Yesterday’s big announcement by Canon - the launch of a brand new printer range, PIXMA - was as much about form as about function. The emphasis was definitely on how the products looked, rather than how they performed (although Canon certainly haven’t neglected this aspect). From the launch party at Pierre Cardin’s designer home in Cannes, to the press photos of printers intergrated into a 21st-century home, PIXMA is a concerted attempt to get away from the “office-product” tag that printers traditionally have, and move towards being a lifestyle accessory that matches the rest of your household furniture.

But do consumers care? Or at least will enough consumers care enough for Canon’s strategy to be a winner? What do you think - is this the direction that Canon should be taking?

DP-Now has published a great analysis of yesterday’s new printer launch by Canon, including full details of pricing compared to Canon’s main competitors.

“We came away from Cannes feeling buoyed by the highly professional launch marketing machine and by genuine admiration for the technology and design that PIXMA embodies. But now we have seen Canon’s initial pricing we’re not sure if the formula is quite right for the kind of market success that various senior Canon managers so passionately pledged to achieve ? to be number one, no less. We’ll just have to wait and see?”

Website: DP-Now - Style drives Canon’s new PIXMA ink-jet printer and multi-function branding

DP-Now editor Ian Burley is obviously a busy man, as he’s also found time in his busy schedule to spend a week on the sunny island of Kos in Greece attending a Hewlett-Packard event (not that I’m jealous or anything!). Find out how Ian was one of the winners in a competition judged by Douglas Kirkland, the California-based celebrity and fashion photographer. And Ian dares to call this “work”!

Website: DP-Now - dpnow editor lands photo contest prize

Canon Press Release 09/07/04

Canon takes aim at the home photo printing market

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 9 July 2004. Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, has today announced their strategic push to capture the rapidly accelerating demand for personal photo printers with the release of the futuristically styled PIXMA range.

Canon celebrated the launch by throwing an exclusive party at Pierre Cardin’s private mansion in Cannes. After taking photos with her EOS 300D camera, Helena Christensen showed off the range by demonstrating the simplicity of creating photo prints, which were then signed and given to guests.

With digital camera growth at an all time high, home photo printing is set to enjoy strong growth with the convergence of market factors such as increased photo quality, lower prices, greater connectivity and ease of use empowering consumers to print directly from their digital cameras.

With futuristic styling, ‘plug and print’ photolab quality printing, Canon has high expectations for the 8 new PIXMA products. Five of the eight products support the new PictBridge standard, which means the majority of all current digital cameras can plug straight into them for direct photo printing without a PC. When loaded with special Canon photo paper, the results can be superior to photolab quality prints.

The print heads of all PIXMA printers produce 2 picolitre ink droplets, about 2 million times smaller than an average rain drop. The secret is in Canon’s FINE technology, which uses a silicon chip manufacturing process to produce its print heads, for unrivalled tolerance and precision.

Canon Press Release 09/07/04

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 9 July 2004. Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, today launches the PIXMA sub-brand with the release of eight personal photo printers and multifunctionals. PIXMA represents the first time a manufacturer has released 2 picolitre or better droplets across a range.

Each of the eight devices features:

- Futuristic minimalist design: incorporating clean lines, super-gloss finishes and 2-way paper paths that allow book-shelf storage and operation
- Photo printing: at high-speed and with photolab quality or better
- 2 picolitre ink droplets, with 4800 dpi resolution and image FINE technology

“The new PIXMA range is expected to drive the already rapidly accelerating demand for personal photo printers,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. “PIXMA is the meeting of form and function; a combination of designer styling, speed, and photolab quality results. Canon hopes PIXMA will do for printing what Digital IXUS did for photography, where consumers chose cutting edge design matched with top performance.”
Direct photo printing from digital cameras without the need for a PC is available from five of the eight devices, which support the vendor independent PictBridge standard.

Canon Press Release 09/07/04

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 9 July, 2004: Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, today unveils a bold new look for its new PIXMA range, with the launch of two 4800 x 1200 dpi personal photo/document printers. With 2 picolitre droplet performance from FINE (Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) technology print heads, both printers are capable of producing glossy borderless photo prints direct from contemporary digital still and digital video cameras.

The PIXMA iP4000 and PIXMA iP3000 both feature convention-defying designs to match their 2 picolitre photolab quality and respected 25 ppm / 22 ppm performance. Radical designs reflect Canon’s recognition of the increasing preference amongst customers for products that excel in both aesthetics and functionality. A lustrous high quality grey finish completes sleek, clean lines of the integrated shells, giving the printers a futuristic look.

“PIXMA represents a clear departure from conventional desk top devices,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. “With their cleverly integrated functionality and their superb, striking designs, these two printers can be placed anywhere in the living or working environment and fit right in.”

Canon Press Release 09/07/04

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 9 July, 2004: Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, today announces two 4800 x 1200 dpi personal photo/document printers to open its new PIXMA range - the 20 ppm PIXMA iP2000 and 18 ppm PIXMA iP1500. The printers offer remarkable 2 picolitre photolab print quality at entry level price points from Canon?s unique FINE (Full-Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering) print head technology.

The 4 ink iP1500 and iP2000 represent new levels of price performance, with print quality that was until recently only available in dedicated 6 ink photo printers.

“With these new PIXMA printers, Canon confirms a commitment to bringing consumers true photo performance, consistent reliability and superb design across the entire range,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. “The introduction of 2 picolitre photolab quality at this price point brings a new level of performance to range-opening printers that will change consumers? expectations of personal photo printing standards.”

Canon Press Release 09/07/04

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 9 July 2004. Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, today unveils two range-leading PIXMA ‘all-in-one’ devices: the PIXMA MP750 and PIXMA MP780 Multifunctionals. Featuring a stylish, futuristic new design, the devices unify every required home?office product feature and more, into a single unit:

- 25 ppm mono / 17 ppm colour document printer
- Photo printer - 4800 x 1200 dpi, 2 picolitre ink droplets, PictBridge compatible
- Colour Copier - 22 cpm Mono / 17 cpm Colour, 35 page Automatic Document Feeder
- Flat bed scanner - Full colour, 2400 x 4800 dpi optical resolution, USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface
- 2 way paper feeding - Sheet feeder and cassette
- CD-R/DVD printer
- Fax (MP780) - Super G3, full colour, 250 page memory
- Large backlit LCD with icon display for easy of use
- Camera Direct Printing

Canon Press Release 09/07/04

Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 9 July, 2004. Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, today unveils a radical new design concept for its range-opening multi-function devices, the PIXMA MP110 and PIXMA MP130. With a gleaming white finish and clean lines, the compact, integrated units represent a daring departure from the look of traditional print devices to combine scanner, copier and a photolab printer into a single unit.

- 18 ppm mono / 13 ppm colour document printer
- Photo printer - 4800 x 1200 dpi, 2 picolitre ink droplet size, FINE (Full-Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering technology)
- Colour Copier
- Flat bed scanner - Full colour, 1200 x 2400 dpi optical, USB 2.0 Hi-Speed interface
- Card Direct Printing with Photo Index sheet (MP130 only)

“We studied the success of our Digital IXUS cameras, which is based on the combination of technical mastery with purity of design,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. “Although technical superiority is a critical side of the equation, people also want their products to reflect a contemporary and desirable look and feel.”

Canon Europe have just announced a new range of “designer” printers, dubbed the PIXMA range. Well, they have announced them according to the latest issue of the UK-based Amateur Photographer magazine (10 July 2004) - I’ve been unable to find any other source for them so far. Even the DPReview forums haven’t mentioned them!

In brief, there are 4 new PIXMA printers. The PIXMA iP4000 and iP3000 both have a resolution of 4800x1200dpi and are designed to print up to A4 borderless. Droplet size is 2 picolitres (pl). Both printers feature FINE print heads and are said to print a 6x4 inch print in just 36 seconds. The PIXMA iP4000 has a 5-tank system that includes a dye-based black ink.

There are also 2 entry-level models. The PIXMA iP2000 and iP1500 both have a resolution of 4800x1200dpi and 2 picolitres (pl) droplet size. Both are PictBridge compatible.

Finally, the PIXMA MP750 and MP780 are new multifunctional printers, which can scan, copy and print. The MP780 can also send faxes.

Price and availability are still to be confirmed.

Epson USA Press Release 06/07/04

NEW EPSON STYLUS? C66 AND C86 INK JET PRINTERS OFFER VIVID,
LONG-LASTING OUTPUT WITH FAST PRINT SPEEDS

Epson?s Latest All-Purpose Printers Include New Photo Kit to Provide Easy and Convenient Photo Printing From Start to Finish

LONG BEACH, Calif., July 6, 2004 ? Epson America Inc. is adding two new all-purpose printers to its award-winning product line that deliver fast print speeds and incredible print quality at affordable prices.  Replacing the award-winning EPSON Stylus C64 and C84, the EPSON Stylus C66 and C86 produce text, documents and beautiful frame-ready borderless photographs, and are available for estimated street prices of $69 and $99, respectively.

Both printers feature Epson?s exclusive and award-winning DURABrite inks, delivering fade-resistant, water-resistant and smudge-resistant results to preserve cherished photos and important documents.  The EPSON Stylus C66 and C86 offer up to 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi with variable sized droplets to ensure incredible quality and detail, as well as a convenient and cost-effective individual ink cartridge system with true black printing on glossy media for more realistic and sharper images.

The Norwegian website Akamera.no has reviewed the Bubble Jet i560 A4 inkjet printer, which uses single ink technology to provide individually replaceable ink tanks for all colours. The Bubble Jet i560 is the first Bubble Jet printer released by Canon to support the new PictBridge standard for connecting digital cameras and digital camcorders direct to printers via a USB cable. The i560 delivers print speeds of 22ppm mono and 15ppm colour and is capable of producing 19 million droplets of ink per second at true 4800 dpi resolution.

The Bubble Jet i560 is available now for around ?149 inc VAT.

Website: Akamera.no - Canon Bubble Jet i560 Review

Fujifilm Press Release 29/06/04

Fujifilm and calumet photographic launch new deal for pictrography customers at special UK events

With combined experience of over 140 years in servicing the professional photographic market, Fujifilm and Calumet Photographic have joined forces to strengthen their partnership initiatives, aimed at offering businesses and photographers greater access to the finest equipment and systems on the market.

To celebrate their latest exclusive deal, Fujifilm and Calumet have announced three special Pictrography event presentations to introduce customers to the benefits of in-house digital printing with the Pictrography 3500 and 4500 units. Visitors to the events at Calumet stores in Birmingham, Fulham and Bristol, will not only have the opportunity to see the Pictrography in action, they will also be able the benefit from a special event free print offer and three month payment holiday.

Epson UK Press Release 01/07/04

EPSON delivers a flexible All-in-One with new features ideal for both the home and small office

The EPSON Stylus CX6600 is a new All-in-One designed to improve the quality and cost efficiency of home and small office printing.  It combines high-speed inkjet printing, scanning and photocopying with the flexibility of a memory card reader and the quality of EPSON DURABrite inks.

July 2004 - The EPSON Stylus CX6600 is EPSON’s most advanced general-purpose All-in-One inkjet device.  The new product benefits from EPSON’s latest PhotoQuicker 3.5 and EPSON Web-To-Page software.  PhotoQuicker 3.5 allows users to modify and print photos more easily, while Web-To-Page software allows web pages to be automatically condensed to paper size, so the printed version reflects what users see on screen.

Demand continues to grow for these devices as IDC analysts predict that the market will reach around 12 million units by 2007.  This is because individuals, whether they are in the home or the office, are demanding high-speed printing, high resolution scanning at cost-effective prices.  The new EPSON Stylus CX6600 is aimed at the user who wants the cost effectiveness of individual ink cartridges together with the ability to print and scan general-purpose documents with the convenience of memory card storage and occasional photo printing.  These functions together with the advanced photocopying features ensure that this product is especially attractive to business users as well as for home use.

Tetenal Press Release 23/06/04

Tetenal has launched a competitively priced, matte photographic paper Duo Print Paper 176g

Photo print - for every day

Norderstedt, May 2004. With the Duo Print Paper “heavy weight” 176g Tetenal offers an additional paper of photo realistic quality in the successful spectra jet OFFICE PHOTO product line. This matte coated, double sided printable paper has a similar surface to Tetenal’s highly successful paper, Duo Print 130 g which regularly wins the DIMA-Award thanks to its unique photo print reproduction.

With this new “Heavy weight” paper the company still is now going a step further and offers the classic qualities of a high-quality photo printing paper, such as a high weight and a high whitebase with an attractive price per sheet: As little as 18 Cents per A4 sheet, the new material is suitable for all printers (e. g. Canon, Epson, Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark) and with pigment based inks excellent prints with a high brilliance and long durability - up to 5760 dpi. At the same time, the high weight gives a special significance and a result similar to a conventional photograph.

Photo.net have published a review of the Canon CP-220 compact photo printer. This is a small format portable dye-sub printer capable of printing 4x6 prints.

“If you need a portable printer, the CP-220 is an excellent choice. During the review no glitches occurred and the prints were generally of high quality. The prints are waterproof and fingerprint resistant which is something that may be very useful if you’re printing pictures at an event (a party for example), plus they can be sent through the mail as postcards. The only drawback to this portable printer is that it does need AC power to operate.”

Website: Photo.net - Canon CP-220 Printer Review

The Hungarian website Index Digicam have published their review of the A4 Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer.

Website: Index Digicam - Epson Stylus Photo R800 Review

Website: Read my review of the Epson Stylus Photo R800

A new report by InfoTrends/CAP Ventures has revealed that most digital camera owners never print out their photos, preferring to share them via email or the web instead. The number of photos taken has risen as digicams have become more popular, but the number of prints made is still the same as in film camera households.

So do you make lots of prints from your digital photos? Or is this study correct in saying that you take more pictures than ever before, but you don’t actually print them out? Leave your anecdotal evidence here…

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures Press Release 23/06/04

Consumer Digital Photo Printing Habits Detailed in New InfoTrends/CAP Ventures Study

(Weymouth, MA) June, 23 2004… A new consumer study from InfoTrends/CAP Ventures reveals clear skies as well as clouds on the horizon for the digital photo printing industry.

The short-term outlook for the photo print industry is good. Among the positive signs are that digital camera users who print photos are taking far more pictures than they ever did with film and printing far more ?enlargements? (larger than 4? x 6? prints). In addition, these users expect their print volumes to increase in the future. On the other hand, excluding a few ultra-heavy users, the average photo print volumes and expenditures for digital camera users are currently no higher than film camera households. In addition, simple digital sharing through e-mail and other methods threatens to undermine the need for photo printing, unless vendors convince consumers that prints are an archival method as well as a sharing vehicle.

DP-Now have published one of the first reviews of the Epson PictureMate inkjet printer.

“If you showed a typical PictureMate photo print to most people they would have no difficulty in appreciating its photo-realistic quality. But to be ultra-critical, our tests show that colour reproduction can stray from the ideal and there is some bronzing of the print surface. There is no doubt that Epson’s excellent dye-based A4 photo printers produce better results, but the PictureMate’s fade-resistance abilities balance things up. Overall, the PictureMate is adequate in terms of print quality but there is definite room for improvement.”

Website: DP-Now - Epson PictureMate Review

Photo-i has posted its review of the HiTi Photo Printer 730PS, which allows you to create 4x6, 5x7 and 6x8 inch borderless prints through its Dye Sublimation technology at 300 dpi.

“The print quality is very good, but you need to find the optimum setting, as with the 640PS the 730PS prints also lack the extra depth you would get from a black ink. This is more noticeable on larger prints. For average home use the HiTi 730PS at ?329.95 may be too expensive. For the casual digital photographer who just wants to print happy snaps and stick them in an album, then the HiTi have a range of small format printers that are well suited to the task.”

Website: Photo-i - HiTi Photo Printer 730PS Review

Epson UK Press Release 18/06/04

EPSON launches A4 inkjet with new features to meet the needs of the small/home office

The EPSON Stylus C86 is a new printer designed to improve the quality and cost efficiency of home and small office printing

June 2004 - The EPSON Stylus C86 is the latest addition to EPSON’s range of general-purpose inkjet printers. The EPSON Stylus C86 has been designed to meet the print needs of all kinds home office and small business use.

The new products benefit from EPSON’s latest PhotoQuicker 3.5 and EPSON Web-To-Page software. PhotoQuicker 3.5 allows users to modify and print photos more easily, while Web-To-Page software allows web pages to be automatically condensed to paper size, so the printed version reflects what users see on screen.