Epson is making a breakthrough entry into the global sign and display market with the launch of a 64 inch eight colour photo quality printer and UltraChrome GS, an all new ground breaking solvent based ink.

The Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 is Epson's first solvent inkjet printer and is designed to be the most operator friendly and highest quality solvent based printer for the sign and display market.

Epson's Business Solutions Manager, Craig Heckenberg, said the Stylus Pro GS6000 and Epson UltraChrome GS ink makes a strong statement about Epson's intention to set new quality and performance standards for the sign and display market.

"Epson has an enviable reputation for quality and reliability in the large format graphics market. We are now combining our latest print technologies with over 15 years experience to significantly raise the bar in the sign and display market," Mr Heckenberg said.

"Epson's chemical engineers have developed a truly remarkable ink in UltraChrome GS that is easy to work with, has a much lower environmental impact than other solvent inks, and yet delivers true photo quality images with an extremely wide colour gamut on virtually any coated or non-coated media.

"The Stylus Pro GS6000 represents the latest in durable graphics print technology, making it a very efficient and highly capable addition to any print or sign shop looking for that high quality competitive edge," Mr Heckenberg said.

Epson's new generation UltraChrome GS eight colour ink set uses a uniquely formulated solvent ink chemistry developed by Seiko Epson chemical engineers.

UltraChrome GS solvent ink is nickel-free and has fewer harmful VOC (volatile organic compounds) than other solvent based inks. Prints made with this revolutionary solvent ink are virtually odourless, eliminating the need for expensive ventilation and air purification systems to protect the operators.

UltraChrome GS maintains Epson's unrivalled reputation for outstanding colour reproduction and high print quality. Superior colour accuracy is made possible by the addition of orange and green inks which significantly expand the gamut beyond the colour range of both 4 and 6 colour ink sets. Important corporate colours and ultra-vibrant images not previously seen from a solvent based printer can now be reproduced with UltraChrome GS ink.

The Stylus Pro GS6000 is equipped with a newly developed Dual-Array Micro-Piezo print head with 360 nozzles per colour for extremely fast print speeds producing variable sized ink droplets between 3.7 and 20 picolitres, depending on speed and quality options selected.

Unlike other solvent printers on the market which require daily maintenance, the Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 has been designed to further reduce maintenance down time. The Advanced Cleaning System built into the GS6000 maintains optimum performance of both the ink and print head, reducing the need for daily maintenance when the printer is in constant use.

The Stylus Pro GS6000 has high capacity - 950ml - ink cartridges, efficient media handling capabilities, and no special dryers are required for printing.

The Stylus Pro GS6000 and Epson UltraChrome GS ink also accommodates a wide range of leading solvent media for a vast array of commercial printing applications, including indoor and outdoor banners, billboards, construction and barricade signs, retail point-of-sale display's and photographic tradeshow graphics, where high quality images and precise, accurate colour is essential.

Overview of the Epson Stylus Pro GS6000

• New Epson Dual-Array Micro Piezo print head with 360 nozzles per colour and Variable Sized Droplet Technology (VSDT)
• New Epson UltraChrome GS solvent ink technology
• Epson image processing technology
• Maximum print resolution up to 1440 x 1440 dpi with an ultra-micro dot of 3.7 picolitre
• Professional media handling up to 64 inch (1.625 metres)
• Print speeds;
  • Up to 25 sqm/hour in banner-quality, draft mode.
  • Up to 15 sqm/hr in everyday production mode.
  • Up to 9 sqm/hour in photo quality, production mode.
• Hot swappable, 8 colour 950ml capacity individual ink cartridges
• Individually controlled pre, platen and post media heaters
• Standard USB2.0 & gigabit Ethernet
• Fully support by a wide range of third party RIP software packages
• Standard automatic take-up reel

The Epson Stylus Pro GS6000 will be available from selected authorised Epson professional graphics dealers in October 2008 at a price to be announced.

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