Epson USA Press Release 16/09/04

EPSON ONCE AGAIN EARNS TITLE OF OFFICIAL PHOTO PRINTER OF MISS AMERICA PAGEANT

EPSON Stylus Photo 2200 Features Ultrachrome Ink Technology to Help Contestants Remember Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience With Brilliant Prints That Will Last for Generations

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. - September 16, 2004 - Contestants competing for the title of Miss America 2005 this week will be able to share and preserve their memories of this pinnacle of achievement with photographs that will last for generations. For the fifth year in a row, pageant officials have selected an archival printer from Epson America Inc. as the competition’s official photo printer.

From rehearsals to the final competition itself, long-time Miss America photographer Bruce Boyajian is photographing contestants’ activities and then printing the images using the award-winning EPSON Stylus Photo 2200 to be sure the prints last. He chose the archival printer because it delivers an unmatched combination of stunning image quality and longevity on a variety of media types with light, water and smudge-resistant EPSON Ultrachrome ink technology.
“
Photography gives us the chance to relive our memories, and the best way to do that is to show the ultimate product, which is the print,” said Fabia Ochoa, group product manager, specialty photo printers, Epson. “Epson’s advances in print permanence have been designed to keep important memories, like this milestone in these women?s personal and professional achievement, lasting a lifetime.  For a tradition like the Miss America Competition, we know that the prints can?t just look good today but also must look good for generations to come.”

HP UK Press Release 20/09/04

New 8-ink HP Photosmart 8450 Photo Printer Provides Complete ‘Digital Darkroom’ Solution

Advanced colour and b/w photo printing with built-in network capability

LONDON, UK, 20 September 2004. HP today announced the launch of its new, top of the range photo printer, the HP Photosmart 8450. A high performance device developed for serious amateur and professional photographers, this advanced printer provides a complete digital darkroom solution with a range of advanced features and all the convenience of personal digital processing.

In addition, a new printhead architecture with double the previous nozzle density significantly improves photo print speed in high quality modes. The HP Photosmart 8450 therefore offers an unrivalled combination of no-compromise quality, fade resistance and speed.

The 8-ink HP Photosmart 8450 enables studio-quality printing in both colour and black and white, with specially-formulated greyscale inks at the heart of the system. The use of dye-based light grey, medium grey and photo-optimised black inks - developed to reduce metamerism and thereby provide neutral tones regardless of lighting conditions - results in black & white photos comparable with the best studio-developed prints. In addition, they combine with the five colour inks (cyan, magenta, yellow , light cyan and light magenta ) to build luminance, dramatically reduce hue shifts and produce far more accurate colours. Such is the quality of output that professional photographers can use the HP Photosmart 8450 to print photos for press books or galleries. These results are produced through a combination of the HP No. 344 tri-colour inkjet print cartridge, the HP No. 348 photo inkjet print cartridge and the HP No. 100 grey photo inkjet print cartridge, which come with the HP Photosmart 8450.

BIOS magazine have just reviewed the new Epson Stylus CX3600 All-In-One Printer.

“The Stylus CX3600 sits at the bottom of Epson’s all-in-one printer range and is suited to home workers, students or small business users. It’s not the most stylish or capable device, but its relatively compact form factor and good print quality on general paper should suit general users who don’t want the expense of purchasing and running a high-end photo-imaging solution. The Stylus CX3600 is no powerhouse, but it does allow you to scan, copy and print in colour.”

http://www.biosmagazine.co.uk/rev.php?id=180

Epson USA Press Release 14/09/04

EPSON OFFERS SCHOOLS AND NONPROFIT GROUPS NATIONWIDE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BENEFIT BY RECYCLING USED PRINTER CARTRIDGES

Company Partners with FundingFactory in Free Fundraising Program

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Sept. 14, 2004—Epson America announced today its continued partnership with FundingFactory which allows schools and nonprofits nationwide to return ink cartridges for rewards that can boost fundraising efforts and help the environment. Educational and nonprofit organizations can earn points by collecting genuine Epson ink cartridges and sending them to FundingFactory for recycling. The cartridges will be converted to energy through an environmentally sound incineration process at a licensed waste-to-energy recycling facility.

Participation in FundingFactory is completely free to all schools and nonprofit organizations. Once an organization registers at www.FundingFactory.com, materials are sent to help them launch the program and start earning points in an easy-to-use online account. The account is credited with points for every eligible Epson cartridge sent to FundingFactory; those points can be redeemed by the organization for cash and/or equipment.

Epson USA Press Release 13/09/08

THE EPSON STYLUS PHOTO R320 OFFERS THE FLEXIBILITY TO PRINT INCREDIBLE PHOTOS AND PRINT DIRECTLY ONTO THE SURFACE OF CDS AND DVDS WITHOUT HAVING TO USE A COMPUTER

New Direct Photo Printer Includes a Built-in Color Monitor for Added Convenience and Costs Less Than $200  

LONG BEACH, Calif., Sept. 13, 2004 - Epson America Inc. has replaced its popular, award-winning EPSON Stylus R300M ink jet printer with the new EPSON Stylus Photo R320.  This printer is ideal for digital camera owners who want a flexible and easy to use photo solution without having to spend a lot of money.  The EPSON Stylus Photo R320 offers convenient and innovative features such as PC-free printing, 13 supported memory card types, a built-in color monitor for viewing and selecting images before printing them and the ability to print long-lasting photos in a variety of popular borderless sizes.  The printer also features Epson?s unique ability to print directly onto the surface of ink jet printable CDs and DVDs. 

“The EPSON Stylus Photo R320 is one of our most versatile photo printers to date. It not only prints incredible looking photos with ease and gives customers choices as to the sizes and quantities they want to print without ever having to use a PC, but also prints directly onto CDs and DVDs,” said Lowell Wolf, product manager, consumer ink jet printers, Epson.  “Whether you want to print out a personalized CD or print out photos for preserving important memories, sharing photo memories with friends and family has never been so simple and fun.”

Canon USA Press Release 09/08/04

Editor’s Note: All of these products have already been previously announced in Europe.

CANON AGGRESSIVELY TARGETS HOME PHOTO AND SOHO PRINTING MARKETS WITH LAUNCH OF 11 NEW INKJET AND LASER PRODUCTS

Launch of New PIXMA Inkjet Photo Printers, Photo All-in-Ones and imageCLASS Laser MFPs Bring Outstanding Value, Quality, and Performance to Consumer and SOHO Users

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., - Sept. 9, 2004 - Building on an over 60 year heritage as a leader in imaging technologies, Canon U.S.A., Inc. today introduced a full range of new consumer single function and photo all-in-one (AIOs) inkjet printers and networked laser multifunction printers (MFPs) for the small office/home office (SOHO) markets. A total of 11 products will launch under the PIXMA and imageCLASS brands, ranging in price from $99.99 to $999.99i.

Canon is a leading U.S. patent holder of printer technology and the world’s largest manufacturer of laser beam printer engines. In addressing the emerging consumer photo printing market and migration from single function to multi-function platforms for the small and home office, today’s announcements mark an aggressive move by the global imaging technology provider to lead these markets from an innovation, value, performance, design, and ease-of-use perspective.

PC Magazine have published a bunch of photography-related reviews today, so rather than link individually to each one, here’s a handy list:

- Canon PIXMA iP4000 Printer
- Canon PIXMA iP3000 Printer (pictured)
- Canon PIXMA iP2000 Printer
- Canon PIXMA iP1500 Printer
- Kyocera Finecam SL400R
- Nikon Coolpix 4100
- Nikon Coolpix 3200

Lexmark Press Release 08/09/04

Lexmark changes the game for photo printing at home

Two new devices bring home the power and simplicity of retail photo kiosks

Lexmark International, Inc. (NYSE: LXK) today introduced two products that dramatically change the at-home photo printing experience.  The result of exhaustive research, focus groups and user testing, every aspect - from innovative industrial design and enhanced performance to unique, value-added bonus features - will simplify the digital photo printing process for busy families.

Kristy Holch, a Group Director at InfoTrends/CAP Ventures observed, “Consumer photo printing has not quite kept pace with the proliferation of digital cameras.  Consumer comments reveal the causes, such as too many steps in the printing process and lack of time.”

The Lexmark P915 Home Photo Printer and the Lexmark P6250 Home Photo Center All-in-One are persuasive alternatives to products from other printer manufacturers and challenge the appeal of photo kiosks at large retail outlets.

Lexmark Press Release 08/09/04

Lexmark All-in-One redefines document management and distribution for SMB professionals

—The X7170 All-in-One integrates hardware and software functionality to give SMB professionals a productivity edge—

Lexmark International today introduced the Lexmark X7170 All-in-One featuring exclusive Productivity Suite Software - the latest addition to the company’s line of Small & Medium Business (SMB) products. Designed to make life easier for busy SMB professionals, the X7170 can dramatically cut administrative time, helping businesses be more productive.

Lexmark’s new X7170 All-in-One offers small business owners a one-stop shop for easily faxing, scanning, printing and copying documents, and with the new Lexmark Productivity Suite Software, an easy-to-use method to move information between the paper and digital worlds.

“The Lexmark X7170 All-in-One offers printing, scanning and faxing capabilities together with a complete document management solution,” said Giovanni Giusti, Managing Director, Lexmark UK. “Having all of this functionality tied together with our easy to use document management software allows owners to spend less time managing their documents and more time managing their business.”

The Norwegian website Akam.no have published their review of the A4 Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer.

Website: Akam.no - Epson Stylus Photo R800 Review

Website: Read my review of the Epson Stylus Photo R800

Connected Home Media have reviewed the 8-colour Canon i9900 printer, which can create a 13 x 19-inch borderless photograph in under three minutes and has a maximum resolution of 4800 x 2400 dpi. The printer is available now for a suggested list price of $499.

“The first thing that strikes you about printing on the Canon i9900 is its speed. I printed a gorgeous borderless 13?x19? poster of a Colorado mountain scene, using my USB 1.1 port, in just under 5 minutes. Using the high-speed USB 2.0 port, I managed a similar print of the same size in an incredible 3 minutes. I printed a borderless 8?x10? shot from my sister?s wedding in about a minute. I cranked out a borderless 4?x6? shot of my beautiful daughter in just over 30 seconds. I found myself searching for my very best digital photographs, wanting to print out more and more gorgeous reproductions. I ended up with a plethora of large photos that I?ll now have to buy a bunch of frames for.”

Website: Connected Home Media - Canon i9900 Printer Review

BIOS Magazine have posted their review of the recently announced Canon PIXMA iP4000 inkjet printer.

“As expected, using high-quality Canon photo paper and spending a little time tweaking the driver settings improved print results, eliminated banding and added a whole new depth to photographs. Results still aren’t the best available however, but they’re good enough for the vast majority of today’s digital camera users looking for a relatively low-cost and versatile printer for printing 4x6in. prints and the occassional A4 letter.”

Website: BIOS Magazine - Canon PIXMA iP4000 Review

It was only announced on Monday, but Photo-i have already published some sample prints made with Canon’s new top-of-the-line A4 inkjet printer, the Canon PIXMA iP8500. Vincent Oliver comments “The Canon i9950 printer impressed me and the i990 didn’t, the iP8500 is everything the i990 should have been - unfortunately I couldn’t say anything about this printer at the time of my i990 interactive review. I will give this printer a full in-depth interactive review as soon as it becomes available.”

Website: Photo-i - Canon PIXMA iP8500 Sample Prints

Photoxels have today reviewed the Epson Stylus C86 printer:

“For the best photo prints, nothing replaces a good dedicated photo printer. However, if you print photos only occasionally, the Epson Stylus C-86 Inkjet Printer is quite a good all-purpose printer and will print 4x6 in. photo prints (and even the occasional 8x10 in. photograph). If you are looking for a printer to use for both text and photo printing, check out the Stylus C-86 for a very affordable alternative.”

Website: Photoxels - Epson Stylus C86 Printer Review

Epson UK Press Release 01/09/04

EPSON announces stylish new compact All-In-One device to address market demand

EPSON launches a new All-In-One device that will appeal to the style conscious, whilst also providing incredible value for money.

1st September 2004: The EPSON Stylus CX3600 comprises a high quality printer combined with scanner and standalone photocopying functionality. It will sit at the entry-level of the EPSON All-In-One printer range.  With its new design it will appeal to the style-conscious, as well as those users seeking value for money. 

The EPSON Stylus CX3600 provides users with some unique benefits such as EPSON DURABrite(tm) inks to ensure laser sharp blacks and vivid, life-like colours that are waterproof, smudge proof and fade resistant for up to 80 years. The inks come in individual cartridges, giving the user more control over the cost of printing.  The product offers print performance of up to 15 pages per minute and a resolution up to 5760 optimised dpi.  The Stylus CX3600 offers exceptional value for money and is ideally suited to home workers, students or small business users.  The CX3600 is stylishly designed and is available in a new compact format.

Canon UK Press Release 31/08/04

Canon’s PIXMA iP8500

Professional series A4 photo printing

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, today announces its new 8-ink flagship professional photo printer: the 4800 x 2400 dpi PIXMA iP8500. Canon’s ChromaPLUS technology adds additional red and green inks for vibrant, highly saturated colours. Combined with a FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) technology print head, which generates permanent 2-picolitre ink droplets, this new PIXMA printer produces the ultimate professional photo prints. It also does so in record time - an A4 photo prints in just 34 seconds.

The iP8500 features advanced media handling and Canon’s transparent single ink system, as well as direct photo printing from most contemporary digital cameras and digital video cameras supporting the PictBridge standard.

“The PIXMA range of printers continues Canon’s commitment to superb quality, unfailing reliability and purity of design. The iP8500 perfectly embodies this philosophy,” said Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland. “With industry-leading, professional photo print quality and speed, the iP8500 is the ultimate A4 photo printer.”

Canon UK Press Release 31/08/04

Canon’s PIXMA iP6000D

Ultimate photos, ultimate connectivity

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, today announces the new six colour, 4800 x 1200 dpi PIXMA iP6000D - the personal photo printer with complete connectivity. The sleek printer uses FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) technology with 2-picolitre Micro-Nozzles to deliver high contrast glossy photo prints that rival professional photo lab quality. With card slots for all popular brands of memory card, the iP6000D also connects and prints direct from any PictBridge compatible digital camera and digital video camera without the need for a PC. A generous 2.5” colour LCD screen displays image thumbnails from memory cards and provides an intuitive interface for effortless cropping, paper size selection, photo effects and image orientation.

“The iP6000D is the ultimate direct personal photo printer,” said Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland. “It perfectly embodies the PIXMA philosophy of combining radical, cutting-edge design with unsurpassed quality, speed and reliability. It works seamlessly with contemporary digital camera and digital video devices.”

Canon UK Press Release 31/08/04

Canon’s latest industry first

The 1-picolitre PIXMA iP5000

Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, today announces the futuristic-looking PIXMA iP5000 - the PIXMA personal photo printer that awards Canon two industry firsts: an astonishing 1-picolitre droplet size and 9600 x 2400 dpi resolution. The clean lines and lustrous jet black shell of the iP5000 make a clear departure from traditional ‘beige box’ design, reflecting the growing importance of ‘look and feel’ in consumer products.

The 25 ppm iP5000 plugs directly into most contemporary digital cameras and digital video cameras via a PictBridge port for direct photo printing. Five-ink ContrastPLUS technology produces high contrast glossy photo prints with a quality that rivals that of photo labs and a full 4” x 6” borderless photo prints in just 36 seconds.

“Canon revolutionised the printer market in 1981 when it introduced the world’s first Bubble Jet printer, the BJ-80, with a droplet size in excess of 100-picolitres” said Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland. “By combining the first 1-picolitre drop size with comparison-defying style at a time when digital photography is exploding, Canon has set another defining moment in printing technology.”

Canon UK Press Release 31/08/04

PIXMA goes wireless

Canon announces the iP4000R

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, today announces the addition of built-in-wireless connectivity to its PIXMA range with the launch of the PIXMA iP4000R. Based on the 5-ink, 25 ppm iP4000 personal photo and document printer, the iP4000R integrates WiFi (IEEE802.11g) print server technology for wireless networking, ready to run on either Windows or Mac platforms.

Launched last month, Canon’s PIXMA sub-brand now includes fourteen new printers and multifunctionals. Each device in the range incorporates futuristic styling, and FINE (Full-Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) technology, which delivers 2-picolitre droplet size and high-speed lab quality photo printing. “The introduction of the iP4000R coincides with a convergence of market factors, including the dramatic uptake of broadband and wireless in the home market, increased demand for photo printing in the home and office, lower prices, and the rapid growth of digital photography in the last 12 months” said Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging UK and Ireland. “Canon anticipates that the introduction of built-in wireless connectivity to the iP4000R will feed into the accelerating demand for photolab quality printers that integrate well in any environment.”

HP Press Release 27/08/04

HP FULFILS THE NEED…THE NEED FOR SPEED

HP Releases Next Generation Inkjet Print Cartridges Giving Fastest Printing Ever and Longer Life Prints

London, UK, 27 August 2004; HP today announced it had achieved the UK’s fastest ever printing speeds with its new breakthrough technology increasing printing speeds by up to 40%. The groundbreaking range of inkjet cartridges also incorporates a new ink formulation that extends lightfastness to record lengths of more than 100 years(1) and delivers unsurpassed print quality.

“This is a major breakthrough in the quest for faster, more vibrant, longer lasting printing. Whether you’re printing photos or business documents, the new range means time waiting by the printer is dramatically reduced, print-quality is at never-before seen levels, and prints will last significantly longer. This breakthrough makes photo and office printing more efficient than ever.” explained Kerry Hogarth, HP UK Supplies Product Manager. “These advances strengthen HP’s leadership position in the printing market - both hardware and supplies - and illustrate HP’s commitment to research and development for the benefit of HP’s customers.”