LAS VEGAS, Nev. - The winners of the DIMA 2007 Digital Printer Shoot-Out were announced at PMA 07 in Las Vegas, Nev. Winning entries, displayed during PMA 07, were chosen from 114 prints entered by 30 companies.

Entries in the DIMA® Digital Printer Shoot-Out were produced from files created by color workflow experts at X-Rite Color Services, Akron, Ohio.

Participants were asked to provide specific information pertaining to the equipment used (printer, RIP), the consumables used (output media, ink/toner/dye), and the production timing.

A panel of expert judges voted on the entries, based on the overall quality of the digital print and the accuracy of color as compared to the "target" print. The panel of judges included well-respected names in the industry:
Richard Lerner, RSL Digital Consultants; Rick Lucas,Digital Attributes/Lucas Imaging; and Phil Nelson, Phil Nelson Imaging LLC. Judging for the event took place at GTI Graphic Technology Inc., Newburgh, N.Y., which donated the space and a 5,000 Kelvin lighting environment.

A new quantitative element was added to the judging process this year. A GretagMacbeth Color Checker with known values was embedded into the DIMA Target File, which was measured to determine the delta E of the actual value.

Qualitative criteria also judged included neutral gray balance reproduction, saturation, shadow depth and quality, overall tonality and detail, highlights and specular highlights, flesh tones, hue shift, and text.

The winners of the DIMA 2007 Digital Printer Shoot-Out are as follows:

RA-4 Digital Printer, 13 to 29 inches wide
LPS-24 Pro
Noritsu Koki Co., Ltd., Wakayama, Japan

RA-4 Digital Printer, Digital Minilab, 12 inches maximum
DKS 1710
KIS Photo-Me Group, Echirolles, France

RA-4 Digital Printer, Digital Minilab, 8 inches maximum
DKS 1610
KIS Photo-Me Group, Echirolles, France

RA-4 Digital Printer, Industrial High-Speed
4-by-6 inches
Europa 10 Digital Printer
Express Imaging Systems, LLC,Seattle, Wash.

Digital Press
Xerox DocuColor 250
Xerox Corporation, Webster, N.Y.

Inkjet, 36 to 49 inches wide
Epson Stylus Pro 9800
ColorBurst Systems, Ashburn, Va.

Inkjet, 18 to 35 inches wide
Epson Stylus Pro 7800
ErgoSoft US LLC, Nashua, N.H.

Inkjet, 9 to 17 inches wide
Epson Stylus Pro 3800
ColorBurst Systems, Ashburn, Va.

Inkjet, 8.5 inches wide or less - $100 to $199
HP Photosmart D7360
Hewlett-Packard Company, San Diego, Calif.

Media, 4-by-6 inches
HP Advanced Photo Paper, glossy
Hewlett-Packard Company, San Diego, Calif.


Media, 8.5-by-11 inches
Innova FibaPrint Gloss F-Type
Innova Art, Gloucester, N.J.

Media, 13-by-19-inch sheet or 13-inch roll
Innova FibaPrint Gloss F-Type
Innova Art, Gloucester, N.J.

Media, 24 inches wide or larger
Innova FibaPrint Gloss F-Type
Innova Art, Gloucester, N.J.

RIP, less than 20-inch printer
ColorBurst X-Proof RIP (17 inches)
ColorBurst Systems, Ashburn, Va.

RIP, 20-inch or larger printer
ColorBurst X-Proof RIP (60 inches)
ColorBurst Systems, Ashburn, Va.

Dye Sublimation, 8-inch roll
CHC-S1245 - Shinko
Kanematsu USA, Inc./KG Digital Imaging Solutions, Somerset, N.J.

Dye Sublimation, 8-by10-inch cut sheet
Fujifilm ASK 4000
Fujifilm USA, Inc., Valhalla, N.Y.

Dye Sublimation, 6-inch roll
DNP Photo Imaging America Q4 6-Inch Roll Printer
DNP Photo Imaging America, San Marcos, Texas

Creative Application, Textile
LexJet Water-Resistant Satin Cloth with PreLume using the Epson Stylus Pro 9800 printer, Epson UltraChrome K3 Inks, and ColorBurst X-Proof RIP (60 inches)
ColorBurst Systems, Ashburn, Va.

Creative Application, Paper
Innova FibaPrint F Type Gloss paper using the Epson Stylus Pro 3800 printer, Epson
UltraChrome K3 Inks and the ColorBurst
X-Proof RIP (17 inches)
ColorBurst Systems, Ashburn, Va.

Creative Application, Alternative Substrate
Beaver TexPrint XP Plus and Bison Coating Luster Tile using the Epson Stylus Pro 9600 Sawgrass Sublijet IQ - Jet Black and
ErgoSoft StudioPrint V12/Color GPS Profiler
ErgoSoft US LLC, Nashua, N.H.

Creative Application, Black and White
Kodak Professional Inkjet Photo
Paper, Lustre Finish using the Epson 7800 with Epson Ink
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y.

Creative Application, New Technology/Application
Shinko Media 4-by-6 Sticker Print using the Shinko CHC-S8175-5 printer
Kanematsu USA, Inc./KG Digital Imaging Solutions, Somerset, N.J.

About PMA - The Worldwide Community of Imaging Associations
As a professional trade association, PMA® helps the worldwide photo imaging community achieve business success and adapt to new technologies. Its commitment to 20,000 members in 100-plus countries is part of an 82-year legacy that connects business owners to a network of knowledge and support. PMA furthers this purpose through the development of educational programs and business services, marketing research, publications, and trade shows. As a nonprofit organization, any success enjoyed by PMA in its endeavors directly benefits the industry, allowing PMA to provide continual services and activities for members.