Ram &
Reason: The Canon i9900 Large Format Printer
By Rob Rice December 2005
If there is one thing I have learned in 30 years of amateur photography, it
is that typically a BIG print is far more interesting than small one.
Therefore, it never has made much sense to me, why someone spends a lot of
time researching and then a lot of cash buying a digital camera. Then, if
they do so at all, they print their prize photos on a seven-year-old
printer. Especially sad is when someone buys a five, six, or even an eight-megapixel
camera and only prints the photos on a 4 x 6-inch printer. The greater
resolution usually associated with high megapixel cameras means that they
can also print big pictures. Forget 8” x 10”, I’m talking about a nice big
13 x 19- inch poster that would look great on the w
all.
In the recent past, if you wanted a large format picture, such as a 13 x 19
inch, you had to go to your local photo shop. But now, several printer
companies have produced large format printers for home use. One of these,
the Canon i9900, produces excellent photos in a surprisingly short amount of
time.
According to Canon (http://consumer.usa.canon.com), the i9900 has a
high-density print head that contains 6,144 nozzles, delivering
approximately 11 million droplets of ink per square inch resulting in an
excellently detailed photograph. The Canon i9900 is able to produce true
borderless prints, from 4" x 6" up to a large 13" x 19" size poster, all
with the look and feel of a typical photograph. The i9900 Photo Printer has
a resolution of up to 4800 x 2400 dpi with ultra-fine, 2-picoliter droplets.
Edge-to-edge borderless 4" x 6" photos take about 38 seconds and 8.5" x 11"
enlargements take about 50 seconds. Tests demonstrated that it could print a
13” x 19” photo in less than four minutes with settings at their highest.
Some photos did print in less than three minutes, depending upon the
composition.
A packet of 10 sheets of Canon glossy 13” x 19” photo paper costs around
$25. Testing with Fuji and Epson 8” x 10” photo papers in addition to
Canon’s had satisfactory results from all, with Canon producing the truest
colors. Some problems did creep up with getting the print aligned properly
when using the Epson paper but it was fixed by adjusting the printer’s
software settings. The problem arose because the Canon, by default, wants to
print an 8.5" x 11" instead of a traditional 8” x 10”.
The i9900 features an 8-color ChromaPLUS ink system. The addition of red and
green ink tanks make possible more true-to-life colors and improved
brilliancy. A favorite feature of this 8-tank system is with individual ink
tanks you replace only the color that runs out and not an entire multi-ink
cartridge containing unused ink. A low-ink sensor alerts you when ink levels
are low. Cartridges typically cost around $10.00 to $12.00 each.
Setup is fairly easy. You have a choice of two USB connections, one of which
is USB 2.0 Hi-Speed; there is also one Firewire connection and a PictBridge
connection for printing straight from the camera, providing of course your
camera also has this feature.
The software included with the printer is decent with my favorite feature
being the ability to stitch several photos together to create a panorama.
This is lots of fun to create and print on a large format.
Problems with the i9900 are few and far between. Complaints about Canon’s
Website having a never-ending string of technical issues, and the Canon
software’s lack of Tiff file support are justified. A short Internet survey
revealed that those who bought the i9900 gave it five stars or the
equivalent. Indeed I would also give it five stars. The suggested retail
price of $499.00 may stop the heart, but one look at the results will get it
going again. While the printer can be purchased for almost $100.00 off the
suggested retail price (see www.NewEgg.com and www.Amazon.com), this may
still be a bit steep for many. The Canon Pixma i8500 is the baby brother of
the i9900 without the large format capability. It sells for about $300.00.
A true, high-end printer, the Canon i9900 is the real deal. Fast, easy on
consumables and able to print stunning photos, it is easily one of the best
printers on the market. If you have the money, you will not be disappointed
with the results.
Rob Rice is a computer specialist working in Anchorage, Alaska. Rob can be contacted at articles@isp.com