[Anonymous]

http://www.bjp-online.com/public/showPage.html?page=797810
New Epson printers make first 11
Epson will launch two large format printers using a newly developed 11-colour pigment ink set later this spring.
The
Stylus Pro 7900 and 9900, which can output up to 24 and 44 inch
respectively, were unveiled at the DRUPA trade show in Germany last
week, together with details of the UltraChrome HDR (High Dynamic Range)
inks.’This ink set incorporates orange and green to considerably expand
the colour gamut and increase digital printing opportunities,’ says
Epson, adding that it is a high density resin-coated pigment ink
formulation with four-level black ink technology – photo black, matt
black, light black and light light black – plus cyan, light cyan, vivid
magenta, vivid light magenta, yellow, orange, and green. Matt black is
also included on-board and can be auto-switched with photo black.

The
company further claims the ink set ‘delivers reduced graininess in skin
tone areas, smoother tonal gradation from shadows to highlights,
excellent short term colour stability and outstanding long term
lightfastness, highly accurate colour control with neutral black and
white, and high gloss levels on water resistant prints’.The ink set’s
ability to maximise the colour gamut without sacrificing print quality
and deliver smoother gradation is thanks to new Look Up Table
technology, says Epson. ‘Through advanced mathematical translation of
RGB into 11-colour CMYK, the LUT technology seamlessly integrates
hi-fidelity primaries, allowing colour constancy under different light
conditions, smoother transitions between colours, grain reduction and
gamut smoothing.’In comparison with current eight-colour 24 and 44 inch
printers, says Epson, print speed is dramatically increased, with the
Stylus Pro 7900 completing an A1 ‘sellable’ quality print on Epson’s
Premium Glossy Photo Paper in five minutes.Both use and improve on
Epson’s MicroPiezo Thin Film Piezo print head technology, introduced
with the launch of the Stylus Pro 11880 last year, resulting in a
maximum speed of up to 40 sq m/hr. Two higher capacity ink cartridges
(350 and 700ml) will be available as optional extra, as will an X-rite
integrated spectrophotometer.

A3+ model
Back in London, Epson
unveiled a new addition to the Stylus Photo range – an A3+ printer
‘able to achieve 85% of Pantone gamut using only eight ink cartridges
as opposed to the 10 to 12 used by other systems on the market’.The
R2880 uses Epson’s advanced UltraChrome K3 with vivid magenta pigment
inks and, once again, improved look-up table algorithms to achieve
this.Epson adds that ‘a unique mode within the print driver enables
users to have creative control over black-and-white tones as well as
gradation in much the same way as users can do in their darkrooms by
selecting specific papers and chemicals’.It replaces the R2400 and will
be made available this month, priced around £570.Pricing and exact
availability for the new large format printers was not available as BJP
went to press. For further details visit http://www.epson.co.uk.

[Author]

June 5, 2008 at 11:24 AM