stop, then align the arrow
marks as shown below. Press the adapter until it locks in place. Press the
other adapter onto the black paper stop in the same way.
To remove the adapters, pull outward on the two tabs.
Pull outward on
tabs to release
Note: A Manual Media Cutting Paper Manually with the Built-in Cutter
Cutting System is
available for heavy media. When youre not using the Auto Cut On setting, you may need to cut roll
See page 12 for details on paper manually by pressing a button after your print job is finished. You can
ordering it.
use the button to cut most types of paper.
However, if youre printing on fine art paper, canvas, or other heavy media,
you should use the optional Epson Manual Media Cutting System or scissors
rather than the built-in cutter. See page 51 for a list of media that should not
be used with the built-in cutter.
1. Before you print, press the l Paper Source button until you see the
roll (Auto Cut Off) icon on the LCD display.
2. Run your print job.
3. Press the button. The printer automatically feeds the paper to the
cutter guide.
56
4. If necessary, adjust the cutting position by pressing the u or d Paper

Feed buttons.
5. Press the l Paper Source button until you see the roll (Auto Cut
On) icon on the LCD.
6. Press and hold the button for 3 seconds. The paper is cut.
Printing Trim Lines

You can print trim lines on the right edge of your pages (Auto Cut On) or
on the right and bottom edge (Auto Cut Off).
2. Press the Menu button again to select the Printer Setup menu and
highlight PLATEN GAP.
3. Press the d button to highlight PAGE LINE.
5. Press the d or u button to highlight ON.
6. Press the button to save the setting. An asterisk appears next to ON.
7. Press the Pause button to exit the menu.
You can also specify trim lines from your printer driver software. For
instructions, see page 93 (Mac OS X) or page 110 (Windows).
Using Cut Sheet Paper

You can print on many types of cut sheet paper and other media. The
printer accepts sheets in widths from letter size to 24 inches (61 cm)
[Pro 7880] or 44 inches (112 cm) [Pro 9880].
You can leave your roll paper on the spindle when you print on cut sheets;
make sure it is removed from the paper path and rolled up.
57
How you load the paper depends on its size and thickness:
For stock thicker than 19 mil (0.5 mm), load it as described on page 60.
For small sheets or fine art paper, see page 59.
For medium to large sheets of average thickness, see the next section.
Loading Cut Sheets

1. Make sure the printer is turned on and the roll paper cover is closed.
2. Press the l Paper Source button until the Sheet icon appears on the
LCD display.
Tip: You can also load cut 3. Push the paper lever back to the Released position.
sheet paper without
releasing the paper lever.
This method is
recommended for small
sheets or fine art paper.
See page 59 for details.
58
Note: For heavy paper, 4. Feed the sheet into the paper slot. Make sure the right and bottom edges
you may need to increase of the paper are straight and aligned with the horizontal and vertical
the suction by pressing lines on the printer.
the u button. This helps
hold the paper in place
during loading and
printing.
For lightweight paper,

decrease the suction by
pressing the d button.
5. Pull the paper lever forward to the Secured position.
6. Press the Pause button or wait a few seconds. The printer feeds the
sheet into printing position automatically and READY appears on the
Caution: To avoid LCD display.
damaging the printer,
never move the paper
7. Print your page. After it is finished, the sheet stays in the printer.
lever during printing, or
while the P Power or
Pause light is flashing. 8. To remove your print, press the button or release the paper lever
while holding the printed sheet.
Loading Small Cut Sheets or Fine Art Paper

You can load paper without releasing the paper lever. This prevents
scratching that might damage fine art paper and is also easier, especially
when you are loading small sheets.
1. Make sure the printer is turned on and the roll paper cover is closed.
LCD display.
59
3. Make sure the paper lever is in the Secured position.
4. Feed the sheet into the paper slot until you meet resistance. Make sure
the right edge of the paper is straight and aligned with the vertical line
on the roll paper cover.
5. Press the Pause button. The sheet feeds into printing position
automatically and READY appears on the LCD display.
6. Print your page. After it is finished, the sheet stays in the printer.
7. To remove your print, press the button or release the paper lever
while holding the printed sheet.
Printing on Posterboard
You can print on Epson Enhanced Matte Posterboard or other heavy stock
up to 24 30 inches (61 76 cm) [Pro 7880] or 30 40 inches
(76 102 cm) [Pro 9880].
Follow these steps to print on posterboard or other media more than 19 mil
(0.5 mm) thick:
1. Set the paper basket to catch your printouts in front of the printer. See
page 64 (Pro 7880) or page 66 (Pro 9880) for instructions.
2. Make sure no other paper is loaded for printing. You can leave roll paper
on the spindle, but make sure you wind it up fully and close the roll
paper cover.
60
LCD display.
4. Push the paper lever back to the Released position.
5. Open the front cover. (The cover has special tabs that act as paper
supports when the cover is open.)
61
Note: If youre using 6. Feed the posterboard into the paper slot until it meets resistance.
stock more than
39 inches (99 cm) long,
load it long-edge first, in
landscape orientation
(Pro 9880 only).
Support tab
7. Align the board with the vertical line on the roll paper cover.
8. Pull the paper lever forward to the Secured position. Then close the
front cover.
9. Press the Pause button or wait a few seconds. The printer feeds the
board into printing position and READY appears on the LCD display.
10. Print your page. After it is finished, the posterboard stays in the printer.
11. To remove the print, hold it while releasing the paper lever.
62
Note: If you notice head Adjusting the Platen Gap for Thick or Thin Paper
strikes on your prints,
make sure your paper is When you print on unusually thick or thin paper, you may need to adjust
flat. You can also try the platen gap setting. STANDARD is the default setting. However, if print
changing the PLATEN quality is not satisfactory when using very thin or very thick stock, you may
GAP setting to WIDE. If
that doesnt solve the
need to change this setting.
problem, try changing it
to WIDER. 1. Press the Menu button.
2. Press the Menu button again to select the Printer Setup menu and
highlight PLATEN GAP.
3. Press Menu again. STANDARD is highlighted as the current setting.

Caution: To avoid 4. Use the u or d button to choose NARROW, WIDE, WIDER, or
WIDEST.
make sure you do not
select the NARROW
setting when you print 5. Press the button to save the setting. An asterisk appears next to the
on thick media. selected setting.
If youve selected a non-standard platen gap, the following symbols appear in

the corner of the display to remind you of the narrow or wide setting:
Widest
Wider
Wide
Narrow
When you switch media, dont forget to change the setting back to
STANDARD.
If youre printing on non-Epson media and not using the Epson driver, you
may also need to create a paper configuration to optimize your results. See
page 69 for more information.
63
Using the Paper Basket

Note: When you print on The paper basket attaches to your printer and catches your printouts as they
posterboard, set the
basket to catch printouts
come out. The basket keeps your printouts from getting dirty or scratched.
in front of the printer. You can set it up either to catch the paper under the printer or in front of the
printer.
Follow the instructions below for the Epson Stylus Pro 7880, or page 66 or
page 67 for the Pro 9880.
Catching Printouts From the Epson Stylus Pro 7880

To catch printouts in front of the printer, pull the paper basket forward as
shown below. Use this method for posterboard or any prints that are
36 inches or more in length.
64
To catch printouts under the printer, lift the basket up as shown:
If the basket is loose, tighten it as shown:
65
Catching Printouts in Front of the Epson Stylus Pro 9880

Follow the steps below to set up the basket in front of the printer. Use this
method for posterboard or any prints that are 62 inches (157 cm) or longer.
1. If you are using the paper guides, make sure they are in front of the
basket, as shown below.
2. Slide the upper metal rods all the way in. Then push the lower rods
down, so that they rest on the floor.
3. Make sure the surface of the basket is taut. If there is any slack, the paper
may not slide properly to the floor.
66
Catching Printouts Under the Epson Stylus Pro 9880

Follow these steps to catch printouts under the printer:
1. Remove the metal rod from the upper basket hooks.
2. Pull the upper hooks out all the way, and place the metal rod back on
the hooks.
67
3. Hook the basket rings on the upper hooks.
4. If you are using the paper guides, squeeze the guides and push them
Note: If printouts on back as shown.
matte paper have
banding, pull the paper
guides forward.
68
Optimizing the Settings for Your Paper

When you choose a media type in your Epson printer software, the driver
automatically determines the best settings for your paper. However, you may
want to fine-tune how the printer handles various mediaespecially if you
use non-Epson paper or a paper not supported by the driver. Use the paper
configuration settings described below.
You can create a special configuration, or group of settings, for each paper
type (up to ten types) and select the desired configuration whenever you
print on a particular stock.
Creating Paper Configurations

Note: Paper To create a configuration for a specific paper type, make sure the paper you
configurations are needed want to configure is loaded in the printer. Then follow these steps:
only for non-Epson media.
1. Press the Menu button, then press the d button until CUSTOM
PAPER is highlighted.
2. Press Menu to display PAPER NUMBER.
3. Press Menu, then press the u button to select a paper configuration

number (1 to 10). Press the button to save the number setting.
4. Press the l button, then the d button to highlight PLATEN GAP. Press
Menu, then press u or d to highlight NARROW, STANDARD, WIDE,
or WIDER. (The STANDARD setting is recommended for most paper
types.) Press to save the setting.
5. Press the l button, then the d button to highlight THICKNESS

PATTERN.
6. Press Menu, then press to print the paper thickness pattern. A

pattern similar to the following is printed:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Smallest gap
69
7. Examine the printed pattern for the most evenly overlapping lines.
Choose the number with the most even lines. In the example shown
above, the lines under number 4 are the most even.
After printing the pattern, THICKNESS NUMBER is highlighted.
8. Press u or d to select the number that you noted in step 7, then press
.
9. Press the l button, then the d button to select any of the menu options
shown below. Make adjustments as needed, and press to save each
setting.
You can also make similar settings using the printer driver software. For
instructions, see page 90 (Mac OS X) or page 117 (Windows).
CUT METHOD lets you decrease the cutting blade pressure for
thinner media, or adjust the speed for thick media. You may need to
experiment to determine the cleanest cut for your paper.
PAPER FEED ADJUST helps eliminate banding. Choose a lower
value if you see white lines on your prints, or a higher value if you
see dark lines.
DRYING TIME lets you print with non-Epson media and avoid
smearing the ink. You can make the print head wait up to
10 seconds after each pass to allow ink to dry on the page.
PAPER SUCTION lets you decrease the paper suction level when
printing on thin media (under 12 lb), such as drafting paper or
backlight film.
M/W ADJUSTMENT adjusts the intensity of the MicroWeave
pattern. This improves print quality, but lowers printing speed.
10. When done, press the Pause button.
After you create paper configurations, you can use the TEST PRINT menu to
print out a list of paper numbers showing the settings for each one.
70
Printing Your Paper Configurations

You can print a list showing the settings for all your paper configurations.
This makes it easy to select the configuration you want for a particular type
of paper.
1. Press the Menu button, then press the d button to highlight TEST
PRINT. Press Menu again.
2. Press d until CUSTOM PAPER is highlighted, then press Menu.
3. Press to print your custom paper configurations.
Selecting Paper Configurations

Once you have created a paper configuration, you can select it whenever you
print on that paper:
1. Press the Menu button, then press the d button to highlight CUSTOM
PAPER.
2. Press Menu. PAPER NUMBER is highlighted.
3. Press Menu, then press u or d to select the configuration number that

you want to use. If you select STANDARD, the printer uses the driver
settings. If you select a number from 1 to 10, the control panel settings
override the driver settings.
4. Press . The configuration number you selected is displayed on the

LCD with an asterisk.
5. Press the Pause button to exit the menu. If you selected a

configuration number, it is displayed on the LCD.
71
72
81
Chapter 3: Your Epson Stylus Pro 7880 or Pro 9880 comes with drivers and utilities
that let you print and manage print jobs. For the best black and white
Printing With photography output, the Epson driver offers an Advanced Black and White
Epson Drivers Photo mode.
for Macintosh
ICC profiles for ColorSync are included, so you can use color management
features in Adobe Photoshop or other applications, or in the driver itself. A
color-managed workflow using Photoshop and a color-calibrated monitor
will give you the most accurate colors and best output from your printer for
color photos. See your on-screen Users Guide for instructions.
You can create your own profiles if you have the required hardware and
software, or you can have them created by a color specialist. Make sure any
profiles you want to use are located in the standard folder for your operating
system. When you install the Epson printer driver, the ready-made profiles
are automatically copied to the right folder.
Before you print, make sure you have installed the Epson printer driver and
utilities from the CD-ROM. You also need to configure your connection
and set up the printer in the Printer Setup Utility. For instructions on
installing and configuring the printer driver, see page 43.
If you plan on printing borderless images on roll paper, check the guidelines
on page 82 to size your image correctly.
Tip: Check the Epson Pro This chapter includes the following information for Mac OS X:
Imaging website at
www.proimaging.epson. Choosing page setup settings for cut sheets and roll paper
com for updated drivers
Choosing basic print options
and utilities that may
become available. Choosing color management options
Choosing paper configuration settings
Choosing roll paper options
Controlling expansion of borderless images
Choosing advanced black and white photo settings
Creating a custom preset and printing
Managing print jobs
81
82 | Printing With Epson Drivers for Macintosh
Sizing Images for Borderless Printing on Roll

Paper
For true borderless printing on roll paper, you can select a Paper Size setting
with an Auto Expand or Retain Size option, or create a custom paper size,
as described on page 83. Your image may be clipped on the left and right
edges, but you can minimize clipping by sizing your image according to the
paper width and by adjusting the length by adding 0.1 inch (2.54 mm) to it.
Paper sizes with the Auto Expand option provide the best solution for
borderless printing with minimal image clipping. Using this setting, you can
create a image width almost equal to the width of the roll media. If you use a
Note: Make sure you set paper size with the Retain Size option, you should create an image slightly
the margins to zero when
printing a custom page
wider than the actual width of the roll media. Or you can create a custom
size for borderless paper size and select the Retain Size option. See the table below for
printing. guidelines:
Roll paper Image width Image width Custom paper size

width (with Auto Expand) (with Retain Size) (with Retain Size)
10 inches 9.7075 inches 10.34 inches 10.23 inches
(254 mm) (246.57 mm) (262.6 mm) (259.8 mm)
(330 mm) (325.1 mm) (338.8 mm) (336.0 mm)
(406 mm) (401.3 mm) (415.0 mm) (412.2 mm)
(432 mm) (426.7 mm) (440.4 mm) (437.6 mm)
(610 mm) (604.5 mm) (618.2 mm) (615.4 mm)
36 inches* 35.8 inches 36.34 inches 36.23 inches
(914 mm) (909.3 mm) (923.0 mm) (920.2 mm)
44 inches* 43.8 inches 44.34 inches 44.23 inches
(1118 mm) (1112.5 mm) (1126.2 mm) (1123.4 mm)
* Epson Stylus Pro 9880 only
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Printing With Epson Drivers for Macintosh | 83
Choosing Page Setup Options

Note: Many application Page Setup options let you choose from several options for printing on cut
settings override the sheets or roll paper. You can also select the orientation of your image and the
printers page setup paper size. For printing on roll media, creating a custom page size is
options. Always verify recommended to make the best use of your paper.
settings to get the results
you expect.
Note the following limitations on borderless printing:
If your application has Borderless printing takes longer than normal printing.
margin settings, make
sure theyre turned off for Margins are required at the top and bottom of the page on cut sheets.
borderless printing. Full borderless printing is available on roll paper only.
1. Open the file you want to print and select Page Setup in your
application. You see this screen:
Select your printer
Note: If you need more

information about print
options, click the ?
button.
2. Open the Format for drop-down menu and select your printer.
83
3. Click the Paper Size drop-down menu.

If youre printing on a cut sheet, choose the size of the paper you are
using and one of the options listed below. Then continue with
step 5.
If youre using roll paper, Epson recommends that you create a
custom paper size to make the best use of your paper. See step 4 for
instructions. Also be sure to select roll paper options, as described
on page 93.
Select the paper size,

then choose the setting
The following settings are available, depending on the size you choose:
The Sheet size setting prints on cut sheet paper with a bottom
margin larger than the top and sides.
Sheet - Borderless (Auto Expand) prints on cut sheets and
enlarges your image (up to 3%) to fit the width of the paper
(without side borders).
Sheet - Borderless (Retain Size) prints your image at the size you
specify in your application. You need to size it slightly wider than
the paper width to print without side borders.
84
Roll Paper - Borderless (Auto Expand) prints without borders on

roll paper and enlarges your image (up to 3%) to fit the size of the
paper. This selection is recommended for borderless printing with
minimal clipping of your image. See page 82 for more information.
Roll Paper - Borderless (Retain Size) prints your image on roll
paper at the size you specify in your application. You need to size it
slightly wider than the paper width to print without borders. See
page 82 for more information.
Roll Paper - Banner prints a series of continuous images without
any margin space between them, but with normal side borders.
Roll Paper - Borderless Banner prints a series of continuous
borderless images without space between them.
4. If you are printing on roll paper, choose Manage Custom Sizes from
the Paper Size menu.
(If you are printing on a cut sheet, skip to step 5.)
Click to create a
custom page size
Click the + (plus sign), double-click Untitled and give your paper size a
name, then define its size and margins and click OK.
Select your new page size from the Paper Size drop-down menu.
5. Choose the appropriate Orientation and Scale for printing.
6. Click OK. Then continue with the instructions in the next section.
85
Choosing Basic Print Options

Once you have selected your page setup options, you need to select printing
options. The Epson driver offers automatic settings that optimize print
quality and speed when youre using Epson media. You can also choose
additional settings for more control over your printer and color output.
1. Select Print in your application. You see the screen shown below:
Select your
printer
2. Choose your printer from the Printer menu.
3. Select Print Settings from the Copies & Pages drop-down menu. You
see this screen:
86
4. If you created a custom paper size for your roll paper, select the Auto
Expand or Retain Size option in the Page Setup drop-down menu.
See page 82 for details.
5. Select the Media Type that corresponds to the paper you are printing
on. See the table on page 88 for more information.
If you are using a color-managed workflow, make sure you choose media
type and resolution settings that match the ICC profile you are using.
6. For the Color setting, select one of the following:

Color for any type of photographic printing.
Advanced B&W Photo if you are printing black and white photos
using this unique printer technology on select paper types. See
page 95 for more information. (For paper types that dont support
this option, print black and white photos with the Color setting.)
Black only if youre printing line drawings or other
non-photographic images.
7. Set the Mode option as follows:

Click Automatic to have the printer driver analyze the contents of
your image or file and make the appropriate printing adjustments. If
a Quality/Speed slider appears, set it according to the priorities of
your print job.
You can choose one of the mode settings shown at the left in the
drop-down menu:
Charts and Graphs intensifies colors and lightens the midtones
and highlights of an image. Use this setting for presentation
graphics.
EPSON Standard (sRGB) increases the contrast in images. Use
this setting for color photographs.
Adobe RGB matches image colors to the Adobe RGB color
standard.
Click Advanced Settings to access additional options, as described
in the remaining steps.
87
8. Choose one of the following Print Quality settings:

Note: The Print Quality Draft
settings available depend
on the Media Type you Normal - 360dpi
selected. Choose a lower
print quality setting for Fine - 720dpi
faster printing or SuperFine - 1440dpi
SuperPhoto - 2880dpi
for the best quality. SuperPhoto - 2880dpi
9. Choose any of the following advanced options:

Super MicroWeave for maximum elimination of banding (may
not be accessible for certain media types).
High Speed for fast, bidirectional printing. For higher quality,
make sure you deselect this option.
Flip Horizontal for printing a mirror image of your file.
Finest Detail for sharper edges on vector-based data including text,

graphics, and line art. (This setting does not affect photographs and
is not recommended for large files.)
Continue with the instructions on page 90 to select color management

settings. If you are using the color management settings in Photoshop or
another application, it is very important to turn off color management in the
printer driver.
Selecting the Correct Media Type Setting

The table on the next page lists the settings designed to product the best
results on Epson media.
If your paper is not listed, check the instructions included with the paper, or
look on the Epson website www.proimaging.epson.com (U.S. sales),
www.epson.ca (Canadian sales). If you are using non-Epson paper, consult
the manufacturer for the best setting. You may have to experiment with
different settings to determine which one is best for the media youre using.
88
For this media Select this Media Type setting*

Premium Luster Photo Paper (260) Premium Luster Photo Paper (260)
Premium Glossy Photo Paper (250) Premium Glossy Photo Paper (250)
Premium Semigloss Photo Paper (250) Premium Semigloss Photo Paper
(250)
Premium Semimatte Photo Paper Premium Semimatte Photo Paper
(260)
(170)
Premium Glossy Photo Paper Premium Glossy Photo Paper
Premium Photo Paper Glossy
Premium Semigloss Photo Paper Premium Semigloss Photo Paper
Premium Photo Paper Semigloss
Premium Luster Photo Paper Premium Luster Photo Paper
Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster
Premium Semimatte Photo Paper (260) EPSON Proofing Paper White
Semimatte
Proofing Paper Commercial Epson Proofing Paper Commercial
Proofing Paper Commercial Semimatte
Velvet Fine Art Paper Velvet Fine Art Paper
Watercolor Paper - Radiant White Watercolor Paper - Radiant White
PremierArt Water Resistant Canvas
Piezo Pro Matte Canvas
Textured Fine Art Paper Textured Fine Art Paper
UltraSmooth Fine Art Paper UltraSmooth Fine Art Paper
Canvas Canvas
Doubleweight Matte Paper Doubleweight Matte Paper
Singleweight Matte Paper Singleweight Matte Paper
Presentation Paper Matte Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper
Enhanced Matte Paper Enhanced Matte Paper
Ultra Premium Presentation Paper Matte
Somerset Velvet (roll paper only)
89

Plain paper Plain Paper
Enhanced Matte Posterboard Enhanced Matte Poster Board
Somerset Velvet (cut sheets only)
* Other Media Type settings in the list can be used to experiment with other
paper types.
Choosing Color Management Options

Follow these instructions to use color management in the printer driver.
1. Select Printer Color Management from the drop-down menu, then

click Advanced Settings. You see this screen:
90
2. Select one of the following settings:

Color Controls to choose from four color adjustment modes and
from three Gamma settings. Click the arrow next to Advanced
Settings to specify individual values for brightness, contrast,
saturation, and CMY inks. When you use the driver to perform
color management, make sure you turn it off in your application.
ColorSync for mapping colors to your printers profile. In most
cases, you will get better results by applying color management in
your application, rather than in the printer driver. If you choose this
setting, you can choose ColorSync from the drop-down menu and
choose filters or other settings.
(Off) No Color Adjustment to disable color management in the
printer driver. Choose this mode when you use a color-managed
ICC workflow in Photoshop or another software application. See
your on-screen Users Guide for instructions.
Choosing Paper Configuration Options

Follow these instructions if you are using non-Epson media and you need to
fine-tune its performance.
Note: You may need to 1. Select Paper Configuration from the drop-down menu. You see this
change the Color Density screen:
setting if your custom
color profile was created
to optimize D-max and
color gamut.
91
2. Select the correct settings to match your ICC profile. These settings
override any paper configuration settings you may have made using the
printers control panel.
Color Density lets you control the ink saturation level.
Drying Time per Print Head Pass lets you print with non-Epson
media and avoid smearing the ink. You can make the print head
wait up to 5 seconds after each pass to allow ink to dry on the page.
Paper Feed Adjustment helps reduce banding. Choose a lower
see dark lines.
Paper Thickness helps reduce vertical banding and creates a
sharper image when printing on unusually thick or thin paper.
Paper Suction lets you decrease the paper suction level when
printing on thinner papers (less than 12 lb), such as CAD drafting
paper.
Cut Method decreases the cutting blade pressure for thinner media,
or adjusts the speed for thick media. You may need to experiment to
determine the best setting for your paper.
Platen Gap lets you fine-tune the setting for various paper
thicknesses.
92
Choosing Roll Paper Options

If you are printing on roll paper, make sure you choose one of the roll paper
options as the Paper Size setting, as described on page 83. In addition, you
need to check these settings for various cutting and feeding options.
1. Select Roll Paper Option from the drop-down menu. You see this
screen:
Normal
cut
2. Choose one of the following Auto Cut settings:
Normal Cut allows margin space at the top and bottom of each
image.
Double Cut extends the space between the images and trims each
print individually. This provides the cleanest edge for borderless
Double printing.
cut
Single Cut allows images to be printed end-to-end and saves paper.
With borderless printing, you may see a sliver of the previous or
next image if you print multiple images in one print job. You will
see a white margin between print jobs.
Off disables automatic cutting. Choose this setting if you want to
Single operate the cutter manually, use the optional Auto Take-Up Reel,
cut print multiple print jobs without cutting, or print on heavy media
that must be cut by hand.
See page 56 for instructions on using the button to operate the
cutter. See page 51 for a list of media that are not recommended for
Note: These settings use with the built-in cutter.
override settings made
through the control panel.
93
3. Select either of the following options, if desired (available only when

youve selected a Paper Size setting with the Roll Paper (Banner)
option):
Print Page Line prints trim lines on the right and bottom edges of
your pages.
Save Roll Paper saves paper by not feeding the blank portion of
the last page of your document.
Controlling Borderless Image Expansion

To control the amount of expansion when printing using a Paper Size with
the Auto Expand option, select Expansion from the drop-down menu.
You see this screen:
Adjust the slider to increase or decrease the amount of expansion.
The widths shown in the table on page 82 work with the Standard
Expansion setting. If you use the slider to adjust the amount of expansion,
you can calculate the image width as follows:
Using the Min setting, subtract 0.125 inch (3.175 mm) from the media
width to determine the image width.
Using the Max setting, subtract 0.415 inch (10.54 mm) from the media
width to determine the image width.
94
Choosing Advanced Black and White Photo

Settings
Note: If you are printing Advanced Black and White Photo mode allows you to easily produce neutral
from Photoshop, make and toned black-and-white prints using your Epson driver. This mode offers
sure you do not use
Photoshops color
an alternative black and white workflow with settings for more advanced
management settings control.
when using Advanced
Black and White Photo Whether your photo is color or grayscale, you can use this unique screening
mode. There are no and color management technology to create stunning black-and-white
profiles associated with prints. This mode is only available when printing on certain media types.
this screening and color
management technology.
1. Select Print Settings from the drop-down menu.
2. Choose the Media Type setting for the paper you have loaded in the
printer. (See page 88 for instructions.)
Note: If Advanced Black 3. Choose Advanced B&W Photo as the Color setting.
and White Photo is not
available for your media
type, you may need to
change your black ink
cartridge. See page 148
4. Uncheck High Speed for the best quality.
95
5. Select Printer Color Management from the drop-down menu. You see
this screen:
6. Choose the settings that are best for your photo. You can use the photo
on the screen as a guide.
Color Toning allows you to add tone (hue) to your black and white
output. The default is Neutral, which will provide you with a
neutral tonal scale print. You can also choose other popular presets
such as Cool, Warm, and Sepia. Note that the presets affect the
target found in the tone color circle.
Tone allows you to easily change the entire tonal scale of your black
and white output. While Darker is the default setting, you may see
better results if you choose Dark.
Brightness adjusts the overall lightness and darkness of your image.
Contrast adjusts the difference between the light and dark areas of
your image.
Shadow and Highlight Tonality allow you to control tonality only
in the shadow or highlight areas of your image.
96
Max Optical Density adjusts the overall density or focus of the

print. Create a soft focus print by setting the density lower.
Highlight Point Shift helps to reduce gloss differential by adding
density to the highlights of your image.
The tone color circle adjusts the hue of your black and white print.
Click on any portion of the color wheel or enter corresponding
values to customize the tone (hue) added to your print. The closer
you select to the edge of the wheel, the more color you add.
Preview approximates the image tone based on your settings. Note
that this preview always shows the same image and is not color
managed. It provides a level of feedback as you make changes.
Creating a Custom Preset and Printing

Once youve made the correct settings for your print job, create a
custom preset. This will save you time when you use the same
profile/printer/ink/media combination for future print jobs.
Note: If you check the
settings on each screen
1. Select Summary from the drop-down menu.
in the drop-down menu,
go through them carefully
from top to bottom. 2. After verifying that your settings are correct, select Save As from the
Avoid cycling through Presets drop-down menu.
them repeatedly, or you
may lose your settings.
Caution: Do not open 3. Type a name for your custom preset and click OK.
and close the Presets
menu without typing a 4. When youre ready to print, click the Print button.
name, or you will lose
your settings.
Whenever you want to print with your custom preset, select it from the
Presets drop-down menu.
97
Managing Print Jobs

After you click Print, you can monitor the progress of your print job. Follow
these steps:
1. Click the icon for your printer on the Dock. If necessary, double-click
your printer (and print queue) name. You see a screen like this:
Note: You can also

cancel a print job by
pressing the Pause
button on the printer and
holding it for at least
3 seconds. 2. From here you can monitor the progress of your print job or do one of
the following:
Click the print job, then click Delete to cancel the job
Click the print job, then click Hold to pause printing
Click a print job marked Hold and click Resume to resume
printing
3. When youre finished, close the print job window, then close your
printer window.
98
99
Chapter 4: Your Epson Stylus Pro 7880 or Pro 9880 comes with drivers and utilities
that let you print and manage print jobs. For the best black and white
Printing With photography output, the Epson printer driver offers Advanced Black and
Epson Drivers White Photo mode.
for Windows
ICC profiles are included, so you can use the color management features in
Adobe Photoshop or other applications, or in the driver itself. A
color-managed workflow using Photoshop and a color-calibrated monitor
will give you the most accurate colors and best output from your printer for
color photos. See your on-screen Users Guide for instructions.
You can create your own profiles if you have the required hardware and
software, or you can have them created by a color specialist. Make sure any
profiles you want to use are located in the standard folder for your operating
system. When you install the Epson printer driver, the ready-made profiles
are automatically copied to the right folder.
Before you print, you need to set basic printing properties. Make sure you
have installed the Epson driver and utilities from the CD-ROM. See page 45
for instructions
If you plan on printing borderless images on roll paper, check the guidelines
on page 100 to size your image correctly.
Tip: Check the Epson Pro This chapter includes the following information:
Imaging website at
www.proimaging.epson. Choosing basic print options
com for updated drivers
Choosing color management options
become available. Choosing roll paper settings
Choosing cut sheet paper settings
Choosing page layout options
Choosing advanced black and white photo settings
Choosing paper configuration options
Saving, exporting, and importing groups of settings
Managing print jobs
99
100 | Printing With Epson Drivers for Windows
Sizing Images for Borderless Printing on Roll

Paper
For true borderless printing on roll paper, you can select either Auto
Expand or Retain Size or create a custom paper size, as described on
page 107. Your image may be clipped on the left and right edges, but you
can minimize clipping by sizing your image according to the roll paper width
and by adjusting the length by adding 0.1 inch (2.54 mm) to it.
Auto Expand provides the best solution for borderless printing with
minimal image clipping because you can create a image width almost equal
to the width of the roll media. If you use Retain Size, you need to size your
image slightly wider than the paper width. See the table below for guidelines:
Image width Image width

Roll paper width (with Auto Expand) (with Retain Size)
8.3 inches 8.06 inches 8.35 inches
(211 mm) (204.7 mm) (212.1 mm)
10 inches 9.7075 inches 10.25 inches
(254 mm) (246.57 mm) (260.35 mm)
(330 mm) (325.1 mm) (338.8 mm)
16 inches ( 15.8 inches 16.25 inches
406 mm) (401.3 mm) (412.75 mm)
(432 mm) (426.7 mm) (438.15 mm)
(610 mm) (604.5 mm) (615.9 mm)
36 inches* 35.8 inches 36.25 inches
(914 mm) (909.3 mm) (920.7 mm)
44 inches* 43.8 inches 44.25 inches
(1118 mm) (1112.5 mm) (1124.0 mm)
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Printing With Epson Drivers for Windows | 101
Choosing Basic Print Options

The driver offers automatic settings that optimize print quality and speed
when youre using Epson media. You can also choose custom settings for
more control over your printer and color management options.
Follow these steps to make basic settings:
1. Start an application, open the file you want to print, and select Print in
your application. You see the Print window.
2. Make sure your printer is selected, then click the Properties or

Preferences button. (If you see a Setup, Printer, or Options button,
click it instead. Then click Properties or Preferences.)
You see a window like the following:
Note: If you need more

information about print
options, you can click
the Help button on
any screen.
This box shows you the

current settings, but you
cant change them from here
101
3. Select a Media Type setting that corresponds to the paper you are
printing on. See the table on page 103 for more information.
If you are using a color-managed workflow, make sure you choose
media type and resolution settings that match the ICC profile you
are using.
If your paper is not listed, check the instructions included with the
paper, or check the Epson website (see page 13). If you are using
non-Epson media, choose the closest setting or create a custom
paper configuration (see page 116). You may have to experiment
with different settings to determine which one is best for the media
youre using.
4. For the Color setting, select one of the following:

Color for any type of photographic printing.
Advanced B&W Photo for printing black and white photos on

certain paper types. See page 114 for more information. (For paper
types that dont support this option, print black and white photos
using the Color setting.)
Black only if youre printing line drawings or other
non-photographic images.
Note: The Print Quality
settings depend on the
5. For the Print Quality setting, choose Quality or Max Quality. Or
Media Type you selected.
Choose lower print quality choose Quality Options to display a window like the following:
for faster printing, or
SuperPhoto - 2880dpi
for best quality.
102
Use the Speed/Quality slider to set the desired quality level. Select from
the following additional options and click OK:
High Speed for fast, bidirectional printing at lower quality.
Edge Smoothing to improve the quality of low-resolution images.
Finest Detail for sharper edges on vector-based data including text,
graphics, and line art. (This setting does not affect photographs and
is not recommended for large files.)
6. Set the Mode option as follows:

Click Automatic to have the printer driver analyze the contents of
your image or file and make the appropriate printing adjustments.
You can choose one of these settings in the drop-down menu:
Charts and Graphs intensifies colors and lightens the midtones
and highlights of an image. Use this setting for presentation
graphics.
EPSON Standard (sRGB) increases the contrast in images. Use
this setting for color photographs.
Adobe RGB matches image colors to the Adobe RGB color
standard.
Click Custom, then follow the instructions in the next section to
select color management options.
Selecting the Correct Media Type Setting

The table on the next page lists the settings designed to product the best
results on Epson media.
If your paper is not listed, check the instructions included with the paper, or
look on the Epson website www.proimaging.epson.com (U.S. sales),
www.epson.ca (Canadian sales). If you are using non-Epson paper, consult
the manufacturer for the best setting. You may have to experiment with
different settings to determine which one is best for the media youre using.
103

Photo Paper
Premium Luster Photo Paper (260) Premium Luster Photo Paper (260)
(250)
Premium Semimatte Photo Paper Premium Semimatte Photo Paper
(260)
(170)
Premium Glossy Photo Paper Premium Glossy Photo Paper
Premium Photo Paper Glossy
Premium Semigloss Photo Paper Premium Semigloss Photo Paper
Premium Photo Paper Semigloss
Premium Luster Photo Paper Premium Luster Photo Paper
Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster
Proofing Paper
Premium Semimatte Photo Paper (260) EPSON Proofing Paper White
Semimatte
Proofing Paper Commercial Epson Proofing Paper Commercial
Proofing Paper Commercial Semimatte
Fine Art Paper
Velvet Fine Art Paper Velvet Fine Art Paper
Watercolor Paper - Radiant White Watercolor Paper - Radiant White
PremierArt Water Resistant Canvas
Piezo Pro Matte Canvas
Textured Fine Art Paper Textured Fine Art Paper
UltraSmooth Fine Art Paper UltraSmooth Fine Art Paper
Canvas Canvas
Matte Paper
Doubleweight Matte Paper Doubleweight Matte Paper
104

Singleweight Matte Paper Singleweight Matte Paper
Presentation Paper Matte Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper
Enhanced Matte Paper Enhanced Matte Paper
Ultra Premium Presentation Paper Matte
Somerset Velvet (roll paper only)
Plain Paper
Plain paper Plain Paper
Others
Enhanced Matte Posterboard Enhanced Matte Poster Board
Somerset Velvet (cut sheets only)
* Other Media Type settings in the list can be used to experiment with other
paper types.
Choosing Color Management Options

The printer driver offers several methods for managing the color in your
prints, including turning the drivers color management settings off.
If you are using color management settings in Photoshop or another

application, it is very important to access the advanced settings and turn off
color management in the printer driver, as described here. (For instructions
on using Photoshop to manage color, see your on-screen Users Guide.)
1. In the Properties or Preferences window, make sure the Main tab is

selected.
2. For the Mode setting, select Custom.
Tip: If you turn off color 3. Choose one of the following settings and click the Advanced button:
management, you can
still control the ink No Color Adjustment disables color management in the printer
density, as described driver. Choose this mode when you use a color managed workflow
on page 117. in Photoshop or other software. See your on-screen Users Guide for
instructions.
105
Color Controls lets you specify individual values for adjusting

brightness, contrast, saturation, and CMY inks, or choose from
three Printer Color Adjustment modes. You can also choose from
two Gamma settings, and use either a color circle or slide bar to
adjust color.
PhotoEnhance allows you to automatically correct images and

choose from six Scene Correction settings.
106
ICM adjusts colors based on the printers ICC profile, using the
Image Color Matching system. You can choose the input profile
and other settings as shown below.
In most cases, you will get better results by applying color management
in your application, rather than in the printer driver. See your on-screen
Users Guide for instructions.
4. Click OK to save your settings.
Choosing Roll Paper Options

Note: Many application Follow the steps in this section to print on roll paper and select settings for
settings override settings borderless printing and automatic cutting. (If youre printing on cut sheets,
in the printer driver. see page 110).
Always verify settings
to get the results 1. On the Properties or Preferences window, make sure the Main tab is
you expect.
selected.
2. For the Source setting, select Roll Paper or Roll Paper (Banner).
The Roll Paper (Banner) setting allows you to print a series of
continuous images without any space between them. This option is not
available with all applications, and is mostly for tiling an image.
107
Save Roll Paper saves paper by not feeding the blank portion of the last
page of your document. Available only if youve selected Roll Paper
Tip: Creating a (Banner) as the Paper Source.
user-defined paper size
generally lets you make 3. For the Size setting, select the size of your image or output paper.
the best use of your roll
paper. To make the best use of your roll paper, creating a custom paper size is
recommended. Select User Defined. You see this window:
Type a name for your custom size, then enter the size in hundredths of
an inch (or centimeters) and click Save. Then click OK.
4. If you want to reduce or enlarge your image, click the Page Layout tab.
See page 113 for more information.
5. If you want to print without margins, click Borderless. If youre not

printing borderless images, go to step 7.
Note that borderless printing takes longer than normal printing. See
page 100 for more information about borderless printing on roll paper.
108
6. Click the Expansion button to select a borderless sizing option. Choose

Auto Expand or Retain Size, then click OK.
Auto Expand enlarges your image (up to 3%) to fit the size of the
paper. You can use the slider to adjust the expansion.
Retain Size prints your image at the size you specify in your
application. You need to size it slightly wider than the paper width if
you want to print without borders. See page 100 for more information.
The widths shown in the table on page 100 work with the Standard
Expansion setting. If you use the slider to adjust the amount of
expansion, you need to adjust the image width as follows:
Using the Min setting, subtract 0.125 inch from the media width to
determine the image width.
Using the Max setting, subtract 0.415 inch from the media width to
determine the image width.
7. Click the Roll Paper Option button. You see this window:
109
8. Choose one of the following Auto Cut settings:

Off disables automatic cutting. Choose this setting if you want to
Normal
cut
operate the cutter manually, use the optional Auto Take-Up Reel,
or print on heavy media that must be cut by hand. See page 56 for
instructions on operating the cutter manually.
Single Cut allows images to be printed end-to-end and saves paper.
With borderless printing, you may see a sliver of the previous or
next image if you print multiple images in one print job. You will
see a white margin between print jobs.
Double
cut Normal Cut allows margin space at the top and bottom of each
image.
Double Cut extends the space between images and trims each print
individually. This provides the cleanest edge for borderless printing.
9. Select these additional roll paper options, if necessary:

Single
cut Auto Rotate saves paper if your document length is shorter than
the printable width of the roll. The document is automatically
rotated 90 degrees and printed crosswise. Be sure to click Roll
Width and select the width of your roll paper.
Note: These settings Print Page Line prints trim lines on the right and bottom edges of
override settings made your pages.
through the control panel.
10. When your finished, click OK.
Choosing Cut Sheet Paper Options

Follow the steps in this section to print on cut sheet paper and select settings
for borderless printing, if desired. (If youre printing on roll paper, see
page 107.)
1. On the Properties or Preferences window, make sure the Main tab is

selected.
110
2. For the Source setting, select Sheet.
3. For the Size setting, select the size of the sheet loaded in the printer.
If the size of your paper is not listed, you can create a custom paper size.
Select User Defined. You see this window:
111
Type a name for your custom size, then enter the size in hundredths of
an inch (or centimeters) and click Save. Then click OK.
4. If you want to center your image on the sheet, click Printable Area,
then select Centered.
5. If you want to print to the edges of the page, click Borderless (not
available for custom paper sizes). If youre not printing borderless
images, go to step 7.
Note that borderless printing applies only to the left and right sides of
the page on cut sheets; margins are required at the top and bottom of the
page. For full-bleed borderless printing, use roll paper (see page 107 for
instructions).
6. Click the Expansion button and choose Auto Expand or Retain Size:
Auto Expand enlarges your image (up to 3%) to fit the size of the
paper. You can use the slider to control the amount of expansion.
Retain Size prints your image at the size you specify in your
application. You need to size it slightly wider than the paper width if
you want to print without borders.
7. If you want to reduce or enlarge your image, click the Page Layout tab.
See the next section for more information.
112
Choosing Page Layout Options

You can print a poster-size image, even if your application does not support
poster printing. Follow these steps to reduce or enlarge your image:
1. On the Properties or Preferences window, click the Page Layout tab.

You see this window:
Note: Select Landscape

when you want to rotate
your image 90.
2. Select the settings you want for Orientation and Copies.
3. Click Reduce/Enlarge if you want to have the driver resize your image.
You can select Fit to Page or Fit to Roll Paper Width, or select
Custom and enter a scaling percentage.
4. If you are enlarging your image beyond the limits of your application
program, make sure Optimize Enlargement is selected. The driver will
increase the image size up to 650% and decrease the output resolution
to stay within the pixel limitations. Depending on the resolution of your
image and the print size, you may see reduced quality in the print.
113
5. Click Print Bckg Color if you want to print color on the background of
the page. Click the Color Settings button to select the color you want.
6. Click Job Settings if you want to have the time, date, and other
information about your print job printed at the top or bottom of the
page. Click Details, select the settings you want to use, and click OK.
Choosing Advanced Black and White Photo

Settings
Advanced Black and White Photo mode allows you to easily produce neutral
and toned black-and-white prints using your Epson driver and offers an
alternative black and white workflow. Advanced Black and White Photo
mode also provides settings for more advanced black and white control.
Whether your photo is color or grayscale, you can use this unique screening
and color management technology to create stunning black-and-white
Note: If you are printing prints. This mode is available only when printing on certain media types.
from Photoshop, make
sure you do not use 1. On the Properties or Preferences window, make sure the Main tab is
Photoshops color selected.
management settings
when using Advanced 2. Select a Media Type setting that corresponds to the paper you are
Black and White Photo
mode. There are no
printing on.
profiles associated with If your paper is not listed, check the instructions included with the
this screening and color
management technology.
paper, or check the Epson website www.proimaging.epson.com (U.S.
sales), www.epson.ca (Canadian sales). If you are using non-Epson
media, choose the closest setting or create a custom paper configuration
(see page 116). You may have to experiment with different settings to
determine which one is best for the media youre using.
Note: If Advanced Black
and White Photo is not
3. For the Color setting, choose Advanced B&W Photo.
available for your media
type, you may need to
change your black ink 4. For the Mode setting, select Custom, then click Advanced.
cartridge. See page 148
114
You see this screen:
5. You can adjust the following advanced black and white photo settings:
Color Toning allows you to add tone (hue) to your black and white
output. The default is Neutral, which will provide you with a
neutral tonal scale print. You can also choose other popular presets
such as Cool, Warm, and Sepia. Note that the presets will affect
the target found in the tone color circle.
Tone allows you to easily change the entire tonal scale of your black
and white output. While Darker is the default setting, you may see
better results if you choose Dark.
Brightness adjusts the overall lightness and darkness of your image.
Contrast adjusts the difference between the light and dark areas of
your image.
Shadow and Highlight Tonality allow you to control tonality only
in the shadow or highlight areas of your image.
Max Optical Density adjusts the overall density or focus of the
print. Create a soft focus print by setting the density to lower.
115
Highlight Point Shift helps to reduce gloss differential by adding

density to the highlights of your image or the full page.
The tone color circle adjusts the hue of your black and white print.
Click on any portion of the color wheel or enter corresponding
values to customize the tone (hue) you want to add. The closer you
select to the edge of the wheel, the more color you add.
The preview image approximates the image tone based on your settings.
Note that this preview always shows the same image and is not color
managed. It provides a level of feedback as you make changes.
6. When you finish selecting settings, click OK.
Choosing Paper Configuration Options

If you are using non-Epson media and you need to fine-tune its
performance, you can create a custom paper configuration and save it as a
Media Type setting in the printer driver. Then, whenever you print on that
media, you can select the custom Media Type, select the rest of your print
settings, and print. You can even export the settings to a file you can share.
1. Click the Paper Config button on the Main tab. You see this window:
116
2. Select the correct settings to match your ICC profile. These settings
override any paper configuration settings you may have made using the
Note: You may need to printers control panel.
change the Color Density
Color Density lets you control the ink saturation level (for example,
setting if your custom
profile was created to when you turn off color management in your printer software).
optimize D-max and color
Drying Time per Print Head Pass lets you print with non-Epson
gamut.
media and avoid smearing the ink. You can make the print head
wait up to 5 seconds after each pass to allow ink to dry.
Paper Feed Adjustment helps reduce banding. Choose a lower
see dark lines.
Paper Suction lets you decrease the paper suction level when
printing on thinner papers (less than 12 lb), such as CAD drafting
paper.
Paper Thickness helps reduce vertical banding and creates a
sharper image when printing on unusually thick or thin paper.
Cut Method decreases the cutting blade pressure for thinner media,
and adjusts the speed for thick media. You may need to experiment
to determine the best setting for your paper.
Platen Gap lets you fine-tune the setting for various paper
thicknesses.
3. When you finish selecting Paper Configuration settings, click OK.
117
4. On the Main tab, select any other necessary setting for your paper in the
Media Settings box. (See page 101 through page 107 for details.)
118
5. Click the Custom Settings button. You see a window like this:
6. Verify that your settings are correct, type a name for the custom media
type, and click Save.
7. After saving your settings, you can do the following:

To use the settings to print right away, select the name you gave
them in the Media Type list. Select the rest of the necessary print
settings and print.
To save the settings to a file that you can share, click the Custom
Settings button again, click the name of the settings in the list,
click Export, select a location, enter a file name, and click Save.
To import settings from a file shared with you that does not exist in
your Media Type list, click the Custom Settings button again,
click Import, select the file you want to import, and click Open.
When you return to the window shown above, enter a name for the
settings and click Save.
119
Saving, Exporting, and Importing Custom

Settings
You can save groups of settings so you can reuse them for future print jobs
with the same profile/printer/ink/media combination. You can also export
them as a file that you can share with others, who can import them for
printing.
In addition, the printer driver includes pre-defined setting groups for various
types of printing. You can select them to set most of the settings you need,
and then customize them for your particular print job.
You can also add, delete, or hide items in the printer driver window to
customize the driver for your uses.
Saving and Exporting a Custom Settings Group

1. Follow the instructions in this chapter to select all the correct settings for
a print job.
2. Click the Save/Del button at the top of the Main or Page Layout
screen. You see a window like this:
3. Verify that your settings are correct, type a name for the settings group,
and click Save.
120
4. After saving your settings, you can do the following:

To use the setting group to print right away, select the name you
gave it in the Select Setting list, if necessary, and print.
To save the settings to a file that you can share, click the Save/Del
button again, click the name of the setting group in the list, click
Export, select a location, enter a file name, and click Save.
Importing a Custom Settings Group

1. To import settings from a file shared with you that does not exist in your
Select Setting list, click the Save/Del button.
2. Click Import, select the file you want to import, and click Open.
3. When you return to the settings list window, enter a name for the
setting group and click Save.
4. To use the setting group to print right away, select the name you gave it
in the Select Setting list, if necessary, and print.
Loading a Pre-Defined Settings Group

1. To view the settings associated with the pre-defined setting groups that
came with your printer driver, click the Save/Del button. Then click
the following category and name, and check the Registered Settings
column:
Photo > Highest Quality
Fine Art > Monochrome
Proofing > ICM
Poster > Chroma Saturation
Others > 2Page N-up
2. Click Cancel.
3. To load a pre-defined setting group, select its category name in the

Select Setting list (if necessary), customize any of the settings that do
not match your print job, and print.
121
Editing Printer Driver Settings

1. Click the Utility tab, then select Menu Arrangement.
2. Select the item you want to edit. You can do the following
Drag and drop the items to rearrange them
Add or delete groups
Move unused items into the Not Display group
3. When youre finished, click Save.
122
Managing Print Jobs

Your printer comes with two utilities that let you check on your print jobs
and cancel, pause, or restart them.
The Progress Meter opens each time you send a print job. Status Monitor 3,
which appears on the taskbar when you print, lets you check the printers
status and monitor print jobs. You can control how these programs work
using the Speed and Progress and Monitoring Preferences utilities.
Using the Progress Meter

Note: You can also After you send a print job, the Progress Meter window appears:
cancel a print job by
pressing the Pause
button on the printer and
holding it for at least
3 seconds.
May not appear if you

are printing over a
network
Click for more details

on the displayed
printing tip
Click to Click to cancel

pause/resume printing
printing
You can use the buttons to cancel, pause, or restart your print job. You also
see how much ink you have left and view printing tips.
If you dont want the Progress Meter to appear, you can turn it off. See the
next section for instructions.
123
Optimizing Print Speed

You can use the Speed and Progress utility to improve printing speed.
1. Click the Utility tab, then click the Speed and Progress button. You
see this window:
Note: If you want to

disable display of the
progress meter during
printing, you can click the
Show Progress Meter
checkbox to deselect it.
2. Select from the following options:

High Speed Copies speeds up printing of multiple copies of the
same document using hard disk space as a cache. If you have
multiple hard drives, you can select a different drive to spool to in
the High Speed Copy Folder list to the right.
Show Progress Meter lets you control whether or not the Progress
Meter is displayed when you send a print job.
Disable EPSON Status Monitor 3 disables the printer software
utilities. Selecting this option is not recommended unless you
experience conflicts with other software.
Always spool RAW datatype lets you spool documents using the
RAW format instead of the EMF (metafile) format. Because the
RAW format requires fewer resources, printing is faster and you can
avoid certain problems, such as insufficient memory or disk space.
Page Rendering Mode speeds printing by rendering the entire
page. Use this setting if print speed is extremely slow or the print
head stops for a few minutes while printing. Printing will take
longer to start.
124
Coarse Rendering allows you to override the length or width

limitations in applications (such as Photoshop) that restrict the
number of pixels you can print.
Print as Bitmap allows large or complex vector graphics to print
faster in Adobe Acrobat or any other non-image based application.
Show Mouse Over Help lets you turn off the tool tips that appear
when you move your cursor over the screen.
Setting Monitoring Preferences

You can choose when and how you want to be notified of problems, whether
you want a Status Monitor 3 icon to appear on your Windows taskbar, and
whether you want to allow monitoring by other users who share the printer.
1. Click the Utility tab, then click the Monitoring Preferences button.
You see this window:
2. Select the notification options you want to use if various printing events
occur.
125
3. If you want to have the Status Monitor 3 icon appear in your Windows
taskbar, click the Shortcut Icon checkbox. Then select the icon to use.
When the shortcut is enabled, you can simply double-click the icon to
open the Status Monitor 3 window or right-click it, then select
Monitoring Preferences in the pop-up menu.
4. Select Allow monitoring of shared printers if your printer is shared

and you want to let other users monitor it.
126
135
Chapter 6: The Epson Stylus Pro 7880 and Pro 9880 require little maintenance to keep
working at their best. This chapter describes the following routine
Maintaining procedures:
and
Checking printer status and part life
Transporting
the Printer Checking and cleaning the print head
Aligning the print head
Replacing ink cartridges
Switching the black ink cartridge
Changing the date and time
Performing additional maintenance tasks
Replacing the paper cutter blade
Replacing the maintenance tank
Cleaning the printer
Transporting or storing the printer
In addition to the features described in this chapter, you can also use the
menu system on the printer to fine-tune a variety of printer settings. For
more information, see the electronic Users Guide included on the CD-ROM
that came with your printer.
Checking Printer Status and Part Life

Using the control panel, you can check the amount of ink remaining, the
total number of prints, and the status of your cutter blade, maintenance
tank, and other printer parts. You can print out a status check (described in
the next section), or view the printers status on the LCD display (see
page 136) or a printer driver screen (see page 138).
135
136 | Maintaining and Transporting the Printer
Printing Status Information

The status check sheet shows some of the current default settings, the
amount of ink remaining in each cartridge, the page count, and the status of
various printer parts.
1. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer.

Note: You can replace 3. Press the d button to highlight TEST PRINT, then press Menu.
the ink cartridges, cutter
blade, and maintenance
4. Press d to highlight STATUS SHEET, then press Menu. You see
tank yourself. Other
printer parts need to PRINT.
be replaced by an
authorized Epson service 5. Press to start printing.
technician.
The amount of ink left or the maintenance tank capacity is indicated as
follows:
E[*****]F = 10081% of ink or maintenance tank capacity remaining
E[**** ]F = 8061%
E[*** ]F = 6041%
E[** ]F = 4021%
E[* ]F = 2011%
% = less than 10% of ink or maintenance tank capacity remaining
Viewing Status Information

2. Press the d button until PRINTER STATUS is highlighted, then press

Menu.
3. Do one of the following:

To check the firmware version, press Menu again. When done,
press the l button.
To check the number of pages that can be printed with each ink
cartridge, press d to highlight PRINTABLE PAGES, then press
Menu. Press d to view the number of pages remaining for each
cartridge. When done, press l.
136
Maintaining and Transporting the Printer | 137
(This option must be enabled using maintenance mode on the

printers control panel to display information. See page 152 for
instructions.)
To check the amount of ink left, press d to highlight INK LEVEL,
then press Menu. The status of the first cartridge is displayed, using
the symbols described on page 138. Continue pressing d to see the
status of the remaining cartridges. When done, press l.
To check how much of the maintenance tank has been used, press
d to highlight MAINTENANCE TANK, then press Menu. The
status of the tank is displayed, using the symbols described on
page 138. As the tank is filled, the percentage drops. When done,
press l.
To check the amount of ink used (in milliliters) and paper used
(in centimeters), press d to highlight USAGE COUNT, then press
Menu. When done, press l.
You can clear this setting with the CLEAR USAGE COUNT option.
You can also change the units of measurement from centimeters to
inches and feet using maintenance mode on the printers control
panel. See page 152 for instructions.
To check the job history, press d to highlight JOB HISTORY, then
press Menu. For the last 10 print jobs saved in the printer, you see
the ink used (in milliliters) and paper used (in square centimeters).
The most recent job is saved as No. 0. When done, press l.
To check the total number of prints, press d to highlight TOTAL
PRINTS, then press Menu. When done, press l.
Note: The EDM
STATUS option is for To check the status of other printer parts, press d to highlight
future enhancements to SERVICE LIFE, then press Menu. The status of the cutter is
the printer.
displayed, using the symbols described below. Continue pressing d
to see the status of the carriage motor, paper feed motor, print head,
cleaning unit, and pressure motor. When done, press l.
137
The status of the printer parts is indicated with these symbols:

E*****F = 10081% of service life remaining
E**** F = 8061%
E*** F = 6041%
E** F = 4021%
E* F = 2011%
% = less than 10% of service life remaining
For more information about the Printer Status menu, see your on-screen
Users Guide.
Checking Printer Status From the Printer Driver

The Epson Status Monitor utility installed with your printer driver lets you
check the levels of ink in the printer and the level of the maintenance
Tip: On a Macintosh, you tank(s). Follow the steps below to use the utility to check the status.
can also run maintenance
utilities by clicking the 1. Do one of the following to access the printer utilities:
Utility button in the print
job window or the icon Mac OS X: Open the EPSON Printer Utility2 in your
on the printer settings Applications folder. Select your printer and click OK.
screen.
Windows Vista: Click , select Control Panel, select Hardware
If you added a shortcut and Sound, and click Printers. Right-click the icon for your
icon for your printer to printer and select Properties. Click the Utility tab.
the Windows taskbar,
you can right-click it and Windows XP: Click Start and select Control Panel. Double-click
select any utility you Printers and Faxes. Right-click your printer icon and select
want to run. See Printing Preferences. Click the Utility tab.
page 125 to add the icon.
2. Click the EPSON StatusMonitor (Mac OS X) or EPSON Status
Monitor 3 icon.
138
The software check the amount of ink in the printer and maintenance
tank(s) and displays one of these windows:
Checking and Cleaning the Print Head

If your printed image shows a color shift or horizontal lines, you should
Note: You can run a check the print head to see if any nozzles are clogged or deflected. If
cleaning cycle by holding
necessary, the printer will automatically run a cleaning cycle to clear the
down the Menu button
for three seconds. You nozzles.
can also use the printers
menus to run a power You can also turn on Auto Nozzle Check from the printers control panel.
cleaning cycle. See The printer will then check the nozzles periodically or before each print job
page 142 for details. and clean them if necessary.
Running the Nozzle Check and Head Cleaning Utilities

Tip: On a Macintosh, you
can also run maintenance Follow these steps to use your printer software to check the print head
utilities by clicking the nozzles and clean them if necessary:
Utility button in the print
job window or the icon 1. Make sure paper is loaded in the printer.
on the printer settings
screen. 2. Do one of the following to access the printer utilities:
If you added a shortcut Mac OS X: Open the EPSON Printer Utility2 in your
icon for your printer to Applications folder. Select your printer and click OK.
the Windows taskbar,
you can right-click it and Windows Vista: Click , select Control Panel, select Hardware
select any utility you and Sound, and click Printers. Right-click the icon for your
want to run. See
page 125 to add the icon.
printer and select Properties. Click the Utility tab.
139
Windows XP: Click Start and select Control Panel. Double-click

Printers and Faxes. Right-click your printer icon and select
Printing Preferences. Click the Utility tab.
You see a menu like the following:
3. Select the Nozzle Check icon.
4. Click Auto and follow the instructions on the screen.
The nozzle check pattern is printed and automatically read. If the printer
finds clogged nozzles, it runs a cleaning cycle.
If the nozzles do not clear after a few cleaning cycles, run a power cleaning
cycle, as described on page 142.
Checking and Cleaning the Print Head Using the Control

Panel
Follow these steps to have the printer check the print head nozzles and clean
them if necessary.
2. Press the d button until TEST PRINT is highlighted, then press Menu.
NOZZLE CHECK is selected.
140
Caution: Dont run a 3. Press Menu, then press to start printing the nozzle check pattern.
cleaning cycle while
thick media is loaded in The nozzle check pattern is printed and automatically read. If the printer
the printer. finds clogged nozzles, it runs a cleaning cycle.
Manually Checking and Cleaning the Print Head

If you turn off Auto Cleaning, you can print a nozzle check and manually
examine it to determine whether any nozzles are clogged or deflected. Then
you can run a cleaning cycle by pressing and holding the Menu button.
1. Press the Menu button. PRINTER SETUP is highlighted. Press Menu

again.
2. Press the d button until AUTO CLEANING is highlighted, then press

Menu.
3. Press the d to select OFF, then press to save the setting.
4. Press the l button twice.
5. Press d to highlight TEST PRINT, then press Menu. NOZZLE CHECK

is selected.
6. Press Menu, then press to start printing the nozzle check pattern.
7. After the pattern is printed, use at least a 10 eye loupe to examine it.
If the pattern looks good, as shown below, the print head is clean.
If any dots or segments are missing or deflected, as shown below,

run a cleaning cycle by pressing and holding the Menu button for at
least 3 seconds. Then print another nozzle check pattern to make
sure the nozzles are clean.
141
Running a Power Cleaning Cycle

You can run a power cleaning cycle from the control panel if the normal
cleaning process is not sufficient to clear the nozzles. However, the power
cycle uses a large quantity of ink, so it is recommended only as a last resort.
The cartridges need to be at least 50% full to use power cleaning. You may
need to replace a low cartridge to run the cleaning cycle. After cleaning, you
can reinsert the old cartridge.
1. Print a nozzle check to make sure the print head needs cleaning, as
described on page 141.
Caution: Dont run a
cleaning cycle while 2. Make sure the printer is ready and the red B Ink light on the printers
thick media is loaded in LCD display is not on or flashing.
the printer.
4. Press the d button until MAINTENANCE is highlighted, then press

Menu.
5. Press d until POWER CLEANING is highlighted, then press Menu.

Press Menu again, then press to start the power cleaning.
6. Follow the instructions on the LCD display to raise or lower the ink
levers.
7. When cleaning is finished and the Pause light stops flashing, print the
nozzle check again to confirm that the head is clean.
Note: You must use at For effective cleaning, always run a nozzle check between cycles.
least a 10 eye loupe to
examine the nozzle check If the pattern is still missing segments or has deflections after a power
pattern for deflected cleaning cycle, turn the printer off and leave it overnight, then clean the
nozzles.
print head again the following morning with regular cleaning cycles. If
you still see no improvement, contact Epson for assistance.
142
Aligning the Print Head

Aligning the print head is the most important thing you can do to ensure the
best print quality. If banding appears on your prints, if they look grainy or
blurry, or if you see misregistration or ghosting, you need to align the print
head.
Although you can align the print head using the printer utility software, its
also easy to align from the printers control panel. This will do the most
thorough job in the shortest time, and its all automatic.
If you havent already done so, its a good idea to run a nozzle check before
aligning the print head (page 141). This ensures that the print head
alignment patterns print correctly.
Follow these steps to align the print head using the control panel:
Tip: To properly align the 1. Make sure the printer is turned on. Then load Epson Enhanced Matte
print head, you can also paper.
use Epson Doubleweight
Matte Paper or Ultra
Premium Photo Paper
Luster.
3. Press d button HEAD ALIGNMENT is highlighted, then press Menu.
PAPER THICKNESS is highlighted.
4. Press Menu. The STANDARD setting is selected by default. This is the

correct thickness setting for most Epson papers.
5. Press to save the setting.
6. Press l, then press d to highlight ALIGNMENT.
7. Press the Menu button to highlight AUTO, then press Menu again.
UNI-D (uni-directional) is highlighted. This is the type of alignment to
start with.
8. Press the button to start the alignment process.

Each head alignment takes about 7 minutes. The printers white beam
sensor reads the alignment pattern and adjusts the printer automatically.
Make sure you dont open the front cover or turn off the printer during
this process.
143
9. When the uni-directional alignment is finished, press d until BI-D

2-COLOR is highlighted. Then press to start the bi-directional black
alignment process.
10. When the bi-directional black alignment is finished, press d until BI-D
ALL is highlighted. Then press to start the alignment process.
11. When done, press the Pause button to exit head alignment mode.
If you want to fine-tune the automatic alignment process, you can perform a
manual head alignment; see the electronic Users Guide.
Replacing Ink Cartridges

Tip: You can store Before you begin a large print job, you should check your ink levels. If one of
partially used ink your cartridges is low, you can replace it before you start. Or you can wait
cartridges for up to until the ink is expended, replace the cartridge, and then continue the job
6 months. If you do so, without any loss of print quality. However, it is best to replace a low ink
Epson recommends
covering the openings
cartridge before starting a large print job.
with tape.
The easiest way to check ink levels is from the control panel LCD display.
The numbers below the ink icons on the LCD display correspond to the
8 ink cartridge slots on the printer. The icons show the percentage of ink
remaining as follows:
10081% 20% or less

8061% Ink low
6041% Ink expended
4021% Cartridge error or no cartridge
When the red B Ink light is flashing and INK LOW appears on the LCD
display, the indicated cartridge is almost expended. Make sure you have a
replacement cartridge. When the light stays on and REPLACE INK
CARTRIDGE is displayed, the cartridge is expended. You must replace the
cartridge before you can continue printing.
You can install any combination of 110 ml and 220 ml cartridges.
144
Use the following Epson UltraChrome K3 ink cartridges:

Note: We recommend Slot no. Cartridge 110 ml 220 ml
that you use genuine
Epson cartridges and do 1 Light Light Black T602900 T603900
not refill them. The use of 2 Vivid Light Magenta T602600 T603600
other products may affect
your print quality and 3 Light Cyan T602500 T603500
could result in printer 4 Light Black T602700 T603700
damage.
5 Photo Black T602100 T603100
Yields vary considerably Matte Black T611800 T612800
based on images printed,
6 Cyan T602200 T603200
print settings, paper type,
frequency of use, and 7 Vivid Magenta T602300 T603300
temperature. For print 8 Yellow T602400 T603400
quality, a small amount of
ink remains in the
cartridge after the You can purchase genuine Epson ink and paper from an Epson Professional
replace cartridge Imaging Authorized Reseller. To find the nearest reseller, visit
indicator comes on. www.proimaging.epson.com (U.S. sales), www.epson.ca (Canadian sales), or
call 800-GO-EPSON (800-463-7766). Or you can purchase online at
For best printing results,
www.proimaging.epson.com (U.S. sales) or www.epson.ca (Canadian sales).
use up a cartridge with
six months of opening the
package. Before you start, make sure the printer is turned on. Then follow these steps
to replace an ink cartridge:
1. Note the color of the cartridge that is low or expended. This is the
cartridge you need to replace.
Caution: Leave the 2. Press the ink compartment covers to open them.
expended cartridge in the
printer until you are ready
to replace it.
To prevent ink reporting

errors, never replace the
ink cartridges with the
printer turned off.
145
3. Raise the ink levers to the unlocked position.
WARNING: Do not shake

the expended cartridge, or
ink may leak out. If ink gets
4. Remove the expended ink cartridge from the printer. Its a good idea to
on your hands, wash them
thoroughly with soap save your first set of expended cartridges so you can use them for
and water. If ink gets in transporting the printer, if necessary.
your eyes, flush them
immediately with water.
5. Make sure the replacement cartridge is the correct color and remove it
from its package.
6. Gently shake the cartridge before installing it.
146
Note: If you cant insert 7. Hold the cartridge with the arrow pointing toward the printer. Then
the cartridge smoothly, insert the cartridge into the slot. Dont force it in.
you may have the wrong
cartridge. Check the
package and product
code. If the B Ink light
remains on after installing
the cartridge, it may not
be inserted fully.
8. Lower the ink levers to their locked position.
Caution: Do not remove 9. Close the ink compartment covers.

and re-insert cartridges
more often than
necessary. Doing so can
compromise the needle
valve seal and allow air to
enter the ink tubes,
causing nozzle damage.
Once the cartridge is installed, the printer returns to its READY state.
147
Switching Black Ink Cartridges

Caution: To avoid You can switch the black ink from Photo Black to Matte Black or vice-versa.
interrupting the ink
You will need to use the Black Ink Conversion Kit (included with your
switching process, do not
turn off the printer, open printer) and the new black ink cartridge (either Matte or Photo) that you
the front cover, release want to convert to. The Conversion Kit includes three special cartridges
the paper lever, remove (yellow, magenta, and cyan) which are used to reduce the amount of ink
the ink cartridges, consumed in the conversion. You can use the Conversion Kit multiple times.
remove the maintenance
tank, or unplug the power The Photo Black cartridge is ideal for printing photographic images on
cord. Do not leave the all media types. It is optimized for traditional photographic and ink
printer unattended during jet-coated papers, such as Epson Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster,
this process.
Premium Photo Paper Semi-gloss, Proofing Paper Commercial, and so
Note: If a power failure on.
occurs during this
procedure, turn the The Matte Black cartridge is optimized for printing photographic
printer on again. You can images on matte or fine art papers, such as Epson Ultra Premium
continue the process at Presentation Paper Matte and Epson Velvet Fine Art Paper.
the point where it was
interrupted. Generally, you should switch black ink cartridges only if you plan to run a
large number of print jobs in the new mode. Since it takes several minutes to
switch and consumes a significant quantity of ink, dont switch cartridges
more often than necessary.
Changing the black ink cartridge also consumes color ink. The amount of
ink flushed through the printer varies, but approximately 88 to 117 ml of
ink (all cartridges combined) is used. All cartridges should be at least 30%
full before you begin the conversion process.
If MAINT TANK FULL or MAINT TANK NEAR FULL appears on the

LCD, you need to replace the maintenance tank before you change black ink
cartridges. See page 157 for instructions.
Draining the Old Ink

1. Make sure READY appears on the LCD display.
3. Press the d button until MAINTENANCE is highlighted, then press

Menu.
4. Press the d button to highlight BK INK CHANGE, then press Menu.

148
5. Press the button.
6. Follow the instructions on the LCD display to raise the ink levers.
7. When REMOVE ALL FOUR INK CARTRIDGES ON THE RIGHT

SIDE appears, remove all four ink cartridges from the right ink
compartment.
8. When INSTALL C/M/Y CONVERSION CARTRIDGES appears, insert

the three conversion cartridges in the slots on the right ink
Note: If REPLACE compartment.
CONVERSION CRTG
appears, press the
Pause button. Remove
the old conversion
cartridge(s) from the right
ink compartment, and
then insert the new
conversion cartridge(s).
Go to step 4 to start
again.
9. When LOWER THE RIGHT INK LEVER appears on the LCD display,
lower the ink lever on the right ink compartment.
The printer starts draining ink and DRAINING INK XX% appears on
the LCD display. Wait until draining is complete.
149
Installing the New Black Ink Cartridge

1. When draining is complete, RAISE THE RIGHT INK LEVER appears on
the LCD. Raise the ink lever on the right ink compartment.
2. When REMOVE C/M/Y CONVERSION CARTRIDGES appears,

remove the conversion cartridges from the slots on the right ink
compartment.
3. When INSTALL ALL FOUR INK CARTRIDGES ON THE RIGHT SIDE

appears, insert the cartridges in their specified slots, including the new
black ink cartridge.
4. When LOWER THE RIGHT INK LEVER appears, lower the ink lever on
the right ink compartment. Repeat this step for the left ink
compartment.
150
5. When RAISE THE RIGHT INK LEVER appears, raise the ink lever on
the right ink compartment. Repeat this step for the left ink
compartment.
6. The printer starts charging ink. After a while, ink lever messages appear
on the LCD display. Raise or lower the ink levers accordingly.
7. When LOWER THE RIGHT INK LEVER AND CLOSE THE COVER
appears on the LCD display, lower the lever and close the cover. Then
repeat this step for the left ink lever and cover.
Updating the Printer Driver Information
Note: After you switch to After you have switched black ink modes, you need to update the driver
Matte Black ink, you will information. Follow the instructions for your operating system.
no longer see glossy
media types in your Mac OS X: Check the ink status using the Epson Printer Utility2,
printer driver. Only media following the instructions on page 135. Click the Update button and
types that work with confirm that the correct black cartridge is displayed.
Matte Black ink will
appear. Windows: Access the printer driver as described on page 101. On the
Main tab, make sure that the correct ink cartridge is displayed.
If not, click the Utility tab, then click the Printer and Option
Information button.
Select the cartridge you installed and click OK.
151
Changing the Date and Time

Note: You can use the 1. Press the Menu button.
PRINTER SETUP menu to
enable the roll paper 2. Press d until MAINTENANCE is highlighted, then press Menu.
counter, paper size
check, and several other 3. Press d until you see CLOCK SETTING, then press Menu.
printer features. For more
information, see your
4. Use the d, u, and Menu buttons to set each item in the date and time,
on-screen Users Guide.
displayed in the following format: MM/DD/YY HH:MM.
5. Press to save the setting.
Using Maintenance Mode

Maintenance mode allows you to make special settings and perform
maintenance procedures that may be needed occasionally. You can use
maintenance mode to do the following:
Print a hex dump for diagnosing problems
Change the language or units of measurements used on the printers
control panel menus
Enable the printable pages counter
Change the default pressure setting for the automatic cutter
Run a super strong cleaning cycle.
Track the amount of roll paper remaining
Enable power on roll paper feed
Return all of the printers control panel settings to their default values
Check ink information
152
Follow these steps to use maintenance mode:
1. Make sure the printer is turned off.
2. Press and hold the Pause button, then press the P Power button and
hold it until the printer turns on and the LCD displays
MAINTENANCE MODE.
3. Use the d and u buttons to select the settings described below. If you
need to back up to the previous menu level, press l.
To print a hex dump of data in the printers buffer, press the Menu
button to display PRINT. Then press to print the 16-byte hex
data in the left column and corresponding ASCII characters in the
right column. Press the Pause button to print the last page.
To change the language on the LCD display, press d to highlight
LANGUAGE, then press Menu. Press d until you see the language
you want, then press to select it. The printer exits maintenance
mode and returns to normal operation.
To enable the remaining paper counter, press d to highlight
REMAINING PPR SETUP, then press Menu. Press d to select
ROLL, then press .
To change the units of measurement, press d to highlight UNIT,
then press Menu. Press d to switch from METER to FEET/INCH,
then press to select it. Press l when done.
To change the default cutting pressure, press d to highlight CUT
PRESSURE, then press Menu to display 100%. Press d to decrease
the pressure, or u to increase it (in 1% increments). Press to
select the setting you want.
To run a super strong cleaning cycle, press d to highlight
SS CLEANING, then press Menu to display EXECUTE. Press to
start the cleaning cycle.
To enable roll paper feeding at power-on, press d to display PWR
ON ROLL PPR FEED, then press Menu. Press d to select the
setting you want, then press to save it.
To return all control panel settings to their default values, press d to
highlight DEFAULT PANEL, then press Menu to display
EXECUTE. Press to restore the default settings.
153
To check the ink cartridges, press d to highlight INK INFO MENU,

then press Menu. Press d to select each cartridge, then press Menu
to view the information.
4. To exit maintenance mode, turn off the printer by pressing the P Power
button. Press the P Power button again to turn on the printer in the
normal operating mode.
Replacing the Paper Cutter Blade

If you notice that your paper isnt being cut cleanly, the cutter blade may
need to be replaced. If you use the blade to cut heavy stock, you will damage
the blade and need to replace it. See page 51 for a list of media that do not
work with the cutter.
You can check the status of your cutter by printing the status check sheet or
viewing its status on the control panel. See page 136 for instructions.
You can obtain a new cutter blade from Epson (part number C12C815291).
See page 12 for ordering details.
Removing the Old Blade

Make sure the printer is turned on, then follow these steps to remove the
blade:
2. Press d until MAINTENANCE is highlighted, then press Menu.
3. CUTTER REPLACEMENT is highlighted. Press Menu again.
Caution: Do not try to 4. Press . The print head moves to the replacement position. OPEN
slide the carriage by FRONT COVER TO SEE CUTTER REPLACEMENT LABEL is
hand, or you may damage displayed.
the printer.
154
5. Open the front cover.
6. When SEE LABEL TO REPLACE CUTTER is displayed on the LCD

display, hold down the side pin (as shown on the left) and turn the latch
to the right (as shown on the right).
WARNING: The blade is 7. Release the side pin. The cutter pops out.
sharp. Be careful when
removing it.
155
8. Carefully remove the cutter blade.
Installing the New Cutter Blade

Remove the new blade from its package, then follow these steps to install it:
1. Insert the new cutter as shown.
156
2. Push down on the side pin while turning the latch to the left.
3. Close the front cover when you see a message prompting you to do so.
The cutter moves to the home position and READY appears on the
LCD display.
Replacing the Maintenance Tank

The maintenance tank stores ink that gets flushed from the system during
the initial ink charge and manual and automatic print head cleaning. When
the tank is almost full, the message MAINTENANCE TANK NEAR FULL
appears on the LCD display. When the tank is completely full, the printer
stops working and MAINTENANCE TANK FULL appears on the LCD.
You can check how much space remains in the maintenance tank by viewing
its icon on the control panel, shown below. You can also check its status
using the menus (see page 136), using your printer software (see page 138),
or by printing a nozzle check sheet (see page 141).
Maintenance tank icon

(2 tank icons appear
on the Pro 9880 LCD
display)
157
The icons show the percentage of space remaining in the tank(s) as follows:
10081% 20% to nearly full

8061% Tank nearly full
6041% Tank full
4021% Tank error or no maintenance tank
The Epson Stylus Pro 7880 has one maintenance tank (on the right side),
and the Pro 9880 has two (one on either side). Replacement tanks are
available from Epson (part number C12C890191). See page 12 for details.
The printer will not print if one of the maintenance tanks is full. On the
Epson Stylus Pro 9880, the right tank is used more than the left. To
maximize tank life, you can switch the tanks when the right tank reaches
approximately 40% to 60% of capacity.
Follow these steps to replace the tank:
1. Make sure the printer is not printing or performing any other operations
(READY or PAPER OUT should appear on the LCD display).
2. If you have the Epson Stylus Pro 9880, check the LCD display to
determine which tank needs to be replaced (left or right).
3. Grasp the handle at the bottom of the tank (on the side of the printer)
and gently pull out the maintenance tank.
Caution: Be careful not

to spill ink from the
maintenance tank when
removing it. Hold it upright
at all times and dispose of
it carefully.
4. Place the used tank in the plastic bag included with the new tank.
5. Insert the new tank.
158
Caution: Be careful not Cleaning the Printer

to touch the gears inside
the printer. To keep your printer working at its best, clean it if it becomes soiled.
To avoid damaging the
1. Make sure the printer is turned off and all its lights are off. Then unplug
components as well as
the case, never use the power cord and disconnect the printer from your system.
alcohol or thinners to
clean the printer. 2. Open the roll paper cover and remove the paper. Then use a soft brush
to carefully clean any dust or dirt.
Be careful not to get
water on the printer 3. Open the front cover and use canned air or a soft lint-free cloth to
mechanism or electronic carefully clean away any dust or dirt inside the printer.
components.
Dont use a hard or

4. Clean the area shown below in the direction of the arrows. If necessary,
abrasive brush. dampen the cloth, clean the inside of the printer, then dry it with a soft
cloth.
Dont spray the inside
of the printer with
lubricants; unsuitable
oils can damage the
mechanism. Contact
Epson if you think the
printer needs lubrication.
Do not touch the gray

area, roller, or absorption
pads inside the printer;
otherwise your prints may
be soiled.
159
5. If powdery dust has accumulated, use a toothpick or similar tool to

remove it.
6. Remove the paper basket. Then clean away any dust or dirt around the
leg assembly using a soft brush.
7. If the outer case is dirty, clean it with a soft, clean cloth dampened with
mild detergent. Keep the ink cartridge compartments closed to prevent
water from getting inside.
8. To wash the paper basket, remove the shafts, then machine wash with
mild detergent and air dry.
Transporting or Storing the Printer

If you are moving the printer a short distance (for example, in the same
building), you can roll it on its stand (see page 163). To ship the printer a
longer distance, you should repack it using the original box and packing
materials. Follow the instructions below to prepare the printer for shipment.
If you dont have the original packaging, you can purchase replacement
packaging from Epson. See page 13 for more information.
160
Preparing the Printer for Shipment

1. Turn off the printer and wait until the carriage moves to the home
position (on the far right) and the P Power light goes off. Then unplug
the printer.
2. Remove the following parts:

Power cord and interface cables
Paper basket
Roll paper spindle
All paper or other media
Optional auto take-up reel (if installed)
Optional manual cutter (if installed)
3. Raise the ink levers.
Note: Its a good idea to
store partially used You can choose whether to remove the ink cartridges or leave them
cartridges in separate, installed. However, you must keep the ink levers raised when
resealable plastic bags. transporting the printer to prevent ink from leaking.
4. Reinstall the carriage locking bracket and screw that were removed
during setup, as shown below.
Tip: For more secure

transportation, tape all
doors and covers shut.
161
5. Before you remove the printer from the stand, make sure the casters are
locked.
Caster Epson Stylus Pro 7880

locks
WARNING: The
weighs about 108 lb (49 kg)
6. Remove the two wing nuts and lock washers securing the printer to the
and should be lifted by two
people. stand (underneath the printer). Keep them in a safe place.
The Epson Stylus Pro 9880 7. Lift the printer using the hand grips where provided. (See the stickers
weighs about 198 lb (90 kg) located near the rear hand grips for the correct holding position.)
and should be lifted by four
people.
Epson Stylus Pro 7880 Stylus Pro 9880
8. Keep the printer level while moving it. See page 164 for information
about setting up the printer after transporting it.
162
To ship the printer a longer distance, you should repack it using the original
box and packing materials. If you dont have the original packaging, you can
purchase replacement packaging from Epson. See page 13 for more
information.
Caution: Do not roll the Moving the Printer on the Stand

printer on angled or
uneven surfaces. When you need to move the printer a short distance, such as within the same
building, you can roll the printer on its casters.
1. Make sure the printer is turned off and the carriage is in the home
position (on the far right). If not, turn the printer back on, wait until the
carriage moves to the home position, then turn off the printer.
2. Disconnect the power cord and interface cable.
3. Remove the roll paper spindle and close the roll paper cover. Make sure
the front cover is closed.
4. Raise the ink levers.
5. Push in the metal rods supporting the paper basket, then roll up the
paper basket so it doesnt drag on the ground.
163
6. Release the front casters.
Caster Epson Stylus Pro 7880

locks
7. Carefully roll the printer to its new location, then lock the casters.
Setting Up the Printer After Transportation

Setting up the printer after transporting it is almost identical to setting it up
for the first time.
Keep in mind that the first time you start printing after moving the printer,
the print head nozzles may be cloggedespecially if the printer hasnt been
turned on for a long time. You may need to run a cleaning cycle (page 139)
and realign the print head (page 143) to ensure good print quality.
164
167
Chapter 7: As you use your printer, you may occasionally experience a problem. You
can diagnose the problem following the guidelines in this chapter or check
Solving the FAQs at www.proimaging.epson.com. Then try the most likely solutions
Problems until the problem is fixed.
This chapter provides instructions for the following:

Diagnosing problems
Checking error messages and lights
Improving print quality
Solving operational problems
Solving miscellaneous printing problems
Solving paper problems, including clearing paper jams
Uninstalling and reinstalling the printer driver
Diagnosing Problems
The printer includes a number of ways to help you diagnose problems:
To identify the most common problems, check the messages and lights
on the control panel. See pages 168 through 172 for more information.
If youre using the Epson printer driver and Status Monitor utility,
check your software for error messages. See page 138 for more
information.
To determine whether the problem is caused by the printer itself, print a
status sheet from the control panel. See page 135 for instructions.
Review the FAQs at www.proimaging.epson.com for possible solutions.
If none of the suggested solutions in this chapter solve your problem,
contact Epson as described under Where To Get Help on page 13.
167
168 | Solving Problems
Checking Error Messages and Lights

The control panel includes various lights and an LCD display to indicate the
status of the printer:
Paper Ink
light light Paper Feed up button
Enter or cut
button
Power
Menu or
button and
cleaning
light
button
Paper Feed down button

LCD display Left arrow or Paper
Pause or reset
button and light Source button
When your paper runs out, ink is low, or a problem occurs, a message
appears on the LCD display, and the lights on the control panel come on or
flash. The following table lists the messages in alphabetical order and
includes an explanation and instructions for correcting the problem.
Message Explanation Response

BORDERLESS ERROR The borderless setting is Change the setting in the printer driver or load
selected and paper that doesnt different paper.
LOAD CORRECT SIZE
support borderless printing is
PAPER
loaded.
CARRIAGE LOCKED The print head is locked. Remove the bracket securing the print head;
see page 35.
RELEASE THE CARRIAGE
LOCK
CLEANING ERROR Head cleaning did not clear the Run the head cleaning utility again. If the
nozzles. nozzles are still clogged, contact Epson.
PRESS PAUSE BUTTON
CLEANING ERROR Paper is too thick for head Release the paper lever to remove the paper.
cleaning. Head cleaning starts automatically. After
REMOVE THICK PAPER
cleaning, reload paper.
Printer could not feed the Remove the print.
printed page.
168
Solving Problems | 169

COMMAND ERROR You may be using the wrong Press and hold the Pause button for
printer driver. 3 seconds to cancel the print job. Make sure
CHECK DRIVER
you installed the correct driver for your printer.
SETTINGS Damaged data was sent to the
printer or the data has an
incorrect command.
The drivers ink type Make sure the ink configuration is correct (see
configuration is not correct for page 151).
the ink in the printer.
CONVERSION CRTG LIFE The conversion cartridge will Press the Pause button to continue.
need to be replaced soon.
CONVERSION CRTG
(Remaining service life is
NEAR END OF SERVICE
displayed on the LCD.)
LIFE
CONVERSION CRTG LIFE The conversion cartridge needs Replace the conversion cartridge with a new
to be replaced. one. Or, complete the replacement of black ink
REPLACE CONVERSION
by pressing the Pause button.
CRTG WITH A NEW ONE
COVER OPEN Front cover is open. Close the front cover.
CLOSE COVER
F/W INSTALL ERROR Firmware update failed. Restart the printer, then update the firmware
again; see page 46 for instructions.
UPDATE FAILED
RESTART THE PRINTER
INK CARTRIDGE An ink lever is raised, but no Install the missing ink cartridge.
cartridge is installed.
INSTALL INK CARTRIDGE
INK CARTRIDGE A non-genuine ink cartridge is Press the r button to select NO and replace
installed. the ink cartridge with a genuine Epson ink
NON-GENUINE
cartridge; see page 144. Otherwise, press l to
CARTRIDGE! MAY NOT
select YES.
PERFORM AT OPTIMUM.
CONTINUE?
<YES NO>
INK CARTRIDGE A non-genuine ink cartridge is Replace the ink cartridge with a genuine Epson
installed. ink cartridge; see page 144.
PLEASE USE GENUINE
EPSON INK CARTRIDGES
INK CARTRIDGE Ink cartridge(s) are expended Replace the ink cartridge(s) indicated on the
(printing stops). LCD display; see page 144.
REPLACE INK
CARTRIDGE
169

INK CARTRIDGE A non-Epson ink cartridge is Press the r button to select DECLINE and
installed. replace the ink cartridge with a genuine Epson
DO YOU ACCEPT THIS?
ink cartridge; see page 144. Pressing l to
<ACCEPT DECLINE>
select ACCEPT may cause damage not
covered by your warranty.
INK CARTRIDGE ERROR The black ink cartridge needs to Select YES to switch the black ink cartridge, or
be changed. NO to continue using the installed black ink
BK INK CHANGE
cartridge.
INK CARTRIDGE ERROR You tried to install the wrong If you are replacing ink cartridges, check the
ink cartridge. package and product code. Replace the ink
CHECK CARTRIDGE
cartridge with the correct Epson ink cartridge.
The wrong black ink cartridge is Install the correct black ink cartridge, or press
selected (Matte or Photo). the Pause button and change the ink setting;
see page 148.
INK CARTRIDGE ERROR You tried to install an ink If you are replacing ink cartridges, check the
cartridge that cannot be used package and product code. Replace the ink
PLEASE INSTALL THE
with this printer. cartridge with a genuine Epson ink cartridge.
CORRECT CARTRIDGES
INK CARTRIDGE ERROR CSIC error has occurred. Remove the ink cartridge and reinstall it. If the
message remains, replace the cartridge with a
REPLACE CARTRIDGE
new one.
INK LEVER One of the ink levers is raised. Pull the lever down to lock the ink cartridges.
LOWER THE LEFT (or
RIGHT) INK LEVER
INK LOW Ink cartridge(s) are nearly Make sure you have replacement cartridges
expended (printing continues). available; see page 144. Print quality may
decline when ink is low.
LEVER RELEASED Paper is not loaded. Load paper.
LOAD PAPER
LEVER RELEASED Paper lever is released. Pull the lever all the way forward, to the
secured position. Start printing again from the
LOWER THE PAPER SET
beginning for best results.
LEVER
MAINTENANCE A printer part may need to be Note the code number and contact Epson as
REQUEST replaced soon. described on page 13.
MAINT TANK NEARLY The maintenance tank is almost Make sure you have a replacement
FULL full. maintenance tank. For the Pro 9880, note
which tank is nearly full; see page 157.
REPLACE THE
MAINTENANCE TANK
170

MAINT TANK FULL The maintenance tank is full. Replace the maintenance tank. For the
Pro 9880, note which tank is full; see page 157.
REPLACE THE
MAINTENANCE TANK
MISMATCH ERROR The black ink cartridge option Stop printing, and then press and hold the
does not match what is Pause button for 3 seconds. Select the
MAKE SURE THAT THE
selected in the driver correct black ink cartridge option in the driver;
INK CARTRIDGE AND
see page 151. If you want to continue printing,
DRIVER SETTINGS
press the Pause button.
MATCH
A non-Epson ink cartridge is Press and hold the Pause button for
installed. 3 seconds to cancel printing. If you want to
continue printing, press the Pause button.
NO CARTRIDGE Ink cartridge(s) not installed. Install ink cartridge(s); see page 144.
INSTALL INK CARTRIDGE
NO MAINTENANCE TANK Maintenance tank is not Make sure the maintenance tank is fully
installed. inserted. For the Pro 9880, note which tank is
INSTALL THE
missing; see page 157.
MAINTENANCE TANK
PAPER CUT ERROR Roll paper was not cut Release the paper lever and finish cutting the
correctly. paper. Reload paper if necessary.
REMOVE UNCUT PAPER
The cutter may be blunt or Reinstall or replace the cutter blade if
incorrectly installed. necessary; see page 154.
PAPER EJECT ERROR Paper remains in the printer. Release the paper lever and remove the paper.
REMOVE PAPER FROM
PRINTER
PAPER ERROR Printer cannot detect paper. If you are using cut sheets, make sure the
paper is flat. If you are using roll paper, make
LOAD PAPER PROPERLY
sure the roll is cut evenly.
Release the paper lever and reload paper.
PAPER LOW The paper roll is almost Replace the roll paper.
finished.
PAPER JAM Paper has jammed in the Release the paper lever and remove the
printer. jammed paper. Turn the printer off and then
REMOVE PAPER
back on; see page 180 for more information.
PAPER OUT Paper ran out. Load paper.
LOAD PAPER
PAPER SETTING ERROR The paper path is wrong. Load cut sheet paper, as described on page 58.
Press the l Paper Source button until the
LOAD CUT SHEET PAPER
Sheet icon appears on the LCD display.
171

PAPER SETTING ERROR Roll paper is not loaded Load roll paper as described on page 53. Press
correctly. the l Paper Source button until the or
LOAD ROLL PAPER
roll icon appears on the LCD display.
PAPER SKEW Paper is not loaded straight. Release the lever and load the paper correctly.
Then return the lever to the Secured position.
LOAD PAPER PROPERLY
POWER CLEANING Power cleaning is required. Select YES and follow the instructions to run
the power cleaning cycle.
YOU MUST MOVE INK
LEVERS WHEN
CLEANING
PRINTER ERROR You tried to print while an error Press the P Power button to turn off the
condition was present. printer. Unplug the printer and wait 30 seconds.
RESTART THE PRINTER
Then plug it in and turn it back on.
SENSOR ERROR The loaded paper does not Press the l Paper Source button to select the
match the selected paper type correct paper type (roll or sheet).
LOAD DIFFERENT PAPER
(roll or sheet).
SERVICE CALL ERROR The print head is locked. Remove the bracket securing the print head;
see page 35.
An error has occurred. Note the error number, then turn the printer
off. Unplug the printer and wait 30 seconds.
Then plug it in and turn it back on. If the
message remains, contact Epson as described
on page 13.
UNABLE TO PRINT An error may be occurring Exit the Test Print menu, and check for low ink
when you try to print patterns or incorrectly loaded paper.
MAKE SURE PAPER IS
such as a nozzle check.
LOADED
Improving Print Quality

You can often improve print quality by doing the following:
Run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle. See page 139 for instructions.
Align the print head. See page 143 for instructions.
When you send a print job, make sure your print options are set
correctly. For more information, see page 81 (Macintosh) or page 99
(Windows).
If none of these suggestions help, try the solutions in the following table.
172
Problem Solution
Your print has horizontal Check the ink indicators and light to see if you are low on ink. Replace ink
banding. cartridges if necessary, as described on page 144.
Turn off the High Speed setting.
Make sure the Media Type setting in the printer software is correct.
If youre using cut sheet media, make sure the printable side is face up.
Choose a higher resolution, such as SuperPhoto - 2880x1440dpi.
If youre using a third-party RIP and non-Epson media, see if the RIP provides
a method for adjusting the paper feed.
Try adjusting your paper configuration settings (page 91 for Mac OS X or
page 117 for Windows). Check these settings:
Make sure the Paper Thickness setting is correct for your paper.
Use the Paper Feed Adjustment to tune out banding. Reduce the value for
white lines, and increase it for overlapping dark lines.
If youve created a custom paper configuration, be sure to return the setting
to standard (STD) when youre done using it. See page 69.
Your print has vertical Turn off the High Speed setting.
banding.
Align the print head; see page 143.
Your print is grainy, or has Check the ink indicators and light to see if you are low on ink. Replace ink
misregistration or ghosting. cartridges if necessary, as described on page 144.
Align the print head, as described on page 143.
Choose a higher resolution, such as 2880 dpi.
Turn off High Speed in your Advanced settings.
You may need to adjust your paper configuration settings (page 91 for Mac
OS X or page 117 for Windows). Check these settings:
Make sure Paper Thickness setting is correct for your paper.
If youve created a custom paper configuration, be sure to return the setting
to standard (STD) when youre done using it. See page 69.
173
Problem Solution
Colors are incorrect or Make sure the Media Type setting in the printer software is correct.
missing.
If you are using the color management features in Photoshop or another
application, you must turn off color management in the printer driver. See
page 90 (Mac OS X) or page 105 (Windows).
Adjust the Color Density setting in the Paper Configuration utility.
If youre using a third-party RIP or non-Epson media, custom color profiles
will give you the best color reproduction.
Run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle; see page 139.
Check the expiration date printed on each of the ink cartridges. If the
cartridge is too old, replace it as described on page 144.
Check the ink indicators and light, and replace ink cartridges if your ink
supply is low, as described on page 144.
Make sure color settings in your application or printer software are correct.
Your print has gaps or Check the expiration date printed on each of the ink cartridges. If the
appears faint. cartridge is too old, replace it as described on page 144.
Run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle (see page 139).
Check the ink indicators and light and replace ink cartridges if your ink supply
is low, as described on page 144.
The paper thickness setting is not correct for your paper. Use your printer
software (page 91 for Mac OS X or page 117 for Windows) to choose the
correct setting. When youre done printing with a custom paper
configuration, be sure to return the setting to standard (STD).
The PLATEN GAP setting is too wide. Use the menu system to change the
setting to STANDARD, or to NARROW if printing on very thin paper. See
page 63 for instructions.
174
Problem Solution
Your print appears blurry or Make sure the Media Type setting in the printer software is correct.
smeared.
If youre printing on non-Epson media, you may need to adjust the paper
thickness setting, drying time, or color density. Use your printer software
(page 91 for Mac OS X or page 117 for Windows) to choose the correct
setting. When youre done printing with a custom paper configuration, be
sure to return the setting to standard (STD).
Your paper doesnt meet the required specifications or wasnt stored in a
dry, humidity-free environment. Load new paper.
Ink has leaked into the paper path. Wipe the paper path area of the printer
with a soft, clean cloth. See page 159 for cleaning instructions.
Turn off the High Speed setting.
The PLATEN GAP setting is too narrow. Use the control panel to change the
setting to WIDE or WIDER. See page 63 for instructions.
Run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle (see page 139).
You may need to uninstall and reinstall the printer driver (see page 182).
The bottom edge of your The paper is curled toward the printable side. Flatten the paper or curl it
print is smeared. toward the other side.
Make sure the Media Type setting in your printer software is correct.
If youre printing on non-Epson media, you may need to adjust the paper
thickness setting or drying time. Use your printer software (page 91 for Mac
OS X or page 117 for Windows) to choose the correct setting. When youre
done printing with a custom paper configuration, be sure to return the
setting to standard (STD).
If printing on thick paper, the PLATEN GAP setting may be incorrect. Use the
control panel to change the setting to WIDE or WIDER; see page 63.
175
Solving Operational Problems

If you cant turn the printer on, if it stops printing unexpectedly, or if
nothing prints, check the following:
Paper is loaded correctly.
The printer is plugged securely into a working electrical outlet thats not
controlled by a switch or timer.
The interface cable is securely connected to the printer and your system.
The voltage supplied by the electrical outlet matches the voltage on the
printers rating label. If not, turn off the power and unplug the power
cord immediately. Contact Epson for assistance; see page 13 for details.
If none of these suggestions help, try the solutions below.
Problem Solution
The printer stops printing If the Pause light is flashing, the printer is performing a maintenance
unexpectedly. procedure or waiting for ink to dry. Check the display message and lights on
the control panel. Wait until the Pause light stops flashing.
Check the display message and lights on the control panel to see if an error
has occurred. Follow the instructions for the messages beginning on
page 168.
The printer sounds as if its Follow the instructions beginning on page 139 to clean the print head.
printing, but nothing prints.
Communication between the computer and printer may have been
momentarily interrupted. Try restarting the computer and printing again.
Nothing prints. Turn off the printer and computer. Make sure the interface cable is securely
plugged in. Then restart the printer and computer.
Make sure the interface cable meets the requirements; see page 13 or 14.
The printer port setting doesnt match the printer connection port
(Windows).
Windows Vista: Click > Control Panel > Hardware and Sound >
Printers. Right-click the icon for your printer, then select Properties. Click
the Ports tab and make sure your printer port is selected
Windows XP: Click Start > Control Panel > Printers and Other Hardware
> Printers and Faxes. Right-click the icon for your printer, then select
Properties. Click the Ports tab and make sure your printer port is selected.
Download and install the latest driver for Macintosh or Windows from the
Epson website at www.proimaging.epson.com.
176
Solving Miscellaneous Printing Problems

If your printouts are not what you expected, try the suggestions below:
Problem Solution
Your print has incorrect or Make sure your software is installed correctly and the printer is selected.
garbled characters.
Clear any stalled print jobs from the Printer Setup Utility (Mac OS X).
Turn off the printer and computer. Make sure the interface cable is securely
plugged in at both ends.
Your print has incorrect Check the page size or paper size settings in your application. Make sure
margins. they are within the printers printable area.
Make sure the Paper Size and Borderless settings in your printer software
are correct for the paper youre using.
Paper is loaded incorrectly. Follow the instructions beginning on page 49 to
reload the paper.
The ROLL PAPER MARGIN setting on the PRINTER SETUP menu is
incorrect. See the on-screen Users Guide for more information.
Your image is inverted. Turn off the Flip Horizontal or Mirror Image setting in your printer software.
See page 88 (Mac OS X) or page 113 (Windows) for instructions.
Blank paper is printed. Make sure your software is installed correctly and the printer is selected.
Make sure the Paper Size setting in your printer software is correct for the
paper youre using.
Make sure the Paper Source setting in your printer software is correct.
A ruled line on your print Align the print head as described on page 143.
appears to shift.
Run a nozzle check and cleaning cycle; see page 139.
Color images print in black Make sure the Color setting is correct in your printer software.
only.
The printer continues to feed Press the Pause button on the printer to clear any print job data in the
paper after you have printers buffer. Then press and hold the Pause button to reset the printer.
cancelled a job. Make sure the paper source is set correctly.
Roll paper cannot be cut. The paper cutter blade may be dull. Follow the instructions on page 154 to
replace the blade.
The paper may be too thick to cut with the built-in cutter. Cut the paper with
scissors. See page 51 for a list of media that cannot be used with the cutter.
Make sure appears on the LCD display. If not, press the l Paper
Source button to select this setting. Also check the Auto Cut settings in your
printer software.
177
Problem Solution
Printing is too slow. Turn on the High Speed setting.
Choose a lower resolution in your printer software for faster printing.
Clear space on your hard drive or run a defragmentation utility.
Dont run too many applications at the same time.
Turn off virtual memory.
Add RAM to your system.
Consider upgrading your system to support USB 2.0.
Solving Paper Problems

If paper feed or paper jam problems occur frequently, try one or more of the
following solutions:
For roll paper, try adjusting the Paper Suction setting. See page 69 for
more information. You can also adjust this setting through your printer
driver.
For heavy or thick media, follow the instructions on page 60 to load the
media correctly.
Make sure the paper is not folded, wrinkled, or damp.
Make sure the printers environment falls within the required
temperature and humidity range.
Make sure the paper is not too thick or too thin. See page 49, page 186,
and page 187 for paper specifications.
Make sure no foreign objects are inside the paper path.
Make sure the printer isnt located in a brightly lit area. The paper
sensors may not operate correctly.
Make sure the Media Type and Paper Source settings in the printer
software are correct.
Make sure the PLATEN GAP setting is correct for the paper or media
youre printing on. See page 63 for more information.
If youre not using Epson media, use a paper configuration to adjust for
the papers thickness and drying time; see page 69.
178
Fixing Paper Eject Problems

If the paper is curled too tightly to eject properly, you can attach the paper
guides to the printer. There are two paper guides for the Epson Stylus
Pro 7880 and five for the Pro 9880.
Attach the guides to the bottom of the printer as shown:
Epson Stylus Pro 7880 Epson Stylus Pro 9880
Do one of the following:

If you are feeding paper in front of the printer,
move the guides to the forward position.
179
Note: If banding appears If you are feeding paper backward (under the printer), gently squeeze the
on your print, leave the paper guides and push them to the backward position, as shown below:
paper guides in the
forward position.
Clearing Paper Jams

When roll paper gets jammed in the printer, printing stops and you see a
PAPER JAM message on the LCD display. Follow these steps to clear a
paper jam:
1. Cut the paper at the paper insertion slot.
Caution: To avoid 2. Release the paper lever.

never move the paper
lever while the P Power
light is flashing.
180
3. Open the front cover if necessary.
4. Carefully pull down the jammed paper.

printer.
5. Close the front cover, if necessary. Press the P Power button to turn the
printer off and then back on.
6. Make sure the b Paper light is on and the following message appears on
the LCD display: PAPER OUT. LOAD PAPER. Then reload your
paper.
181
Uninstalling and Reinstalling the Printer Driver

If you need to uninstall and then reinstall the printer driver software for any
reason, follow the instructions in the appropriate section below.
Macintosh
1. Open the Applications folder, then the Utilities folder.
2. Double-click Printer Setup Utility, select your printer, and then click
Delete.
3. If you want to reinstall your printer software, restart your Macintosh.

Tip: Check the Epson Then follow the instructions on page 43 to install the software.
Pro Imaging website at
www.proimaging.epson.
com for updated drivers Windows
become available. 1. Do one of the following
Windows Vista: Click > Control Panel > Uninstall a program.
Select EPSON Printer Software in the program list.
Windows XP: Click Start > Control Panel > Add or Remove
Programs. Select EPSON Printer Software in the program list and
click Change/Remove.
2. Select your printer icon and click OK. Follow the on-screen instructions
to uninstall your software.
3. If you want to reinstall your printer software, restart your computer.

Then follow the instructions on page 45 to install the software.
182
185
Appendix A: Environmental
Specifications
Operation Storage
Temperature 50 to 95 F 4 to 104 F
(10 to 35 C) (20 to 40 C)
(1 month at 104 F)
Print quality guarantee:
59 to 77F
(15 to 25 C)
Humidity 20 to 80% RH 20 to 85% RH
(without (stored in shipping
Print quality guarantee:
condensation) container)
40 to 60%
Electrical
Specification Description
Input voltage range 90 V to 264 V
Rated frequency range 50 to 60 Hz
Input frequency range 49 to 61 Hz
Rated current 1.0 A at 120 V
0.5 A at 220 V
Power consumption Epson Stylus Pro 7880:
Approx. 50 W
6 W or less in sleep mode
1 W or less in power off mode
Epson Stylus Pro 9880:
Approx. 58 W
6 W or less in standby mode
1 W or less in power off mode
Check the label on the back of your printer for voltage information.
185
186 | Specifications
Dimensions and Weight

Specification Epson Stylus Pro 7880 Epson Stylus Pro 9880
Height 22.4 inches (560 mm) 47.84 inches (1196 mm)
(without stand)
Width 47.12 inches (1178 mm) 68.08 inches (1702 mm)
Depth 20.04 inches (501mm) 27.12 inches (678 mm)
Weight 108 lb (49 kg) printer 198 lb (90 kg) printer
(without consumables) 23.1 lb (10.5 kg) stand 23.1 lb (10.5 kg) stand
Printer Interfaces
USB (1.1 and 2.0 compatible)
Ethernet 10/100 BaseT
Safety Approvals
Safety standards UL 60950
CSA 22.2 No. 60950
EMC FCC part 15 subpart B, class B
CAN/CSA-CEI/IEC CISPR 22 Class B
Media
Roll Paper
Maximum roll width Epson Stylus Pro 7880: 24 inches (610 mm)
Epson Stylus Pro 9880: 44 inches (1118 mm)
Maximum roll length Up to 150 feet for 2-inch cored media
Up to 673 feet for 3-inch cored media
Weight range 17 to 24 lb (64 to 90 g/sm)
Paper thickness 0.003 to 0.004 inches (0.08 to 0.11 mm)
Roll paper compatibility Handles both 2- and 3-inch cored media
Maximum roll paper 2-inch core: 4 inches (101.6 mm)
diameter 3-inch core: 6 inches (152.4 mm)
186
Specifications | 187
Note: Since the quality of Cut Sheets

any particular brand or
type of paper may be Weight range 17 lb (64 g/m2) bond up to posterboard
changed by the
manufacturer at any time, Epson Cut Sheet Paper Sizes
Epson cannot attest to
the quality of any
Size group Size name Measurements
non-Epson brand or type
of paper. Always test A Series A4 8.3 11.7 inches
samples of paper stock (210 297 mm)
before purchasing large
quantities or printing large A3 11.7 16.5 inches
jobs. (297 420 mm)
Super A3/B 13 19 inches
(329 483 mm)
A2 16.5 23.4 inches
(420 594 mm)
A1 23.4 33.1 inches
(594 841 mm)
Super A1 24 36 inches
(610 910 mm)
A0* 33.1 44 inches
(841 1189 mm)
Super A0* 36 50.9 inches
(914 1292 mm)
US-ANSI Letter 8.5 11 inches
(216 279 mm)
US B 11 17 inches
(279 430 mm)
US C 17 22 inches
(430 559 mm)
US D 22 34 inches
(559 864 mm)
US E* 34 44 inches
(864 1120 mm)
187

US-ARCH ARCH A 9 12 inches
(229 305 mm)
ARCH B 12 18 inches
(305 457 mm)
ARCH C 18 24 inches
(457 610 mm)
ARCH D 24 36 inches
(610 910 mm)
ARCH E* 36 48 inches
(910 1219 mm)
B Series B5 7.2 10.1 inches
(182 257 mm)
B4 10.1 14.2 inches
(257 364 mm)
B3 14.2 20.3 inches
(364 515 mm)
B2 20.3 28.7 inches (
515 728 mm)
B1* 28.7 40.5 inches
(728 1030 mm)
B1 Landscape* 40.5 28.7 inches
(1030 728 mm)
B0 40.5 57.3 inches
(1030 1456 mm)
Super B0* 44 62.2 inches
(1118 1580 mm)
Photo Series 8 10 inches
(203 254 mm)
10 12 inches
(254 305 mm)
11 14 inches
(279 356 mm)
12 12 inches
(305 305 mm)
16 20 inches
(406 508 mm)
188
Specifications | 189

Others 24 30 inches
(610 762 mm)
30 40 inches*
(762 1016 mm)
36 44 inches*
(914 1118 mm)
11.8 15.7 inches
(30 40 cm)
15.7 23.6 inches
(40 60 cm)
23.6 35.4 inches
(60 90 cm)

Note: We recommend
that you use genuine Printable Area
Epson cartridges and do
not refill them. The use of Default roll paper margins are 0.59 inch (15 mm) top and bottom, and
other products may affect
your print quality and
0.12 inch (3 mm) right and left. Using the menu system, you can set all the
could result in printer margins to 15 mm or 3 mm, or set the top margin to 35 mm.
damage.
The borderless printing feature allows edge-to-edge printing on some media.
Yields vary considerably
based on images printed,
print settings, paper type, Ink Cartridges
frequency of use, and
temperature. For print Cartridge life 2 years from production date if unopened;
quality, a small amount of within 6 months after opening package
ink remains in the
cartridge after the Temperature (storage) 4 to 104 F (20 to 40 C); 1 month at 104 F
replace cartridge (40 C); installed or uninstalled
indicator comes on. The
printer ships with full Capacity: 110 or 220 ml
cartridges and part of the
ink from this first set of Weight 110 ml: approximately 8.82 oz (250 g)
cartridges is used for 220 ml: approximately 13.05 oz (370 g)
priming the printer.
For best printing results,

use up a cartridge within
six months of opening the
package.
189
190
169
Index C
Cable
A power, 37
Accessories, 10 to 11 printer, 12, 40
Advanced Black and White Photo problems, 156, 157
Mac OS X, 85 to 87 requirements, 12
Windows, 104 to 106 Canceling print jobs
Aligning print head, 125 to 126 Mac OS X, 88
Always spool RAW datatype setting, Windows, 113
114 Cartridges, see Ink cartridges
Auto Cut setting Changing black ink, 130 to 133
Mac OS X, 83 Checking printer status, 117 to 121
Windows, 100 Cleaning
Auto Rotate setting, Windows, 100 print head, 121 to 124, 135
Automatic Take-Up Reel, optional printer, 141
ordering, 10 to 11 Coarse Rendering setting, 115
Color management
B Mac OS X, 80 to 81, 85 to 87
Windows, 95 to 97, 104 to 106
Banding, 153
Color problems, 154, 157
Basket, paper
ColorSync settings, 81
SP 7880, 25 to 27, 62 to 63
Component life, checking, 117 to 120
SP 9880, 34 to 37, 64 to 66
Connecting printer, 40
Black and white photos
Control panel
Mac OS X, 85 to 87
aligning print head, 125 to 126
Windows, 104 to 106
buttons, 148
Black ink, changing, 130 to 133
changing language, 134 to 136
Blade, cutter, replacing, 136 to 139
changing measurement units,
Blank pages, 157
134 to 136
Blurry prints, 155
cleaning print head, 122 to 124
Borderless printing
component life, checking,
Mac OS X, 72 to 75
117 to 120
Windows, 90, 97 to 102
illustration, 148
Bracket, shipping
ink levels, checking, 117 to 120,
installing for transport, 143
126
SP 7880, removing, 24
lights, 148
SP 9880, removing, 33
messages, 148 to 152
Buttons, control panel, 148
monitoring printer, 148 to 152
restoring default settings,
134 to 136
status check, printing, 117 to 118
CR (carriage) motor, checking status,
117 to 120
169
170 | Index
Custom paper size F

Mac OS X, 73 to 75
Faint prints, 154
Windows, 90, 98, 101 to 102
Firmware, updating, 44 to 46
Custom Preset
Flip Horizontal setting
Mac OS X, 87
Mac OS X, 78
Windows, 110 to 111
problems, 157
Cut sheet paper
heavy stock, 58 to 60
loading, 55 to 58 G
supported sizes, 165 to 167 Gaps in prints, 154
Cutter Garbled characters, 157
cutting paper manually, 54 to 55 Ghosting, 153
manual, ordering, 10 to 11 Grainy prints, 153
replacement blade, ordering,
10 to 11
replacing blade, 136 to 139 H
Head Alignment menu, 125
Head unit (print head), checking
D status, 117 to 120
Date and time setting, 134 Heavy media
Default settings, restoring, 134 to 136 cutting, 54 to 55
Deleting print jobs loading, 58 to 60
Mac OS X, 88 Height of printer, 164
Windows, 113 Help, Epson, 11
Depth of printer, 164 Hex dump, 134 to 136
Diagnosing problems, 147 High Speed Copies setting, 114
Dimensions of printer, 164 High Speed setting
Documentation, how to use, 9 Mac OS X, 78
Windows, 93
E Humidity requirements, 163
Electrical specifications, 163
Energy consumption, 163 I
Environmental specifications, 163 ICM setting, 97
Epson Ink
accessories, 10 to 11 icons, 126
help, 11 light, 148
media, 47 to 48
Preferred Limited Warranty Plan,
11
Epson NetConfig, 42, 46
Error messages, 148 to 152
Error notification, Windows,
115 to 116
Ethernet port, 12, 40, 164
170
Index | 171
Ink cartridges M
changing black, 130 to 133
Mac OS X
checking status, 113, 117 to 121,
basic print options, 76 to 78
126
black and white photos, 85 to 87
installing, 38 to 39
borderless printing, 72 to 75
ordering, 127
canceling print jobs, 88
removing for transportation, 143
checking printer status, 120 to 121
replacing, 126 to 129
color management, 80 to 81,
safety instructions, 15 85 to 87
specifications, 167 custom paper size, 73 to 75
Inverted images, 157 custom preset, 87
installing software, 41 to 43
J Media Type setting, 77 to 80
monitoring print jobs, 88
Jams, paper, 160 to 161
page setup options, 73 to 75
Job history, 119
paper configuration settings,
81 to 82
L roll paper settings, 83 to 84
Language, control panel, 134 to 136 system requirements, 11 to 12
Layout uninstalling software, 162
Mac OS X options, 73 to 75 Maintenance, 117 to 142
Windows options, 103 to 104 Maintenance menu, 124, 136
LFP Remote Panel, 44 to 46 Maintenance Mode, 134 to 136
Lights, control panel, 148 Maintenance tank
Loading checking status, 117 to 121
cut sheet paper, 55 to 58 ordering, 10 to 11
posterboard, 58 to 60 replacing, 139 to 140
roll paper, 48 to 54 Manual cutter
ordering, 10 to 11
Manuals, how to use, 9
Margins
default, 167
incorrect, 157
printing without, 97 to 102
Media Type
Mac OS X, 77 to 80
Windows, 92, 104, 106 to 109
Memory, requirements, 11 to 12
171
172 | Index
Menus Paper
Custom Paper, 67 to 69 attaching to spindle, 50
Head Alignment, 125 configuration settings, 67 to 69,
Maintenance, 124, 136 81 to 82, 106 to 109, 154
Printer Setup, 122, 123 custom size, 73 to 75, 90, 98,
Printer Status, 45, 118 to 120 101 to 102
Test Print, 118 cut sheet, see Cut sheet paper
Messages, control panel, 148 to 152 cutting manually, 54 to 55
Mirror Image setting Epson, 47 to 48
problems, 157 handling, 47 to 69
Windows, 103 heavy stock, 58 to 60
Monitoring printer jams, 160 to 161
control panel, 148 to 152 light, 148
Mac OS X, 88 Mac OS X options, 73 to 75
Windows, 113 to 116 non-Epson, 67 to 69
Motors, checking status, 117 to 120 ordering, 47
Moving printer, 142 to 146 printable area, 167
problems, 158 to 161
removing from spindle, 53
N roll, see Roll paper
Network sizes, 164, 165 to 167
configuring software, 42, 46 specifications, 164 to 167
connection, 40, 44 suction, 68, 82, 107
trim lines, 55, 84, 100
Paper basket
O SP 7880, 25 to 27, 62 to 63
Optional equipment, 10 to 11 SP 9880, 34 to 37, 64 to 66
Paper cutter, see Cutter or Manual
P cutter
Paper Size setting
Page Line setting
Mac OS X, 73 to 75
control panel, 55
problems, 157
Mac OS X, 84
Windows, 98, 101 to 102
Windows, 100
Paper Source setting
Page Rendering Mode setting, 114
problems, 157
Page setup options, Mac OS X,
Windows, 97, 101
73 to 75
Pause light, 148
Pausing print jobs
Mac OS X, 88
Windows, 113
PF (paper feed) motor, checking
status, 117 to 120
PhotoEnhance, 96
172
Index | 173
Platen Gap setting Printer

control panel, 61 cable, 12, 40
Macintosh, 82 checking status, 113 to 116,
problems, 154 117 to 121
Windows, 107 cleaning, 141
Posterboard, 58 to 60 connecting, 40
Power cable, 37 default settings, restoring,
Power cleaning cycle, 124 134 to 136
Power consumption, 163 dimensions, 164
Power light, 148 firmware update, 44 to 46
Preset maintaining, 117 to 142
Mac OS X, 87 monitoring, 113 to 116,
Windows, 110 to 111 120 to 121
Print as Bitmap setting, 115 motors, checking status,
Print head 117 to 120
aligning, 125 to 126 moving, 142 to 146
checking status, 117 to 120 plugging in, 37
cleaning, 121 to 124, 135 software, installing, 41 to 44
locking, 143 software, uninstalling, 162
unlocking, 24, 33 specifications, 163 to 167
Print jobs status check, 117 to 121
canceling, 88, 113 storing, 142 to 146
managing, 88, 113 to 116 total print volume, 119
pausing, 88, 113 transporting, 142 to 146
Print quality turning off, 14
Mac OS X, 78 weight, 164
problems, 152 to 155
Windows, 92 to 93
Print speed, improving in Windows,
114
Printable area, 167
Printable pages, checking, 118
173
174 | Index
Problems Roll paper

banding, 153 attaching to spindle, 50
blank paper, 157 cannot be cut, 157
blurry prints, 155 cutting manually, 54 to 55
cable, 156, 157 loading, 48 to 54
color, 154, 157 Mac OS X settings, 83 to 84
diagnosing, 147 printable area, 167
faint prints, 154 removing from spindle, 53
garbled characters, 157 Save Roll Paper setting, 84, 98
ghosting, 153 trim lines, 55, 84, 100
graininess, 153
inverted image, 157
margin, 157 S
misalignment, 153 Safety
misregistration, 153 approvals, 164
nothing prints, 156 instructions, 13 to 15
operational, 156 Save Roll Paper setting, 84, 98
paper, 158 to 161 Setting up
print quality, 152 to 155 SP 7880, 17 to 27
print speed, 114 SP 9880, 27 to 37
printing stops, 156 Shipping bracket
roll paper cannot be cut, 157 installing, 143
smeared prints, 155 SP 7880, removing, 24
Progress Meter, 113, 114 SP 9880, removing, 33
Software
installing, 41 to 44
Q uninstalling, 162
Quality Options, Windows, 92 to 93 Specifications
electrical, 163
environmental, 163
R ink cartridges, 167
Registering non-Epson media, paper, 164 to 167
67 to 69, 81 to 82, 106 to 109, printable area, 167
155 printer, 163 to 167
Requirements, system, 11 to 12 Speed and Progress utility, 113 to 116
Resolution Spindle
Mac OS X, 78 adapter, 54
Windows, 92 loading roll paper, 50
ordering, 10 to 11
removing roll paper, 53
Stand
SP 7880, 17 to 25
SP 9880, 27 to 37
174
Index | 175
Status Monitor Unit ID number, 11

Mac OS X, 120 to 121 Usage count, 119
Windows, 113 to 116, 120 to 121 USB cable
Storing printer, 142 to 146 connecting, 40
Stylus Pro 7880 port, 164
mounting on stand, 22 to 24 requirements, 12
paper basket, 25 to 27, 62 to 63 User-defined paper size
removing shipping bracket, 24 Mac OS X, 73 to 75
setting up, 17 to 27 Windows, 90, 98, 101 to 102
stand, unpacking and assembling, Utility cutter, ordering, 10 to 11
17 to 20 Utility menu
unpacking, 17 to 22 Mac OS X, 120, 121
Stylus Pro 9880 Windows, 114, 120, 122
mounting on stand, 31 to 34
paper basket, 34 to 37, 64 to 66
removing shipping bracket, 33 W
setting up, 27 to 37 Waste ink system, 117 to 121,
stand, unpacking and assembling, 139 to 140
27 to 29 Weight of printer, 164
unpacking, 27 to 30 Width of printer, 164
Suction, 68, 82, 107
Support, Epson, 11
System requirements, 11 to 12
T
Take-Up Reel, Auto, see Automatic
Take-Up Reel, optional
Technical support, 11
Temperature requirements, 163
Test Print menu, 118
Time and date setting, 134
Total prints, checking, 119
Transporting printer, 142 to 146
Trim lines, printing
control panel, 55
Mac OS X, 84
Windows, 100
Troubleshooting, 147 to 162
U
UltraChrome K3 ink cartridges, 127
Ultrasonic cleaning cycle, 135
Uninstalling software, 162
175
176 | Index
Windows
basic print options, 91 to 93
black and white photos, 104 to 106
borderless printing, 90, 97 to 102
canceling print jobs, 113
checking printer status, 120 to 121
color management, 95 to 97,
104 to 106
custom paper size, 90, 98,
101 to 102
custom presets, 110 to 111
installing software, 43 to 44
layout options, 103 to 104
managing print jobs, 113 to 116
Media Type setting, 92, 104,
106 to 109
monitoring preferences, setting,
115 to 116
paper configuration options,
106 to 109
Speed and Progress utility,
113 to 116
status alerts, 115
Status Monitor, 113 to 116
system requirements, 12
uninstalling software, 162
user-defined paper size, 90, 98, 102
176

Epson Stylus Pro 7880/9880: Printer Guide

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Epson Stylus Pro 7880/9880: Printer Guide

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Epson Stylus Pro 7880/9880

2007 Epson America, Inc. 9/07 CPD-24356

For United States Users

For Canadian Users

1 Setting Up the Printer

2 Handling Paper and Other Media

3 Printing With Epson Drivers for Macintosh

4 Printing With Epson Drivers for Windows

5 Maintaining and Transporting the Printer

Using Maintenance Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

For additional information, see the following:

Warnings, Cautions, Notes, and Tips

WARNINGS must be followed carefully to avoid bodily injury.

Cautions must be observed to avoid damage to your equipment.

Notes contain important information about your printer.

Tip: Check the Epson Pro Options and Accessories

In addition, you can order these user-replaceable items:

Where To Get Help

Visit Epsons support website at epson.com/support and select your product

Macintosh System Requirements

Important Safety Instructions

For California customers only:

Ink Cartridge Safety Instructions

Roll paper on spindle Roll paper cover

Front cover Control panel

Paper basket Casters

Network interface USB interface

Maintenance tank Paper straps

This chapter includes the following information:

Unpacking and Assembling the

Note: When choosing a

Unpacking and Assembling the Stand

Bottom horizontal strut

Top horizontal strut

Tools and Accessories:

10 Hex screws 2 Strut bolts

2 Wing screws with

Underside view of base

3. Assemble the left leg and base in the same way.

6. Make sure each part of the stand is tightened securely.

Unpacking the Printer

2. Remove the handles from the sides of the box as shown.

Note: The printer

8 Ink cartridges Photo/Matte Black 2 Paper guides

Mounting the Printer on the Stand

WARNING: Two or more 2. Have two people lift the printer.

3. Mount the printer on the stand as shown.

5. Remove any packing tape. Check these areas:

Attaching the Paper Basket

4. Snap the connectors onto the front hooks as shown.

Now go to Connecting the Power Cord on page 39.

Unpacking and Assembling the

Note: When choosing a

Unpacking and Assembling the Stand

2. Lift the box up, then set it aside.

Tools and Accessories:

2 Wing nuts with spring 5 Paper supports

5. Attach the base section to the other end.

6. Tighten all four bolts securely.