NEWS! - Digital Cameras, Digital Imaging, Digital Photography, Digital Scanners

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PRINT Image Matching gains more support!
By Mike Tomkins
(Monday, October 1, 2001 - 17:15 EDT)

Epson announces it has signed up a 12th manufacturer for its color management technology...

Epson America Inc. has today announced that it has added another digicam manufacturer to the list of partners for its PRINT Image Matching color management technology that was first announced at the PMA 2001 show in Orlando, Florida last spring. Matsushita, which recently announced two new PIM-equipped digital cameras in cooperation with Leica, is the 12th company to announce PRINT Image Matching-compliant products.

In all (and including Epson itself) the following 13 companies now offer digital cameras which feature PRINT Image Matching capability:

Casio
Epson
Konica
Kyocera
Matsushita (Panasonic)
Minolta
Nikon
Olympus
Pentax
Ricoh
Sanyo
Sony
Toshiba

At this time, Epson remains the only company which is manufacturing PRINT Image Matching-compliant printers, and the only software package which complies with the standard is the company's own 'Film Factory' package. There are some noteable absences from Epson's list of partners. Canon and Hewlett-Packard, both of which manufacture digital cameras and photo printers, have yet to sign up for the technology. Likewise, industry giants Kodak and Fuji remain absent from the list - both companies which dominate the photofinishing market, and manufacture a range of digital cameras and photo printers.

If PRINT Image Matching is to become a 'must-have' feature for the consumer, Epson needs to open up the technology to other companies in the print and photofinishing spaces. Perhaps even more importantly, it needs to provide software companies with the means to add PRINT Image Matching support to their software - even if only to ensure that the EXIF information on which the technology relies is not wiped out when images are run through third-party programs.

Currently, PRINT Image Matching might be a nice feature to have if you already own a compatible Epson printer and don't mind using the company's software package. Epson certainly won't convince users to seek out compatible hardware for as long as the majority of the software and print hardware on the market doesn't support it, though...

Source: Epson America Inc.

Original Source Press Release:

Epson Announces Panasonic is Latest PRINT Image Matching Partner and Three Additional Digital Cameras Join the List of PRINT Image Matching Supported Products

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 2001--PRINT Image Matching(TM) Support Increases as Twelfth PRINT Image Matching Partner Joins Epson and More Camera Models are Added to the Compatible Product List

Epson America Inc. announced today that not only has another manufacturer been added to the growing number of PRINT Image Matching partners, but also three more digital cameras that support the technology are available for customers to choose from.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (Panasonic) joins the list of such industry-leading names as Asahi Optical Co., Ltd. (Pentax Corporation), Casio Computer Co. Ltd., Konica Corporation, Kyocera Corporation, Minolta Co. Ltd., Nikon Corporation, Olympus Optical Co. Ltd., Ricoh Company Ltd., Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Sony Corporation and Toshiba Corporation, to become the latest manufacturer to support PRINT Image Matching.

Furthermore, Nikon is contributing to the increasing number of PRINT Image Matching-compatible digital cameras, with three models: the Nikon Coolpix 5000, 885 and 775.

"PRINT Image Matching has been embraced by some of the biggest names in the industry, and we are confident that its popularity will continue to grow as more companies join the list and new products are added," said Lisa Graham, product manager, photo imaging, Epson. "Epson is pleased that Panasonic has joined the list of partners, and that Nikon's product offerings will increase the list of PRINT Image Matching-compatible digital cameras to give customers a choice of more than 23 cameras to pair with any of four PRINT Image Matching-compatible Epson photo printers to achieve the best prints possible."

About PRINT Image Matching

PRINT Image Matching technology ensures that digital cameras and PRINT Image Matching-enabled printers work perfectly together to create the best possible prints. With this technology, digital camera manufacturers can set critical image specific parameters for printing, such as gamma level, color space, contrast, sharpness, brightness, saturation, shadow, highlight, and color balance, to ensure optimum results for each digital camera model. The photographer's original intentions are automatically reflected in the printed image. Photographers can now easily create stunning, frame-ready photos with their favorite digital camera model and PRINT Image Matching-enabled printer without any complicated procedures.

PRINT Image Matching Printers

The first PRINT Image Matching-compatible printer, the EPSON Stylus Photo 785EPX, which operates with and without a computer, offers PRINT Image Matching support when used without the computer. With a simple software upgrade to Epson Software(TM) Film Factory(TM), this printer can now support PRINT Image Matching through the computer. Customers who own the EPSON Stylus Photo 780, 890 and 1280 printers can also easily upgrade their printer with an updated driver and a new version of Epson Software Film Factory with PRINT Image Matching support. These upgrades can be only be obtained by calling Epson's PRINT Image Matching customer support line at (562) 276-7296 to speak to a representative Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. PST, and on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST. A CD-ROM containing the PRINT Image Matching upgrade will be mailed to each customer, free of charge.

Availability

PRINT Image Matching-enabled printers can only utilize the technology when used in conjunction with a PRINT Image Matching-enabled digital camera. Many PRINT Image Matching-enabled digital cameras are currently available and are listed at the recently introduced Web site, www.printimagematching.com. In addition to product information, the site provides in-depth, easy-to-understand information on PRINT Image Matching and gives users access to valuable information such as a comprehensive list of FAQs, a technical white paper, published articles on the technology and a convenient link to technical support. Information on the additions from Nikon is currently available on the site and as more PRINT Image Matching-enabled products are announced and become available, the site will be updated to include the information.

About Epson

Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) solutions for the retail market. Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif. For more information on Epson and its products, visit www.epson.com or call 1-800-GO EPSON.

Note: Epson and Epson Stylus are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation and PRINT Image Matching is a trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation. Epson Software is a trademark of Epson America, Inc. Film Factory is a trademark of AISoft, Inc. Third party brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

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