Stylus Photo 2000P for quality prints

By Zatni Arbi

JAKARTA (JP): We have taken quite a close look at high-end photo printers from HP and Canon, so it would be unfair to Epson if we didn't check their newest photo printer, the Epson Stylus Photo 2000P.

At a launch at the Hilton Hotel earlier this month, Mr. Elia Nagaria, business manager at PT Metrodata, shared technical data on Epson's new printer, of which there are a number of technological breakthroughs. PT Metrodata has been the distributor of Epson's products in Indonesia for many years.

At US$1,200 (recommended retail price) the printer certainly belongs in the high end of the market.

The eye-pleasing silver and black printer has A3 capability. Although it also prints color graphics, it's not for you if what you need is a printer for desktop publishing.

Features

Epson has adopted a different way from HP and Canon in placing the ink dots on the media. Their technology is called Micro Piezo. Unlike the technique used in an HP or Canon printer, the ink in an Epson printer is not heated before it is squirted onto the paper. Instead, a vibrating meniscus is used to control the ejection of the ink droplets.

In addition to the high resolution (1440 by 720 DPI), the printer also employs variable sized droplet technology. With this technology, larger dots are used to print large areas with uniform colors but a dot can be made as tiny as 0.1 micron. This helps the printer produce very fine photo details. It is also a bi-directional printer, so it sprays the ink as the print head travels from one end to the other.

One of the breakthroughs in the SP 2000P enables it to print a bleed on both the vertical edges. What it means is that this printer can print all the way to the left and right edges of the media. Epson achieves this by placing a spongy cleaner on both sides of the paper roller. However, both on the top and at the bottom there will still be a small margin of 3 millimeters.

Like HP, Epson has also addressed the issue of color stability of printed photos. In fact, Epson claims that, if printing using their new inks and special media, a photo can be expected to last more than 200 years. Elia was a little more conservative during his presentation and put the figure at "over 100". Although 100 years would certainly meet the requirements of most museum exhibits, it's more than what we care to prove. The figure was arrived at through a series of simulations involving the use of a special light source with high intensity and controlled temperature, humidity and so on.

Regardless of whether we need to save our photos for the next century and beyond, now that photos can be stored in digital format virtually forever, it is good to know that at least they will not fade in a month or so after they are printed. And, besides light-fastness, which is the ability of the inks to retain their colors after a long period of time, Epson has also addressed the issue of water resistance. A high quality photo print means that the inks will not dissolve and it will not smear when touched.

What is new in Epson's ink is the use of pigment instead of dye. HP started to use pigment-based ink a few years ago, but Epson has gone one step further by wrapping every single pigment particle with resin. The result is better color durability and resistance to rubbing. The pigment particles are also made more uniform to improve print quality further as they reflect light with less diffusion. Other color improvements are made possible through the use of QuickDry inks, AccuPhoto Halftoning technology, a color look-up table as well as a new Gamma value.

Another great new feature in this printer is its ability to use rolls of paper. "It allows us to print jumbo-sized photos or panoramic pictures very easily," Elia said. Now we can even print photos with full bleed, panoramas or very tall portraits.

Chip in tank

It would be better had Epson adopted the use of separate tanks for each of the six inks. This would prevent ink waste, as we would only have to buy the ink that had run out and be able to use each tanks until it was empty.

Unfortunately, Epson still uses one cartridge to hold the five ink tanks (black is stored in a separate cartridge). However, they have tried to reduce wastage by inserting a chip into the tank, and this is another innovation introduced in the SP 2000P.

"The chip will keep track of the volume of the remaining ink in each tank, and the user will be able to see, for example, how much yellow ink is left. If your print job doesn't use much of the yellow color, you can go ahead without having to worry that the print job will have to stop halfway because the yellow ink is out. If it does, you can change the cartridge temporarily with one that still has a lot of the yellow ink in it," explained Elia. The print cartridge, which is called Intellidge, costs about Rp 300,000. The printing cost, according to a ZDNet report, ranges from $1.40 to $1.89 per 8-inch by 10-inch page.

Another benefit from the chip in the cartridge is that it helps you avoid using counterfeit or refilled inks. "Once the chip registers that the ink has dried out, it will not change. So if someone tries to refill it, the Intellidge will not work."

The Stylus Photo 2000P is a recently introduced printer, but several editors and early users have given their thumbs up to it. If you're looking for a wide format printer that can print great photo quality reproduction with bleeds on both sides or full bleed with rolled photo paper, this one is currently your only choice.

During the event, Epson also launched a low-end color inkjet printer, the Stylus Color 480. This $85 printer, which is intended for home use, is also called Epsonmatic. It has no button, no panel, not even an on or off button. It will shut down automatically when not in use for some time, and will power itself up the moment it receives a printing signal from the computer. All functions, such as clearing paper jams and cleaning the printer head, are done through the software.

All Epson's high-end printers, such as the SP 2000P, are made in Japan. What many people may not know, however, is that Epson's largest printer factory in the world is located here in Indonesia. In fact, Epson made the biggest contribution to Indonesia's total electronics exports last year. During an interview with Fumihiko Maeda, MIS Manager at PT Indonesia Epson Industry last month, I learned that his factory, which is located in the EJIP Industrial Park in Lemahabang, Bekasi, supplies more than 90 percent of the world's impact printers, like the LQ Series. That's certainly no small feat, and if you ever visit their factory you'll get a clear idea of the size of Epson's operation in Indonesia. (zatni@cbn.net.id)