Epson enters new markets as inkjet comes of age
drupa 2008 saw the launch of new commercial, production-oriented solutions alongside leading traditional large format printers from Epson.
Together with its industry partners, Epson showcased new technologies that enable it to move into new, vertical sectors whilst maintaining its leading position in the traditional large format printer market.
Epson's award-winning development of UltraChrome ink and its knowledge and expertise in its core Micro Piezo print head technology have brought inkjet to such a high standard of quality and reliability that it can now be used for a variety of commercial production-oriented printing applications including print-for-pay (PfP), label printing, print-on-demand, exhibition graphics, signage and photo and fine-art reproduction.
The promise of inkjet is that it will lower the cost of entry into vertical commercial market sectors and make printers easier to run
Epson is investing significantly in R&D for commercial and industrial printing. Over the next few years the market will see new technology and product announcements for many different areas of commercial print. Some of these will be Epson branded developments; others will be with existing OEMs and some with new OEM partners.
Two key products that Epson had on display and are a good indication of what is to come in the future were the new Epson label printer and the recently released Epson Stylus Pro GS6000.
Epson had on display the second generation of their concept label printer which was first launched at LabelExpo 2007. Now printing in seven colour (rather than 4) at approximately 5 metres per minute direct to standard paper label stock. This product (pictured below) will be formally launched in Spring 2009.
In addition Epson had on display the recently launched Epson Stylus Pro GS6000, a 64" large format printer with an 8-colour ink set, offering the widest colour gamut to date in a printer designed for both indoor and outdoor applications. The new ink set allows production of high-impact, high-quality durable prints enabling printers, copy-shops and sign shops to extend their business into higher quality demanding applications such as airport and exhibition graphics, as well as art-reproduction.
Integral to the quality and durability of print output is the new Epson UltraChrome GS, an 8-colour solvent ink set (C,M,Y,K,LC,LM,+ O,G) with an exceptionally wide colour palette. This ink set also addresses commonly used spot colours and is available in efficient 950ml cartridges. Importantly for operators, Epson UltraChrome GS ink is the first major solvent ink set to be launched without the need for a hazard symbol. This makes the Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 user-friendly. Additional expensive ventilation isn't required and Epson focused on significantly reducing the need for time-consuming daily operator maintenance thus increasing available production time.
The Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 (pictured, right) has a resolution of up to 1440x1440 dpi and a 3.7 picolitre droplet. Production speeds are up to 25m2/hour using Epson's Variable-sized Ink Droplet and MicroWeave half-toning Technologies delivering fast-drying, scratch-resistant prints.