Epson on Monday introduced three new “Ultra Hi-Definition” inkjet-based photo printers — the Stylus Photo R260, R380 photo printers and and Stylus Photo RX580 all-in-one system. The R260 is coming in September for $129.99; the R380 and RX580 follow in October for $199.99. They’re all Mac OS X and Windows-compatible.
All three printers use Epson’s “Claria” ink and newly designed print heads, which Epson says provide photo quality and longevity that is smudge, scratch, water and fade-resistant. Faster than before, the printers can output borderless 4 x 6 inch photos in as little as 13 seconds, and can do automatic retouching and photo correction. They also print directly on ink jet-printable CD and DVD media.
The R260 is the entry-level printer, capable of printing from PictBridge-enabled digital cameras and phones. The R380 adds a 3.5-inch color LCD and built-in memory card slots, with image selection, cropping, enlargement and printing capabilities built right in. You can also save photos to and print from external CDs, Zip or Flash memory drives, or print directly from Bluetooth-enabled devices using an optional adapter.
The RX580 adds scanning, printing and copying capabilities to the mix, and uses a 2.5-inch color LCD drive. It can scan at 48-bit, 1200 x 2400 dot per inch resolution, can restore and reprint old photos; duplicates photos and documents without needing a computer to be connected; and can make photo greeting cards.
Epson’s Web site had not been updated with information about the new printers as Macworld posted this article.