Epson delivers photo-lab quality, new ink cartridge

Office Solutions, Jul 2000

Epson is promoting its three new printers, the Stylus Photo 870, 875DC, and 1270, as first-line printers that deliver photo-lab quality for consumers and advanced imaging professionals. The new Epson Photo Inks come standard with the printers and are designed to create photo-lab-quality, fade-resistant prints when used with either the Epson Matte Paper-Heavyweight or Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper.

All three models feature a continuous edge-to-edge 4 x 6-inch snapshot printing system similar to the print delivery methods used by many commercial photo labs. A roll paper holder feeds the paper through the printer, producing marginless snapshots and panoramic photos. A typical 4 x 6-inch print can be completed in about 48 seconds and an 8 x 10-inch print in less than two minutes.

The new intelligent ink cartridge technology, Intellidge, from Epson offers improved print quality, flexibility, and reliability on the three new Stylus printers. The cartridges include electronic, mechanical, and chemical technologies to complement updated technologies in the Epson print heads, drivers, and specialty media. The Epson T007, T008, and T009 cartridges contain new inks with lightfast dyes that increase the longevity of prints to more than 10 years when used with the company's Premium Glossy Photo Paper and Matte Paper-Heavyweight. The improved longevity expands potential applications such as printing output for display in glass frames, similar to traditional color silver halide photos.

A new memory chip in the cartridges tracks ink usage in real time, updating the precise volume after each print job and communicating the information to the user through the status monitor. Coupled with the cartridges' new valves, which can be closed, this intelligence enables users to remove and reinstall the cartridges into a printer at any time. The logic also enhances printer reliability by preventing the permanent print head from running dry. For additional information, visit the Epson Website www.epson.com. Epson America-Reader Service No. 275