12th March 2008

 

Advances in digital photography are being squandered

Home computers and high street photo labs aren’t delivering the full potential of images that today’s second or third generation digital camera owners deserve

Epson believes that owners of the latest high-quality digital compacts and Digital SLR cameras are not reaping the benefits of improvements in digital imaging technology.

Many home computer screens don’t display photographs in a way that makes full use of their potential, and many high street photo labs are still not printing photographs at the quality the latest cameras are capable of delivering.

To put it simply, today’s consumers are being short-changed.

But there is hope.

With the innovations developed for six-colour inkjet printing, owners of high-end digital cameras can produce high-quality glossy photo prints at home. What’s more the photos produced will reflect the advancements in Digital SLR cameras and do their images justice.

“With prices for more advanced digital camera models decreasing, professional quality photography is now available to a growing number of users,” says Jason Savage, Group Product Manager, Consumer Products, Epson Europe. “There is a demand for a professional quality inkjet printer at a price that will also appeal to the photo enthusiast. We’re meeting that demand with our exclusive, award-winning Micro Piezo print head technology throughout the Stylus Photo range. Furthermore, by printing with six colours a wider colour gamut can be achieved that gives smooth gradations for true-to-life photos”.

“For owners of high specification cameras, Epson has developed a specialist range of photo printers that will produce the unprecedented degree of detail and subtlety today’s cameras are now capable of capturing”.

Epson Claria Photographic Ink – Better than silver halide, better than traditional photo lab prints

Of course, as any photo enthusiast knows, hardware is just one part of the printing system.

Epson media and ink also work in tandem, together with the printer, to produce digital images that give users the quality they deserve, producing photos that are bright, vibrant and true to the original scene when the photo was taken.

Epson’s innovative Claria Photographic Ink represents a major breakthrough in dye-based ink, providing the reliability of clean, crisp, colourfully vivid results every time.

Add to this a durability superior to that of silver halide or high street photo labs – lasting up to 200¹ years in an album or 98 years1 above under glass, when used in conjunction with Epson premium glossy photo paper. This durability is due to a strengthened, denser structure of dye molecules (containing more atoms, tightly bonded together) that makes Claria Photographic Ink more resistant to light than conventional dye ink. What’s more Claria Photographic Ink is resistant to water when used with Epson premium glossy photo paper.

And the printers are also fast, thanks to the fact that they use Advanced Variable-Sized Droplet Technology that outputs five different sizes of ink droplets.

Larger ink droplets are utilised for printing larger areas of the same colour, and smaller ink droplets (as small as 1.5 picolitre) for printing smooth gradations and sharp details. This means that some Claria models can print a better than lab quality 10x15cm borderless photo in approximately 23 seconds.

Claria Photographic Ink is also cost effective – offered in individual ink cartridges so only the colour that is used needs to be replaced.

So, DSLR owners can be assured that their investment in their cameras is not lost when it comes to viewing their photos. Epson has developed a range of printers that are the ideal partners to the latest in DSLR technology and produce professional lab photo prints that will do their photos justice.

 ¹See www.wilhelm-research.com for details

The Epson Stylus Photo RX685, RX585 and Stylus Photo R285 feature Epson Claria Photographic Ink and are ideal partners for the D-SLR or mega-pixel camera user

The combination of Epson hardware, media and ink is a relationship that works for professional photographers. Now enthusiasts can enjoy professional quality with the latest additions to the Epson range: the Stylus Photo RX685, RX585, R285. All deliver that combination of exceptional output and high productivity that users of high-end digital cameras demand.

The Epson Stylus Photo RX685 is a premium photo all-in-one combining speed, advanced paper handling and affordability.

Epson Stylus Photo RX685 key features summary:

• High-speed Micro Piezo print head: print better than lab quality photos in approximately 23 seconds

• Vivid, life-like images with a printing resolution of up to 5760x1440dpi on suitable media

• Epson six-colour Claria Photographic Ink for an extra wide colour gamut and smooth gradations

• Flexible paper handling with twin papers trays

• Print double-sided documents with optional Auto Duplexer

• Individual ink cartridges, only replace the colour used

• Fast results in stand-alone mode with Epson REALOID   high-speed processor

• View, print, copy and edit photos on the 6.3cm colour LCD screen

• Direct printing with PictBridge, USB DIRECT PRINT or optional Bluetooth adapter

• Print or copy CD and DVD faces

• Scan images and documents with an optical scanning resolution of 1200x2400dpi

• ENERGY STAR qualified 

Also incorporating the revolutionary Claria Photographic Ink in six individual premium quality photo cartridges, the Stylus Photo RX585 is an all-in-one photo lab for both home and office.

Epson Stylus RX585 features summary:

• High-speed Micro Piezo print head: print better than lab quality photos in approximately 27 seconds

• Up to 5760x1440 dpi print resolution on suitable media

• Epson six-colour Claria Photographic Ink for an extra wide colour gamut and smooth gradations

• Individual ink cartridges, only replace the colour used

• Fast results in stand-alone mode with Epson REALOID high-speed processor

• View and edit photos on the 6.3cm colour LCD screen

• Direct printing with Pictbridge, USB DIRECT PRINT or optional Bluetooth adaptor

• CD/DVD printing functionality

• Built-in scanner with an optical resolution of 1200 x 2400dpi

• Epson Scan software for editing and restoring photos

• Built in photo editing options (including PhotoEnhance and red eye removal)

• ENERGY STAR qualified 

If you don’t need the stand-alone features of an all-in-one device, the Epson Stylus Photo R285 home photo printer should be high on the wish list of any digital photo enthusiast.

Epson Stylus Photo R285 features summary:

• High-speed Micro Piezo print head mechanism for fast print speeds - 10x15cm better than lab quality photo in approximately 27 seconds

• Up to 5760x1440 dpi print resolution on suitable media

• Epson six-colour Claria Photographic Ink for an extra wide colour gamut and smooth gradations

• Cost efficient printing with individual ink cartridges - only replace the colour used

• Print directly onto printable CDs or DVDs

• Improve skin tones, landscapes, skylines and night time scenes with Epson PhotoEnhance

• Advanced Variable Sized Droplet Technology for smooth tones and fast print speeds

• Creative printing with Epson Easy Photo Print

• Sleek design minimises clutter and fits easily on the desktop

• ENERGY STAR qualified