This is from a newsletter at InkJet Art, where I get most of my inkjet supplies. Interesting developments in both the low-end and high-end.

Inkjet NEWS & Tips

ENTER EPSON'S NEW "PICTUREMATE" INKJET PRINTER. Evidently, Epson's research is already well ahead of PMA's because Epson thinks they've found the answer to increasing it's revenues by letting consumers make prints from their digital images, and Epson's solution will further dilute the revenue of many PMA's members! Epson's new "PictureMate" is a small, portable and very "hip" inkjet printer that is designed to do just one thing and do it very well: conveniently make 4" x 6" glossy prints from digital images, and at a cost of only 29 cents each. PictureMate will be available this summer, at a cost of $199. PictureMate Print Packs will include a photo cartridge and glossy photo paper for approximately 100 4" x 6" photos (selling for $29). Everything you need is conveniently packaged together. It's as easy as picking up a roll of film. PictureMate is made to take frustration out of digital print making for the consumer. No computer is needed. Simply connect your camera to the printer, or insert your digital memory into one of the printer's media slots. You can print in color, B/W, or sepia tone. Print borderless or with borders. Print proof sheets, wallets or even crop your images --all without a computer. With 6-color ink printing at the highest resolution in the industry (5760 x 1440 dpi), PictureMate will produce prints that equal and even exceed photo lab quality, right in your own home.

Here is the PictureMate at the Epson site.

MUSEUM OF FINE ART, BOSTON USING EPSON PRODUCTS FOR THEIR REPRODUCTIONS Norio Niwa, Executive Vice President of Seiko Epson, with four Monet reproductions by the MFA, Boston Last Thursday evening, as part of the PMA show, the Epson gave a party for its employees, dealers and other business associates at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. On display were five framed reproduction prints of some of Claude Monet's most famous paintings --all printed on Epson's new UltraSmooth Fine Art Paper. All five reproductions were printed by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Quoting the MFA about these reproductions: "The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston produces Fine Art Prints made from high-resolution digital photographs with the aid of state-of-the-art digital technology. Our digital imaging specialists carefully color match the printed reproduction against the original work of art in our collection, thus ensuring the highest degree of fidelity." [...] But Epson guests that night were able to see something that regular patrons of the gallery will probably never see again. Standing on an easel next to five of Monet's original oils were framed reproductions made with the Epson 9600 on UltraSmooth paper. Just for this night, by special arrangement, Epson guests were able to see a side-by-side comparison of the original and the "Epson" reproduction. The reproductions were so incredibly close to the originals, it was amazing. Other visitors at the gallery that night (who were not guests of Epson) kept wondering why there were "two" paintings of some of Monet's work, and "What was the difference between the two"?! Naturally, we enjoyed telling them the "why" and the "what for".

Here are the MFA fine art prints. Pretty cool!

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