Epson have introduced the Stylus Photo 900, a new USB-based inkjet printer that has the ability to print directly on CD and DVD media without using adhesive labels. It's the second product in Epson's line to do so, and the first to be offered for less than $200 (£125), according to the company.
The Stylus Photo 900 sports a 6-color ink system and can print at up to 5760 x 720 dots per inch. The printer's heads spray 4 picoliter ink droplets. In addition to printing on optical media, the Stylus Photo 900 is also designed to work as a "regular" color printer. The printer can output digital photos on borderless 4 x 6, 5 x 7, 8 x 10 inch and letter-sized photo papers from Epson, with speeds of up to 50 seconds per 4 x 6 inch prints. The Stylus Photo 900 supports PRINT Image Matching II and Exif Print technology to help improve digital photo output quality from compatible cameras.
Using inkjet-printable CD-R and DVD-R recordable media from companies including Imation, Maxell, Memorex, Mitsui, TDK and Verbatim, you can print directly onto the disc rather than using an adhesive label. Handy, according to Epson, because adhesive labels can delaminate over time and potential damage drives; it also involves fewer steps and less room for error than printing an adhesive label and then applying it to the surface of a disc. CD printing software is included. Users place the disc in a tray that protects it as it makes its way through the printer's straight-through path.
In addition to inkjet-printable media and borderless paper, the Stylus Photo 900 can print on cut-sheet paper from 3.5 to 8.5 inches wide and supports media up to 1.3mm thick. It also comes with a roll paper holder accessory for printing on continuous rolls.
All of the included software is Mac-compatible, according to Epson. The Stylus Photo 900 ships with CD design and printing software, Epson Software Film Factory, and PRINT Image Matching Plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop 6.0 and 7.0 and Elements 1.0 and 2.0. Discus EP software is provided for Mac OS X (news - web sites) users, specifically.
Coming at the end of April, the Stylus Photo 900 carries an estimated street price of US$199.
