Epson launches 12-colour and dye sub printers

Technology developer Epson is launching four new printers, including its first 12-colour graphic arts systems, and two dye-sub printers for the fast-growing digital textile market.

 

Speaking to the trade press at the first day of a three day launch event, which today is focused on its dealers, Epson’s new managing director Craig Heckenberg said, “It is an exciting new portfolio, with the Epson Precision Core technology pushing performance to new levels.

“The future is connected, digitised and sustainable, all of which Epson is working to harness. The enterprise printers for instance use 87 per cent less energy than comparable printers. We are proud to bring these solutions to market, which are built on Epson innovation and engineering craftsmanship.”

All the new printers use Epson’s heat-free micro-piezo Precision Core technology, with Epson manufacturing the heads, the inks, and the chassis.

The company is releasing its first 12-colour printers, the 24” SC-P7560 and the 44” SC-P9560, which will produce an A1 print in 94 seconds.

Bruce Bealby, general manager for marketing at Epson said, “The new Epson printers produce vibrant colour, brightness and clarity, at high speed.”

The company is also launching two new dye sublimation printers; the 24” SC-560, aimed at printing for merchandise type products, and the 64” SCF-9460, which is able to print fluorescent colours, and is aimed at sports and fashion wear.

Epson also launched two new desktop label printers for inhouse use by the likes of craft food and drink businesses, and said it had sold 40 million units of its Ecotank long-life desktop printing systems.

Bradley said, “The message today is that Epson is developing technology for the benefit of our customers, and of the environment.”

The new 12-colour 24” SC-P7560 and 44” SC-P9560 feature a new PrecisionCore print head and upgraded UltraChrome ink in a set includes three levels of black along with orange, green and violet. Epson says the printers express the highest ever gamut levels with enhanced image detail and precise colour that is certified to 99 per cent Pantone.

The new models have been developed to suit the needs of professional graphic designers, artists, and photographers and they feature a μTFP12 printhead that is 260 per cent wider than its predecessor, with dedicated channels for every ink and 800 nozzles per colour. Supported by improved half toning and feed management systems this ensures accurate reproduction at speeds up to four times faster than previous generations, and according to Epson two times that of others in the class.

The new models feature a reliable vertical feed path with support for the widest range of media from photo and fine art paper, to canvas and even board, set-up has been simplified with auto loading and auto skew correction. The printers ship with a broad range of media presets accessed from a new touch interface, and these can be augmented from an extensive on-line EMX library or adjusted manually and saved as a custom setting. Convenient windows allow for easy print monitoring complete with a platen light.

The new 64-inch SureColor F9460 model comes in two versions: one a traditional 4-colour version, and the other a 6-colour variant with fluorescent ink. Designed for textile and soft signage production, these models build on the success of the F-Series with greater flexibility and a lower running cost.

The SC-F9460 has been developed for fast, high-volume production and supports production speeds up to 90sqm per hour with dual PrecisionCore print heads and a large bulk ink system. It supports media rolls up to 45kg and features a precision auto take-up for fast and efficient roll-to-roll printing.

The standard four-colour configuration has dual ink tanks with a total capacity of 12L. It uses advanced UltraChrome HDk DS ink which is applied with Epson Precision Dot Technology to enable imaging with a colour gamut and gradation that Epson claims is equal or better than systems that employ six or more inks. It says colour is brighter, blacks are blacker and tones are finer.

The high colour six-colour configuration has an additional two fluorescent inks (yellow and pink) for an increased total tank capacity of 15L. The additional inks facilitate production of images with vivid colour. Developed in the Epson laboratories, they feature enhanced brightness and durability. While particularly suited to sportswear and workwear, they also have signage applications including banners, bunting, promotional shades, front and backlit displays.

Epson says the new SureColor F560, is a world-first, single-vendor, 24-inch dye-sublimation printer with integrated bulk ink system, designed for small business and fine art production that combines compact size with high format flexibility in a cost-effective package.