News

Epson has introduced the Epson Stylus Pro 3800. Incorporating a compact, 17-inch
wide printer design, a new breakthrough screening algorithm and Epson UltraChrome
K3 Ink technology, this printer is said to deliver print quality and longevity
unsurpassed by any other inkjet printer. For added productivity, a new auto-sharing
black ink technology allows for automatic switching between photo and matte
black ink modes to maximize image quality on a wide variety of media types.
Available for $1,295 (estimated street price), it incorporates several new technologies
and performance advancements for the most discerning professionals, which include:



New Auto-Sharing Black Ink Technology: Breakthrough print head
allows the printer to automatically switch between photo and matte black inks,
providing virtually seamless transition times and greater conservation of black
inks.



Epson UltraChrome K3 Ink Technology: Using only eight individual
cartridges at a time, Epson UltraChrome K3 inks incorporate high-density color
pigments that produce the highest overall color gamut and fidelity among virtually
any pigment-based inkjet printer in the industry. A high-gloss Microcrystal
Encapsulation resin chemistry is also used to create prints with greater scratch
resistance and reduced gloss differential.



Three-Level Black Ink System: In addition to cyan, magenta,
yellow, light cyan, and light magenta, Epson UltraChrome K3 features a unique
three-level black ink system that simultaneously uses black, light black and
light-light black inks to produce professional quality black-and-white prints
that rival traditional silver halide. This technology is designed to create
professional neutral and toned black and white prints without color crossover,
metamerism or bronzing.



New Screening Technology: Debuting a mathematical breakthrough
from Epson, the printer features an entirely new, radical screening algorithm
that consistently places droplets precisely, producing smoother tonal transitions
and greater detail from highlights to shadows.



High-Performance Engine Speeds: The extreme precision of the
Epson Stylus Pro print engine delivers a 16"x 20" photo lab-quality
print (using 1,440 x 720 dpi -- High Speed mode) in as fast as five minutes,
32 seconds -- more than 20 percent faster than the Epson Stylus Pro 4800.



High-Precision Print Head Technology: The high-performance
one-inch wide, eight-channel print head can achieve resolution levels up to
2880 x 1440 dpi with variable-sized ink droplets as small as 3.5 picoliters.



Flexible Media Handling: Accommodating a variety of media in
cut-sheet form between 4"x6" and 17"x22", including
BorderFree printing up to 16"x20", the printer offers three different
ways to load media -- a high-capacity paper tray (120 sheets), top-loading
manual tray optimized for fine art media and a front-loading, straight-through
path capable of handling media up to 1.5 mm thick.



Print Longevity: Prints created with the Epson Stylus Pro 3800 are
predicted to resist fading up to 108 years for color prints and more than 200
years for black and white prints on specific Epson papers.



New Sleek and Compact Design: Weighing in at only 43 pounds, the Epson
Stylus Pro 3800 features a new compact design and narrow depth. Compared to
the Epson Stylus Pro 4800, the dimensions and weight are reduced by 30 and 51
percent, respectively.



The Epson Stylus Pro 3800 will begin shipping in December 2006 and is priced
at $1,295 (estimated street price). A Professional Edition will also be available
which includes a high-end PostScript Language Level 3 compatible RIP by ColorBurst
and is priced at $1,495 (estimated street price). The Epson Stylus Pro 3800
is supported by the standard Epson Preferred Limited Warranty. This one-year
program includes toll-free advanced telephone access Monday through Friday and
usually next-business-day full unit exchange service in the unlikely event of
any hardware failure. Optional Epson Preferred Plus Service Plans are also available,
offering one or two additional years of protection. For more information on
Epson warranties, service programs and products, call 1-800-GO-EPSON (1-800-463-7766)
or visit our Web site at www.epson.com.

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Desktop photo inkjet printer release cycles are glacially slow compared to those of digital cameras so it was something of a surprise to learn Epson was going to launch the 13-inch SureColor P600 Professional Photo Printer this morning. While the printer model name has changed from Stylus Photo to SureColor to bring the line under a global branding umbrella, the P600 (P stands for “photo”) takes its place at the top of Epson’s 13-inch photo inkjet printer line, which continues to include Stylus Photo and Stylus Pro models.

Fine art printmakers and their customers will soon have a guarantee on the longevity
of certain Epson fine art prints through Epson's new UltraGiclée(tm)
print certification program. This certification will enable printmakers to sell
their work and enable customers to buy these prints with confidence that the
prints will last.



UltraGiclée certified fine art prints, which can only be created on selected
Epson professional printers using select professional media and EPSON UltraChrome(tm)
ink, will be warranted to resist noticeable fading for 80 years from the original
date of purchase when the print is printed, framed, handled and displayed according
to warranty conditions. If a warranted print fades, Epson will provide the ink
and paper needed to make a replacement print. Current certified printers include
the EPSON Stylus Pro 4000, 7600 and 9600 printers, and certified media include
UltraSmooth(tm) Fine Art Paper, Textured Fine Art Paper and PremierArt(tm) Water
Resistant Canvas for Epson.



Wilhelm Imaging Research (www.wilhelm-research.com)
has independently tested the printers, inks and papers used in Epson's UltraGiclée
certification program for the fine art, fine art reproduction and fine art photography
industries. Final prints made according to the program's specifications will
be registered and accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.


In order to earn UltraGiclée certification, printmakers will attend a
training class on proper printing and finishing techniques. Classes will be
offered starting in late spring in various cities across the country. Details
will be available at www.epson.com/ultragiclee
beginning March 14.

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Epson continued to “think big” this morning while debuting a new 64-inch SureColor P20000 photo printer. Yes, you read that right: it’s a 64-inch photo printer! The Epson SureColor P20000 is the successor to the Epson Stylus Pro 11880, which came out eight years ago.

Epson announced a new line-up of professional large-format printers for photography this morning. Called the Epson SureColor P-Series lineup, the printers include the UltraChrome HD eight-ink, 24-inch SureColor P6000 and 44-inch SureColor P8000, which are designed for photographers, graphic designers, and commercial printers.

Epson America unveiled the Epson Perfection V600 Photo scanner, a new mid-range scanning solution offering advanced performance for photos, film, slides, and everyday documents. Delivering outstanding resolution and extensive versatility, the Perfection V600 scanner features 6400 x 9600 dpi resolution1 and 3.4 Dmax for creating beautiful high-quality enlargements up to 17” x 22”. It also includes powerful photo restoration tools for both film and prints to bring faded and damaged photos back to life, as well as productivity enhancing Epson ReadyScan LED technology.

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Epson America has introduced the Epson Stylus Pro 3880. Replacing its popular predecessor, the Epson Stylus Pro 3800, the compact printer features Epson UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta ink technology and an advanced MicroPiezo AMC print head to produce gallery quality color and black-and-white output up to 17” x 22”. Its innovative pigment ink set delivers an extremely wide color gamut with more dramatic blues and violets, while all-new AccuPhoto HD2 image technology provides smoother color transitions and better highlight and shadow detail.

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