News: A look at the Epson Stylus Pro 3800 and Epson Print Academy Dates Added

Epson America, Inc. recently announced the Epson Stylus Pro 3800 inkjet printer. I had an opportunity to see the printer in New York City, along with an impressive gallery of images printed on the Stylus Pro 3800 from Epson Stylus Pros, a group of very talented photographers whose work is often seen hanging in Epson’s booth at trade shows. This printer is a major breakthrough with regard to image quality, printer weight and overall footprint. The printer uses a new dithering algorithm that produces very small dots. I recommend seeing actual prints to see how prints compare to previous Epson printers, or printers from Canon, HP or other companies. Here are a few specs worth mentioning:

Espro3800

>Weight: 43.2 pounds; Dimensions: 27.0 x 15.0 x 10.0 inches

>5.5 minute print speed for a 16×20 inch print in high–speed (bi-directional) mode at 1440 dpi.&#38

>8-color UltraChrome K3 pigment inks in 80ml pressurized carts, with a wide color gamut and expected print longevity of 100-200 years or longer (based on initial testing by wilhelm-research.com)

>Automatic switching between Matte and Photo Black inks, with minimal ink usage when making the switch (1.5 to 4.5ml total, depending upon whether the change is from Photo to Matte Black or vice-versa)

>Monochrome printing with the Epson Advanced Black and White mode (and three black inks) produces very even-toned prints, with the ability to adjust toning dramatically in the driver

>A top-loading high capacity feeder can hold up to 120 sheets, from 4×6 to 17×22 inches; a second top-loading manual sheet feeder is optimized for fine-art papers; and a front straight-through manual sheet feeder allows for single sheet loading of media up to 1.5mm

>Two standard connectivity options: USB 2.0 and Ethernet

For more information, visit Epson’s website.
Expected to start shipping November, 2006

Price: $1295. Visit Amazon.com for a good tech overview or to order the Epson Stylus Pro 3800.

Pabnr187X80 R2

Epson also recently announced an expanded schedule for the Epson Print Academy. They’ve added three new cities: Phoenix, Salt Lake City and Atlanta and they are returning to Los Angeles and New York. Both the Track One and Track Two programs will feature the Stylus Pro 3800 printer. I wrote a comprehensive review of my experience at the New York Epson Print Academy for The Imaging Buffet here.

Below is the expanded schedule:
October 28: Phoenix
November 11: Salt Lake City
December 2: Atlanta
January 20: Los Angeles/Orange County
January 28: New York City

For more information or to sign up, visit the Epson Print Academy website.