Epson announces two new Stylus Photo inkjets
By
Mike Tomkins
(Thursday, October 23, 2003 - 10:34 EDT)
Printing heavyweight Epson has announced two new photo inkjets that offer consumers a wide range of abilities including printing to CDs and DVDs, and printing from a variety of media without the need for a PC.
The Epson Stylus Photo R300 and R300M are near-identical, the only difference being that the R300M adds a 2.5-inch color LCD display for previewing images. Both models can print directly to inkjet-printable CDs or DVDs; the discs are loaded into the front of the printer, as seen in the photo below. The paper tray on the front of the printer can be folded up to save on desk space, and a new USB slave port on the front of the printer (which cannot be used at the same time as the rear-mounted port) allows for laptop users to quickly connect without having to reach behind their desk. For printing without a computer, there is support for both USB DirectPrint and PictBridge. Both models offer support for CompactFlash Type I and II including Microdrives, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, xD-Picture Card, SmartMedia, Sony Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo, and MagicGate Memory Stick through several slots on the front of the printer. In basic mode, customers put in their memory card, choose which photos are to be printed and in what quantities, and their prints are made automatically. By pushing a button, you can set the printer to advanced mode, which allows for image adjustments such as sharpness, contrast, brightness, and cropping. An interesting feature is the ability to connect a USB CD-ROM or Zip drive (not a DVD drive though, unfortunately) - and either archive images from a memory card to CD-R or Zip without a computer attached, or print images from the CD or Zip disk. An optional Bluetooth Photo Print Adapter caters for wireless printing using a Bluetooth-compatible device. Both printers are capable of up to 5760 x 1440 dots per inch with a minimum droplet size of 3 picoliters, and can print a 4" x 6" print in 37 seconds or an 8" x 10" print in 77 seconds. In photo mode, a 4" x 6" print takes around 1 minute. Printing in draft mode, the printers are capable of about 15 pages per minute. The Epson Stylus Photo R300 and R300M are available immediately, with pricing set at $179 for the R300, and $229 for the R300M. The optional Bluetooth adapter, also available immediately, costs $69. Black ink cartridges for the printers cost $17.99, and color cartridges cost $12.99 for each color. | Epson Stylus Photo R300 / R300M | | 
(Stylus Photo R300M pictured; R300 is identical with exception of color LCD display) | | Specifications | | Printing Technology | Advanced Micro Piezo®, optimized for photo printing | | Nozzle Configuration | 90 nozzles x 6 (CcMmYK) | | Ink Palette | 6 colors (CcMmYK) | | Ink Cartridge Configuration | Individual (CcMmYK) cartridges | | Ink Type | Dye based superior Photo Inks | | Minimum Ink Droplet Size | 3 picoliters | | Ink Cartridge Life | | Black Ink Yield | 630 pages text (ISO/IEC 10561 letter pattern), 450 pages graphic (5% coverage)¹ | | Color Ink Yield | 430 pages (5% coverage per color)¹ | | Ink Shelf Life | 2 years from production date; 6 months from first use | | Maximum Resolution (dots per inch) | Up to 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi | | Print Speed | | Black Text | Up to 15 ppm² | | Color Text | Up to 15 ppm² | | 4" x 6" Photo | 37 seconds² | | 8" x 10" Photo | 77 seconds² | | Paper Handling | | Maximum Paper Width | Single sheet - 8.5" | | Maximum Printable Area | Full bleed possible on 4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10", Letter, panoramic 8.3" x 23.4"; 8.3" x 44 | | Paper Sizes | 4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10" Letter, legal, A4, B5, A5, A6, half letter, executive, Panoramic 8.3" x 23.4", user definable (3.5" to 44" in length) | | Borderless Photo Sizes | 4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10", letter, panoramic | | Paper Types | Supports a variety of Epson plain and photo papers. Supports plain, bond, air mail, Epson Premium Bright White, Glossy Photo Paper, Premium Glossy Photo Paper, Premium Semigloss Paper, Premium Luster Paper, ColorLife paper, Matte Paper Heavyweight, Double-sided Matte, Inkjet Transparencies, Self-adhesive Sheets, Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper, Greeting Cards, High Quality Banner paper; labels; envelopes, Iron-on Transfers and Photo Stickers; Printable CD-R/DVD-R; Panoramic 8.3" x 23.4" Photo Paper | | Envelope Types | No. 10, DL, C6 plain paper, bond paper, air mail | | Special Media Support | Printable CD-R/DVD-R | | Paper Capacity | Input paper tray: 120 Sheets plain paper / 20 sheets photo paper / 10 envelopes / 1 transparency | | PC-free Printing Capabilities | | Memory Card Compatibility | Supports CompactFlash® Type I and II, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, IBM Microdrive™, xD-Picture Card, SmartMedia, Sony Memory Stick®, Memory StickPRO, Memory Stick Duo, MagicGate™ Memory Stick | | Special Features | | Built-in 2.5 inch Color Preview Monitor for the easiest way to view and select photos from a digital camera memory card without having to use your computer (applies to Stylus Photo R300M only) | | Print photos directly from memory cards and USB DirectPrint or PictBridge-enabled digital cameras | | Save to or print from external CD-R or Zip® drives through a convenient front access USB host port | | | Paper Support | 9 papers available from printer's control panel: Plain paper, Epson Glossy Photo, Premium Glossy Photo, SemiGloss, Premium Luster, Matte Paper, ColorLife, Iron-on Transfer Sheets, Greeting Cards | | Layouts and Templates | 8 different layouts to choose from right from the control panel including index sheet | | Filters and Image Enhancements | Filters: brightness, saturation, sharpness; Automatic Correction settings include PRINT Image Matching, Exif and PhotoEnhance. | | Supported Digital Camera Technologies | Printer supports PRINT Image Matching™, PRINT Image Matching™ II, and Exif Print; reads Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) from digital camera memory cards | | Direct Digital Camera Printing | Connects to a variety of digital cameras with direct printing capabilities using PictBridge and USB DirectPrint technology | | Direct CD / DVD Printing Support | CD-R/DVD-R ink jet printable; 8 cm, 12 cm and Business Card CD | | Options | | Bluetooth Photo Print Adapter | | Hardware and Software Details | | Printer Dimensions & Weight | | Storage (L x W x H): 19.6" x 10.4" x 8.6" | | Printing (L x W x H): 19.4" x 18.7" x 11.4" | | Weight: 14.0 lb (with ink cartridges; without Color Preview Monitor on Stylus Photo 300M) | | | Printer Case Color | Silver and dark gray | | Interface and Connectivity | | 2 Universal Serial Bus (USB) Ports: | | High Speed USB 2.0 for PC and Macintosh connection | | USB 1.1 for connection to CD-R drives, Zip drives and USB DirectPrint or PictBridge-enabled digital cameras | | | Operating Systems | | Windows USB - Windows 98 SE, 2000, Me and XP | | Macintosh USB - Macintosh System 8.6 - 9.2, OS X 10.2.x | | | Software Included | | Epson Print CD software, Epson Software™ Film Factory™ 3.0 | | PC and Macintosh compatible, P.I.M.- plug-in | | | Printer Language | Epson ESC/P Raster, Epson Remote | | Color Management | Standard, Epson Vivid Color | | Sound Level | 42 dB(A) | | Environmental Conditions | | Temperature: Operating 50° to 95° F (10° to 35° C), Storage -4° to 140° F (-20° to 60° C) | | Humidity: Operating 20% to 80% relative humidity, Storage 5% to 85% relative humidity (no condensation) | | | Safety Approvals | Safety standards: UL1950, CSA 22.2 No. 950; FCC part 15 subpart B class B, CSA C108.8 class B | | Power Requirements | | Rated Voltage | 120V AC +/-10% | | Rated Frequency | 50 - 60 Hz | | Rated Current | 0.4A | | Power Consumption | Approx. 13W ISO 10561 (Energy Star compliant), approx. 3W in Sleep mode, approx. 0.3W in Power Off mode | | Warranty | | Standard one-year limited warranty in the U.S. and Canada including Epson Exchange program (U.S. and Canada only) Extended warranties available beyond one year - see Warranty page | | Notes | | ¹Cartridge yields will vary with images printed, print settings, paper type and frequency of use. Printer ships with full cartridges and some ink from the first cartridge is used for initialization. | | ²Pages per minute based on black text and color in Draft Mode on plain paper. Color photo is in Fine Mode on Glossy Photo Paper. Additional processing time will vary based on system configuration, software application and page complexity. For more information about supplies for this printer and cartridge yields, go to www.Epson.com. | | . |
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Original Source Press Release:
| EPSON UNVEILS THE ESSENTIAL PRINTERS FOR DIGITAL PHOTO ENTHUSIASTS: THE EPSON STYLUS® PHOTO R300 AND R300M New Direct Photo Printers Offer Convenient Photo Printing With or Without a Computer, and the Capability to Print Directly onto the Surface of CDs and DVDs LONG BEACH, Calif., Oct. 22, 2003 – Epson America Inc. has added two new photo printers to its product line—the EPSON Stylus Photo R300 and R300M. The EPSON Stylus Photo R300 and 300M are perfect for digital camera owners who want a flexible and easy to use photo solution. Both printers offer the same convenient and innovative features such as printing directly onto the surface of ink jet printable CDs and DVDs, and being able to print photos with or without a computer. The EPSON Stylus Photo R300M includes a 2.5” color preview monitor for viewing and selecting images before printing them. The preview monitor is not available on the EPSON Stylus Photo R300. These printer models are perfect for the digital photographer who uses a digital camera and wants to share photos with friends and family. “People are sharing memories now more than ever, and with a printer like the Epson Stylus Photo R300/R300M, anyone can pop in their digital memory card and print out amazing looking photos even without a computer,” said Steve Semos, product manager, consumer ink jet printers, Epson. “These printer models not only make it easy and convenient to print photographs, but customers can even personalize CD layouts and print directly onto ink jet-printable CDs and DVDs.” Convenient Photo Printing—With or Without a Computer
The EPSON Stylus Photo R300 and R300M are designed for digital camera owners and offer up to 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi for creating images with incredible detail, beautiful skin tones, sharper contrast and an ultra-wide color range and are designed specifically for photography customers. Customers can print beautiful, frame-ready, BorderFree images in all of the popular sizes, including 4” x 6”, 5” x 7”, 8” x 10”, 8.5” x 11”, and panoramic size photos. These printer models make it easy for anyone to crop, resize, save and print photos directly from memory cards or picture CDs without having to use a computer. Customers can also save images from their memory cards directly onto a CD-R or a Zip Disk without using a computer by utilizing the printer’s front access host USB port. This port makes it simple to connect the printers to a CD-R drive, Zip drive or PictBridge-enabled digital camera. Additionally, both models are equipped with built-in memory card slots that support CompactFlash® Type I and II, MultiMediaCard, IBM Microdrive™, xD-Picture Card, Sony Memory Stick®, Memory Stick PRO, Memory Stick Duo, MagicGate™ Memory Stick, SmartMedia®, and Secure Digital memory formats. The printers each have a convenient control panel, which provides customers with the flexibility to make selections such as paper type, paper size and number of copies without having to use a computer. The panel gives users the ability to choose from nine paper types and eight different photo layouts, plus manual adjustments, filters and frames. The control panel also gives users the ability to save their favorite print settings with a simple “one touch” button. Printing Directly on Ink-Jet Printable CD-R and DVD-R Recordable Media
With the EPSON Stylus Photo R300 and R300M, customers can print directly onto the surface of ink-jet printable CD-R and DVD-R media thus eliminating the expense, inconvenience, and risk of using adhesive labels. Customers can easily design professional-looking CDs and DVDs with customized text, colorful backgrounds and images by using the included CD software. Printing out the CDs is quick and simple with a front loading CD tray that comes standard with the printer models. Preview Monitor Included with the Stylus Photo R300M
For viewing photos and layouts without using a computer, a 2.5” color preview monitor is included with the EPSON Stylus Photo R300M. This monitor enables customers to review and select images before printing without a computer. It includes a screen saver function, brightness adjustment knob and a tilt mechanism. The monitor also provides an easy way for EPSON Stylus Photo R300M customers to view their cropping selection. Ink and Media for the R300 and R300M
For the first time in Epson’s consumer photo printer line, individual ink cartridges are being utilized to provide an even more affordable home printing solution. With the combination of Epson’s exclusive ink technology and high-quality, value-priced papers, customers can reap the benefits of an affordable home printing solution. The printers also use Epson’s fast and convenient quick-drying inks for prints that are immediately dry to the touch and water-resistant on EPSON Premium Photo Papers. PRINT Image Matching
The EPSON Stylus Photo R300 and R300M both support PRINT Image Matching (P.I.M.) technology to create the best possible prints automatically, without complicated color corrections. Currently there are over 130 P.I.M.-enabled products from 20 manufacturers of digital cameras, printers and software. Exif 2.2 (Exif Print) digital camera standard is also supported by these printer models. More information on P.I.M. as well as a complete and current list of P.I.M.-compatible products is available at www.printimagematching.com. Bluetooth Printing
An optional Bluetooth Photo Print Adapter is available for use with the EPSON Stylus Photo R300 and R300M. This adapter allows users to print directly from a variety of Bluetooth enabled devices including mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and Windows laptops and desktop PCs. The adapter is currently available for an estimated street price of $69. Print Speeds and Connectivity
The EPSON Stylus Photo R300 and R300M have fast photo print speeds with a 4” x 6” photo printing in approximately 37 seconds. The printer also handles text with ease and can produce a black text document at up to 15 ppm* (pages per minute). The printers are both Macintosh and Windows compatible and offer USB 2.0 Hi-Speed connectivity when using a computer with the printer and a separate USB 1.1 host connection for use with CD-R drives, Zip drives and PictBridge-enabled digital cameras. Pricing, Availability, Warranty and Support
The EPSON Stylus Photo R300 and R300M are available now for estimated street prices of $179 and $229, respectively, and can be purchased through Epson authorized dealers, mail order, computer superstores, photo specialty stores and on the Epson retail Web site (www.epsonstore.com). The printers carry a one-year warranty and are supported by the EPSON ConnectionSM, a customer support and technical assistance line. For more information on Epson and its products, call 1-800-GO-EPSON or visit 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) printers and transaction terminals 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. # # # |
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