Fujifilm has just launched the ASK-2500 dye sublimation printer. Targeted at retail outlets and photographers’ studios, the Fujiflm ASK-2500 measures just 300mm x 411mm. Using thermal transfer to achieve its results, the Fujifilm ASK-2500 is capable of printing one 6x4-inch image every 6.9 seconds. It is recommended to be used with Fujifilm’s ‘Quality Thermal Photo Paper’, one roll of which gives 600 prints at 6x4” or 308 prints when set to 5x7”.

Now’s your chance to test the quality of a Canon Pixma Printer using your own photo. Through Canon UK’s ‘Your Print’ programme, you can see the results before you buy. All you need to do is upload your image to the ‘Your Print’, choose a printer, and receive a free print in the post. You can choose from the following Canon Pixma printers: MP990, iX4000, MP640, MP550, MP560, iP3600, iP4700, MX860, MP490, MP250, MP270, iP1900, iP2600, MX320 and MX330. The programme runs until 30 May 2010.

Website: Your Print

Epson has launched two large-format printers - the Epson Stylus Pro 7700 and 9700 - and announced it had joined forces with Ricoh Americas Corporation to sell these printers exclusively in North America. The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 (24-inch) and Epson Stylus Pro 9700 (44-inch) incorporate the company’s latest achievements in high-performance ink jet printing. The extreme precision, speed and image quality achieved by MicroPiezo TFP print heads and the benefits of Epson UltraChrome Vivid Magenta Inks position these printers to deliver an unprecedented level of printing technology, Epson says. The Epson Stylus Pro 7700 and 9700 are currently available at a suggested retail price of $2,995 and $4,995, respectively. (These printers have already been launched in Britain; the UK prices are £2,395 and £4,795 sans VAT.)

HP has announced that it will show its latest product portfolio, demonstrated in a live photo shoot environment for production of premium quality photo applications, at Focus On Imaging. An HP Media Scientist will provide demonstrations of how to increase creativity in print, through better understanding of available HP media, and how photographers and photo labs can use HP media and inkjet technology together to produce exciting results, that add value to their work/business offering. HP will hold on-stand seminars featuring industry-leading photographer, Donovan Wylie, and daily live on-stand shoots by Keith Thompson and Robin Preston. These industry experts will demonstrate how professional photographers, amateurs and retail publishers are using HP Designjet Z3200 and HP Designjet Z2100 Photo Printers, to exhibit work, sell prints or even print personal photographic imagery.

Internationally renowned artist Tadanori Yokoo released a photography compilation based on his signature work “Y-Junction”, including a print that covers an entire wall without join lines. In order to produce this mural-sized print, he used a HP Designjet L65500 large format printer. Standing in front of his newly printed giant-size work, Yokoo expressed delight with its high quality and reproducibility. “I was surprised at the lack of join lines in the print and that it had been completely printed as a single work. Standing in front of it, it feels like I’ve entered the actual Y-junction depicted.”

The recently announced Canon iPF8300, iPF6350 and iPF6300 large-format printers have been priced and will shortly be available in the USA. The imagePROGRAF iPF8300 is a 44-inch wide printer, capable of producing prints of up to B0 size, whereas the iPF6350 and iPF6300 are for prints up to 24-inch wide. Claimed to deliver improved ink ejection accuracy, these new imagePROGRAF printers from Canon offer a wider colour gamut with over 90% coverage of Pantone colours.  According to Wilhelm Research, an independent testing laboratory, the colour pictures of the new imagePROGRAF machines last up to 75 years, while black-and-white printouts last 200 years. Canon USA is displaying the new models at the Wedding & Portrait Photographer International (WPPI) Convention, MGM Grand in Las Vegas, March 8-11, 2010. The imagePROGRAF iPF8300/6350/6300 will start shipping in March for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $5,995, $3,995 and $3,695, respectively.

Fujifilm has announced the development of the new “3D Print System” which achieves high-quality and natural 3D print captured with a 3D digital camera. This new system, the printer and a PC, is claimed to be ideal for on-location 3D photography at tourist spots, theme parks, events, and other locations that offer photo printing services on site because it is easy to set up and requires small foot print. Featuring Fujifilm’s “Image Intelligencee” technology, the system employs a printing method that uses thermal sublimation to transfer images directly onto lenticular sheets to create a 3D effect. Prints will be available in four different types from 4x6 inches (10.2 x 15.2cm) to 6 x 9 inches (15.2 x 22.9cm). This new 3D Print System is scheduled to be available from 2nd Quarter of 2010.

The Canon PIXMA iP2702 is a new stylish and easy-to-use home printer. The Canon iP2702 includes Canon’s FINE technology which offers grain-free printing at resolutions of up to 4800X1200dpi with a 2pl droplet size. The Canon PIXMA iP2702 is available from March 2010 priced at £45.00 / €49.00 RRP inc. VAT.

The Canon PIXMA MX870, MX350 and MX340 are three new all-in-one printers with Wi-Fi connectivity. The devices also feature improved print and copy speeds, a fully integrated Auto Document Feeder, as well as Canon’s FINE printing technology. The PIXMA MX870 is available from March 2010 priced at £199.00 / €219.00 RRP inc. VAT. The PIXMA MX350 is available from March 2010 priced at £149.00 / €169.00 RRP inc. VAT. The PIXMA MX340 is available from March 2010 priced at £99.00 / €109.00 RRP inc. VAT.

Canon has announced three new imagePROGRAF large-format inkjet printers in Japan. The imagePROGRAF iPF8300 is a 44-inch wide printer, capable of producing prints of up to B0 size, whereas the iPF6350 and iPF6300 are for prints up to 24-inch wide. Claimed to deliver improved ink ejection accuracy, these new imagePROGRAF printers from Canon offer a wider color gamut with over 90% coverage of Pantone colours.

Via Norhtlight Images

Fujifilm has launched a 3D printer in the UK. The “3D Print System” will hit the UK in early summer 2010, allowing 3D prints can be created on the spot, using a PC to process the MPO file via Fujifilm’s newly developed image processing software. Prints will be available in four sizes, from 4x6 inches to larger 6x9 prints. Pricing for the 3D Print System will be announced in April 2010.

Jon Canfield held a workshop on fine art digital printing at the annual summit of the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA). The focus of the workshop was on preparation for printing-resizing, sharpening, creative borders, media selection, and colour management-and then the actual printing of sample large format prints. The HP Designjet Z3200 Photo Printer used during the workshop created quite a stir at the workshop. “The prints from the HP printer were extremely popular,” said Canfield. “Comments from participants were that the prints looked better than anything they had tried before. The black and white prints on HP Baryte Satin Art Paper were the most neutral they had ever seen. People were impressed.”

Kodak invites consumers to unlock the photos and documents stored in their iPhones with its new Kodak ESP 7250 All-in-One Printer. Compatible with the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch (second generation) and some - though not all - Blackberry smartphones, the Kodak ESP 7250 features easy-to-use wireless capabilities, an intuitive control panel and the lowest total ink replacement cost in the industry, according to Kodak.  The ESP 7250 can print documents and photos directly from Wi-Fi enabled Blackberry smartphones or iPhone/iPod Touch devices through the new Kodak Pic Flick application. Apart from its wireless capabilities, the Kodak ESP 7250 features a built-in duplexer, intelligent paper sensor and auto-engaging photo trays saving time and money, and a 2.4” LCD screen as well as a number of memory card slots. Available in April 2010, the Kodak ESP 7250 retails for $199.99 U.S. MSRP.

The new Pandigital portable photo printer is the first product coming out of an alliance between Zink Imaging and Pandigital, which extends to the development and marketing of products that leverage Zink’s so-called Zero Ink printing technology. Zink Technology provides Pandigital with a technology platform from which it will launch a new generation of devices that are compact, easy?to?use, and earth?friendly. Powering these Zink?enabled products is the patented Zink Paper, an advanced composite material with embedded yellow, magenta, and cyan dye crystals. Zink?enabled devices use heat to activate and colorise these crystals, radically simplifying the printing process. The new Pandigital portable photo printer which, thanks to Zink’s technology, requires no ink cartridges to produce borderless full-colour 4x6” prints, will be available in limited release before the end of 2009, with US-wide distribution planned for the first quarter of 2010. According to Engadget, the printer has a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $149.99, while a pack of Zink Paper will cost you $39.99.

Via Engadget

Epson have introduced the Epson PictureMate Show, a two-in-one digital photo frame and 4” x 6” photo printer. Boasting a seven-inch, 16:9 tilt digital photo display with 800x480-pixel WVGA resolution, PictureMate Show offers 12 unique and entertaining slideshow formats for digital images, as well as a remote control to conveniently view and display photos. Combined with a 4”x6” photo printer, it allegedly offers the highest maximum print resolution in its class (5760x1440dpi) to produce a print in 37 seconds. PictureMate Show ($299.99) is currently available through a variety of online retail shops and Epson’s retail site.

The Hi-Touch P510K and 510S are two new dye sublimation event printers.The 510S is the smallest, lightest model weighing in at 13kg and incorporates a 3.5 inch high resolution display for standalone operation and user settings. The 510K has a larger 10 inch Touch Screen display giving greater flexibility, but does weigh more (18kg). Print speeds are just 12 seconds for a 6x4 inch print, 18 seconds for a 5x7, 19 seconds for a 6x8 and 21 seconds for a 6x9 inch print. Print media can easily be changed with a slide in design for both the paper cassette and ribbon cartridge giving photographers the versatility to swap between print sizes, even part way through a roll of paper or ribbon, and with the capability to produce up to 300 prints per hour at functions, customers can be served quickly and efficiently. Hi-Touch printers are distributed in the UK by Intro 2020.

Epson has added seven new video interviews to its Focal Points website dedicated to the Epson’s Stylus Pro 900 series professional printers. The list of the newly interviewed experts includes Bambi Cantrell, John Paul Caponigro, Douglas Dubler, Greg Gorman, Jay Maisel, Steve McCurry and Jeff Schewe. The videos provide an insight into how and why these professional photographers use these printers and the UltraChrome HDR ink set.

Website: Epson Focal Points

Epson have announced the affordable, portable Epson PictureMate Charm.photo printer. The PictureMate Charm can print a borderless 4x6” colour photograph in 37 seconds, and the prints are smudge, scratch and water resistant. Also, they are claimed to resist fading up to 96 years under glass and over 200 years in dark album storage (though Epson does not actually guarantee the longevity of prints). The printer features a 2.5” LCD screen to view, crop and print photos, as well as remove red eye and select popular photo layouts and colour tones. PictureMate Charm also prints from all popular memory cards with built-in card slots, and prints wirelessly from PDAs and digital camera cell phones with a separately sold Bluetooth adapter. ThePictureMate Charm will be available on Oct. 20 through a variety of online retail stores and Epson’s retail site at an estimated street price of $149.99.

Epson UK is offering half-price CoverPlus extended warranties on many of its Stylus Pro large-format printers, representing savings of up to £699.50.  This includes access to a UK-based telephone help desk, which will endeavour to resolve any issues, and, if required, a next-day site visit from a specialist Epson engineer. This offer is available from 31 October 2009 to 31 March 2010 and applies to the following Stylus Pro models: 3880, 4450, 4880, 7450 (pictured), 7880, 7900, 9450, 9880, 9900 and 11880.

Kyocera Corporation today announced that it has developed the world’s fastest inkjet printhead — the key component in inkjet printing equipment. Each nozzle in the new KJ4 Series printhead ejects ink at up to 60,000 dots per second (at 60kHz drive frequency); with 2,656 nozzles per head, the device is capable of printing approximately 150 million dots per second. The newly developed printhead sets new records for high resolution, full-color inkjet printing, offering the world’s fastest print speeds in any of three resolutions: 600×360dpi (330m/min. at 40kHz), 600×600dpi (200m/min at 40kHz), and 1200×1200dpi (150m/min at 60kHz). Kyocera will display the new printhead at the Japan Graphic Arts Show 2009 from October 6 through 10 at the Tokyo Big Sight.