New Epson Stylus™ Pro 7900/9900 revolutionizes color-critical packaging and proofing industries with re-engineered Micro Piezo™ print head technology and new UltraChrome™ High Dynamic Range 10-color ink formulation

SINGAPORE, 31 October 2008  - Epson, a world leader in digital imaging and printing solutions, has launched two new Large Format Printers (LFPs), heralding a revolutionary standard in colour printing quality. This quality is significant to packaging and proofing industries, where the accuracy of colour reproduction is paramount.

The new Epson Stylus™ Pro 7900 (24 inch) and Stylus Pro 9900 (44 inch) are Epson's first ten colour printers that are engineered with a new version of the company's revolutionary Micro Piezo™ print head and Epson's UltraChrome™ HDR (High Dynamic Range) pigment ink technology.

Through these definitive technological breakthroughs, these printers can print with 10 colours simultaneously, a first-of-its-kind feature in the large format printer market.

The use of this 10 colour ink set significantly expands one's total colour gamut and increases digital printing capabilities to achieve new colour-critical possibilities within the packaging and proofing market segments.

Re-engineered Micro Piezo™ print head technology for superior print resolution, speed and precision
Epson's new 10-channel Micro Piezo™ print head delivers perfectly spherical dots with high precision dot placement and also delivers image resolutions of up to 2,880 dots-per-inch (dpi) - an industry first. The new print head sports 360 nozzles per inch (as compared to 180 nozzles previously) for each of ten active ink cartridges.

Through Epson's Micro Piezo™ Thin Film Piezo (TFT) print head with 360 nozzles per inch for each of the 10 active ink cartridges, the Epson Stylus™  Pro 7900/9900 boasts an increased printing speed of 40m² per hour. An A1 (720x720 dpi) professional print on Epson's Premium Glossy Photo Paper can now be done in just under 5 minutes.

New Epson UltraChromeTM HDR ink technology for significantly expanded colour gamut
Epson's new UltraChrome™ HDR ink is a high density resin coated pigment ink formulation with three level black ink technology - photo black, light black and light light black. The 10 colour ink set includes other colours such as cyan, light cyan, vivid magenta, vivid light magenta, yellow, orange, and green. Printers also benefit from a new 'auto switching' feature between Matte black and Photo black, when printing on matte or glossy media respectively.

The Epson UltraChrome™ HDR ink significantly reduces graininess in skin tone areas, while delivering 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.

In addition to these new features, printers benefit from superior cost efficiency with the introduction of two high capacity ink cartridges (350 and 700ml) which contribute to a lower cost per mililiter of ink.  These new high capacity ink cartridges also reduce the need to frequently replace cartridges which promotes greater versatility in unattended printing.

Optimising colour consistency under different light conditions
The new Epson Stylus™ Pro 7900/9900 feature Epson's Look Up Table (LUT) Technology that uses advanced algorithms to calculate and translate RGB colours into CMYK prints for maximum precision and consistency with the original image source.

The LUT Technology also delivers seamless transition between different shades of colours for the most natural and accurate replication of the widest range of colours - resulting in prints with smoother gradations and reduced graininess.

Specifications of the Epson Stylus™ Pro 7900/9900:

• Professional media handling up to 24 inch wide (StylusTM Pro 7900)
• Professional media handling up to 44 inch wide (StylusTM Pro 9900) 
• Epson's UltraChromeTM HDR pigment ink technology 
• 11 individual high capacity ink cartridges (available in 350 or 700 ml capacity) 
• Automatic switching of photo and matte black inks 
• Optional integrated spectrophotometer 
• Epson Micro PiezoTM TFP print head with VSDT 
• Automatic Ink Detection Technology 
• Epson's advanced image processing technology 
• Faster print speeds - up to 36% reduction in print time 
• Maximum 2880x1440 dpi print resolution at 3.5 pl droplets 
• USB2.0 and ethernet connections standard

The Epson Stylus™ Pro 7900 (Retail Price: S$9,480) and Stylus Pro 9900 (Retail Price: S$13,480) will be available from 14 November 2008.

Note:

Epson is the registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.  All other product names and other company names used herein are for identification purposes only and are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

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About the Epson Group
Epson is a global leader in imaging products including printers, 3LCD projectors and small- and medium-sized LCDs. With an innovative and creative culture, Epson is dedicated to exceeding the vision and expectations of customers worldwide with products known for their superior quality, functionality, compactness and energy efficiency.

Epson is a network of 93,279 employees in 107 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and to the communities in which it is located. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., the Group had consolidated sales of 1,347 billion yen in fiscal 2007.

About Epson Singapore
Epson is the world's leader in digital imaging solutions. The company's Singapore operation is also the Regional Headquarters of Seiko Epson Corporation. The company markets and supports Epson printers, scanners, projectors, electronic devices including liquid crystal displays, semiconductors and system devices in South East and South Asia.  For more details, please visit www.epson.com.sg

Media Enquiries:
Ms Kimberly Ong 
Epson Singapore Pte Ltd
Tel:   6586 5565
Email:  kktong@esp.epson.com.sg

Mr Jason Lee
Citigate Dewe Rogerson, i.MAGE
Tel: 6534 5122
Email: jason.lee@citigatedrimage.com