Epson Targets Counterfeit Cartridges In Australia & NZ

Here is another country where Epson is trying to get rit off competition.

"Epson Australia is following through strongly on Epson's global push to deter counterfeit copies and patent infringements of the ink and cartridge technology used in Epson inkjet printers.

In Australia and New Zealand Epson employs private investigators to trace sales of possible counterfeit cartridges and help prosecute offenders. They are also looking at imported non-genuine cartridges being sold as compatible with Epson printers to see if they violate any of Epson’s patents. This follows Epson’s successful actions on patent infringements internationally."

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Epson PM250 printer

TERRY LANE
November 23, 2006
LiveWire


Epson PM250 printer, Price: $330, Highly Recommended

Lowdown: This printer is a dedicated postcard (10x15 cm) portable printer. It is intended as a stand-alone printer for use without a computer and has both a carry handle and optional battery to enhance portability. The printer has Pictbridge for direct connection to a camera and slots for every type of memory card. There is also a USB socket for computer connection and provision for Bluetooth transmission. To keep the operation really simple, the ink and paper come in a "picture pack", which includes 150 sheets of paper and a single ink cartridge containing all the colours (rrp $42.50). There is a small LCD screen through which photos can be selected and marked for printing and that provides for some rudimentary quality adjustments. Print speed is not fast but is acceptable.

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Lexmark working hard to right itself

Lexmark working hard to right itself

Stock recovers, but challenges remain
By Scott Sloan
HERALD-LEADER BUSINESS WRITER

A year ago, Lexmark International began a protracted slump when executives cut their third-quarter earnings forecast, sending shares of the company into a tailspin that saw the stock lose almost 30 percent of its value in a single day.

Now, as the company prepares to announce its third-quarter earnings on Tuesday, industry observers say the Lexington-based printer maker continues to face a series of challenges in its quest to turn the business around.

The company has acted quickly in the past year, cutting or transferring hundreds of jobs, closing an inkjet cartridge production plant and focusing its printer introductions on high-growth product segments.

The company also significantly reduced the number of inkjet printers it sells in bundles, printers that executives have said were not producing enough profit.

Investors have rewarded the company's strategy. Before last year's slashed forecast, the company's stock traded in the $60 range, but dropped almost $20 on Oct. 4, 2005. It's recovered throughout the year and is now trading higher than it was before the fall.

But the share price has approached or exceeded the target set by some analysts who, along with industry observers, caution that the company still has a gradual recovery ahead.

"It's hard to turn the battleship around quickly," said Larry Jamieson, director of the Hard Copy Industry Advisory Service at Lyra Research.

Inkjet issues

Among Lexmark's biggest changes in the past year was its decision to withdraw from about 20 percent of its inkjet sales, a group that includes a number of bundling agreements, where purchasers of a computer would receive a free or heavily discounted printer.

The company called some of those agreements bad deals, as consumers fail to buy enough ink cartridges and supplies over the products' lifetimes to offset low profit margins on the initial piece of hardware.

The move has helped Lexmark's gross margin in recent quarters because the inkjets in that group typically had lower margins on hardware sales than inkjet all-in-ones or laser printers.

The tradeoff, said analyst Shannon Cross, is a smaller installed base of customers.

That installed base is relied upon in the long term for sales of supplies like ink and toner. With fewer owners of its inkjet printers Ð albeit owners who didn't print an overwhelming amount Ð the company could face earnings pressures at a time when it needs to be "more aggressive in terms of their investment in the business," said Cross, managing director at Cross Research.

Lexmark is in a quiet period before the announcement and declined to comment for this story.

Part of the company's ongoing strategy is to develop more printers for high-growth product segments.

On the inkjet side, those segments are 3-in-1 and 4-in-1 products, typically referred to as all-in-one printers that include copying, scanning and sometimes faxing functions.

For lasers, the company has focused on color lasers, laser all-in-ones and low-end monochrome laser printers.

In the past year, the company introduced a spate of products in the categories, and continued to invest more money into research and development.

But the research and development budgets pale in comparison to industry behemoth Hewlett-Packard.

"The giant in the industry does about as nice a job as anybody in touching all the bases," Jamieson said. "It's almost like how can the other guys do about the same thing on a more limited budget."

Advertising

Building up brand awareness has been another goal for the company in the past year. It recently launched an advertising campaign that touted how its printers go to work for some of the world's largest businesses.

Jamieson said the company should also consider using its marketing to point out more of the features of Lexmark printers.

"They have some really good feature-rich products," he said, noting the company's progress in reducing the time it takes for a printer to start printing and its inclusion of duplexing features on more models. Duplexing allows printing on both sides of a page.

"You don't have to carry as many papers in your briefcase or you have fewer filing cabinets. The benefit is you're using less space in your office," he said.

Going forward

The company has said it expects third-quarter earnings per share to be 65 cents to 75 cents.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expect 79 cents a share.

Lexmark's forecast amount excludes a charge of 16 cents a share related to a restructuring announced in January that included the closing of an inkjet cartridge manufacturing plant in Scotland.

As part of the plan, the company is eliminating or transferring 1,350 jobs, including up to 200 in Lexington, to countries where wages are lower.

Looking forward, Jamieson said he expects the next year may "still be a tough one to get rolling" for Lexington's largest private employer. "It's a tough battle."

Reach Scott Sloan at (859) 231-1447 or 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 1447, or ssloan@herald-leader.com.

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How to achieve the best refilling results using ink jet cartridge refills

By: Marek Petynka

Recently I come across enquiry regarding the inkjet cartridge not working after refilling.

The person enquiring had a problem because couldn’t utilise his ink cartridges. Didn’t have much luck with refilling his Epson ink cartridge so he decided to purchase another printer and this time choose the Lexmark printer.

Due to very sporadic use of his printer the Lexmark ink jet cartridge dried out before he had a chance to use all the ink in his cartridge. After refilling his ink cartridges the colour Lexmark ink jet cartridge worked well but the black was dead.

This is the common problem with inkjet catridges that have built in print head such as some of the Canon printer ink cartridge eg. PG-40 / 50, CL-41 / 51, most of the HP cartridges, Lexmark and Dell. All these recent inkjet catridges are using pigment based black ink and dye based colour ink with tendency towards pigment based colour inks as well. Pigment based ink is water soluble as long as is wet, similar to the water based paint. As long as the paint is wet the brushes can be washed with water.

Pigment based inks are better compare to dye based inks when it comes to print quality. Printouts are smudge proof and colourfast. These are good qualities as long as one doesn’t intend to refill these cartridges and has a chance to use all the ink before they dry out.

What should we do if we want to refill them?

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New Epson 210 & 250 Photo Printers

Epson PictureMate 250 & 210 Photo Printers

Epson’s new PictureMate 250 and PictureMate 210 4x6 portable home photo lab printers with a host of new features make printing high quality and long lasting photos beautifully simple and affordable for just over 28 cents per print.

The PictureMate 250 and PictureMate 210 use Epson’s photo optimised Claria (tm) Photographic ink with Epson’s PictureMate Glossy Photo Paper to print vibrant photos that have a print life longer than photos printed at a lab.

Epson’s PhotoEnhance software in the PictureMate 250 and PictureMate 210 takes the time and worry out of photo printing by automatically resolving image problems to ensure the finished photo shows the full advantages of the wide colour gamut and superior brilliance of Claria Photographic ink.

PhotoEnhance is a powerful tool that analyses images and corrects common problems encountered by amateur photographers like shadowed faces, backlit images and dull colouring, allowing anyone to create images to admire and share with family and friends.

The large colour LCD screen on the PictureMate 250 allows full PC-free editing of images such as red-eye removal and image cropping, and the creative framing and clip art software allows personalised printing of a single image, a selection of images, or a range of stored images with ease and speed.

With card slots for most digital storage cards, support for PictBridge and a print time of just 42 seconds for a 4x6 BorderFree (tm) photo on the PictureMate 250, the PC-free PictureMates are beautifully simple to operate.

And with the optional Bluetooth module for connections to phones or other portable devices, and an optional rechargeable battery [PictureMate 250 only], the PictureMate is the perfect print-anywhere anytime home photo lab.

Claria photographic ink is the result of decades of research by Epson on ink and paper to produce long print life and brilliant colour that exceeds that available from silver halide and lab photo prints.

Colour photos used to fade because light and gases in the air break the bonds in the dye colour molecules on the print. Now with Claria Photographic ink the dye molecules contain more atoms with tighter bonding, and Epson has aggregated these stronger molecules into clusters and equipped them with atomic shields to reduce the likelihood of breakdown due to light or oxidation, thus giving longer print life of up to 200 years when stored in an album.

Epson has also released a new PicturePack for the PictureMate 210 and PictureMate 250 with a Claria Photographic ink cartridge and 150 sheets of Epson’s PictureMate Glossy Photo Paper that retails for around $42.49 RRP inc GST, making home printing extremely affordable at just over 28 cents per print.

The Epson PictureMate 210 is AUD$249 RRP including GST and is available for purchase at consumer electronics retailers, computer superstores, mass merchandisers, office superstores and selected photo specialty stores.

The Epson PictureMate 250 is AUD$329 RRP including GST and is available through selected retail outlets only.

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New HP All-in-Ones Give Home Users New Standards

New HP All-in-Ones Give Home Users New Standards in Usability Along With True-to-Life Photos and CD/DVD Tattooing

HP today unveiled the HP Photosmart C3183 and HP Photosmart C4183 All-in-One printer, scanner and copiers. The HP All-in-Ones include new HP Photosmart Express software to enable users to access photos quickly and simply, then easily view, organise, share and print them. Four-ink printing with HP Vivera Inks produces rich and realistic photos that resist fading for generations.(1) HP Real-Life Technologies provide features such as red-eye removal, slimming and easy creation of panoramic pictures as well as automatically adjusting lighting to produce the best image possible.

HP’s new CD/DVD tattooing on ultra-thin, highly durable plastic labels creates personalised photo, music and data CDs that look professional.
The HP Photosmart C3183 and C4183 provide:

• Four-ink (six-ink optional) printing with HP Vivera Inks to produce rich and realistic photos that resist fading for generations(1)
• HP Photosmart Express button to make completing your digital photography experience fast and easy – view, print, share and save
• HP Real Life technologies, which automatically removes red-eye and enhances photos with adaptive lighting for professional quality photos at home
• CD tattooing for personalisation of photo, music or data CDs
• Colour and black & white copies and photo reprints without a computer
• Effortless printing of landscapes or other panoramic images with HP panorama photo printing in any size up to 210mmx594mm(2) with or without borders
• HP auto paper type sensor to optimise print and copy quality for various papers
• Intuitive control panel and convenient one-touch buttons that are easy to use

In addition, the HP Photosmart C3183 includes the HP Photosmart Essentials software and the HP Photosmart C4183 includes the HP Photosmart Premier software. This allows users to edit, organise, print, share, archive and create photo projects.

The HP Photosmart C4183 also provides:

• Walk-up and print using the 6.1cm colour image display -- adjusts for optimal viewing from any angle and allows user to select, rotate, crop, zoom and remove red-eye directly from the display without using a computer
• Storable 10x15cm tray for dedicated photo printing
• The HP Document Viewer to easily view, manage and annotate photos and documents

HP offers a wide variety of papers ranging from everyday multipurpose papers to photo and professional brochure and flyer papers. HP recommends the following media (selection):

• HP Superior Inkjet Paper 180g Glossy, A4
• HP Professional Inkjet Paper 120 Matt, A4
• HP Labels 70x36mm, A4
• HP Bright White Inkjet Paper 90, A4
• HP Premium Glossy Photo Paper 240, 10x15cm

HP CD/DVD Tattoos

HP’s new CD/DVD Tattoos are ideal for anyone who burns discs of music, photos, video or other digital information, and wants to add a personal touch. They are ultra-thin, highly durable plastic labels that provide the world’s glossiest, water-resistant finish that will not delaminate. Innovative anti-curl technology prevents the tattoos from wrinkling, curling or warping. Personalised CD/DVD labels are easy to create with text and exclusive designs from HP’s collection, or by adding your own photos and graphics to make truly unique discs at www.hp.com/eur/tattoos.

Pricing and availability
• HP Photosmart C3183 – estimated price - $106
• HP Photosmart C4183 – estimated price - $161

About HP

HP is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing. For the four fiscal quarters ended April 30, 2006, HP revenue totalled $88.9 billion. More information about HP (NYSE, Nasdaq: HPQ) is available at www.hp.com.

(1) Based on WillhelmResearch.com light-fade testing under glass (January 2005) using the HP Vivera Inks on HP Premium Plus Photo Papers. For more information on additional permanence testing factors, visit http://hp.com/go/premiumplusphoto.
(2) Borderless printing up to 210mmx594mm using brochure and photo papers.
((3) 6-ink printing available with purchase of optional HP 58 Photo Inkjet Cartridge; not included; sold separately.
(4) Up to 4800x1200-optimised dpi colour when printing from a computer and 1200-input dpi.
(5 Using 4x6-inch HP photo papers plus tab.
(6) Based on paper industry predictions for acid-free testing papers; colourant stability data at room temperature based on similar systems tested as per ISO 11798 and ISO 18909.
(7) For information on page yield please go to www.hp.com/go/pageyield.
(8) EMEA Manufacturer’s Recommended Selling Price (MRSP) including VAT and is subject to change – actual price may vary by country.

© 2006 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

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Throwaway Printers

Moneycontrol Tech Blog > Disposable Printers: "Disposable Printers

Thursday August 10th 2006, 1:00 pm

By: Gagan Gupta

Use ‘em, Dump ‘em!

The concept of Disposable printers has been brought in by the throwaway price-tags attached to the low-end printer these days. The thing with these printers is that their cartridge prices are almost as high as the price of the printer itself.Of course that doesn’t mean that you should throw away these printers once you run out of cartridges (the chances of you running out of both the ink cartridges at the same time are pretty narrow). The theory aims more towards the idea that these are the printers you can well afford to throw away without feeling a pinch in your pocket.

Instead of carrying a printer along with you, when going on a business trip, you can simply pick one of these up from a local vendor, use it as much as you like, and simply discard it once you’re done. Or even if you’re a home user, and you encounter a problem with one of these printers, and it’s out of the warranty period; you can simply dump it and get a new one.

These printers are perfect for regular document printing or simple home printing needs, where one doesn’t expect too much quality. If you want great quality and features like pict-bridge support, wireless printing, direct memory card printing, then these little entry-level models just won’t do.

If you’re in the market for a disposable printer then now comes the good part for you. We’ve listed out some great options in disposable printers that are currently available in the market these days, to help your buying decision.

HP Deskjet 3940

HP’s starter-level printer, the Deskjet 3940, is absolutely the cutest one in its segment. It’s quite tiny in its 16.6 x 13.6 x 5.6 inch body, and weighs only 4.5lbs. It may not be a highly recommended photo printer out there but it will definitely satisfy a home user who wants to simply print out his vacation photos, cards or stationary.

Available at the street price of Rs 2,999, the HP 3940 is the most expensive printer on this list, but that’s not so bad, considering that it does have the cheapest cartridge costs on this list too(Rs 702 for black and Rs 810 for color). Rest assured, the printer will look great on your desk and give you more than satisfactory print quality for your everyday printing needs. If you’re looking for better speeds and higher quality in photo printing, then maybe you should check out this next model below.

Canon PIXMA iP1200

The Canon PIXMA iP1200 is not too good to look at, in fact we can safely go as far as saying that it would probably look better hidden somewhere in your computer cabinet than out open on the desktop. But once you shoot a print command at it, your perception seriously changes.

The prints you get from the iP1200 are the best among the printers listed here, and its definitely faster than the HP 3940. The price of the printer is 2750, which is lesser than the HP 3940 too but the cartridge prices are n the higher side (Rs. 1,000 for black and Rs. 1,200 for color).

If performance holds a higher value over looks, for you, then the PIXMA iP1200 is just right for you. Otherwise the HP Deskjet 3940 will definitely look a lot better on your desk. However, if you’re only looking at saving money then move on to the printer below.

Lexmark Z615

The Lexmark Z615 defines the disposable printer category with its extremely affordable price tag of Rs 2,250. Since the cartridges cost only Rs. 812 for black and Rs. 884 for color, you aren’t exactly left for broke by the recurring cartridge costs.

The printer is nowhere as sleek as the HP 3940, but it’s curvaceous build keeps it from being unattractivelike the PIXMA iP1200. However the build of this budget printer seems pretty flimsy and the parts don’t really seem the type that would last too long. Even the print quality leaves a lot to be desired. Though the above printers costed a bit more than the Z615, their print quality was way better. The good thing is that at its price you really have nothing to lose.

Technorati Tags: Lexmark, Z615, Canon, iP1200, HP, Deskjet, 3940, printers, inkjet, disposable, budget"

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