Epson today announced the Gemini Professional Portrait Printing System, designed for professional photographers. Not only is the new system Mac compatible, it is, for now, Mac only. The company said they plan to release a PC compatible version sometime in the future.
The Gemini system features two Epson ink jet printers, a server, proprietary software, an uninterrupted power supply, USB connectivity and a system rack with touch screen control for the server. The printers boast up to 1440 x 720 dpi hardware resolution and variable sized three-picoliter droplets.
“Until now, studios have had to rely on their labs’ schedules and often have lost valuable delivery time,” said Tim Mathiesen, Gemini product manager. “Now photographers will have less frustration as they control not only the quality of their output but also their turnaround time. It’s like adding a 13th month of sales in their shooting schedule because they aren’t dependent on the lab’s cutoff dates to meet their deadlines, especially during busy seasons.”
Using the system, photographers can print a high-quality 8 x 10 photograph in about 3.5 minutes and can match the quality of a silver halide-based 8 x 10 photograph in about 5.5 minutes. Gemini has four 50-sheet capacity paper trays that handle a variety of media up to 13 x 19.
Epson will release Gemini at the Professional Photographers of America’s Imaging 2001 trade show in Rosemont, Ill., Aug. 3-8. The system will be available for lease on a cost-per-print basis that is competitive with traditional printing in the first quarter of 2002, according to the company.
Epson did not specify Mac system requirements, including OS X in their announcement.
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