Epson unveils new technologies, integrated products

SINGAPORE – Epson unveiled last week a host of new products in the scanner and multi-functional printer segments and previewed its revolutionary DURABrite ink technology, which is brighter, fade-proof, water-resistant and adaptable to a wide selection of media ranging from plain and matte to glossy paper. Epson also previewed to the Asian press its upcoming digital photo link integrated photo and printing standard.

The big story was Epson’s next generation DURABrite ink technology, a result of over three years of testing and experimentation with dye and pigment inks. DURABrite will be available locally by next month and will be featured in inkjet models such as the Epson Stylus C82 and Stylus CX5100 printers. The new technology should result in higher quality prints at a lower price and focuses on richer color output, resistance to water and excessive light which could lead to fading, and high compatibility with as many types of media, including plain and recycled paper.

Among the benefits of the new ink technology is that the output is supposed to last up to 70 years on plain paper and 80 years on higher-end media, and dries quicker than the usual ink. According to Epson representatives, DURABrite can maintain a relatively lower cost of ownership since the system uses individual ink cartridges for each color.

"While we expect advances in higher quality inkjet printers to continue for several years, these will be more incremental than significant. The new battleground will be ink and Epson is ready to lead the industry with our innovation in this arena," said Minoru Usui, Epson director and deputy chief executive for imaging and information products. Epson believes that it can remain competitive not just in its hardware but in its ink technology as well.

All-in-one space savers

Also unveiled were second-generation integrated solutions that blend Epson’s printing, scanning and copying features into all-in-one devices. Launched was the Epson Stylus CX3100 all-in one, boasting the new BorderFree printing and copying system for edge-to-edge printouts that maximize media and paper. Resolution of this model maxxes out at an impressive 5760x720 dpi and printing speed is 14 pages a minute for black text and 13.9 pages per minute for color prints in economy mode. This solution is targeted toward the small office, home office (SOHO) market where space for peripherals is considered a premium.

This isn’t the first time Epson has competed in the integrated peripheral and all-in-one market, although the first generation of devices sold a few years back was not received with much enthusiasm. The updated features and all-out integration in a small package should help raise interest in this particular segment, which requires optimum performance from a single device that can handle multiple tasks.

On the higher end of the spectrum is the Epson Stylus CX5100 with a top resolution of 5760x1440 and a print output of 22 pages per minute on draft black and white as well as 11 pages per minute in color economy mode. The Stylus CX5100 can also scan documents at a 1200x2400 resolution and is geared toward medium-sized offices. Both all-in-one peripherals can work on Windows and Macintosh platforms.

Covering all areas

To stress its presence in the market, Epson also launched a photo printer. The Epson Stylus Photo 900 caters to the consumer market as well as to the growing segment of digital photo enthusiasts and hobbyists. It can print directly on CD-R/DVD-R disks, an innovative feature for the non-professional market.

Also released was the Epson Perfection 3200 Photo flatbed scanner, which has advanced attachments for scanning slides and film, built-in image editing tools for novice users, high-end imaging software for print professionals, USB and FireWire (IEEE 1394) high-speed scanning, and also supports the new USB 2.0 standard. The Epson photo printer is geared toward the traditional photography market that still uses manual or instamatic cameras and then scans prints to digitize them. This is a market segment that Epson acknowledges will be able to benefit from its scanner solutions.

Tying together all of Epson’s input and output devices is a new digital photo solution called Epson photo link. Shaun See, Epson manager for marketing, said, "This system can integrate many separate digital photo printing solutions to facilitate a distribute-and—print and-print-and-distribute digital photo culture."

The photo link system facilitates easy transmission of digital image files as well as a constant quality standard for the Web, minilabs, kiosks, professional photo studios and devices like digicams, PDAs, notebooks and even mobile phones. The system also aims to improve the overall quality of digital prints by integrating color calibration and eventually equaling the high-quality traditional film prints.