08 February 2008

 

A new relationship: UltraChrome™ K3 Ink with Vivid Magenta and large format inkjet printers help creativity and technology to go hand-in-hand, setting the benchmark for unprecedented quality in the professional arena.

Because every photograph tells a story, for the professional social, portrait, landscape or wedding photographer, choosing an inkjet printer is a natural extension of their creativity.

It says much about a photographer’s commitment not only to the quality of their images, but also to the longevity of their prints. And in the digital age that relationship has never been more important.

“As the nature of imaging has changed, the amount of control the photographer has over their output has increased, and the ease with which their creative choices can now be implemented,” says Marco van Niekerk, Senior Product Manager, Large Format Printers, Epson Europe. “Digital photography has forged a new relationship between photographer and printer, as important as that between an artist and their paintbrush.”

The latest figures confirm this relationship is now official and thriving, with Epson’s large format inkjet printer range enjoying a decisive 46% market share across Western Europe¹ .

“For an optimal, consistent performance providing the peace of mind that allows photographers to get on with running their businesses, professionals have long made Epson their first choice, and now our number one status is confirmed,” says Epson’s van Niekerk. “With digital imaging widespread, photography as a saleable art form is also becoming increasingly accepted by the mass market. People are happy to spend money on a good quality print and are viewing it as a long-term investment.

“The latest figures prove that professionals are in agreement that our family of inkjets deliver not only the quality of output their clients demand, but also the creative flexibility of being able to print on a wide variety of media – and on materials up to 1.3mm thick,” van Niekerk continues. “More than ever, Epson’s technology and the photographer’s creativity is going hand-in-hand at an unprecedented level.”

Epson media: quality and permanence combined

Of course, hardware is only half the story. The correct and skilled use of ink and paper can make all the difference to the tone and feel of the end result, helping deliver visible high quality and permanence that can help boost sales and raise profitability for professionals.

With technology changing so fast, and the gap between innovation and obsolescence ever narrower, the hard copy print has arguably never been a more valuable commodity.

Epson has an extensive and flexible paper range to meet varying display and presentation needs. Enhanced Matte Poster Board in A3+ and A2 sizes delivers a flat matte surface with the rigidity of a mounted print. For a textured or smooth matte finish, there is a range of fine art media. For a glossy look, Epson also offers a range of premium glossy photo paper up to B0+.

“The right media option is important to the overall creative impact of the picture,” says Niekerk. “Photographers and artists are experimenting with Epson canvas to create works that seem like they have just been taken from a painting easel.”

UltraChrome K3 Ink with Vivid Magenta: professional performance, phenomenal quality.

Any creative endeavour needs a solid base to build upon. For Epson, that’s delivered by a combination of the Micro Piezo™ print head technology and Epson’s UltraChrome™ K3 Ink with Vivid Magenta. It features across its full range of professional photo printers, from the A2 Stylus Pro 4880, through the 24” Stylus Pro 7880, 48” Stylus Pro 9880 and the 64” Stylus Pro 11880.

In addition to improved image processing, the large format printer range provides an enhanced colour gamut and superior tonal gradation, ideal for the professional in the proofing, photography, fine art and graphics markets. UltraChrome K3 Ink with Vivid Magenta delivers more neutral gradations and life-like skin tones for both colour and black and white images.

It is a breakthrough in pigment chemistry. The full ink set includes nine ink cartridges: photo black, matte black, light black, light light black, cyan, light cyan, yellow, vivid magenta and vivid light magenta. The two magenta inks use new high-density pigments that create more vibrant blues and purples, for example those found in seascapes or landscapes.

The three black inks have proved revolutionary for photographers, because traditionally with inkjet printers black and white images are formed using composite colours. To avoid issues resulting from the phenomenon of metamerism – where colours can change due to different light sources – photographers previously had to print their black and whites selecting black ink only, which resulted in a noticeably grainy image. Images can now be printed mainly using the three blacks, the use of coloured inks limited to providing prints with warm, cool or sepia toning.

By combining the benefits of dye-based and pigment inks the end result is a superb colour gamut and durability – it also provides an output resistant to light and water.

So, in delivering high-quality prints with longevity, colour accuracy, skin tone accuracy and pleasingly neutral black and whites, for professional photographers there is only one winning combination: Epson UltraChrome K3 Ink with Vivid Magenta and its latest generation inkjet printers.

The Stylus Pro 4880, 7880, 9880 and 11880: tools for creative photo production

As we’ve seen, combining Epson hardware and Epson media has pro¬vided a relationship that works for many acclaimed photographers in the fine art, photo and proofing markets. The Epson UltraChrome™ K3 Ink with Vivid Magenta format includes the Stylus Pro 4880, 7880, 9880 and 11880. These models are continuing to deliver that combination of exceptional output with high productivity.

 ¹IDC 2006 Western Europe LFI (excluding A3)