EPSON® PictureMate™ revolutionises digital photo printing

The EPSON PictureMate is a personal photo printer designed to be easy to use and produce high quality photos conveniently at home by consumers who have little or no computer experience. EPSON PictureMate is the ideal solution for digital camera users, who require professional photo lab quality 10x15cm photos - that are affordable and durable. With its optional Bluetooth module the EPSON PictureMate is also able to print from the new generation of compatible camera-enabled phones that have started to take over the mobile phone market – bringing digital photography to a whole new non-technical market.

25th March 2004: With sales of digital cameras in the UK increasing by 81% from 2002-20031, more people are turning to digital as a simpler, more flexible method of taking photos. This is driving the need for a high quality, easy to use, and cost effective method of printing in the home as a real alternative to retail photo printing. In response to this demand EPSON has launched PictureMate, a new generation personal photo-dedicated printer. Designed to satisfy the needs of digital camera users, PictureMate removes the need for a computer or the necessity to visit a photo lab, photo kiosk or online photo services by offering an easy to use photo printing solution. EPSON PictureMate supports all popular memory card formats2 and offers direct printing from PictBridge® and USB Direct Print enabled digital cameras.

PictureMate uses EPSON’s Advanced Micro Piezo™ ink jet technology, exclusive archival 6-colour pigment printing for rich colour, perfect skin tones and the smoothest images that match the look and feel of traditional photo lab prints. It also features up to 5760 x 1440 optimised dpi with microscopic droplets for the sharpest detail, and seamless gradations.

With growth in digital photo printing coming from the non-technical consumer, EPSON have developed an intuitive interface, which guides users through a simple one-touch printing process. It couldn’t be simpler. A printed proof sheet lets the consumer preview pictures to print beautiful glossy borderless 10x15cm photos. Print selection options allow for printing all photos, just one photo, a range of photos, or several non-sequential photos from the camera memory card. PictureMate automatically optimises each photo for colour and quality and allows consumers to print their colour photos in black and white or sepia tones. For consumers who would like to have more creative flexibility they are able to crop photos, add classic borders and make wallet-sized photos all at the touch of a button – without a computer.

One of PictureMate’s key differences is its low cost per photo. Designed to make purchasing consumables easy and hassle-free for consumers, EPSON will introduce the PictureMate PicturePack. This economical and convenient pack contains a PictureMate photo cartridge and PictureMate photo paper to print approximately 100 glossy 10x15cm photos3 and makes the cost per photo transparent for consumers. With an MSRP of £28.99 including VAT for the PicturePack the price for a photo printed from PictureMate rivals traditional high street photo processing costs. The PictureMate PicturePack makes purchasing consumables as convenient and easy as purchasing a roll of film.

EPSON PictureMate prints are superior to photo lab prints and to prints from other 10x15cm photo printers. According to Wilhelm Research Laboratory4 they resist fading about two to four times longer than the leading brands of photo lab prints and about four to 20 times longer than prints from other dedicated 10x15cm digital photo printers. PictureMate photos resist fading up to 100 years displayed in a frame4 and are also water-, smudge- and fingerprint-resistant for worry-free handling.

“PictureMate marks a new era in digital photo printing” says Richard Baylis, Sales and Marketing Manager, Consumer Products, EPSON UK. “With quality reaching, and in this case exceeding, photo lab standards, we have focussed on offering the consumer hassle free photo printing. PictureMate can be connected to a PC or Macintosh computer, but it is primarily a device that is more of an extension of the digital camera or camera-enabled mobile phone rather than a peripheral for the computer. EPSON PictureMate will revolutionise printing digital photos as now even non-technical users can very easily print beautiful borderless and high quality photos. Consumers will soon have the ideal printing solution for sharing their memories – from summer vacations to their baby’s first birthday party – without any compromises and in the convenience of their home.”

Using the optional Bluetooth module, PictureMate can print photos from compatible mobile phones. Users simply point and click, connect to the printer wirelessly over Bluetooth and print. For added flexibility and support, EPSON has created a dedicated mobile phone printing application specifically for Bluetooth enabled Nokia mobile phones5 offering users further print options. Based on the Symbian® operating system, the application allows users to control size and quality settings, and add frames to the image before printing directly to PictureMate.

Key Features include:
• High quality photo lab style photos using EPSON’s unique Micro Piezo technology
• 6-Colour EPSON Hi-gloss inks for borderless, high-quality, durable photographic output, up to 5760 dpi print resolution and microscopic droplets of 2.5 pl
• New PicturePack consumable pack for an affordable low cost-per-photo of approx 29p
• Easy to use hassle-free operation using the new EPSON Print Wizard
• Highly durable photo prints lasting up to 100 years4
• Optional Bluetooth adapter for printing from compatible mobile phones or other compatible Bluetooth devices
• High connectivity: Includes slots for all popular memory card formats2, PictBridge, USB Direct Print, DPOF and Print Image Matching
• Various print options such as cropping function or printing photos in black and white or sepia
• Back up function from an integrated memory card directly to externally connected devices such as CD-R writers or zip drives
• Compact and stylish design that makes PictureMate fit to the consumers’ household.
• Handle to easily transport PictureMate from one room to another or storage in a cupboard

Pricing and Availability
PictureMate will be available from June for an estimated retail price of £149.99. PictureMate comes with a one year warranty.

1 GFK sales figures were collated between February and November 2002, and the same period for 2003.
UK figures: 2002: 1,041,028 units and 2003: 1,879,186 units
2 Supported memory card formats: SD™ memory card/MultiMedia Card™, Memory Stick, Compact Flash™ type I and II, SmartMedia™, Secure Digital, xD and Microdrive.
3 The cost per photo is based on estimated average use conditions. Actual yields will vary based on images, colour balance, environmental conditions and frequency of use. Based on MSRP of £28.99 including VAT for the PicturePack.
4 Using the PictureMate Photo Cartridge and PictureMate Photo Paper, prints are predicted to last up to 100 years in a glass frame in indoor display conditions. See www.wilhelm-research.com for test conditions. Actual print stability will vary according to image and storage or display conditions. EPSON does not guarantee the longevity of prints.
5 Current supported mobile phones are Nokia 7650, 3650, 3660 and 6600

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EPSON® PictureMate™ revolutionises digital photo printing