December 18, 2010

New Epson Professional Printers


Frederic
Hello friends and welcome to our newsletter! Today I want to bring to you three new products from Epson with incredible features that you cannot miss. It was only a matter of time before Epson engineers found a way to push ink jet technology to the next level. 

By incorporating the most advanced technologies Epson has to offer, this could possibly be the most advanced photographic printers ever developed.

The models I’m talking about are the Epson Stylus Pro 4900, Epson Stylus Pro 7890 and 9890 printers which cover a wide printing spectrum from standard photo printing to signage and color proofing projects.


New Epson Stylus Pro 4900 printer


Designed to redefine the standard for photographic print quality, the 17” Epson Stylus Pro 4900 incorporates the latest achievements in professional-level ink jet technology. By combining the precision of the exclusive MicroPiezo® TFP® print head with the extraordinary performance of Epson UltraChrome® HDR Ink, the newest generation of Epson Stylus Pro printers continue to represent a level of technology unprecedented in Epson's history.
Handling virtually any media type, in both roll and cut-sheet up to 17-inch wide, the Epson Stylus Pro 4900 continues to set the standard for professional media use.  And for the first time, you can have both the front paper tray and roll feeder loaded with different media types and automatically switch between them as you print.
The advanced Epson MicroPiezo TFP print head is capable of producing higher quality prints, at speeds up to twice as fast as the previous generation. And, with the latest ink-repelling coating and auto nozzle verification technologies, clogged nozzles are virtually eliminated.



New Epson Stylus Pro 7890 and 9890 printers

Representing a new standard of excellence, the Epson Stylus Pro 890 series incorporates the latest achievements in photographic ink jet technology. By combining the precision of the MicroPiezo® TFP® print head with the proven performance of the eight-color Epson UltraChrome K3® with Vivid Magenta, the newest generation of Epson Stylus Pro printers continue to represent a level of technology. The Stylus Pro 7890 has a maximum width of 24" while the Stylus Pro 9890 is 44" wide.

Let me explain a bit about the Epson UltraChrome K3 with Vivid Magenta. It utilizes eight colors - including auto-switching Photo and Matte Black inks - while setting the benchmark standard for the industry.


This 890 series also incorporates the new AccuPhoto™ HD screening technology as the 4900 series. And remember that like the other higher-end Stylus Pro 900 series printers, Epson has developed, in partnership with X-Rite®, a high performance, in-line spectrophotometer for commercial proofing applications. When driven by the latest Front-end RIPs, the SpectroProofer® can automate virtually any color management process in your workflow.

Well, this has been a very short list of features and would probably take me a few more pages to describe these new printers so, as I usually say,  call us or visit our showroom for more details.

It’s been my pleasure to share all this with you, thank you for reading!

Frederic Friedmann

If you wish to receive our newsletters by email, click the button below.
You may cancel your subscription anytime.

Colorburst's Overdrive RIP Software


Frederic


Hello Friends and welcome to this newsletter. Today's subject is a great software tool that can increase your productivity by boosting your print driver with award-winning color management technology from ColorBurst : Overdrive.

Overdrive is a PostScript RIP that delivers high-end color, accurate proofing and Pantone matching. Overdrive can use any paper manufacturer's RGB ICC profiles and is available for Mac OS X only.

Raster Image Processor
RIP stands for Raster Image Processor, which is the way of converting your images into a format that the printer understands. The RIP software executes many operations in the process: it converts the RGB images into CMYK, it applies color profiles, scales the image to the desired size and resolution, etc. A pre-release version of Overdrive named "ColorBurst RGB XProof" has been deemed the winner in the RIP category in the 2010 DIMA Digital Printer Shoot-Out.

This early version of Overdrive made the winning prints in six categories even before reaching the market! I keep telling my customers: "Why waste valuable time manually configuring your print driver with every single print?" There's no need to risk wasted ink and paper "accidents" due to forgotten or mismatched menu selections. Overdrive lets you build print environments so there's only one selection needed at print time. Page format and color errors are minimized by merging all of your printing parameters into a single click.

Job Management
Overdrive offers Job Management normally only seen in much more expensive RIP applications, files and folders can be dropped directly into the Job Manager, opened from the File Open menu, placed or saved to the optional Hot Folder, or even dropped on the Overdrive application icon. Jobs can be reordered, deleted, or placed on hold to be processed later so you are in full control of the workflow.

Great File Support
Overdrive provides full PostScript and Raster File support including EPS, PS, and PDF files and is so flexible that can even handle Camera RAW and Adobe's Photoshop PSD images. Just imagine how handy it could be to retouch an image in Photoshop and send it directly to the printer knowing it will produce outstanding results. Furthermore, it has Adobe black point compensation built-in so the output matches Adobe Photoshop exactly, so users can get the expected results from Overdrive. Other file formats processed by this program include RGB, CMYK, and grayscale 8-bit and 16-bit support for TIFF (LZW compression is supported), JPEG, J2K, BMP, PICT and PNG.


Available Printer's Widths
Overdrive doesn't replace your printer's driver entirely but rather works together with it while handling the color profiles. Presently Overdrive is available for 17" wide, 24" wide, 44" wide and 64" wide printers so make sure you order the one specific for your printer.

PANTONE Library
Your proofing jobs are also covered as Overdrive includes a full licensed PANTONE Color Library together with proprietary AutoSpot technology that greatly improves the accuracy of Pantone colors.

Overdrive provides you with peace of mind when printing because all colors are handled automatically during processing.

And I could carry on naming features but why don't you call us today or visit us for more details?

Thank you for reading.

If you wish to receive our newsletters by email, click the button below.
You may cancel your subscription anytime.

September 01, 2010

Hahnemuhle FineArt Media


Frederic


Hello friends, and welcome to our newsletter. Today I will describe ways of printing images and making them look like real art pieces. To do that we can definitely rely on a company with more than 400 years experience producing paper.  Founded in 1584, Hahnemühle is the oldest German paper mill still producing papers for traditional and digital art. With such a reputation you can expect the best results when using their products.

The Hahnemühle papers provide an impressive and unique way to combine the precision of digital print media with the wonderful grace of genuine artist papers made in a traditional way. Take for instance the Canvas assortment for FineArt inkjet printing offers a wide choice of canvas made from cotton or poly-cotton. With its selection of colours and structures the assortment enables every artwork to have a unique character. Very popular among professionals are the Daguerre and Monet Canvas.

The Daguerre Canvas offers a fine structure which is particularly good for fine art photo printing. Its bright white point provides clear, fresh colors and contrasts for black and white reproductions. The A3 format, which is available in 20 sheet boxes, is ideal for stretching canvas of 8x10" with  400 gsm (grams per square meter), Poly-Cotton and bright white base.

The Monet Canvas is a heavy cotton canvas with a woven pattern. Its natural white color is perfect for art reproduction, but also works well for high quality photo printing. Monet Canvas is also available in A3 format in 20 sheet boxes, 410 gsm and 100% Cotton. This canvas papers can be assembled in a beautiful photo wrap specially designed for them. That’s right, the Hahnemuhle Gallerie Photo Wrap is a quick and easy way to give any picture a gallery wrapped look.

The Photo Wraps do not require positioning corners and they are packaged with two sheets of either Monet Canvas in 10x16” or 6x8” sizes,   or Daguerre Canvas in 10x16” or 6x8” sizes. They are very easy to put together and you can have a professional wrap in minutes.

Next in the family of digital printing products are the Matte FineArt papers.  These genuine artist papers made of 100 % cotton or pure alpha cellulose present smooth and textured surfaces and are provided with a matt Premium-Inkjet coating. This special coating permits high quality printings. They are available in a wide range of thickness from 188gsm all the way to 500gsm.

Finally I will like to mention the Glossy FineArt line of artist papers  similar to the Matte FineArt papers,  they are made of 100% cotton or pure alpha cellulose are provided with a Premium-Inkjet coating. The gloss range extends from subtle gloss (satin) to mid lustre (pearl) through to high gloss (baryta).

As you can see, with Hahnemühle we can produce fantastic results in at a very convenient price. Contact us for more details and to find out which paper will be perfect for your next Fine Art printing.

Thank you very much for reading!

 

If you wish to receive our newsletters by email, click the button below.
You may cancel your subscription anytime.

August 25, 2010

Increase your business revenue


Frederic

Hello friends and welcome to our newsletter. A few months ago, I was talking with an old friend of mine and he mentioned his worries about not finding a way of increasing his business’ profits in this slow economy.  He owns a cute souvenir and candy shop in the downtown area that is visited by both tourists and locals alike and close to many foreign consulates and government offices.

I suggested him to include a photo-kiosk to take advantage of the location and all the features offered by the new technologies available. I remember that when I mentioned the word photography he looked at me in disbelief because he thought my proposal would require installing a huge laboratory and getting rid of the chocolates, caps and mugs from the inventory.


Then I explained to him how small these kiosks are nowadays and that he could have one on top of a counter without altering the rest of his shop. The model I recommended him was the Mitsubishi DPS Express Lab which is a truly affordable entry into the highly profitable digital photo printing market. Together with the CP-9550 DW-U printer there is enough flexibility to print in different sizes: 4 x 6", 5 x 7", 6 x 8", 6 x 9" depending on the media installed.

This incredible mini-lab includes some of the most useful features that translate in extra value to the customers. For instance, anybody can connect a memory card to view the images on the touch-screen, select the ones to print, automatically remove red eyes and more. These self-serve features allow my friend to take care of the rest of the sales as he and his wife are the only ones working at the counter without additional employees. And it is so easy to transport that they sometimes take it with them to different events, like School Soccer games, weddings, etc.


In my friend's case, he took the ID Photo capabilities of the kiosk to new levels: with so many people applying for tourist visas and passports at the surrounding offices he pretty soon found new customers lining up to have their ID pictures taken. The Express Lab’s software has an option to create an ID Photo  too  that automatically prints to the specifications of many ID and passport regulations. 

 There are other valuable options available to the customer that can make their trip to the Express Lab more fun: Calendars, Collage, Multi-print and Mosaic. They can even create a CD or DVD backup disk with the contents of their camera memory cards in minutes thanks to the systems CD/DVD drive. And if you like the idea of having a photo lab in your business and would like to go one notch up, the DPS Click 5000 from Mitsubishi Photo Imaging is the next step in advanced digital printing. The system is a fully integrated, digital photofinishing system that provides immediate profit potential to any retail storefront or on-site event printing.



Or still a bit further, the self service DPS Kiosk 7000 incorporates a wide range of versatile performance features including multiple printer hookups, Bluetooth® wireless technology compatibility; several print size options, index printing, and can accept prepaid photo cards.  The DPS 7000 also offers additional high margin revenue opportunities by offering a variety of photo gifts including greeting cards, 'customer assembled' Photo Albums, Calendars, Photo Box Organizers and more. With these additional Photo Gift products, your photo business can really take off and grow. 

I could keep on writing about these systems’ features and benefits but why don’t you better give us a call or, better still, come to our showroom any time and I will have the pleasure of showing you what I am talking about.

Thank you very much for reading!

If you wish to receive our newsletters by email, click the button below.
You may cancel your subscription anytime.

August 16, 2010

EPSON Signature Worthy Papers



Frederic
Hello friends and welcome to our newsletter. This week I'm bringing important information about Epson Signature Worthy Papers and I hope it will help you choose the right paper for your next Fine Art project. These cotton-based photographic papers are the finest in the market and deserve serious consideration when searching for the right media.

The line's Signature Worthy, carries more meaning than just a brand name. When a professional photographer signs a print he is doing far more than writing his name at the bottom of the frame. With the signature the artist is declaring that the print was produced using the best available technology and that the printer, ink and media employed matched perfectly to create a piece of art that, in turn, becomes a tangible Value.




Don't miss these great artists sharing their experiences with you!


• Lois Greenfield:

Hot Press Bright

• David Lynch:

Hot Press Natural


• Matthew J. Smith:

Cold Press Bright


• Vincent Versace:

Cold Press Natural



When dealing with fine art we have to keep in mind that the print is what actually sells, shows the image, lasts decades and gets put on the wall. That's why the choice of paper becomes so important. Epson's Signature Worthy papers use cotton as their supporting base which confers that incredible texture that is recognized by the world's greatest artists. They come in five different types: Hot Press Bright, Hot Press Natural, Cold Press Bright, Cold Press Natural and Velvet Fine Art.

Hot Press Bright paper produces fantastic results both in B&W and Color. Photographers claim that for the first time they can have real blacks plus the whole range of grays. The colors are rich with smooth tonal transitions. The combination of texture and image creates prints with a unique “feel", depth and richness.

Hot Press Natural paper has the same characteristics of the Bright type with an off-white tone that makes it feel more organic and ideal for skin tones. Both papers are thick and feel different than other media when they are held, in fact most photographers agree that many customers are sold once the actually feel the print in their hands and realize the real value they are getting.

Cold Press Bright paper transmits a new energy to the prints with excellent variations of skin tones too. They help connect the viewer to the image in an almost magic way. Together with the Cold Press Natural they convert a print into a collectible piece of art. Images come alive showing textures, colors and shades that stand out.

Velvet Fine Art papers bring an almost tactile presence to the prints. Their inherent lack of surface reflection makes them the ideal choice for images that look like paintings and a new dimension of photography printing is available. Photos that actually look like xerography are possible with this great media.
The Signature Worthy Papers by Epson come in a wide variety of sizes and formats ranging from the classic 8.5"x11" Sheets all the way to 60" wide Rolls. Give us a call or visit our show room and we will be glad to give you more specific advice about these products.

Thank you very much for reading!




If you wish to receive our newsletters by email, click the button below.
You may cancel your subscription anytime.

August 11, 2010

Increase Your Event-Shooting Profits


Dodge


Hello again! Today I would like to talk about a new approach to events photography and how to stand out from nowadays’ competition. We all know how fast technology advances and how hard it is to keep up with it. Our cameras and lenses have improved over the years and we have enough megapixels in our sensors to take care of almost every job and this is particularly true when dealing with events shooting where capturing the moment is more important that being able to produce a huge poster for a shopping center campaign.


So here we are, in the middle of a soccer game for first graders, equipped with our cameras, lenses, flash, batteries and the rest of the rig. The whole event will probably last two hours and we have to capture as many good shots as possible and, most important of all: engage the proud parents to purchase the photos before they head back home!

Of course there are many ways to operate under these circumstances. One way would be to shoot in location, print back at the office and then take the proofs to the school some other day for the parents to choose the ones they like. This obviously involves a lot of time and effort before the customer eventually commits to purchasing your work. We can also shoot then download the images to a Laptop connected to the photo printer and have the photos printed during the event. Not bad, but there’s still a better, faster way of doing it: using a wireless photo transmitter and a wireless printer.

Today more and more professional photographers benefit from the use of HiTi P510Si wireless enabled printer together with HiTi’s WFT510 transmitter. This combination really speeds up the process in a way that we could only dream a couple of years ago. You can be shooting in the middle of the game and simply by pressing a button, your selected images get transferred almost instantly over to the printer. The P510Si outputs a 6x4 print every 12 seconds and employs rolls of up to 330 pictures for uninterrupted, jams-free production. Besides the 6x4 rolls, the P510Si also accepts 5x7 and 6x9 in convenient Paper and Ribbon packages.


An assistant can then place the prints in TAP’s Event Folders making the presentation much more professional as you increase the value added to your work and, at the same time, offer an almost irresistible product to the parents. A very nice option is the TAP Fantasy 7x5 Event Folder with room for two images or the classic TAP Marathon Ebony. Your customers will be able to buy the prints while being still under the emotion of the moment, not several days later. That alone can make a huge difference in sales.

Just think of all the new possibilities you could be exploiting with a HiTi P510Si and the WFT510 transmitter. Range is incredible too: over 300ft (100mts) which means freedom for you and your camera.
For your next event, may it be a school game or a wedding, consider going wireless. The results will speak for themselves.

Thank you very much for reading.

If you wish to receive our newsletters by email, click the button below.
You may cancel your subscription anytime.

July 26, 2010

Review of the Shinko Professional Printers


Adriana Martinez
Today, I asked one of my clients their opinion on the printer they own, and if they would want to share their experiences. I can tell you that I think the Shinko S2145 is an excellent piece of hardware, but consumer reviews are one of the most important things I look for when purchasing items.

"It is very fast, and easy to reload the paper and film. Colors are very vivid, the clarity is excellent. It makes it very easy when producing a large volume of photos."

"I would like some software that allows photo sets to be printed. In the near future, I'd like to purchase the printer that would allow larger prints/sets to be printed. This would allow a broader clientele."


"If I had to say anything for improvement, it would be that a catcher for the photos should be included with the purchase of the photo printer."

A couple months ago, I received an Email from a customer who was looking for a dye-sublimation printer that could print fast, had high resolution, wireless options, and would be able to print matte and glossy without having to change the media. Fortunately, this Shinko covered all of my client's needs and more; and it's very rewarding be able to recommend a printer that will suit these demands.

Why Shinko? Very simple, the S2145 balances high-speed, high quality, and low cost. A professional caliber 6"x9"photo is produced in as little as 15 seconds, with as many as 310 prints per roll, making it 2-3 times faster than most comparable cut-sheet printers. The roll media allows 700 4"x6" prints, which is over 20 times the capacity of most cut sheet printers. Ideal for use in kiosks and high productivity locations, multiple printers can also be networked for even higher productivity; and at full capacity it can operate unattended for over two hours without needing to be serviced - it can be used virtually anywhere!


But I don't want to talk to you about the technicalities or the specs of these printers, but to advise and guide you to the right printer for your business needs.

I was at the fair the other day with my family, and we watched a sea lion show. The show was great, and at the end they offered us to take a family picture with these beautiful creatures. We went ahead and took the photos, and when they showed us the pictures - everything was yellow and shoddy. Honestly, I took the picture home with me because they were free, but I wouldn't have paid for those images, they were terrible! Now that I'm working with digital printers and learning more about each of them, I can recognize the quality of a printer. Time and Presentation are keys to sell, but without Quality, you may not get the desired results.

I'd like to thank Mr. Cecil Daniel for the interview, and for all these reasons and more, I'm very pleased to have brought you Shinko again in my newsletter. Thank you so much for your valuable time, and I hope I was able to clear some doubts about these amazing machines. If you have any other questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

This has been Adriana from Image Pro, thanks for reading!



HiTi 510Si Wireless Printing Solution


Frederic Friedmann


We recently tested the HiTi 510Si photo printer – a new device that allows instant wireless printing from your camera in conjunction with the HiTi WFT510 transmitter.

We were happily surprised by how easy it was to set up and how fast and unproblematic we were able to take the pictures, select the photo we wanted, and send to print while continuing to shoot.

 HiTi’s Direct Wireless Printing solution allows users to transmit images from a PictBridge compatible digital camera to a photo printer wirelessly. This leaves the photographer free to move around while taking photos and sending selected photos to print, while the printer is working independently and not taking up the photographer’s valuable time. This solution includes the HiTi WFT510 Transmitter and the HiTi P510Si, a standalone roll-type photo printer with wireless functionality.
HiTi’s WFT510 is now the only wireless photo transmitter designed to work with PictBridge compatible digital cameras on the market, and it has proven itself by winning the DIMA 2009 Innovative Digital Product Award.
We’ve heard great things from many of our event photographers who purchased the combo HiTi510Si printer and WFT 510 transmitter to print on the fly their photos at events across the country. We have been discouraged by complicated systems in the past, like the Wi-Pics device, and we did not expect for this system to work so well, so easily, and best of all at such a bargain price (the Printer + the transmitter will cost you about $1500 right now at our imagepro.biz shop).

The possibility to create digital frames and logos and import it directly to the printer was a big hit with our customers, as well as the fact that it comes with a card reader and a mini 3.6” LCD touch screen to print directly from the printer itself, avoiding the need to drag a laptop along to the event. Best of all, the printer weighs in at only 30lbs, giving it excellent portability to go with it’s technology.


The printer has different media sizes available to suit a wide range of needs - 4x6, 5x7, 6x8, or 6x9 images.
The printer also comes with 4 software bundles for FREE:

• eFrame Converter – Easily convert the digital frames or logos you’ve created as TIFF files into files the HiTi can read and use as it’s photo templates.

• EventDesiree Deluxe - For users who want to print a large quantity of photos under limited time constraints.

• ID creator - Multiple ID formats and templates in a few simple steps.

• IDQuickDesiree – Lets you print Passport or ID photos with ease.

By installing the WFT PC Kit bundled with the WFT510, users can also transmit image data directly to a computer, which further enhances the flexibility of the kit. The HiTi WFT510 comes at an affordable price, allowing consumers to enjoy wireless transmission function on their digital cameras just like the high-end DSLR camera users.
We believe that the HiTi P510Si, with it’s integrated wireless technology and direct wireless printing capability, light weight, and ample media range, provides the most convenient and cost efficient printing method for event photographers.

This has been Frederic from Image Pro, thanks for reading!

New Canon Large Format Printers

Dodge Sanchez
Dodge


Hi guys, my name is Dodge, and I’ll be your inside source on the newest tech on the ImagePro showroom floor! In March, we announced the arrival of three new Canon printers, the 44-inch iPF8300 and 24-inch imagePROGRAF iPF6350 and iPF6300 large format printers.

We just got our hands on the iPF6350 (still sitting out in our showroom for demonstration if you’d like to pass by), and these new additions to the Graphic Arts line are designed for precise, high quality print performance and increased productivity.

Each model features Canon’s new 12-Color LUCIA EX pigment ink system and advanced printing technologies - specifically developed to produce prints with an enhanced color range and improved durability.  These new imagePROGRAF models represent a good solution for the graphic, fine art, photography and proofing markets.
The major improvement in these 3 new printers is related to a major improvement in the color gamut over the previous generation.
To enhance its available color spectrum, the new imagePROGRAF models feature an all-new 12-Color LUCIA EX pigment ink set increasing the achievable color gamut by approximately 20 percent from the previous imagePROGRAF iPFx100 series and enabling over 90 percent coverage of PANTONE ® colors to produce rich expression. Additionally, to better meet the needs of the professional print market, the new models feature a reinforced mechanical structure to enable precise ink placement for improved text and line accuracy, making these new devices a powerful proofing solution.
The LUCIA EX inks have achieved enhanced black reproduction by improving the black tone and black density, which allows for the reproduction of the finest details in the shadow areas of photographs.  Also, a polymer has been added to strengthen the bond in the ink layer, making the output much less susceptible to external scratches.  With a built-in calibration feature, the printers are equipped with the ability to easily reset back to the original optimal factory settings; creating a stable, predictable printing platform on which superior results can be consistently achieved.   Improvements to the ink, hardware and software make these printers an optimal choice for those in the Photography, Graphics, and Fine Art and Proofing environments.

To fully capitalize on the dynamic color range of the new LUCIA EX ink set, each new imagePROGRAF model employs two advanced one-inch print heads, each featuring 2,560 nozzles per color and outputting a super fine four picoliter droplet at a full 2400x1200 dots-per-inch resolution to reproduce details with extraordinary accuracy and clarity. Paired with enhanced plug-ins and new, High Precision Printing Modes, these new imagePROGRAF models provide an extremely high level of photographic and proofing quality prints.
Another major feature of this printer is that in order to support high-volume printing and streamline workflows the Canon iPF6350 come equipped with an 80 GB high-capacity hard disk drive (HDD) that allows for faster spooling of large files as well as the ability to reprint jobs directly from the printer. To ensure the highest level of productivity and reduce overall print time, all new models are also equipped with a standard gigabit Ethernet network interface and an automatic dual-blade cutter.
These new printers provide users with a wide array of media options ranging from glossy to fine art to canvas. The variety of media available for the new iPF8300 and iPF6350/6300 provides the versatility and flexibility to complete any number of industry applications. For a list of media types please visit: Canon Media  Additional marketing, pricing and promotion information is located at Canon Promotions.

We liked what we’ve seen so far produced by our iPF6350, and the new imagePROGRAF printers show a clear improvement over the last generation, making these 3 machines very strong contenders even for the most exigent professional.

This has been Dodge from ImagePro, and thanks for your time!

July 22, 2010

Hahnemühle Professional Media


Lahcen

I am happy today to discuss the Hahnemühle line, since we are now an Official distributor! The Hahnemühle product line is made up of the highest quality digital papers, as well as eco-friendly media, and even a do-it-yourself canvas wrap system.

I’ve had clients asking me for their line for months now, and if you weren’t one of them before, you’ll surely be one now! First and foremost – Hahnemühle is Fine Art, High-Quality digital media.

In being a higher-end media, the quality of their media is consistently awarded for excellent color range, rendering, and gradation. Their Digital FineArt Collection is divided into three product lines: Glossy FineArt, Matte FineArt, and Canvas FineArt; each delivering their superior quality on a variety of textures and gsm’s.

After our first test prints using Hahnemühle’s media on our Epson Stylus Pro 9900 and Canon iPF6350 in the showroom, I was astonished by the side-by-side comparisons with the same print by other paper manufacturers coming off the same printer! The differences were stark; the colors on the Hahnemühle media looked more vibrant and distinct, and looked like they were printed by a completely different machine. If you are currently in the business of high-quality printing, whether for art or photography reproduction, you need media such as Hahnemühle’s FineArt Pearl; with an ISO brightness of 105%, 320 gsm, and triple coated to provide flawless reproductions. Hahnemühle also provides its own ICC profiles, free of charge, for a myriad of printer/media combinations to increase color accuracy and repeatability.

Another interesting aspect of Hahnemühle is their Green Rooster movement; an environmental initiative to reduce carbon footprint of professional digital printers by creating eco-friendly, but still high-quality, media. A portion of revenue collected by Hahnemühle on products with the Green Rooster label is donated to selected environmental protection projects, and even though the media is made up of highly renewable materials, it still ranks better in color reproduction and quality than many others.

My favorite from the lineup is Bamboo - particularly suitable for warm-toned color and monochrome prints, and it is the world’s first digital fine art inkjet paper made from bamboo fibers!

At the last WPPI show in Vegas, I attended Hahnemühle’s showing and was impressed by their new Gallerie Wrap system. It allows artists and non-artists alike to create professional quality gallery wraps in mere minutes. It is a complete system of easy-to-use fastening components and stretching frames to accommodate most popular imaging formats.

You make the canvas print on your Hahnemühle media and printer, then take the print and stretch, fasten, and secure it to the frame in less than 5 minutes! See how easy it is in this video:

Feel free to contact me or come visit our showroom and look at some of the prints we have made using this media; I know once you see it in person, you’ll be sold!

July 13, 2010

Answering your questions about the Epson Stylus Pro 7900/9900



Frederic


Hello again! Many of you are asking about the wide format Epson Stylus Pro 7900/9900 series of professional printers and this week I'm answering some of your questions. Both printers share the same technical specifications the only difference being the maximum widths they can handle: 24" and 44" respectively. Epson introduced a range of innovations on this series that make the printers top of the line.



The image quality together with the wide range of media makes them highly versatile. From fine art and photography to signage and color proofing, you can benefit with the new technologies put into the 7900/9900 printers. They are simply amazing. Take the 11-color inks for instance. With the introduction of UltraChrome® HDR ink you have one of the widest color gamut ever at your disposition. There are three different ink container sizes to choose from depending on your printing requirements. The UltraChrome® HDR T642 have 150ml of ink per color, while the UltraChrome® HDR T596 have 350ml and the UltraChrome® HDR T636 offer 700ml, ideal for intensive overnight printing.

There's also the right media for your application, no compromises here. The Fine Art papers and canvas bring you the possibilities of choosing between Gloss, Matte, Velvet, Satin, Textured and more. Same for Photographic and Coated papers and media. The signage industry can obtain great results with the transparent backlight, clear film or adhesive synthetic paper. And when it comes to color proofing, Epson offers you more than 40 different types of media like, Standard Proofing Paper, CrystalClear Film and Publication.





Even if you need to print black and white images you can select from Normal, Cool and Warm tones to suit your project as it simultaneously uses Black, Light Black, and Light Light Black inks which significantly improves the gray balance while eliminating color casts. The results of this new smooth contrast range are just impressive. Together with the new inks comes a new print head, the MicroPiezo TFP™ with its automatic nozzle checking and cleaning making clogged nozzles part of the past. No more wasting ink and media before realizing that the printer is not performing at its peak.



I deal with professional photographers daily and they share their experiences about working with these printers with me. They love the idea of being able to print their work themselves and get astonishing results print after print. Rich, accurate color, high quality output and the variety of certified media available both in cut sheets and rolls are some of the reasons of their higher productivity and shorter turnaround times.



And if you are in the commercial proofing business I have good news for you too. Developed in partnership with X-Rite, Epson has incorporated an optional, high performance, in-line spectrophotometer. When driven by the latest front-end RIPs, Epson SpectroProofer™ can automate any color management process in your commercial proofing workflow. This invaluable tool can be installed in minutes to increase the color accuracy of the printer. But that’s not the only advantage for your proofing needs, just consider the fact that Epson achieves 98% PANTONE color coverage, quite possibly the best proofing system available today!



This is just a brief description of all the resources of these two printers. If you are a professional photographer wishing to have an in-house printing solution or if you are in the photo printing and/or color proofing business you’ll love the Epson 7900/9900 series. And your customers too…




This is all for today folks, thank you very much for reading.







If you wish to receive our newsletters by email, click the button below.

You may cancel your subscription anytime.


June 24, 2010

PhotoFusion Store




Visit PhotoFusionStore.com



Dodge


Hello again! This week’s newsletter does not cover all the technological details of a new professional printer or other piece of equipment. Today, I would like to talk about an online service that will help you create fantastic photo products easily and at a very competitive price: PhotoFusionStore.com

As you already know, digital photography is more than pointing and clicking and this is true for both the casual amateur and the professional photographer. With PhotoFusion you now have the opportunity of creating amazing Memory Books, Journals, Photo Prints, Calendars and more. It is my favorite tool for printing weddings and other events.


Kathy and George got married last spring and they hired me as a photographer for their wedding. They decided to have the pictures bound on a leather book and also wanted to have some Memory Books to give to their parents and friends plus a bunch of photo prints in a variety of sizes: 4x6, 8x10 and even 20x30. I knew right from the beginning that PhotoFusionStore was going to be the right solution for my project once again. To begin with, registering to the website is as simple as choosing your user name and password, that’s it- within two minutes you’ll be navigating and viewing the different options available.


Let me describe the normal workflow of creating a Memory Book. The first thing you would probably do when starting a project is to upload the images. You can upload as many as you need and even group them into different folders that can be named in a useful way (Usually I upload all the pictures and print a Proof Book for the customer to review). Then you select the Product you want to create from a pull-down menu, in this example it will be Memory Books, the very first option at the top. In the next steps you choose the cover type, color and size. There is variety of sizes available ranging from small 3.5x3.5in. up to 12x12in Square, Portrait and Landscape. My favorite for weddings is 12x8 as it renders a very well balanced format and the photos look terrific.



You can choose from several templates or create your own design. The background image for instance, may be one of the images uploaded by you or you can select one from stock. I like to use a rich pattern image and then change its opacity to around 20%. Monochrome or sepia backgrounds are very interesting too and make the main images stand out. You can select the font style, size and color too. The next step assembles the book automatically and renders a preview that can be browsed and even lets you edit any page. Yes, you can resize, crop and rotate the photos as required before sending the project to print. The price of the project is always visible at the lower right corner so there will be no surprises at checkout time.


Needless to say, Kathy and George were delighted about the books and they ordered a couple of Day Planners to show the images of their honeymoon in Europe.  Now it’s your turn: go to PhotoFusionStore.com, register and create several projects, there won’t be any charges until you place an order so have some fun! For best results I use the browser Firefox, from Mozilla.

Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy using PhotoFusion as much as I do.



If you wish to receive our newsletters by email, click the button below.
You may cancel your subscription anytime.




Become a fan of ImagePro.biz



Follow us on Tweeter



Read reviews and more

Followers