The new Epson Ultrachrome K3 inkset and Epson Stylus Photo printers were unveiled at a press conference in Paris, France in April. PhotographyBLOG was there to take a sneak peak at the new inkset and printers that Epson hope professional photographers will be using from June onwards. I’ve patiently been sitting on the news for the last month due to a very long embargo date, so without further ado, here is a gallery of photos from the press launch.

Epson Stylus Photo R2400 A3+ photo printer is announced today. The Epson R2400 features Epson’s UltraChrome K3 8 colour inkset to deliver the ultimate in both black and white and colour printing. Prints are lightfast for up to 75 years in colour and over 100 years in black & white. The Epson R2400 supports paper sizes ranging from 100 x 148mm to A3+ and a wide range of media, including premium photo and art paper. The Epson Stylus Photo R2400 has an advanced black and white mode that allows users to take control over the hue and tone of black and white images. The Stylus Photo R2400 also uses Epson’s Micro Piezo print head and Variable-sized Droplet technologies. Price of the Epson R2400 is £599 / $849 and it will be available in June.

Check out the photo gallery from the European Press Launch

Epson Press Release

Epson® announces the most advanced colour and black & white A3+ photo printer

Featuring Epson’s state-of-the-art UltraChrome™ K3 ink technology, the Stylus Photo R2400 is an affordable inkjet solution for photographers looking for high quality results from a desktop printer at an affordable price.

May 10, 2005 – Launched today, Epson unveiled its latest inkjet printer, the Epson Stylus Photo R2400. Boasting Epson’s revolutionary UltraChrome K3 8-colour ink technology - the same ink technology employed in Epson Stylus Pro large format printers for professional users - the Stylus Photo R2400 allows high end amateur and professional photographers to confidently produce professional quality for both black & white and colour photographs up to A3+.

Epson UltraChrome K3 8 colour inkset is announced today. The Epson UltraChrome K3 ink has three black inks as well as a full set of colour inks, offering more neutral gradations in colour and black & white prints. The third black ink, light light black, gives excellent greyscale performance. Prints made with Epson K3 ink look good in any lighting condition and have a professional finish even when printed on glossy media. UltraChrome K3 also produces colours that stabilise within half an hour. Photo or matte black K3 inks are interchangeable to enable printing on high quality photo and art media. The Epson UltraChrome K3 ink offers lightfastness of up to 75 years in colour and over 100 years in black & white. The new Epson UltraChrome K3 inkset is used in 7 new printers also announced today, inclduing the A3+ Epson Stylus Photo R2400.

Check out the photo gallery from the European Press Launch

Epson Press Release

Trailblazing Innovative ink set technology places reinforces Epson®’s position at the forefront of digital imaging

New ink technology from Epson revolutionises black & white digital and colour photography whilst simultaneously offering outstanding results in colour imagingand colour proofing.

May 10, 2005 – Marking a new era in digital imaging, Epson – the preferred choice of thousands of professional photographers, self-publishing artists and companies in the proofing market – today announced the availability of UltraChromeTM K3, a new standard in ink technology for the photographic, fine art and proofing markets.

Unlike other inks sets, the Epson UltraChrome K3 range 8-colour ink set has three black inks, as well as a full set of colour inks, offering the ultimate in black & white and colour printing. The three black inks offer more -neutral gradations in colour and black & white prints, resulting in life-like replication of skin tones required for by commercial and professional photographers. The third black ink – light light black – gives excellent greyscale performance, higher Dmax and smoother tonal reproduction for the ultimate in high quality black & white and colour printing.

Epson Stylus Pro 4800, Epson Stylus Pro 7800 and Epson Stylus Pro 9800 large format printers are announced today. The Stylus Pro 4800, Stylus Pro 7800 and Stylus Pro 9800 all feature Epson’s latest 8-colour ink technology - Epson UltraChrome K3 - to print any size ranging from maximum formats of A2 to A0+ on a wide range of media, delivering the ultimate in colour and black & white photographic printing. UltraChrome K3 ink is lightfast for up to 75 years for colour prints and over 100 years for black & white prints. The Epson Stylus Pro 4800, Epson Stylus Pro 7800 and Epson Stylus Pro 9800 also feature Epson’s Micro Piezo print head and Variable-sized Droplet technologies. Price and availability of the Stylus Pro 4800, Stylus Pro 7800 and Stylus Pro 9800 to be announced.

Check out the photo gallery from the European Press Launch

Epson Press Release

Epson® launches new generation of large format inkjet printers for photographic, fine art and proofing professionals

New range provides the ultimate in black & white and colour digital imaging

May 10, 2005 – Epson announced the launch of a new range of Stylus Pro large format printers to support the most advanced ink technology for colour and black & white photography and digital colour proofing. Comprising of three printers – the Epson Stylus Pro 4800, 7800, and 9800 – the range offers the ultimate in image quality, productivity, and media flexibility.

The new range features a number of options to meet the varied demands of professionals in the imaging business. These include the ability to print any size ranging from maximum formats of A2 to A0+ on a wide range of media including high quality photo, art and proofing media.

Epson Stylus Pro 4400, Epson Stylus Pro 7400 and Epson Stylus Pro 9400 large format printers are announced today. The new Stylus Pro 4400, Stylus Pro 7400 and Stylus Pro 9400 all use Epson UltraChrome four colour ink technology to provide a high-end solution at a low cost of ownership for the POS, CAD and GIS. A variety of media is supported by the Stylus Pro 4400, Stylus Pro 7400 and Stylus Pro 9400 including 1.5mm thick card on sizes ranging from A2 to A0+. Print speeds on the 4400, 7400 and 9400 are up to 26m2/Hr at a high resolution output of up to 2880 x 1440 dpi. Each printer can be left unsupervised and they all use large capacity ink cartridges. Price and availability of the Epson Stylus Pro 4400, Epson Stylus Pro 7400 and Epson Stylus Pro 9400 to be announced.

Check out the photo gallery from the European Press Launch

Epson Press Release

Epson® launches the most advanced range of high production colour printers for the POS, CAD and GIS markets

A new range of printers brings POS, CAD and GIS markets high productivity, good quality output, flexible media support and ease of use at a low cost of ownership.

May 10, 2005 – Launched today, Epson unveiled the latest additions to the Stylus Pro range of large format inkjet printers for design professionals. Comprising of the Epson Stylus Pro 4400, the Epson Stylus Pro 7400 and the Epson Stylus Pro 9400, the new range combines Epson UltraChrome™ ink technology with the latest print technologies to redefine the standard for high speed, high quality large format digital colour printing.

The new line of printers combines a unique set of features to make it one of the most cost-effective, fast and flexible range of printers for design professionals in the Point of Sale (POS), Computer Aided Design (CAD), Geographic Information System (GIS) and corporate markets. Professionals can print most types of applications including precision line drawings and vibrant colour presentations. Furthermore, the range supports a variety of media, including 1.5mm thick card on sizes ranging from A2 to A0+.

HP PSC 1610 All-in-One printer is announced today. The HP PSC 1610 is an all-in-one printer, scanner and copier with a recommended street price of £99.99. The HP PSC 1610 All-in-One offers print and copy speeds of up to 23 pages per minute (ppm) in black and up to 18 ppm in colour and can scan at 1200 x 4800 dpi resolution and 48-bit colour.

HP UK Press Release

A versatile, stylish All-in-One that meets home users’ print, scan and copy needs

LONDON, UK, 4 May, 2005. HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) today announced the launch of the HP PSC 1610 All-in-One, designed for the creative family or home office user. This product offers a range of high quality print, scan and copy functions in a stylish and easy to operate device. 

The HP PSC 1610 All-in-One allows images to be printed directly from a Pictbridge-enabled digital camera or via the built-in memory card slot , without ever needing to connect to a computer.

True-to-life photos can be created using 4800-optimised dpi (1200-input dpi) or optional 6-ink colour, (available with the purchase of the HP No. 348 Photo Inkjet Print Cartridge) in any size up to large panorama (215 x 610 mm). Whether from a digital camera or scanned image, results will be true-to-life and virtually grain-free.

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures Press Release

Home Photo Printer Market Booming: Up Almost $400 Million in 2004, InfoTrends/CAP Ventures Study Says

(Weymouth, MA) May, 03 2005… A 39% surge in photo printer shipments in 2004 drove an 8% increase in the overall home printer market, according to a new report from InfoTrends/CAP Ventures. Additionally, the photo printer category as a whole hit $1.5 billion in 2004, experiencing a 33% revenue growth over 2003.

“The digital camera revolution has ignited demand for better home photo printing solutions,” said Ed Lee, director of the Photo Printing Trends service at InfoTrends/CAP Ventures. “Vendors have seized on the opportunity by rolling out a succession of new photo printing features, spawning upgrades that are meeting consumer needs and invigorating the stagnant printer market.”

Digital Outback Photo have started a diary-like review of the new Epson R1800 A3 / 13x19 inch printer. The R1800 is an A3 version of the Epson Stylus Photo R800 that I reviewed last year, featuring the same 8 colour UltraChrome Hi-Gloss inks and 1.5 picoliter droplet size.

“Recently we discovered the Epson Premium Semimatte paper that features a very nice satin surface. Unfortunately this paper is only available in rolls or larger 17x22” sheets. This means that we would need a larger printer or have to cut down the sheets. Now we checked out the Epson Premium Semigloss paper that can be only bought in Letter and 13x19” sheets. This paper is also very nice and comes close to the Semimatte. We still think that Semimatte has the nicest surface of all Epson glossy papers. It can be a good compromise to use Semigloss on the R1800 and Semimatte on larger printers.”

Website: Digital Outback Photo - Epson R1800 Printer Review

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TrustedReviews have reviewed the new Epson R1800 A3 / 13x19 inch printer. The R1800 is an A3 version of the Epson Stylus Photo R800 that I reviewed last year, featuring the same 8 colour UltraChrome Hi-Gloss inks and 1.5 picoliter droplet size.

“While the design and mechanics of this A3 Epson Stylus Photo R1800 are very similar to an A4 printer you will have to expect to pay more for the longer carriage. In its favour, this is a very versatile printer that can handle anything from postcards up to oversize A3. You can do full-bleed output, print on roll paper or on compatible CD blanks and thanks to its six colours, it produces excellent photographic prints on gloss, watercolour or plain papers.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Epson R1800 Printer Review

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Lyson Introduces Daylight Darkroom™ for Windows XP and Extends Usage for Wider Range of Epson Printers

Revolutionary Black & White Imaging System Now Available on Both Major Operating Systems Used by Photographers

ELK GROVE, IL (April 27, 2005) — Lyson, Inc., a leading provider of inks, media, and related products to the printing, photography, graphic arts, and other allied industries, has introduced a Windows XP version of its revolutionary Daylight Darkroom digital black & white printing system. This new imaging system provides photographers what they have long desired— the ability to accurately mirror traditional darkroom techniques, including silver halide printing, with digital images and an inkjet printer.

The Windows XP version of Daylight Darkroom is being introduced—and the Mac OSX version extended— for use with the Epson Photo 1280, 2000, and 2200 printers, as well as the Stylus Pro 2200, 4000, and 7600/9600 printers. Plans are to extend the system, on both operating systems, for use with the most recent Canon printers during the balance of 2005.

Samsung SPP-2040 printer is announced. The Samsung SPP-2040 is a compact and portable printer that accepts a wide range of memory cards and doesn’t need to be connected to a computer. The Samsung SPP-2040 uses a printing technology called D2T2 - “Dye Diffusion Thermal Transfer” and produces a print in as little as 15 seconds. From the picture on the UberGizmo website, it also looks as if the SPP-2040 has a colour LCD screen.

Website: UberGizmo - Samsung SPP-2040 Pocket Thermal Transfer Printer

Lexmark P4350 and Lexmark X3350 are announced. The Lexmark P4350 and Lexmark X3350 are all-in-one printers and scnanners. The P4350 is the first all-in-one witha colour LCD screen to sell for under $130. The X3350 offers 48-bit color scan depth. The Lexmark P4350 has an estimated retail price of $129, while the Lexmark X3350 will be available for $79* after a $20 mail-in rebate.

Lexmark Press Release

Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) today introduced two All-in-One (AIO) inkjet printers that set new standards for price and performance, including the Lexmark P4350 , which is the industry’s first AIO with a color LCD screen at $129.*

Lexmark’s latest AIOs make higher-end technology more broadly available through new consumer-friendly price points. These feature-rich printers include flatbed scanners, PictBridge, borderless photo printing, LCD screens and functionality with or without a PC.  Both use Lexmark’s Evercolor™ inks to deliver brilliant photos that last longer than most traditional photos under display conditions without fading, and more than 200 years stored in photo albums**.

Lexmark Press Release

Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) today announced an assortment of photo papers engineered to offer customers a complete home photo printing solution. Optimized for use with Lexmark printers – including the P4350 and X3350, also announced today – and EvercolorTM inks, consumers can generate digital photo output of the highest possible quality.

“With innovative technology, Evercolor inks and now a line of high-quality photo papers, Lexmark offers the best photo printing solution for our customers on the market today,” said Najib Bahous, Lexmark vice president and president of its Consumer Printer Division. “This introduction reinforces the fact that Lexmark offers exceptional quality and value for consumers who want to transform digital images into brilliant photos at home.”

Epson have released 3 new ICC profiles for the Epson Stylus Photo R1800 printer. Glossy Paper, Matte Paper and Fine Art Paper are all updated.

Website: Epson Stylus Photo R1800 ICC Profiles

Kodak UK Press Release

Kodak Introduces First Printer Dock and Digital Cameras Compatible with IMAGELINK Print System

New KODAK EASYSHARE Printer Dock Series 3 Supports Forthcoming Cameras from Kodak, Konica Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Ricoh and Sanyo

LONDON, April 19 — Adding to its award-winning line of EASYSHARE printer docks, Eastman Kodak Company recently announced the first model to support the IMAGELINK print system, making possible one-touch printing from multiple brands of digital cameras.

The new KODAK EASYSHARE Printer Dock Series 3 is now available worldwide, packaged with new KODAK EASYSHARE Z740 and Z700 zoom digital cameras (which are also compatible with the IMAGELINK system). The Printer Dock Series 3 will also ship as a standalone product beginning in May 2005 (RRP £129.99).

Trusted Reviews have just reviewed the Lexmark P315 portable photo printer.

“This is a novel little printer, designed for a specific task and dealing with it pretty well. The lack of a PC connection looks more like a cost-saving exercise than a bold marketing leap, but does keep the device well under £100. The photo print quality still isn’t up to Canon, Epson or HP, but for typical home use, it’s good enough not to cause furrowed brows.”

Website: Trusted Reviews - Lexmark P315 Printer Review

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First announced at the PMA show in February, Sony are now launching the DPP-FP50 printer in Europe.

Sony Europe Press Release

SONY BRINGS REAL PHOTOS TO YOUR TV FOR A COMPLETE AT-HOME PRINTING SOLUTION

Browse, edit and create real photos via your TV,camera or memory card with the DPP-FP50 printer from Sony

Bordeaux, 12 April 2005 - Sony Europe announces the launch of the DPP-FP50 printer at the Sony Media Experience in Bordeaux.

Share your photos
Printing and sharing consumers favourite photographs just got easier with the introduction of the latest DPP-FP50 home photo printer from Sony. The DPP-FP50 features a wireless remote control that makes it possible to print, edit, and enjoy lab-quality pictures from the comfort of the sofa. The new model also supports the PictBridge™ standard, so images can be viewed and printed directly from any PictBridge™ compatible digital camera without having to turn on a computer.

Canon USA Press Release

Canon U.S.A., Inc. Endorses the Independent WIR Certified Image Permanence Testing Program and Seal, Joining Epson, Hewlett-Packard, and Lexmark in Providing Consumers with Standardized Print Longevity Ratings

GRINNELL, Iowa—(BUSINESS WIRE)—April 8, 2005—Wilhelm Imaging Research, Inc. (WIR), an independent test methods development and product testing company, today announced that Canon U.S.A., Inc. will participate in the new WIR Certified Image Permanence Testing Program. With comprehensive test data provided by Wilhelm Imaging Research, Canon will begin using the WIR Certification Seal with a range of qualified photo printing products.

“In addition to our own photo imaging permanence scale, we are providing customers the ability to see independent image permanence results that allow an easy comparison of the available photographic materials by supporting the new Wilhelm Imaging test certification Seal,” said Yukiaki Hashimoto, senior vice president and general manager of the Consumer Imaging Group at Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. “The new seal program provides an immediate, uniform test method to provide consumers with the information needed to understand the difference between various products used to print their digital photographs.”

IT-Enquirer have published a brief review of the new A3+ printer from the HP, the Photosmart 8750, which was announced at PMA in February. Thanks to Louis Montrose for letting me know.

“The two main and most important improvements with this new model are the 9-ink (Vivera inks) system and the A3 capabilities. The ninth ink provided with the printer is an extra blue. According to HP, next to gray tones, blue is the most often used ink colour, and the one with the most visible improvements in photo quality. I compared the output of the 8750 with the output of the 8450, HP’s current flagship photo printer. There is hardly any difference, except in blue skies and green areas. I expected the improvement in the blue sky areas, but not in the green colour areas. However, in both cases the improvements are marginal. I did notice the 8750 to output slightly sharper photographs when printing from the camera directly.”

Website: IT-Enquirer - HP Photosmart 8750 Review

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HP Officejet 7210 All-in-One Printer is announced today. TThe HP Officejet 7210 All-in-One allows images to be printed directly from a Pictbridge-enabled digital camera or via the built-in memory card slot. Thre HP 7210 can use the HP No. 348 Photo Inkjet Print Cartridge for true-to-life photos and the the HP No. 100 Grey Photo Inkjet Print Cartridge for black and white images. The HP Officejet 7210 All-in-One printer, fax, scanner and copier will cost £279.

HP UK Press Release

Built-In Networking Delivers Intelligent Features to be Shared Across the Small Office and Home Office

The HP Officejet 7210 All-in-One Printer, Fax, Scanner and Copier offers outstanding features as well as uncompromising functionality, quality and reliability

LONDON, UK, 4 April, 2005. HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) today announced the launch of the versatile HP Officejet 7210 All-in-One printer, fax, scanner and copier which boasts HP’s renowned reliability and quality. Equipped with built-in networking capabilities, this All-in-One allows high performance tools to be shared across up to five computers, while helping people de clutter and save space.