At drupa 2008, Epson, together with its industry partners, will showcase new technologies that will enable it to move into new, vertical sectors whilst maintaining its leading position in the traditional large format printer market. On stand A01 in hall 5, a range of new Epson solutions will show how a combination of quality, flexibility, reliability and productivity can deliver high-quality inkjet digital print solutions that address the challenges of the printing industry.

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  label printing, print-on-demand, exhibition graphics, signage and photo and fine-art reproduction. Solutions for all these sectors will be shown on the stand at drupa where there will be demonstrations of high-quality output combined with fast turnaround that is required by these demanding markets.

“drupa 2008 is already being talked about as the show that will see inkjet become mainstream. Visitors to the Epson stand will see for themselves how Micro Piezo inkjet technology has developed to such a high standard that we are now able to broaden its use into commercial, production-oriented applications,” says Duncan Ferguson, Director of Pro-Graphics and New Business Development at Epson Europe.

New product ˆ Epson Stylus Pro GS 6000

Epson is launching the 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 and 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 eco-solvent type 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 the environment and operators, Epson UltraChrome GS ink doesn’t spread harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and is the first major eco-solvent type ink set to be launched without the need for a hazard symbol. This makes the Stylus Pro GS6000 both environmentally- and user-friendly. Additional 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 has a resolution up to 1440×1440 dpi and a 3.7 picolitre droplet. Production speeds of up to 25m2/hour using Epson’s Variable-sized Ink Droplet and MicroWeave half-toning Technologies deliver fast-drying, scratch-resistant prints that are water and UV resistant for up to 1.5 years without lamination but can be laminated for applications exposed to intensive mechanical stress or abrasion.

News update on vertical market solutions

Epson will also be demonstrating the next generation of the Epson label printer concept which was first launched at LabelExpo 2007. In addition there will be demonstrations of Epson’s new Micro Piezo print head technology, including a new product with a Micro Piezo TFP (Thin-Film Piezo) print head. Furthermore Epson will showcase innovative applications it has developed with its partners based on Epson’s market leading inkjet technology, such as remote proofing, textile printing and inkjet CtP.

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