Steve’s Digicams has just reviewed the Canon Bubble Jet i900D printer (known as the i905D outside the USA). The 4800 x 1200 dpi Bubble Jet i900D is a six-colour photo printer with card slots for the most popular brands of memory cards. It’s also compliant with the new industry standard PictBridge protocol, allowing it to print directly from any PictBridge compatible digital camera without the need for a PC.

“The Canon i900D is a very versatile printer allowing you to make photo-quality borderless prints with or without the need of a computer.

The i900D’s print quality is equal that of Canon’s i960 but it isn’t as fast because its print head only has 1,536 nozzles versus 3,072 nozzles on the i960. If speed is your thing and you don’t need the standalone features of the i900D then go with the i960 instead.”

Website: Steve’s Digicams - Canon i900D Printer Review

Canon have just announced the new imagePROGRAF W8200, a large-format printer solution designed for graphic imaging professionals. With a price tag of $7995, most photographers are obviously not going to consider this when they are shopping for a home printer :-)

What is interesting about this announcement, however, is that the imagePROGRAF W8200 uses Canon’s first complete six-color (C/M/Y/K, Bk, PC/PM) pigment ink set. “Engineered for superior quality and with a color reproduction equivalent to that of dye ink, Canon has formulated a pigment ink solution of ultra fine particles that boasts both light fastness and high ozone resistance - elements vital to the digital imaging, fine art and proofing markets. The question is, will this new pigment ink make its way down the Canon printer line-up to the consumer models? And how soon will that happen?!

Here’s another quote from the press-release to whet your appetite:

“Canon’s pigment ink has a super-fine pigment diameter of approximately 0.1 micron, and generates ultra-sharp images at 600x1200 dpi in Standard Mode and up to 1200x1200 dpi*. Suited for Fine Art and indoor signage, lighter density Photo Cyan and Photo Magenta inks are coated with an extra high polymer compound to protect the colors from fading with exposure to light, ensuring the sharpness and subtlety of prints for years to come.”

Website: Canon USA - imagePROGRAF W8200 Press Release

Keith Cooper has emailed me today with some more information about the Epson 4000 printer that Michael Reichmann first mentioned on the Luminous Landscape website a few days ago. Keith has kindly let me re-publish the photo of the printer here, and his Northlight Images website has more details about the new printer. Apparently the Epson 4000 first appeared in the 17th September issue of the Dutch magazine Grafisch Weekblad (Graphic Weekly).

Website: Northlight Images - Epson Stylus PRO 4000 Printer

Website: Grafisch Weekblad

UPDATE 28/09/03

Adri de Groot has helpfully translated the full article from Grafisch Weekblad into English. Click the Read More link below.

It looks like Epson are set to announce a new range of photo printers very soon. The Japanese website I Love Epson has details of the Epson PX-G900, Epson PX-G800, Epson PX-G700 and Epson PX-V600 printers, along with a slick Flash presentation for the PX-G900. There are also 2 new ink systems mentioned - PX G Ink and PX V Ink. My Japanese is a bit rusty, so for now I’ll leave you to look at the photo of the Epson PX-G900 printer. Obviously there’s no details about price or availability yet…

Website: www.i-love-epson.co.jp

Website: www.i-love-epson.co.jp - Printer Comparison

Website: Photo-i Forums

Here is a translation through Babelfish of the PX G Ink text:

“Glossy efficiency raised with the densification of the resin which wraps around the pigment ink. Furthermore, the highlight part and the like, adopting ?O???X?I?v?e?B?}?C?U which is placed in the place where the ink is little originally. With the print surface as uniform, diffused reflection of light is held down, the beautiful glossy impression is actualized. In addition, because ?O???X?I?v?e?B?}?C?U shows also the function which becomes fixed the pigment securely, it can print normally clearly even with the paper.

* Technology of new pigment PX-G ink

High glossy conversion of the pigment ink was actualized the new ink technology where the Epson PX ink technology evolved, with the densification of the resin which the pigment coating has been done and the adoption of ?O???X?I?v?e?B?}?C?U.”

It sounds like Epson may have solved the “pigment ink with glossy paper” issue that has been a problem with the Epson Stylus Photo 2200/2100 printer.

Luminous Landscape has just published a photograph of the soon-to-be-announced Epson Stylus PRO 4000, an A2 sized 8-ink Ultrachrome printer. Unfortunately this product is aimed at the higher-end of the printer market, with Michael Reichmann estimating that it will cost around $2,000…

“In various countries around the world Epson has started demonstrating to dealers their new Stylus PRO 4000 printer. This will be an A2 sized printer able to use sheet and roll paper up to 1.5mm in thickness. It will use 8 inks (with both matte and glossy black inks loaded at the same time) and the inks are Ultrachrome pigment-based as with the 2100 / 2200 / 7600 / 9600 models. Resolution is up to 2880 PPI and droplet size is 3.5 picoliter. Inks are in separate 220ml cartridges.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - Epson Stylus PRO 4000 Printer

Vincent Oliver, editor of the Photo-i website, has completed his review of the Canon Bubble Jet i865 printer, which was recently announced by Canon. He begins his conclusion by saying:

“I have always made a clear distinction between Photo Quality and Photo Capable printers, my general rule of thumb is that no printer offering less than six inks can be true Photo Quality. Well I am going to have to re-think my ratings, because the i865 four ink printer has crossed my quality threshold by producing prints which are as good and even better, than many six ink printers I have reviewed. By bringing the drop size down to 2pl and by using a high resolution (4800x1200) Canon have achieved a remarkable quality in this all round printer.”

Website: Photo-i

Steve’s Digicams have published one of the first reviews of Canon’s fastest and highest resolution photo printer, the 4800 x 2400 dpi1 Bubble Jet i960. This recently announced six-ink printer produces a 400dpi full A4 photo in approximately 60 seconds, with a 4"x 6” print taking just 21 seconds.

“The i960’s print quality is simply awesome and equals anything that I’ve ever gotten from pro color labs in my film days. I’ve been totally satisfied with my Canon i9100, my living room wall is covered with mounted 13 x 19-inch prints from this printer. Comparing i9100 prints and i960 prints with the naked eye reveals little difference. If you go in for a closer look you can see how much smoother 4800dpi prints are than 2400dpi prints, the smaller 2-picoliter ink droplets make all the difference.”

Website: Steve’s Digicams - Canon Bubble Jet i965 Review

Photo-i’s interactive review of the new HP Photosmart 7960 photo printer has now been completed. There are 18 review pages in total, which are essential reading if you’re currently looking to buy an A4 photo printer. I won’t spoil the surprise by telling you what score Vincent gave to the 7960; instead I’ll just say that he seemed to quite like it…

Website: Photo-i

HP have announced UK prices and availability for the new range of printers and scanners that they announced back in August.

Printers
- HP Deskjet 9650 - ?352
- HP Photosmart 7960 (pictured) - ?249
- HP Photosmart 7760 - ?179
- HP Photosmart 7660 - ?149
- HP Photosmart 7260 - ?89
- HP Photosmart 245 - ?149
Available from 15th September 2003.

Scanners
- HP Scanjet 4670 - ?179
- HP Scanjet 4600 - ?149
Available from beginning of October 2003.

Canon Press Release - 08/09/03

Canon launches the Bubble Jet i905D: Dedicated six-colour direct photo printer for ultimate quality and connectability

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of the 4800 x 1200 dpi1 Bubble Jet i905D, a six-colour photo printer with unsurpassed print quality and connectability.  With card slots for the most popular brands of memory cards, the i905D is also compliant with the new industry standard PictBridge protocol, allowing it to print directly from any PictBridge compatible digital camera without the need for a PC.

A new built-in colour LCD screen can display image thumbnails and provides an intuitive interface for effortless cropping, paper size selection, photo effects and image orientation. Canon’s advanced MicroFine Droplet Technology print head with 2picolitre (pl) Micro-Nozzles delivers unsurpassed levels of fine detail and smooth gradation. This patented technology enables grain-free printing - particularly for skin tones and sky colours which show up limitations in lesser brands.  The unbeatable photo quality and additional features of the i905D render it a precious tool for any digital camera user who wants the convenience of photo printing without a PC.

“The Bubble Jet i905D is easily the highest quality photo printer in its class,” says Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland.  “It has also been designed to work with a vast array of cameras both now and in years to come”.

Canon Press Release - 08/09/03

Canon’s Bubble Jet i965: World’s fastest photo prints with highest resolution

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of the fastest and highest resolution photo printer the 4800 x 2400 dpi1 Bubble Jet i965. Canon’s latest professional series six-ink printer produces a 400dpi full A4 photo in approximately 60 seconds - less than half the time taken by its nearest rival. A 4"x 6” print takes just 21 seconds, making this the ideal printer for demanding photographers. The i965 is compliant with the new direct photo print industry standard, PictBridge.

The i965’s remarkable speed results from patented technologies that allow Canon to get more ink on the page in less time and with more accuracy. Semi-conductor manufacturing techniques are used to create the highest density print head, delivering extremely small droplets from the smallest diameter Micro-Nozzles. The result is a 3072 nozzle print head capable of ejecting up to 73.7 million 2-picolitre (pl) droplets per second. The exacting precision afforded by this advanced icroFine Droplet Technology combines with the six-ink, 1/6 density photo ink system to create grain-free prints with unsurpassed clarity, contrast, colour range and smoothness of tone.

“Professional users not only demand lab quality prints, they want high speed as well” explains Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland. “The great thing for our customers is that the same technical advances that make the i965 the fastest photo printer also deliver the highest quality images”.

Canon Press Release - 08/09/03

Canon Bubble Jet i865 - the business photo printer everyone will want to take home

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of the PictBridge compliant Bubble Jet i865 printer.  Building on the popularity amongst business users of its predecessor, the Bubble Jet i850, the Bubble Jet i865 has an additional black ink for higher contrast and astonishing quality photo printing. This will appeal to exacting users looking for unrivalled professional quality printing of borderless photographs. Like all Bubble Jet printers in Canon’s latest range, the i865 is PictBridge compliant, enabling printing via direct connection to any PictBridge compatible camera or camcorder via a USB cable, without the need for a PC. With print speeds of 23ppm mono and 16ppm colour, the i865 is easily the fastest ink jet printer on the market, making it a clear choice for business users.  These record print speeds are achieved through Canon’s advanced MicroFine Droplet Technology print head, which has nozzle density up to seven times that of rival brands.  The result is a print head capable of delivering up to 28 million droplets per second more ink on the page in less time for super fast prints.  With a 2 picolitre (pl) droplet size ejected from Micro-Nozzles, the record speed is matched only by the quality.

“The introduction of additional black ink for photo printing to the world’s fastest Bubble Jet printer will be welcomed by increasingly savvy and demanding users of photo printing,” says Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland.  “At the same time, retaining the standard black ink is critical for our business customers who demand crisp, clean, fast document printing”.

Canon Press Release - 08/09/03

The PictBridge revolution: Introducing the Bubble Jet i455 and i475D Direct Print photo printers

PictBridge compatible Direct Print photo printers keep coming from Canon.

Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the launch of its latest PictBridge compatible photo printers, the Canon Bubble Jet i455 and i475D.  The two new models have been launched in line with Canon’s position at the forefront of the drive towards complete PictBridge compatibility.  Any PictBridge compliant digital camera can connect and print directly to these compatible printers, regardless of brand and without the need for a PC. The Bubble Jet i455 and i475D replace the Bubble Jet i450 and i470D respectively.

With a print head nozzle density up to seven times that of competing brands and a nozzle apperture size 40% smaller than Canon’s nearest rival, the i455 and i475D use a 2pl droplet size to deliver unsurpassed 4800x1200 dpi* professional photo quality as standard.  The same technology that delivers tiny 2pl ink droplets and the highest nozzle density also makes these easily the fastest printers in their class - both models boast incredible 18ppm mono and 12 ppm colour print speeds.

“Not only do the Bubble Jet i455 and i475D deliver the best quality photo prints and highest speeds in their class,” says Malcolm Hills, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging in the UK and Ireland, “they embody our commitment to producing cameras and printers that work together with whatever device our customers might have or choose to have in the future.”

The most interesting news today is courtesy of Vincent Oliver, the editor of the website Photo-i.co.uk. Vincent has exclusively revealed that Canon are introducing 3 new photo printers, which are all updated versions of existing printers, and he has also started an interactive review of one of the new models.

Here is a brief summary of what the new models offer; Photo-i has the full press release from Canon.

The Bubble Jet i865 replaces the i850. It has an additional black ink for higher contrast and top quality borderless photo printing, and also supports the PictBridge standard. Printing directly onto compatible CD-R/DVDs is now possible with the inclusion of a detachable CD-R printing unit. With print speeds of 23ppm mono and 16ppm colour, Canon claims the i865 is the fastest ink jet printer on the market.

The Bubble Jet i965 replaces the i950. Canon are claiming that it is the fastest and highest resolution photo printer; a a 2400dpi full A4 photo is printed in approximately 60 seconds. Like the i865, the i965 is PictBridge compatible and also prints directly onto compatible CD-R/DVDs.

The Bubble Jet i905D replaces the S830D. There is a new built-in colour LCD screen and card slots for CompactFlash?, Microdrive, Sony Memory Stick, smartMedia, Secure Digital, Multimedia card, Memory Stick DUO, miniSd Card and xD-Picture card, which allows convenient photo printing without a PC. Like the i865 and i965, the i905D is PictBridge compatible and also prints directly onto compatible CD-R/DVDs.

All 3 printers feature a new covered paper tray that has been added to the auto sheet feed to hold and protect 4? x 6? photo paper, allowing users to switch printing modes without swapping paper.

Website: Photo-i

Canon USA has posted details of an updated version of the popular i950 photo printer. The i960 is virtually identical to its predecessor, but now supports the PictBridge standard and is curiously listed, at $199, as $50 cheaper than the i950. Otherwise it looks to be an identical, although somewhat heavier, printer. There is no official word yet about the i960 from Canon, although the Canon USA website does say that it will ship in October.

Website: Canon USA - Printers

Lexmark have announced the PrintTrio Photo P3150, a $99 all-in-one device featuring a photo printer with built-in camera card slots and a 48-bit scanner. The printer offers 4800 x 1200 dpi on photo paper and prints 4” x 6” photo images in normal mode in about 60 seconds. The P3150 supports CompactFlash I & II, SmartMedia, Memory Stick, Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia (MMC), and Microdrive memory cards.

Website: Lexmark PrintTrio Photo P3150

Photo-i’s interactive review of the new HP Photosmart 7960 photo printer is now well under-way, with a look at what’s in the box, the installation process, the print dialog panel and some early prints. The last thing that Vincent Oliver posted yesterday was a comparison of black and white prints from the 7960 and the Epson 2100, which is currently considered to be the best inkjet printer for black and white. That assessment may be about to change now that the 7960 has arrived…

Website: Photo-i

The second new dye-sublimation photo printer from Olympus USA is the Olympus P-440 Digital Photo Printer. This is probably the new model that most photographers will be interested in, simply because it creates borderless prints up to 8x10” in size. The dye-sublimation print process offers quality that is just like a traditional professional photo lab. It uses 4-pass printing - Yellow/Magenta/Cyan 3-color and a protective overcoat, so prints should be more fade resistant than inkjet printers.

The Olympus P-10 Digital Photo Printer will ship in October with a street price of $499.

Here’s a quote from the Olympus USA website:

“Make prints from home. Make them fast. And make them look more realistic than ever. This affordable dye-sub printer produces continuous-tone, borderless 8"x10” prints in a flash. A color LCD lets you review your images, edit them, and enhance them via a number of creative tools. Select traditional glossy or matte finish for your images. Then print with ease - no computer necessary - for professional quality results that are guaranteed to last.”

Olympus USA have announced a 2 new additions to its range of dye-sublimation photo printers. The Olympus P-10 Digital Photo Printer produces a photo-lab quality 6x4” print in less than 45 seconds. It features PictBridge technology so you don’t need to own a computer to create your prints (if your digital camera has PictBridge support, that is). It also looks stylish in an Apple MAC kind-of-way!

The Olympus P-10 Digital Photo Printer will ship in October with a street price of $199.

Here’s a quote from the Olympus USA website:

“Make vivid, borderless color prints at home with a printer that’s almost as small as the 4"x6” (approx.) output it produces. With dye-sublimation processing for professional photo lab quality results…in less than 45 seconds (per print). Including advanced PictBridge technology so enabled digital cameras can connect directly to the P-10; no computer necessary. And blessed with the conveniently compact size to be placed virtually anywhere.”

Steves Digicams have reviewed the latest 4 x 6-inch dye diffusion printers from Canon, the CP-200 and CP-300 models. The only difference between the two is that the CP-300 accepts an external battery that attaches to the back of the printer and makes it completely portable.

“The CP-300 is a small (40% smaller and 13% lighter than the CP-100) and portable printer that can be easily taken along with you on your travels and right out into the field thanks to the included battery pack. It produces brilliant 4 x 6-inch prints in a minute and twenty seconds.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Canon Card Photo Printer CP-300

Website: Steves Digicams - Canon Card Photo Printer CP-200