Epson USA Press Release 13/07/04

EPSON SOAKS THE COMPETITION WITH NEW DURABRITE SCAN-PRINT-COPY DEVICE - EPSON STYLUS CX4600

Newest Epson All-in-One Features Water/Fade/Smudge-Resistant DURABrite Inks,

Color Restoration, Standalone/One-Touch Color Copying and Scanning, Individual Ink Cartridges and Multiple Memory Card Inputs

LONG BEACH, Calif.—July 13, 2004—Epson has successfully splashed down on the scan-print-copy market again with a new value-focused product ? the EPSON Stylus CX4600.  This all-in-one features Epson’s exclusive water/fade/smudge-resistant DURABrite inks and offers an optimum balance of image quality and speed to satisfy the imaging needs of busy households, personal offices and today’s ever-growing number of beginning to intermediate-level digital photographers.

With a suggested retail price of $149 ($129 following a $20 rebate), the Stylus CX4600 triples as a scanner, photo printer, and black and color copier, in a new space-saving design that is only 6.7 inches tall and 13.5 inches wide.  When used as a stand-alone product (PC-free), it can produce up to 13 black/color copies per minute (cpm)*, print up to 15 pages per minute (ppm)* in black and can scan images up to 600 x 1200 dpi with 48-bit color depth.  Other advanced features include Epson?s photo restoration technology, quiet operation and an easy-to-navigate controlpanel.  It also incorporates Epson’s renowned DURABrite inks and a variety of input slots for today’s most popular memory cards.

?We?ve made a lot of breakthroughs in both printing and scanning technology over the years, which we?ve been able to enhance and migrate into an outstanding assortment of multifunction devices such as this,? said Andreas Goehring, group product manager, Epson.  ?Furthermore, this product combines a balance of performance, special features and price that give our customers the kind of all-in-one value no other manufacturer can deliver.?

DURABrite Inks ? Water, Smudge and Light Resistance

The EPSON Stylus CX4600 uses DURABrite inks to create natural, vibrant-looking colors that are also water/fade/smudge-resistant.  Because DURABrite inks are pigment-based, even plain paper output can be submerged in water without the ink coming off the page, unlike dye-based inks, which typically run and smudge.

These inks are designed to give creators of photographs, fliers, menus, signs, postcards and any other printed output the ability to produce documents and images that will withstand damage caused by moisture-based threats such as rain, spills, humidity or people with wet hands.  Bleed-through is also reduced since DURABrite inks rest on the surface of the paper, which is ideal for applications that require double-sided printing.  The Stylus CX4600 also produces frame-ready, borderless photographs in several popular sizes and up to 5,760 x 1,440 optimized dpi and ultrafine three-picoliter ink droplets for sharp, vivid images.

Restoring Faded Color Photos and Scanning

The Stylus CX4600 includes EPSON Easy Photo Fix? software ? a feature that gives users an easy solution for restoring color to old photographs with the touch of a button.  It also delivers fully automated scanning plus two additional scanning modes for users who want more advanced custom control.  Furthermore, EPSON Smart Panel? software enables users to quickly scan photos, text or graphics with extreme detail to the Internet, e-mail or a fax software program.

Memory Card Slots

The EPSON Stylus CX4600?s input slots can not only be used to transfer data from a memory card to a PC, but also enable PC-free printing of index sheets or high quality photos directly from the media card.  Memory cards supported include CompactFlash? I and II, Sony Memory Stick?, Memory Stick Pro, MemoryStick Duo, Sony MagicGate SD, Smart Media?, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, IBM Microdrive? and xD-Picture Card.

Individual Ink Cartridges = Lower Cost of Ownership

The EPSON Stylus CX4600 includes four separate ?snap-in/snap-out? ink cartridges (cyan, magenta, yellow and black) to maximize overall ink yield as cartridges are replaced over time.  Ink level information is accurately displayed on the computer screen, while self-sealing valves preserve the inks up to six months once removed from the printer.  Therefore, partially depleted cartridges can be reinserted for later use.

The EPSON Stylus CX4600 works with both Windows and Macintosh platforms and is capable of large-quantity printing when needed.  The printer?s paper input tray holds up to 100 sheets of plain paper on the EPSON Stylus CX4600.  This product also supports a variety of Epson specialty media including Epson DURABrite Ink Glossy Photo Paper, Premium Bright White Paper, Glossy Photo Paper and Matte Paper Heavyweight.  For added value, a 20-sheet sample pack of Epson photo paper is included in the box along with Epson Photo Series software and easy access to Epson?s exclusive photo craft and photo sharing Web site.

Warranty and Support

        The EPSON Stylus CX4600 is currently shipping to computer superstores and specialty retail stores nationwide and can also be purchased through mail order, PC manufacturers, the Internet and Epson?s own site at www.epsonstore.com.  These products also carry a one-year Epson Exchange Limited Warranty, enabling customers to receive a replacement product if a problem cannot be corrected by telephone technical support.  It is also supported by the EPSON ConnectionSM,a customer support and technical assistance line.  For more information on Epson and its products, call 1-800-GO-EPSON (1-800-463-7766) or visit our Web site at www.epson.com.

About Epson

Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business, photography and graphic arts markets.  The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) printers and transactions terminals.  Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency.  Epson America Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif.

*Copies per minute and pages per minute based on black text memo in Draft Mode on plain paper.  Additional processing time will vary based on system configuration, software application and page complexity.