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The gap between consumer and professional inkjet printers is narrowing, with the introduction of affordable models that provide the user-friendly features consumers seek while delivering the output quality and sizes that professionals require. With its 4800x2400 dpi resolution, the new Canon i9900 photo printer is a good example. It generates prints in sizes from 4x6 all the way up to 13x19. While not quite large enough to match the traditional 16x20 photographic print size, 13x19 is sufficient for creating a variety of oversized output, including posters and large portraits.
Looking somewhat like a Canon i960 on steroids, the new i9900 printer expands on its smaller brother's advanced features and output characteristics. Instead of six ink cartridges the i9900 utilizes eight, adding red and green inks to the standard compliment of cyan, magenta, yellow, black, photo cyan and photo magenta. The additional inks boost the gamut of the orange/red and green ranges, for improved results with such subjects as brilliant sunsets and landscapes with lots of foliage.
Streamlined Set-Up Procedure
As with any printer, the first task is setting up the i9900. Canon has streamlined this potentially cumbersome process by reducing it to a few simple steps. In fact, the installation process of the i9900 is a significant improvement over that of previous Canon models. All the important configuration and hardware recognition procedures are handled by the printer. Installation of the separate ink tanks was fast and simple.
The i9900 supports USB 1.1 and 2.0 connectivity for Windows-based PCs and Macs. It also has a Mac-only FireWire port. While the new USB 2.0 standard provides roughly the same high-speed throughput as FireWire, it would be nice to have FireWire connectivity available on the PC.
The i9900's two-step print head alignment procedure is fast and accurate. In step one, a test print is made of a diagram consisting of solid colors. Numbers corresponding to different colors are then input into the configuration program. Step two is fully automatic: The printer outputs another test page, which it then automatically analyzes, section by section, using an internal sensor. This quick two-step process guarantees the very accurate color placement that's required for creating smooth gradations and superior skin tones.
Having reviewed various Canon printers before, there was a certain familiarity in using the i9900. While it reminded me of the i960, it matched or beat the performance of that standard-sized printer is several areas. The i9900 is even quieter than the i960 (which is a very quiet printer) and doesn't exhibit any of the banging or whirring noises that are common to many consumer inkjet models. The i9900 operates very smoothly, from the transport mechanism's gentle guiding of the paper into the machine for proper positioning to the ejection of the final print. The unit is so quiet, in fact, that several times I wondered if it was actually operating.
Fast Operation
The i9900 is also very fast; speedier, in fact, than the smaller i960. Most inkjets are pretty good at generating 4x6 prints quickly, even in their high-resolution mode. But printing usually slows considerably as print sizes increase. That's not the case with the i9900; even larger print sizes can be generated with speed. My first 81/2x11 test print went through the machine in just 48 seconds. That was so quick that I thought I had inadvertently set the printer to a low-resolution, draft mode. I never felt impatient waiting for the i9900 to generate a print.
The printer ships with five ICC profiles for very accurate color, and I was extremely happy with the color fidelity of the resulting output. Color management is always an issue, particularly with consumer printers. The latest inkjets all come with ICC color profiles. But color profiles don't necessarily guarantee that what you see on the screen matches exactly what you get on a print. With the i9900, they do. If color management is active on the system, and your monitor has been correctly calibrated, the i9900 will give you highly accurate, repeatable, color.
The eight-color ink set definitely gives prints a special "snap." The printer's PictBridge option permits you to print directly from your digital camera—eliminating the necessity of first downloading your images to a computer.
Included with the i9900 is a variety of useful Mac and PC-compatible software. All the images generated for this article were output using the supplied Easy-PhotoPrint application, which provides a very simple means of generating high quality output. While high-end imaging applications like Photoshop provide a wide array of very sophisticated output options, Easy-PhotoPrint guides users through its three-step process without requiring any special input. In step one the image is selected. Step two asks you to specify the output size and paper type. In the final step, you determine whether the print will have a border and whether it will be output as a single image or as part of s multi-print job.
The i9900's MicroFine Droplet Technology and 6144-nozzle printhead deposit 122 million two-picoliter droplets per second, and the high-speed printhead significantly increases throughput. In fact, borderless 4x6 prints take only about 40 seconds to generate, while 81/2x11 and 13x19 prints can be made as quickly as 50 and 180 seconds respectively. That's really fast for a printer with a list price of $499.99.
The i9900 accepts a variety of consumables including Canon's Photo Paper Pro, Photo Paper Plus Glossy, Glossy Photo Paper, Matte Photo Paper, High Resolution Paper and plain inkjet paper. It supports paper sizes up to 13x19, beginning with 4x6, 5x7, A3, A4, 81/2x11 and 11x17. For more information visit Canon's website at www.usa.canon.com.
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