Epson ups hues to 8 in India

HYDERABAD: Epson will be launching its eight-color ultra-chrome inkjet printer Stylus Photo R800, targeted at the high-end markets in India in November 2004. Featuring the Hi-Gloss pigment ink technology, the printer sports a print resolution of 5760 x 1440 optimized dpi and can print up to 17 pages a minute for black and nine pages a minute for color text.

The company claims that it is the world's first printer with 1.5-picoliter-ink droplets with eight individual cartridges, including matte black ink and a gloss optimizer. "Irrespective of the paper type, it delivers professional results because of the use of gloss optimizer," said Epson, Consumer Product Business Manager, G Suresh.

"The fast built-in connectivity makes it an ideal fit for any home or studio, while high-speed performance makes it the perfect printer for quickly creating show-stopping high-gloss prints," he added.

Epson had earlier launched an entry-level Inkjet printer Stylus C63 in November 2003 that had similar features at a list price of Rs 3,999 plus taxes. Epson Stylus Photo R800 that has hi-gloss pigment ink technology is presently available in US, Japan and other countries, at a list price of $ 399. "We've not decided on the price of this product for the Indian market but would be made available at a reasonable price," informed Suresh.

As part of the marketing initiatives, Epson is holding a show in Mumbai on November 25 and in Delhi on November 27. Titled "Faces of Fame," the five-hour show will host the renowned photographer Greg Gorman who will demonstrate the usage of Epson's printers to take out a picture in good resolution out of a digital camera. "As part of the show, Epson will launch Stylus Photo R 800 on November 25," said Suresh.