Steves Digicams have reviewed the new A3+ printer from the HP, the Photosmart 8750, which was announced at PMA in February.

“For large format printing the HP8750 isn’t what I would call “fast,” taking 13 minutes to make a borderless 13x19” print that the Canon i9900 cranks out in two minutes and forty seconds. Not sure how HP came up with the 3.5 minute figure in their specs as no one is going to print a 13x19” photo using less than “Best” quality. The HP 8750 does produce superior black and white prints over any of the Canon printers due to its photo gray inks. The only other wide carriage printer that does B&W this well is the Epson 2200, which also has a dedicated photo grey (light black) ink cartridge.”

Website: Steves Digicams - HP Photosmart 8750 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the HP Photosmart 8750

Write a Review of the HP Photosmart 8750

DPNow have just reviewed the Lexmark P315 portable photo printer.

“Lexmark has priced the P315 very competitively – there is no other mini printer with a colour LCD screen that can match its price. With careful selection of consumables, buying bulk packs of paper and using the No.35 cartridge instead of the No.33 one, you can achieve very good per-print costs. Print quality is adequate rather than stunning, though to all but the most discerning it’s quite acceptable for every day use. Lexmark can certainly improve the user interface of the P315 to make better use of the excellent 2.5 inch screen and speed up the process of finding and printing images, but in its existing form it’s still reasonably usable.”

Website: DPNow - Lexmark P315 Printer Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Lexmark P315

Write a Review of the Lexmark P315

HP are sueing 2 companies, who specialize in selling refilled ink cartridges, for violating patents and false advertising.

“On Friday, HP sued InkCycle in U.S. District Court for the western district of Wisconsin, alleging that the company’s ink violates three HP patents. And on Monday, HP sued RhinoTek in U.S. District Court for the northern district of California, accusing RhinoTek of false advertising by using packaging that indicates its refilled HP printer cartridges are new.”

Website: HP sues firms that refill ink cartridges

CameraTown have just reviewed the HP Photosmart 8150 printer which was first announced in August 2004.

“‘ll end this review by saying that the HP Photosmart 8150 printer is THE printer I would buy for my parents, sister, or brother. For myself, I often print larger images (up to 13"x19”) so I’ll hopefully get a chance to review the new large format Photosmart 8450 that was launched last month at PMA. Print quality and simplicity are the two most important attributes a printer can have - and the HP delivers. Surprisingly, it delivers simplicity while actually adding in features such as cropping, red-eye removal, brightness control, and multi-image layouts. All of these features are so easy to use - even without the manual - that you’ll want to use them.”

Website: CameraTown - HP Photosmart 8150 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the HP Photosmart 8150

Write a Review of the HP Photosmart 8150

Photo-i have just finished their interactive review of the brand 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. The Stylus Photo R1800 will retail in the UK for £399.99 inc Vat and $549.99 in the USA.

“As a professional photographer with over 30 years experience and exhibited at many venues, I can say that the print I produced this afternoon is better than anything I have ever done in the darkroom. The print has sharpness, great colour saturation and all the qualities that I would expect from a wet chemistry photograph, let alone a digital print. It is stunning. Any photographer who questions the quality or merit of a digital print compared to a wet chemistry print need only look at the output from the R1800.”

Website: Photo-i - Epson R1800 Printer Review

DIWA member Steves Digicams have reviewed the Canon PIXMA MP760 Multifunction Photo Centre, a new multifunctional printer which includes a Film Adapter Unit for 35mm film scanning, plus a a 2.5 inch colour LCD screen.

“As I said when we reviewed the Canon iP4000 (which also uses the ContrastPLUS 5-color ink system)—many people will wonder why there is a need for 6- or 8-color photo printers. Unless you are a real perfectionist or just someone who has to have “the best of the best of the best,” I feel that most consumers will be more than pleased by the MP-760’s print quality and colors. The vast majority of photo prints made today are 4 x 6” (aka Jumbo) prints and I defy most people to tell me the difference between one made by the MP-760 and another printed on the 8-color i9900. Even the borderless 8.5 x 11” prints I made on Canon Photo Paper Pro looked simply amazing.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Canon PIXMA MP760 Review

Canon UK Press Release

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce that two of Europe’s independent consumer magazines – UK’s ‘Which?’ and Netherlands’ ‘Consumtenbond-Consumentengids’ – have highlighted Canon PIXMA photo printers as the best available. This coincides with Canon taking the number one market share position in Germany for Ink Jet printers (Source Gfk Feb to Nov 2004).

Launched in mid 2004, Canon’s PIXMA range of photo printers surprised the market with contemporary, stylish design combined with industry leading 1 and 2 picolitre droplet size, producing photo prints that are in many cases superior in quality to that produced by traditional high street photo labs. Since the PIXMA range launch, Canon’s market share has grown by 34%.

DIWA member and Czech website FotoAparat have posted a review of two new Canon printers, the PIXMA iP5000 printer, which features the industry’s first 1 picoliter droplets, and the PIXMA iP8500.

Website: FotoAparat - Canon PIXMA iP5000 / iP8500 Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Canon PIXMA iP5000

Check the Latest Prices for the Canon PIXMA iP8500

CameraTown have reviewed the Canon PIXMA MP760 Multifunction Photo Centre, a new multifunctional printer which includes a Film Adapter Unit for 35mm film scanning, plus a a 2.5 inch colour LCD screen.

“If it’s not apparent, the Canon PIMXA MP760 has quickly become a favorite of mine. I would love to see an 13"x19” version since I often make large prints, but I realize that many of you don’t have this need. If you are considering upgrading your current printer, you should give the PIXMA MP760 strong consideration. Yes, at $299 (MSRP), it costs more than today’s bargain printers, but the speed and quality at which it prints, the convenience that it offers, the individual ink cartridges, and the features that you’ll find yourself using more often than you think are worth the extra money.”

Website: CameraTown - Canon PIXMA MP760 Review

Photo-i have just started an interactive review of the brand 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. The Stylus Photo R1800 will retail in the UK for £399.99 inc Vat and $549.99 in the USA.

“The R1800 uses the same UltraChrome ink set as the R800, in fact the cartridges are the same. I would have expected larger cartridges for an A3 printer. If the inks perform as well on this printer as they have on the R800 then I think we will be in for a treat, I will hold back from saying more until I have fully tested the printer.

The advantage of UltraChrome inks lays in the longevity of the inks. The inks are pigment based, compared to dye based on most other inkjet printers. The ink droplets are encapsulated in a micro thin covering of resin, this protects the inks from atmospheric pollutants and rough handling.”

Website: Photo-i - Epson R1800 Printer Review

Picojet have developed an inkjet printhead made out of stainless steel. Aimed at industrial printing applications, this isn’t likely to feature in a home inkjet printer any time soon. The new printhead can jet a wide range of liquids, including oil, water, solvent and hot melt (wax).

PicoJet Press Release

PicoJet Reaches Development Milestone With Successful Demonstration of New Stainless Steel Ink Jet Printhead

HILLSBORO, Ore., March 14 /PRNewswire/—PicoJet, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of state-of-the-art piezoelectric drop-on-demand printheads, announces it has reached a development milestone with the successful demonstration of its new stainless steel PJ-N256 drop-on-demand inkjet printhead.

The demonstration was a benchmark of the printhead’s initial printing capabilities at the completion of a five month development project. The PJ-N256 printhead successfully proved its ability to fire each of the 256 jets simultaneously at 10,000 drops per second creating a 300 dpi image. It produced full color images using UV-curable ink jetted onto foam board, poster board, canvas, textile, glass, metal and plastic media. This same technology will allow simultaneous firing at over 20,000 drops per second enabling higher print speeds and resolution in the future.

BIOS magazine have just reviewed the Lexmark P315 portable photo printer.

“Lexmark’s latest printer makes printing 6x4in. photos a snap. Competing directly with Epson’s excellent PictureMate (£127 ex. VAT), the P315 portable photo printer slightly undercuts Epson’s offering and still manages to integrate a 2.5in. LCD preview screen (the PictureMate’s LCD is fixed and monochrome only), but its build and output quality are equally poor. The P315 is a really disappointing offering from a company with so much printing experience.”

Website: BIOS Magazine - Lexmark P315 Printer Review

Check the Latest Prices for the Lexmark P315

Write a Review of the Lexmark P315

Epson Press Release

Epson to Guarantee Longevity of Fine Art Prints; UltraGiclee Print Certification Program To Give Printmakers, Confidence Selling Work

LONG BEACH, Calif.—(Business Wire)—March 4, 2005—Fine art printmakers and their customers will soon have a guarantee on the longevity of certain Epson fine art prints through Epson’s new UltraGiclee(TM) print certification program. This certification will enable printmakers to sell their work and enable customers to buy these prints with confidence that the prints will last.

UltraGiclee certified fine art prints, which can only be created on selected Epson professional printers using select professional media and EPSON UltraChrome(TM) ink, will be warranted to resist noticeable fading for 80 years from the original date of purchase when the print is printed, framed, handled and displayed according to warranty conditions. If a warranted print fades, Epson will provide the ink and paper needed to make a replacement print. Current certified printers include the EPSON Stylus Pro 4000, 7600 and 9600 printers, and certified media include UltraSmooth(TM) Fine Art Paper, Textured Fine Art Paper and PremierArt(TM) Water Resistant Canvas for Epson.

Canon UK Press Release

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce that digital camera owners can now print their photos for as little as 22p* per print with the SELPHY CP Compact Photo Printer range. In an announcement that coincides with the launch of its new flagship, the Compact Photo Printer SELPHY CP600, Canon is offering its KP-108IP Colour Ink/Paper Set – which includes 108 popular 4 x 6”+ size photo prints – for the highly competitive recommended retail price of just £23.99.

HP UK Press Release

Display Your Art with the First 9-ink Professional Photo Printer, the HP Photosmart 8750 including HP Vivera Inks

Advanced photo printing up to A3+ and built-in network capability for professional photographers

BIRMINGHAM, UK, February 28, 2005 - HP today announced the launch of its new HP Photosmart 8750 Professional Photo Printer, a high performance device developed for professional photographers. With nine HP Vivera Inks, photographers can produce studio quality prints in colour and in black and white, on paper up to A3+ size with a printable area of 330 x 483mm. This printer provides all the convenience of developing photos at home and also offers photographers a brilliant combination of image quality, built-in networking, fade resistance and speed.

The 9-ink HP Photosmart 8750 Professional Photo Printer uses specially formulated inks in three inkjet print cartridges at the heart of its system: the new large body HP 102 Grey Photo Inkjet Print Cartridge, HP 101 Blue Inkjet Print Cartridge and the existing HP 344 Tri-Colour Inkjet Print Cartridge1. Using these cyan, magenta, yellow, light cyan, light magenta, blue, light grey, medium grey and photo black inks together, produces studio quality printing in colour and in black and white.

HP UK Press Release

New brand reinforces image quality, fade resistance and cost benefits

BIRMINGHAM, UK, February 28, 2005 - HP today announced the launch of its new ink branding, HP Vivera Inks, in the UK following the successful launch in the US last year.  Vivera, a coined name combining the elements of “viva” and “era”, means one of life, true-to-life colour and longevity.  The new brand is aimed at further driving recognition of the superior image quality and fade resistance of prints created using HP inks in conjunction with HP printers and media. 

The HP Vivera Inks brand will be incorporated onto the packaging of select HP inkjet print cartridges and HP ink cartridges. There are also several HP products - such as HP Premium Plus Photo Paper and select HP printers - that are optimised for use with HP Vivera Inks. These products will carry a new HP wordmark on their packaging to reflect their suitability for use with HP Vivera Inks. Over the coming months, consumers will also see the new brand at points-of-sale, in retail channels, advertisements, public relations and marketing collateral as well as on the hp.com website.

Epson UK Press Release

The Epson Stylus Photo R1800 will have its first UK audience with live demonstrations at Focus On Imaging 2005.  Available from April 2005 and designed to meet the needs of the most demanding photo enthusiast and semi professional photographer, this A3 photo printer is the latest addition to the Epson photo printer portfolio. 

Providing border-free printing up to A3, photographers now have the freedom to print in a wide range of formats for portfolios, display, and photographic exhibitions without sacrificing quality. Combined with the Epson UltraChrome Hi-Gloss ink set, the Stylus Photo R1800 delivers prints that really can exceed the quality from a professional photo lab.

Kodak Imagelink Print System is announced today at PMA 2005. Imagelink is a new printing system that allows one-touch picture printing from snapshot printers and is supported by a number of different manufacturers (see below). Kodak haven’t released too much information about their new Imagelink Print System - I will call by their stand tomorrow and find out more.

Kodak Press Release

Consumer Web Site Created for New IMAGELINK Print System

One-Touch, At-Home Picture Printing System Supported by Kodak, Konica Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Ricoh and Sanyo

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 20—A consumer Web site dedicated to the IMAGELINK print system, the new, multi-manufacturer specification designed to simplify at-home picture printing, will go live this March. The site—www.imagelinkprintsystem.com—includes links to compatible digital camera and printer information, an animated presentation to help people visualize the camera-printer connection, frequently asked questions, and news related to the specification.

HP are really promoting their new HP Photosmart printer, the the 8750, at PMA 2005. At a lunchtime conference today, HP presented their overall package for the 8750 and the higher-end DesignJet 90 via 3 key speakers. Henry Wilhelm, who is heavily involved with testing digital print lifespan, Iris Mangelschots from GretagMacbeth, who are providing colour management solutions bundled with the new HP printers, and Joel Meyerowitz, a professional photographer who has converted to selling digital prints in the last year made with the HP DesignJet series, abandoning conventional silver halide. (Click on each picture to see a larger version)

The HP PhotoSmart 8750 supports print sizes up to 13x19 inches, offers a lightfastness of up to 108 years, and has a new 9 colour inkset which now includes blue for more, well, vibrant blues. There is also a built-in memory card reader which HP are positioning more as a way to proof your photos, rather than the usual selling point of being able to bypass the computer entirely (reasoning that prosumer photographers will edit their photos on a computer in Adobe Photoshop before printing).
The black and white print that HP were showing was stunning - true black and white quality out of the box with no need to profile the printer, due to HP’s dedicated Gray inkjet cartridge. This technology has featured on their smaller printers like the PhotoSmart 7960 - the real challenge for HP will be the colour side of things. Will the new Blue cartridge be enough to convince buyers that HP can beat their competitiors in terms of colour? Pro photographer Joel Meyerowitz certainly seemed to think so - Meyerowitz claimed that using the DesignJet series and the 8750 was “a life changing experience”. Strong words indeed. A competitive price-tag of $499 will no doubt help HP’s cause. I was personally very interested in the Epson R1800 when it was announced a few days ago - now the HP PhotoSmart 8750 is making me think again.

Update: Henry Wilhelm’s report for the HP Photosmart 8750 is now online:

http://www.wilhelm-research.com/hp/8750.html

Sony PictureStation DPP-FP50 printer is unveiled at PMA 2005. The Sony PictureStation DPP-FP50 uses dye-sublimation technology to create durable, lab quality prints. The DPP-FP50 supports PictBridge, has a wireless remote control and can be used with a television so that you can select which images to print. Available in May for about $200, the PictureStation DPP-FP50 printer offers 4” x 6” and 3.5” x 5” print sizes.

Sony Press Release

ORLANDO (PMA, Booth # 3032), Feb. 19, 2005 - Printing and sharing your favorite photographs just got easier with the introduction of Sony’s latest PictureStation™ DPP-FP50 at home printer.

The DPP-FP50 model features a wireless remote control that makes it possible to print, edit, and enjoy lab-quality pictures from the comfort of your favorite chair. The new model also supports the PictBridge™ standard, so images can be viewed and printed directly from a PictBridge™ compatible digital camera without having to turn on a computer or fuss with image editing software.