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Epson printer news, updates and rumours
All our latest info on new Epson printer related items. Where we have info on a specific model, it will go on that printers page as well.
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Other printer info
This page is part of the Reviews feature in our Articles and info section Northlight Images prides itself on its independence when giving advice. We do not sell hardware or software and have no direct commercial links with any of the software or hardware vendors that may be mentioned here. See our Review Policy for more information. |
Note that we don't sell hardware, software, ink or paper...
...so we hope you value info on our site that little bit more :-)
The What's New Page gives a quick overview of the hundreds of pages of articles and picture on this site.
May 2008
17th Could we see some more advanced features like a built in spectro for the new large format printers for DRUPA? (9900 page)
14th Expect an R2400 replacement before long. A DPR comment from someone in Hong Kong wanting a quote says that they were told it's been flagged EOL (End of Life)
The R2400 is a bit long in the tooth (2005) so given the advances seen in the 3800 and upcoming 'x900' series it could be quite a jump (R2900 or 2880 anyone?)
Also, ink prices on the way for the UK? As of 1st June expect some rises - this info from Epson via a supplier
8% on the inks for the following printers:
- Stylus Photo R800/R1800/R1900/R2100/R2400
- Stylus Color 3000
- Stylus Pro 3800 and maintenance cartridge
- Stylus Pro 4000/5000/5500/7000/7500/7600/9000/9500/9600/10000/10000CF/10600
18% on the inks for the following printers:
- Stylus Pro 4400/4450/4800/4880
- Stylus Pro 7400/7450/7800/7880
- Stylus Pro 9400/9450/9800/9880
and 9.6% on the 700ml inks for the Stylus Pro 11880
1st It seems we should expect a bit more from the 7900/9900 that just an update. We're told that much of the printer design has changed with Epson seemingly wanting to move past Canon and HP in a lot of areas - just what this actually means, we'll have to wait and see ;-)
- As ever if you want to share any info, just drop us a mail (discretion assured ;-)
April 29th More info on the Epson 7900 and 9900 - 10 colour printers at DRUPA? An article about the rumour gets pulled at a printing web site.
March 27th Epson are going to release a 64" 'eco-solvent' printer (the Stylus Pro GS6000) for signage work
20th Expect new Epson printers to be announced at DRUPA in Germany (May 29th - June 11th) These are likely to include an all new range of wide format printers, utilising technologies found in the 11880 (black ink switching at last? ;-) ... or at least that's the "we didn't tell you this" dealer info I'm hearing ;-)
19th Are Epson getting ready to launch an 'Ecosolvent' (sign printing) based version of the 11880?
In an interesting post on the WIP list, there's the suggestion that it might get launched at the FESPA show in April (Geneva 1st-3rd).
February 18th I've seen mention of the '9888' on one forum, since no-one has a good idea on what the next set of printers will be called (49xx, 79xx 99xx are my favourites ;-)
This is a Photokina year (September), so we might yet see 3880 or 11880 black ink switching technology appear.
It's the Focus show in the UK next week, and since I've been invited (as 'Press' ;-) I'll be looking at all the latest from the main mainufacturers
14th Once again I'm seeing lots of people asking about versions of the 4880/7880/9880 that support ink swapping like the 11880. Unfortunately, asking is all I've seen so far... :-(
New papers coming out this year may make the need for using matt black less important, but many suggest that Epson sells more ink (and printers) with the current printer lineup ;-)
2007 December 6th It seems Epson have announced a whole raft of new (Beta) Mac OSX 10.5 drivers that make use of its 16 bit print architecture
3800, 4800, 7800, 9800, 4880, 7880, 9880, 11880
There are also 10.5 drivers for some older printers such as the 4000 and even my 9600 If you go to the FAQ page there is info on availability and timings
November 3rd Is this the end of third party inks and ink supply systems in the USA?
Such concerns are all over print related forums, based on a recent ITC ruling. At the moment it 'only' applies to smaller printers, but large format systems can expect to be next (More info at WFO)
Epson have set up a specific site with their interpretations of what this means...
October 21st
I've seen several questions on forums about just how long it will be before the 4880/7880/9880 are replaced with new designs allowing black ink swapping like the 11880 and 3880. The lack of black swap certainly came as a surprise, but the smaller x880 series were only announced at the end of July and are only now shipping in any quantities.
The picture is of the 11880 head with its 9 sets of jets. Maybe we'll get the 4900/7900/9900 next year at Photokina, but I suspect early 2009 is more likely, since having a major revision of the pro printer line is not something the large format market wants too often.
The 3800 is being widely discounted at the moment, with various offers such as the current one at the NY Photoplus, with Epson offering discount vouchers for show purchases.
If you've not updated your printer drivers for a while, it's worth checking different Epson sites to see if new ones are available. I generally check Epson UK, US and Australia, since there is some considerable variation in what's present in different countries' sites.
An example I noted from the Wide_Inkjet_Printers yahoo group would be:
For the 10600arc printer: EpsonNet Config Utility v2.0bE, Macintosh OS X (v10.2.x - 10.4.x),epson12357.dmg - 3MB - posted on 10/19/07
Epson are updating their printer drivers for OSX Leopard - no details on whether these will support its 16 bit print system, but larger printer models are due before long
This from Epson (UK)....
In-Box = Drivers are already included in the Operating System and the installation process will start as soon as you will plug your product in.
Inkjet Printers
| Stylus colour Series | |
|---|---|
| Stylus colour 680, 740, 880, 900, 980 |
In-Box
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| Stylus Photo Series | |
| Stylus Photo 810, 830, 830U, 870, 890, 895, 895EX, 900, 915, 925, 935, 950, 1270, 1290, 2000P, 2100, 1400 |
In-Box
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| Stylus C Series | |
| Stylus C70, C90, C91, C43, C44, C60, C62, C63, C64, C70, C79, C80, C82, C83, C84, C86, C87 |
In-Box
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| Stylus D Series | |
| Stylus D68, D88, D92 |
In-Box
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| Stylus D78, D120 |
October
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| PictureMate Series | |
| PictureMate, Picturemate 100, Picturemate 500, PictureMate 280 |
In-Box
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| PictureMate 240, PictureMate PM260, PictureMate PM290 |
October
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| Stylus Photo R Series | |
| Stylus Photo R200, R220, R240, R300, R320, R340, R360, R265, R285, R800 |
In-Box
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| Stylus Photo R1800, Stylus Photo R1900, Stylus Photo R2400 |
November
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Large Format Printers
| Stylus Pro Series | |
|---|---|
| Stylus Pro 4000 |
In-Box
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| Stylus Pro 7600, 9600, 10600 |
October
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| Stylus Pro 3800, 4400, 4450, 4800, 4880, 7400, 7450, 7800, 7880, 9400, 9450 9800, 9880, 11880 |
November
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Laser Printers
| Most current Laser Printers are supported using existing printer drivers. Please check back in November. |
Multifuction Devices
| Stylus CX Series | |
|---|---|
| Stylus CX3200, CX3500, CX3600, CX4100, CX4200, CX4300, CX4700, CX4800, CX5200, CX5400 |
In-Box
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| Stylus CX6400, CX6600 |
October
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| Stylus DX Series | |
| Stylus DX4200, DX4400, DX4800 |
In-Box
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| Stylus DX4000, DX5000, DX6000, DX7000F, DX7400, DX8400, DX9400F |
October
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| Stylus Photo RX Series | |
| Stylus Photo RX420, RX500, RX520, RX600, RX620, RX640, RX700 |
In-Box
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| Stylus Photo RX560, RX585, RX685 |
October
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Scanners
| All current scanners will be supported using existing drivers in OSX Leopard |
OSX Leopard changes
This is what Apple has to say about printing in Leopard (and some macworld notes)
Enhanced Precision Printing
Get the best quality from select Canon and Epson printers. Leopard can use enhanced numerical precision to unlock the printing potential of pro-level colour ink jet printers, using up to 16 bits per colour channel.
Printer Drivers via Software Update
Make sure you always have the latest printer drivers. Download directly to your system using the familiar capabilities of Software Update.
Other areas of our site that may be of interest...
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As well as our Commercial Photography services and Training there is a growing collection of photography Articles and Reviews on the site aimed at helping you get the best out of your own photography. We also have a growing collection of Photography related information and links that we hope you find useful.
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