Epson announces new 7-color photo printer!
By
Mike Tomkins
(Thursday, April 25, 2002 - 10:00 EDT)
Stylus Photo 2200 uses new UltraChrome inks which add a 7th color - "Light Black"...
Epson America Inc. has today announced a new addition to its lineup of inkjet photo printers, in the form of the Stylus Photo 2200. The new 2880 x 1440dpi model has some very interesting new features, in particular that it uses a new pigment ink set dubbed 'UltraChrome'. UltraChrome inks feature seven colors - the six seen on the previous Stylus Photo 2000P model (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black, Light Cyan and Light Magenta) plus the addition of the new Light Black ink. Before we explain this, a little history on the Epson's existing pigment inks and their advantages over dye-based inks is in order, courtesy of a presentation the company provided us with: 
This color-neutral ink replaces some of the regular black ink in dark shadow tones, and some of the yellow, light cyan and light magenta inks used for highlights and midtones, bringing several advantages. First of all, graininess is reduced since less dithering is required; gradation quality is also improved. Perhaps most important for users wanting to print black and white prints, the light black ink should greatly alleviate the problem of metamerism that users reported with the Stylus Photo 2000P. Metamerism is the tendency for an image to appear to change color depending on the environment you view it under - different light temperatures seeming to give the image a color cast. Since less colored inks must be used to produce grays in a black and white image, and the neutral light black ink is used instead, there should be a great improvement - which coupled with the reduced graininess and improved gradation makes this the first consumer-priced Epson archival unit that should be really well suited for black & white fine art printing. (Prints we saw from pre-production printers looked very nice indeed!) The advantages of the new ink set aren't limited just to black and white printing though. An improved penetrating agent should give faster drying times and hence allow faster printing, whilst Epson's internal tests suggest good lightfastness (45 years on Premium Luster, Glossy or Semigloss paper; 60 years on Enhanced Matte paper; 80 years on Watercolor, Radiant White and other fine art papers). The color gamut is also improved; compared to the 2000P the 2200 should show significantly improved yellows at the cost of some performance on greens (although the 2000P was particularly strong here; the 2200 should still rival other archival inks even for greens). Epson's charts below show color gamut compared with the Stylus Photo 1280 and 2000P, and compared with other archival inks from Lyson, MIS, Cone and Generations. 
Another point of note is that there are actually two black inks available for the Stylus Photo 2200. As well as the standard Photo Black ink with which the printer ships (and that works on all papers), a Matte Black ink is available that works only on matte media and improves contrast and gradation. Dmax is optimised with density increased by up to 0.34D over the Photo Black ink on Enhanced Matte paper. The Stylus Photo 2200 has a 4 picoliter ink droplet size, some 35% smaller than offered on the 2000P, and features a new roll paper cutter which automatically cuts prints on roll paper - saving the chore of having to get out an Exacto knife or paper trimmer and do this yourself after each printing session. Depending on the operating system used, roll paper prints can be as large as 13" x 129" (Windows 2000, Me and XP). Roll paper is automatically loaded into position with a new separate paper path and paper sensor, and the standard paper path can now accept media up to an impressive 1.3mm thick (we're really talking card at this thickness, rather than paper!). There's also high-speed USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 (FireWire) ports in place of the 2000P's standard USB port, and of course a parallel port as well. (The new roll paper path, cutter and the neat cloth "print catcher" can be seen below). 
As would be expected, the new model complies with Epson's proprietary PRINT Image Matching color management technology. The printer drivers have also been tweaked, supporting more papers and offering variable color density (+/- 50%) and drying time - so you can really fine-tune the printer to get as many prints out as quickly as possible depending on the media you're printing to. Epson's Film Factory (with PRINT Image Matching support) is included, as well as special offers for Corel KnockOut 2.0 & KPT Effects, Nik! Color Efex Pro! & Sharpener Pro!, Extensis Intellihance Pro4.0 & PhotoFrame 2.0 and Monaco EZ Color 2.1 worth up to a potential $600. An external Ethernet card and Stylus Pro RIP are also available. All in all, a might impressive offering, particularly for $699 - $200 *less* than the current list price for the Stylus Photo 2000P! The printer will be available in July 2002. A specs table for the Stylus Photo 2200 courtesy of Epson follows: | EPSON Stylus® Photo 2200 |  | | Estimated Street Price | $699 | | Printing Method | Epson's exclusive and award-winning drop-on-demand Advanced Micro Piezo™ ink jet technology | | Maximum Resolution | Up to 2880 x 1440 dpi black and color | | Color Configuration | New seven-color archival inks with new light black ink (CcMmYKk); Individual ink cartridge system with interchangeable black inks featuring the Epson Intellidge ink system for anytime switching and accurate gauging of ink levels | | Ink Technology | Epson UltraChrome™ Inks: - Industry's highest gamut pigment inks
- Lightfastness rating of up to 80 years on Watercolor and other fine art papers and 44 years on Premium Luster, Glossy and Semigloss media (Wilhelm Imaging Research testing is currently in progress)
- Improved matte output quality and paper versatility with Photo Black and Matte Black inks
| | Roll Paper w/ Auto Cutter | Convenient edge-to-edge photo printing for easy, unattended printing and cutting of 4"x 6" and panoramas. Auto-cutter controlled by button located directly on the printer. | | PRINT Image Matching | Revolutionary technology ensures that PRINT Image Matching digital cameras and the Stylus Photo 2200 (in addition to five other EPSON Stylus Photo printers) work perfectly together to easily produce the best possible prints. | | Print Speed | 8" x 10" photo: Less than 2 minutes in Fine mode | | Paper Capacity | Supports up to 1.3mm thick media with straight through paper path; 100 sheets/10 envelopes; 4"-13" wide cut-sheet and roll papers; Maximum paper size 13"x 19" | | Paper Types | EPSON Premium Luster Photo Paper, EPSON Premium Semigloss Photo Paper, EPSON Premium Glossy Photo Paper, EPSON Enhanced Matte Paper (formerly EPSON Archival Matte Paper), EPSON Watercolor Radiant White Paper, EPSON Velvet Fine Art Paper | | Paper Sizes | Letter, legal, panoramic sizes up to 13" x 44", A3, A4, B (11" x 17"), Super B (13" x 19"), B4, B5, statement, executive, user definable, plus edge-to-edge snapshot Premium Semigloss Photo Paper 4" roll and Premium Luster Photo Paper 13" wide panoramic roll | | Maximum Printable Area | Length is dependent on operating system and application - Windows 98: 13" x 44"
- Windows 2000, Me & XP: 13" x 129"
- Mac: 13" x 44"
| | Printer Dimensions and Weight | 24.8"x 12.6"x 8.1" (L x W x H)
25.6 lb | | Interface and Compatibility | Mac 8.6, 9.x and OS X 10.1 or later, Windows 98, 2000, ME, and XP, Built-in Parallel, and High Speed USB (2.0) and IEEE 1394 (FireWire) ports | | Postscript Options | EPSON Stylus RIP Professional True Adobe Postscript 3 driver for Windows and Macintosh | | Warranty | One-year limited in U.S. and Canada, with Epson Exchange Warranty. | | Support | The Epson Connection
Pre-Sales Support U.S. and Canada 1-800-463-7766
Automated Technical Support 1-800-922-8911
Internet Web site www.epson.com |
Source:
Epson America Inc.
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Original Source Press Release:
| Epson Unveils the Industry's First Seven-Color Archival Desktop Photo Printer: The EPSON Stylus Photo 2200 New UltraChrome(TM) Ink Makes its Debut With This Photographer's Dream Machine
LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2002-- Epson America Inc. is introducing its fastest, sleekest and most impressive desktop photo printer yet -- the EPSON Stylus® Photo 2200. This printer is ideal for anyone who is serious about photography, ranging from amateurs to professional portrait, commercial and fine art photographers. It replaces the award-winning EPSON Stylus Photo 2000P and is loaded with features that will set a new standard for desktop photographic printing.
By using Epson's new seven-color UltraChrome inks, the EPSON Stylus Photo 2200 is able to print images at fast speeds with a larger color gamut than the previous generation. These unique pigment-based archival inks reproduce the color range, density and saturation of dye-based inks more than ever before, making this printer the best in its class with its photo and color quality, and superior fade-resistance.
``Epson has achieved another significant milestone with the introduction of the EPSON Stylus Photo 2200. With incredible advances in ink and printing technology, this printer provides the ultimate in wide-gamut color, durability and flexibility,'' said Parker Plaisted, product manager, photo imaging, Epson. ``This printer is sure to inspire photographers of all levels, especially with a price that is $200 less than its predecessor.''
UltraChrome Ink
By listening to photographers and what they want in the ultimate photo printer, Epson developed UltraChrome ink, a brand new generation of pigment ink. Building on the technology developed for the EPSON Archival(TM) Ink and the EPSON DuraBright(TM) Ink, this new UltraChrome Ink retains the advantages of high resistance to water and light, plus the largest color range for pigment inks. The EPSON Stylus Photo 2200 is the first printer to utilize UltraChrome inks, providing a wide color gamut that is now extremely close to the gamut of the popular six-color, dye-based Epson inks with more vibrant and saturated reds, oranges and yellows. This printer also can print stunning black and white photographs with the addition of a new lower density black ink -- Light Black -- which helps produce more neutral grays. The UltraChrome ink has faster printing and drying times enabling the printer to achieve a print speed of four minutes for an 8`` x 10'' photograph on glossy paper, which is three times faster than the EPSON Stylus Photo 2000P.
The EPSON Stylus Photo 2200 offers impressive lightfastness(a) ratings with prints lasting up to 80 years on EPSON Watercolor Paper and black and white prints lasting up to 100 years on various fine art papers.
Interchangeable Black Inks
The printer also features new interchangeable black inks to allow users to choose between the printer's standard Photo Black cartridge and an optional Matte Black cartridge. The Photo Black ink supports any type of paper and the Matte Black ink supports matte paper only. The Matte Black also yields higher density and contrast on matte papers and is ideal for matte fine art photography.
Groundbreaking Photo Printing
The EPSON Stylus Photo 2200 has a sleek, modern, attractive case design and black and silver case color, as well as quiet operation. The printer offers a resolution of up to 2880 x 1440 dpi using ultra small four-picoliter droplets, which produces an equivalent dot size to a two-picoliter dye-based droplet. The printer uses Epson's exclusive Micro Piezo(TM) ink jet technology for creating incredible detail, beautiful skin tones and an ultra-wide color range that is ideal for photography.
``Photographers will rediscover the passion and joy of photography with the EPSON Stylus Photo 2200. This revolutionary printer essentially offers no compromises or limitations for serious photographers to utilize the control and convenience of a desktop printing solution,'' said Dan Steinhardt, marketing manager, photo imaging, Epson. ``The printed image is the essence of photography and Epson is committed to the development of technology that empowers photographers to achieve their vision. With advances such as ours, 2002 is poised to be remembered as the year that photography went digital.''
Designed to address the needs of a variety of photographers, the EPSON Stylus Photo 2200 has a large printable area up to 13`` x 44''. Eliminating left and right margins, the printer also features 4``, 8.3'' and 13`` edge-to-edge borderless printing on roll paper. A roll paper holder is included with the printer, in addition to a convenient, built-in automatic cutter that will easily cut borderless prints on roll paper straight out of the printer, virtually turning the printer into a mini-photolab. The cutter is removable from the printer and is safely enclosed in a protective casing. Also included with the printer is a ''photo catcher`` that attaches to the printer and keeps prints in a neat stack as they are cut from the roll.
Media Choices with the EPSON Stylus Photo 2200
A variety of glossy and matte papers are compatible with the printer, including EPSON Premium Semigloss Photo Paper, EPSON Premium Luster Photo Paper, EPSON Premium Glossy Photo Paper, EPSON Watercolor Paper and EPSON Enhanced Matte (formerly named Archival Matte) Paper. The newest paper that is available for use with the EPSON Stylus Photo 2200 is Epson's Velvet Fine Art paper. This new paper is a 100 percent cotton, acid free paper and is available in both Letter and Super B (13`` x 19'') sheets. The Velvet Fine Art paper is a thicker media and can be easily fed through the printer's straight paper path. The paper path supports a variety of media up to 1.3 mm in thickness.
Software Bundle and Special Offers
The EPSON Stylus Photo 2200 includes EPSON Software(TM) Film Factory(TM) with PRINT Image Matching support. PRINT Image Matching technology (P.I.M.), which Epson announced in February 2001, ensures that P.I.M.-enabled digital cameras and P.I.M.-enabled printers work perfectly together to create the best possible prints. The first P.I.M. compatible products began shipping in summer 2001 and there are now 40 P.I.M.-enabled products from 19 manufacturers of digital cameras, photo printers and software. To date, over two million PRINT Image Matching-enabled products have been shipped worldwide. More information on PRINT Image Matching is available at www.printimagematching.com.
There are several special software offers available for EPSON customers including discounts on MonacoEZcolor 2.1; Corel KnockOut 2.0 and KPT Effects; Nik Color Efex Pro! and Sharpener Pro!; and Extensis Intellihance Pro 4.0 and PhotoFrame 2.0. These offers can save customers up to $700.
Compatible with both Windows and Macintosh platforms, the printer features built-in parallel, high speed USB 2.0 and IEEE 1394 FireWire ports.
Pricing, Support and Availability
The EPSON Stylus Photo 2200 will be available in July for an estimated street price of $699 through mail order, computer superstores, specialty camera and art stores and at Epson's retail Web site (www.epsonstore.com). The printer is backed by the one-year EPSON Exchange Warranty and is supported by the EPSON Connection, a customer support technical assistance line. More information about Epson and its products is available by calling 1-800-GO EPSON or visiting the company Web site at www.epson.com.
About Epson
Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business, photography 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.
(a) Lightfastness ratings based on accelerated testing of prints displayed indoors, under glass. Actual print stability will vary according to image, display conditions, light intensity, humidity, and atmospheric conditions. Epson does not guarantee longevity of prints. For maximum print life, display all prints under glass or laminations or properly store them.
Note to Editors: Epson and EPSON Stylus are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation. Third party brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. |
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