Epson UK Press Release

4th May 2006 - At the heart of all Epson’s digital printing technology lies the unique Micro Piezo print head.  The leader of the project responsible for its invention, Minoru Usui, currently Seiko Epson director and the general administrative manager of the Production and Engineering & Development Division, has been awarded the prestigious Perkin Medal in recognition of his achievement.  The award, established by the Society of Dyers and Colourists, recognizes individuals for their outstanding technical development within the realm of colour science. Only 22 of these medals have been awarded since the award’s inauguration in 1901.

The awards are presented in honour of William Henry Perkin, who discovered mauveine (vivid purple) 150 years ago.  It was the first commercially developed synthetic colorant and its discovery opened the way for the production of many other synthetic colorants. 

Instituted shortly after the jubilee of the discovery of mauve to celebrate Perkin’s unique contribution to the coloration industry, the Perkin Medal is the highest honour the Society can bestow. It is only awarded for extraordinary scientific achievements and these are the first medals to be awarded in the 21st century.

Kenneth McGhee the Society’s CEO says, “The SDC is delighted to honour Minoru Usui of Epson for his striking scientific contribution to the development of piezo inkjet printer technology.”

Epson Micro Piezo printheads use original technologies to fire the precise, tiny and perfectly formed droplets crucial to creating a fine print.  An electrical signal is sent to the piezo elements placed above each nozzle on the print head, and ink droplets are fired according to the force generated by the change in shape of these elements. This technology allows precise control of the piezo elements, which in turn means precise control of ink droplet size and fantastic print quality.

About the Society of Dyers and Colourists
The Society is an educational charity and a chartered professional society, established in 1884 to advance the science of colour. The chartered part means that the Society is a Royal Chartered Institute, legally constituted via royal approval and governed by Royal Warrant and ultimately by the Privy Council of the UK. It is recognised and respected worldwide for the charity work, research and publication of colour related matters.

The Society operates internationally in the UK, China, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka with affiliate societies in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.  The Society publishes technical papers, textbooks and operates websites see www.sdc.org.uk

About Epson
Epson is a global leader in imaging products including printers, 3LCD projectors and small- and medium-sized LCDs. With an innovative and creative culture, Epson is dedicated to exceeding the vision and expectations of customers worldwide with products known for their superior quality, functionality, compactness and energy efficiency.

Epson is a network of 90,701 employees in 120 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and to the communities in which it is located. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., the Group had consolidated sales of 1549.5 billion yen in fiscal 2005.