Epson unveils new Stylus Photo printers

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By Joe LiPetri

Epson has taken the wraps off three new Stylus Photo ink-jet printers, all featuring six-color printheads, at prices ranging from $199 to $499. The company unveiled the printers at the Photo Marketing Association show, which runs this week in Orlando, Fla. Epson also announced the availability of the Stylus Pro 5500, a new high-end ink-jet model aimed at graphics professionals and imaging services.

All three use Epson's Micro Piezo printheads, which produce variable-size ink droplets as small as four picoliters, achieving maximum resolution of 2,880 x 720 dpi on Epson's Premium Photo Papers, Photo Paper and Photo Quality Glossy Film, and 1,440 x 720-dpi prints on plain paper or other specialty media. They connect to Macs through a USB port.

Photos on a budget

The $199 Stylus Photo 780 works with 8.5 x 14-inch (legal size) and-smaller papers and is capable of producing full-bleed letter-size (8.5 x 11-inch) prints. It can also create 4 x 6-, 5 x 7- and 8 x 10-inch borderless photo prints, as well as banners on pre-cut sheets (up to 8.5 x 44 inches).

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The printer uses a separate "true black" ink cartridge for enhanced shadow detail in photos and what Epson described as "laser sharp" text printing. The software driver shows ink levels in the cartridges, which can be easily swapped in and out of the printhead by pressing a button on the cartridge cover. Epson said the printer can generate a 4 x 6-inch printed photo in 48 seconds and an 8 x 10-inch photo in less than two minutes. The paper tray holds 100 sheets, 10 envelopes or 30 transparencies.

The Stylus Photo 780's software bundle includes ArcSoft's PhotoImpression 3.0 for image editing, and Epson's Film Factory for image management. This printer is expected to include a $50 rebate, reducing its price to $149.

The $299 Stylus Photo 890 features a beefier cabinet design and a paper-roll holder that allows the printer to create "edge-to-edge" photos using four-inch-wide rolls for snapshots, or 8.25-inch Premium Glossy and Luster Photo Paper rolls for larger photos and panoramic prints. Bundled software includes ArcSoft's PhotoImpression 3.0 and PhotoStudio 2000, and Epson Film Factory TE.

The big picture

The top-of-the-line Stylus Photo 1280, with a $499 price tag, can produce full-bleed photo prints up to 13 x 19 inches (Super B). You can also produce full-bleed borderless prints using 4 x 4-, 4 x 6-, 5 x -7, 8 x 10-, and 11 x 14-inch cut-sheet papers. A paper-roll holder handles media up to 13 inches wide. Options will include a $179 external Ethernet card and $99 Epson Stylus PostScript RIP. The printer is bundled with Adobe Photoshop LE (with a special upgrade price of $299 for Photoshop 6.0) and Epson Film Factory TE. Customers can also purchase MonacoEZColor color management software for $199.

Ink-jet prints produced on the Stylus Photo 780, 890 and 1280 using Epson photo papers will resist smudging and smearing from fingerprints, high humidity, and water spillage, Epson said. Citing tests by Wilhelm Imaging Research Labs in Grinnell, Ia., Epson said that photo prints created using Epson's six-color photographic inks and Matte Paper Heavyweight media will resist light fading for 25 years under normal home/office lighting conditions if displayed in a glass frame. Epson expects to begin shipping the printers in the next six to eight weeks.

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