Offering the manufacturer’s widest ever colour gamut with 99% Pantone coverage, the 24in (0.61m) SureColor SC-P7500 and 44in (1.12m) SureColor SC-P9500 printers are targeted at artists, photographers, photo labs and packaging and contract proofers.
The new machines use Epson’s newly developed UltraChrome Pro12 inkset with K3 technology, which outputs both black inks simultaneously, and includes orange, green and violet for enhanced colour accuracy.
Both printers support media including fine art papers, canvases and photo paper. They feature Epson’s latest generation PrecisionCore Micro TFP12 printheads, which use up to 800 nozzles per colour to produce accurate dot placement and eliminate misprints, and offer up to 300dpi resolution.
Images also benefit from smooth gradations and accurate texture reproduction while deeper blacks are achieved through black enhancement overcoating technology, which Epson said “results in more striking and dramatic printed images”.
“To be able to offer 12-colour photo printers is a genuine first for us at Epson. Enhancing the colour gamut allows us to hit some of those more difficult colours to hit right on the edge of the spectrum,” said Epson UK pro graphics sales manager Phil McMullin.
“We also think that something like 50% of corporate logos globally have got red in them. Hitting a spot red on a consistent basis is really quite challenging so putting the spot colours in there will make it a lot easier for a production printer to hit those corporate colours if they need to.”
The two machines feature colour measurement, checking and correction technologies while an optional SpectroProofer with photospectrometer leads to faster and more accurate colour measurement and the in-line proofing colour control is fully automated.
Other features include a 4.3in colour touchscreen with a new user interface, an illuminated paper path and a new roll screen type paper basket.
The SC-P9500 will replace the existing SC-P10000 printer, which will be phased out over the coming months.
McMullin said the maximum speed of the new printers is “up to four times quicker” than previous models, depending on the image, though he added many typical users of the kit would likely only run a few prints a day and would be more concerned with achieving maximum image quality than speed.
“Though in a production environment, which we particularly expect to see the SC-P9500 going into, clearly the quicker that you can print the same high quality image, the more you are going to be able to generate revenues and margin in what you do on a day-to-day basis.”
The SureColor SC-P7500 and SC-P9500 will be commercially available from December. Pricing is yet to be confirmed but McMullin said they will be “competitive”.
