Steve's Digicams - Breaking News - Epson America 9/28/04 Press Release

Epson Introduces New EasyPrint -- First Software Utility to Simplify Printing from Popular Photo Applications

Adobe(R) First to Incorporate Epson EasyPrint into New Photoshop(R) Elements 3.0

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 28, 2004-- Epson, the leader in professional photographic printing technology, is making it easier and faster for both consumers and pros to print from software applications directly to Epson printers with the introduction of Epson EasyPrint. With Epson EasyPrint the most important print settings of Epson printer driver software are embedded right into the application's Print screen, making it even simpler for consumers to print great looking photos quickly.

    Adobe is one of the first software companies to implement Epson's EasyPrint technology with the introduction of Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0, the next major upgrade to the number one selling consumer photo editing software. Photoshop Elements 3.0 delivers impressive new ways to share, organize and edit photos, and with the inclusion of Epson EasyPrint and PRINT Image Matching(a) (P.I.M.), Adobe and Epson are making it easier to print with optimized results.

    "Printing is one of the most important parts of the digital imaging workflow. Many digital camera users want a simple solution for printing their own photos at home, and feel that a photo is really not a photo unless it's printed," said Fabia Ochoa, group product manager, Photo Imaging, Epson. "This is why Epson has developed Epson EasyPrint, an innovative, behind-the-scenes technology, which improves the printing experience for digital photographers. This unique utility allows the application and Epson printer software to interact intelligently, thereby reducing the number of user steps to get the best possible photos."

    "With Photoshop Elements 3.0 we wanted to add new sharing and organization capabilities to a new generation of world-class image editing tools," said Deborah Whitman, vice president of digital imaging products at Adobe. "Printing photographs directly at home is the most immediate way to share precious images and by integrating Epson EasyPrint in Photoshop Elements, Epson and Adobe are helping deliver an outstanding print experience for our joint customers."

    About Epson EasyPrint

    With Epson EasyPrint, the most important Epson print settings are embedded into the software application's Print screen user interface, eliminating the need for most users to select print settings from the Epson printer driver. Most Windows applications require the user to click the Properties button to access the Epson printer driver to select the correct paper type and size, and other settings. When using Epson EasyPrint within supported applications, fewer steps are necessary, especially for Mac users, in order to select the same print settings directly from the Print screen of the application, instead of having to go to the printer driver. Epson EasyPrint enables the software program to control Epson print features and settings behind the scenes, making it quick and seamless to get great print results.

    Epson EasyPrint also has the capability to avoid conflicts between software application and printer software settings by ensuring that software application and printer driver settings match. For example, if a setting is changed in the printer driver, the application software automatically changes the settings as well. Conversely, changes made to settings in the application software are automatically changed in the printer driver.

    The following software applications currently support Epson EasyPrint: Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0, Epson Smart Panel 3.2 and Epson Copy Utility 3.0. Additional software applications will be announced at a later date.

    System Requirements and Compatibility

    Epson EasyPrint is available under Windows 98, Me, 2000, and XP and Mac OS X 10.2 or later. Epson EasyPrint supports the following Epson printers under the specified operating systems:

Epson Stylus Series Printers                     Windows    Mac OS X---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus C64                                          x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus C84                                          x           x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Epson Photo Printers---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus Photo 900                                    x           x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus Photo 960                                                x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus Photo 2200                                   x           x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus Photo R200                                   x           x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus Photo R300/R300M                             x           x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus Photo R320                                   x           x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus Photo R800                                   x           x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Epson All-In-Ones---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus CX6400                                       x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus CX4600                                       x           x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus CX6600                                       x           x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------Stylus Photo RX500                                  x---------------------------------------------- ----------- -----------

    Epson EasyPrint is available for download at the Epson support Web site (http://support.epson.com/easyprint) for various Epson inkjet printers. In addition, information regarding Epson EasyPrint, as well as newly supported Epson printers and software applications can also be found at this support site.

    About Photoshop Elements 3.0 and PRINT Image Matching

    Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 software delivers impressive new ways to share, organize and edit photos, allowing users to easily review, compare and enhance photos and create dynamic slideshows and personalized creations. Photoshop Elements 3.0 is the software consumers can use for quick, one-click fixes, in addition to more sophisticated editing techniques when they require more advanced creative control.

    Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 helps users conveniently manage photos with simple search options and intuitive tagging. Photos can be arranged in any number of categories and sub-categories, freeing hobbyists from time-intensive searches.

    Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 also now natively supports PRINT Image Matching (P.I.M.) technology, which eliminates the need to install a P.I.M. plug-in. This means improved ease-of-use and compatibility for Adobe customers who own a P.I.M.-enabled digital camera and P.I.M.-enabled Epson photo printer.

    PRINT Image Matching technology ensures digital cameras and printers that are P.I.M.-enabled, work perfectly together to create the best possible prints automatically. Currently there are over 180 P.I.M.-enabled products from 24 manufacturers of digital cameras, printers and software. Additional information regarding P.I.M. technology, as well as a comprehensive list of P.I.M.-enabled cameras, software and printers is available at www.printimagematching.com.

    About Epson

    Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image output products for the consumer, business, photography, and graphic arts markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale (POS) printers and transaction terminals for the retail market. Founded in 1975, Epson America, Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration, and energy efficiency. Epson America, Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif.

    For more information on Epson and its products, call 1-800-GO-EPSON (1-800-463-7766) or visit the company's Web site at www.epson.com.

    Note: Epson and EPSON Stylus are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corp. Third party brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

    (a) Windows only