Epson ships three printers

Epson has unveiled three new inkjet printers -- the Stylus Photo R260, R380, and RX580 All-In-One -- which it claims are better professional photo labs. All three printers are capable of "Ultra High-Definition prints," according to Epson, using a new "MicroPiezo" print head that allows the new models to adjust the ink drops to one of five different sizes depending on what needs to be drawn, eliminating much of the coarseness common to printing photos at home. The new print head is also said to print photos extremely quickly, producing a basic 4 x 6-inch photo in as little as 13 seconds, while a full-quality image takes as little as 32 seconds to complete. In combination with the company's new six-color Claria ink, the new technology is expected to produce photos at least as sharp and vivid as commercial labs, according to Epson. The R260 is available for $130, while the R380 and RX580 ship for $200.

Both the R260 and R380 are capable of printing at this high quality directly from cameras, cellular phones, and memory cards. Writing to printable CDs and DVDs is also supported, according to Electronista. While the R260 offers only basic printing controls, the R380 adds a 3.5-inch LCD that aids in basic photo correction and editing; the RX580 adds a 1200x2400 DPI flatbed scanner for copying and transferring existing photos.

by MacNN Staff