A new era in commercial photo printing has arrived: the Epson SureLab SL-D3000

The Epson SureLab SL-D3000 leverages Epson’s core imaging technologies and advanced photo inks to deliver high-quality photo print production on glossy, matte and lustre media.

Ideal for traditional mini-lab environments, the Epson SureLab SL-D3000 also offers new business opportunities for print shop owners, school photographers, photographic studios and professional photographers. It can print on glossy, matte and lustre media up to 30.5cm wide to produce professional photographs, greetings cards, invitations, flyers, banners, landscapes and promotional leaflets.

The SL- D3000 uses Epson’s proven Micro Piezo printhead technology with Epson’s newly developed ink formulation for commercial use and sophisticated Look Up Table (LUT) to deliver accurate reproduction at a maximum resolution of 1440 x 1440dpi.

Epson’s new UltraChrome® D6 six-colour high capacity 700ml/cartridge photo ink-set achieves a wide colour gamut that exceeds that of silver halide, yielding prints that are vivid and lifelike with excellent black density. Enhanced granularity and tone gradation is achieved through advanced image processing; blue skies are brilliant while skin tones are subtle and grey backgrounds are soft.

Craig Heckenberg, Epson’s Business Unit Manager, said Epson has supplied professional photographic printers for the past 15 years and the SL-D3000 has all the benefits that come with that experience and expertise.

“Epson is synonymous with the highest quality in professional photo printing, and now is the right time to introduce an Epson-branded digital dry lab with Epson innovations - including the newly developed UltraChrome® D6 photo ink - that brings added value to the market,” said Craig.

The power-efficient SL-D3000 uses significantly less energy than a wet lab, and does not need a water supply, air filter or chemicals, reducing impact on the environment and the total cost of ownership. Further lowering the cost per print, the printhead and LUT are carefully configured to use ink economically while maintaining the best print quality.

Precision rollers ensure accurate paper handling while an automatic nozzle check system ensures consistent, high quality output. The SL-D3000 supports banner and panoramic printing on gloss and high lustre media.

The SL-D3000 begins printing quickly without the need to warm-up chemicals, and can automatically move finished prints to an optional A4 job sorter. The only regular maintenance required is consumables replacement.

The Epson SureLab actively monitors performance and provides direct feedback to the operator. A simple front panel enables operation of key features while PC software provides advanced options and intelligent help.

The SL-D3000 has been designed for operation within a studio environment. It requires minimal periodic maintenance and service support. On-screen support helps step staff through problems and cleaning is undertaken through the insertion of a simple cleaning sheet.

For placement flexibility and easy installation, the SL-D3000 has wheels for easy mobility and a small footprint for studios that have limited floor space. All key functions, consumable loading and output delivery ports are at the front. It can be positioned in a corner to save space, as it is operated from two adjacent sides, and can be operated as a stand-alone device with direct PC connect or in a bank via a Print Server.

The dual-roll model allows two different media types and/or two different roll widths to be loaded simultaneously for versatility and improved productivity. A single-roll configuration will also be available.

The SL-D3000 is now available in Australia and pricing starts from $29,995 (ex GST) for Single Roll units.

Epson SureLab D3000 key features:

* 6-colour, compact digital dry lab for high-quality photo production
* Prints on glossy, lustre and matte paper at up to 30.5cm (12 inches) wide
* Epson professional UltraChrome D6 ink-set (C,M,Y,K,Lm,Lc)
* Resolution of up to 1440 x 1440dpi
* Produces up to 650 4 x 6inch (10.2 x 15.2cm) prints per hour
* Supports roll media from 4 to 12 inches (10.2 to 30.5cm) wide
* Dual-roll model allows two different media types and/or two different roll widths to be loaded
* Optional A4 job sorter for convenient job collection
* Easy to operate – virtually no maintenance required except consumables replacement
* Convenient, power-efficient printing with no chemicals
* Can be positioned in a corner and operated from two adjacent sides
* Small footprint and wheels for convenient installation

ENDS

SureLab at drupa 2012: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knPfWbf75H8
SureLab at The Digital Show, Melbourne: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbWXrSn2Sjo

High resolution images of Epson products are available at: http://www.channel.epson.com.au/ where you can log in using the email address media@epson.com.au and password <media>.

To obtain an Epson product for media review please contact Bob Pritchard at CommunEcom Strategic Communications on 02 9949 9788 or 0413825552 or by email at Bob.Pritchard@communecom.com.au.

About Epson
Epson is a global imaging and innovation leader whose product lineup ranges from inkjet printers and 3LCD projectors to sensors and other microdevices. Dedicated to exceeding the vision of its customers worldwide, Epson delivers customer value based on compact, energy-saving, and high-precision technologies in markets spanning enterprise and the home to commerce and industry.
Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, the Epson Group comprises more than 75,000 employees in 97 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and the communities in which it operates.
http://global.epson.com/

About Epson Australia
Epson offers an extensive array of award winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business, photography and graphic arts markets, and is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) solutions for the retail market. Epson is the market leader worldwide in sales of data projectors [DTC Consulting Limited figures]. Epson's products meet consumer and business customer needs for superior quality colour image reproduction (printers), projection (projectors) and capture (scanners) devices with high-level functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson Australia, founded in 1983 is headquartered in North Ryde NSW and is a subsidiary of the Epson Group headquartered in Japan.