30 November 2007

  

As the digital revolution continues to spread through Europe, a recent survey conducted by Epson highlights Europeans’ love for photography in the 21st Century and their fears surrounding a world without printed images.

Printed photographs have been a cultural cornerstone for over a century, and as more and more Europeans make the move to digital imaging, immediate and high-quality photography at home has never been easier to achieve. A recent survey conducted by digital imaging expert, Epson, found that, despite the majority (95 per cent) of its customers owning a digital camera and storing images digitally, Europeans still can’t imagine the world without printed photos.

According to the survey, which questioned individuals in the UK, Germany, France, Spain and Italy, 50 percent of respondents felt a world without photos would be ‘impersonal’, whilst 49 percent stated it would be ‘sad’. Respondents also agreed that a world without photos would be ‘colourless’ (35 percent), ‘lonely’ (22 percent) and ‘depressing’ (25 percent). In evidence of the importance placed on printed photos, 80 per cent of those questioned kept printed versions of their favourite images.

When respondents were asked to rate five methods of viewing pictures according to their preference, viewing printed photos again came out on top when compared to viewing pictures on the computer screen, mobile telephones, digital cameras or on the television – reflecting further Europeans’ close relationship to hard copy prints.

Jason Savage, Group Product Manager, Consumer Products, Epson Europe, commented, “In talking to our customers about their printing needs we discovered that even in today’s digital world, people still love photography they can touch and look at and reminisce of times gone by. Displaying printed photographs, either in an album or in the home remains a tradition, and the research suggests a world where people wouldn’t do this would be impersonal and even depressing for many.”

Despite the fact that 66 percent of all respondents feel happiest when viewing a printed image, and in most cases, print their favourite images, 72 percent of Europeans questioned by Epson still own more digital photographs than printed images. This figure rises to 89 percent amongst the digital-savvy generation of 18 to 20-year-olds. While many of these saved images may not be worth printing, camera users should consider whether they have any digital images in their collection that they would not want to lose in an event of hardware failure or data loss.

Savage says, “It’s unlikely that printed photos will ever go out of fashion as the digital era seems to have had little impact on Europeans’ love of owning and sharing printed images. Nevertheless, there is still a small minority who are leaving their images in digital format. These people are running the risk of losing their most treasured images forever in the event of hardware failure, loss or damage.”

“Printing photos couldn’t be simpler, you can now edit and personalise them from the comfort of your own home, and get better quality than those from a photo-lab. Epson’s range of photo printers feature Claria™ Photographic ink in individual cartridges, making them cost effective since you only replace the colour you have used. It couldn’t be easier to share that special photo to a friend or relative. Memories needn’t disappear when they can be printed shared and cherished so easily.”

For more information about photo printing visit www.photo.epson.co.uk