August 26, 2004

EPSON Middle East has launched the Perfection 4870 Photo scanner that brings groundbreaking DIGITAL ICE Technology to the graphics or photography professional. Pioneering image technology within the Perfection 4870 Photo keeps EPSON in sharp focus. This high performance flatbed scanner for the photography or graphics professional offers the power and quality of a film scanner with the flexibility of a flatbed, all without sacrificing the scan quality.

With an optical resolution of 4800 x 9600dpi - the highest in its class - the new scanner allows a 35mm piece of film to be enlarged to 60cm x 80cm. By coupling this vast resolution with a moving TPU (transparency unit) lamp, EPSON's newest flatbed scanner not only challenges the traditional film scanner manufacturers on quality, but also on price.

EPSON's new technological advancements represented by the DIGITAL ICE Technology allow film and prints to be scanned for reprinting, archiving, enlargement and picture restoration, without compromising on quality. The new scanner's high resolution produces unrivalled results from both photo and transparent media.

"Before the Perfection 4870 Photo, users wanting professional quality photo restoration really had only one option - expensive film scanners. The Perfection 4870 Photo breaks the mould with its innovative blending of film scanner features and flatbed flexibility. Combined with DIGITAL ICE Technology, this high-performance scanner offers value-added solutions to photography and graphics professionals," said Khalil El-Dalu, General Manager, EPSON Middle East. "We are positive the Perfection 4870 Photo will enable the Middle East's flourishing graphics industry deliver exceptional results to their clients."

The Perfection 4870 Photo is so powerful that the grain of the film can be detected when scanning at high resolutions. Available in the Professional Mode, Grain Reduction acts as a multi-level diffuser that blends the grain allowing you to scan small areas for enlargement. Sometimes the grain is desired, so the user is left with the final artistic decision to use it or not.

The award-winning DIGITAL ICE Technology automatically removes surface defects such as dust and scratches from a scanned image. DIGITAL ICE Technology differentiates itself from software-only solutions because it does not soften, blur or otherwise alter any underlying details or composition of the original image. Instead, the patented DIGITAL ICE Technology works from within the scanner during the scanning process to provide the user with a clear, authentic base image that improves the original image. The user does not need to learn or install any additional software to make the DIGITAL ICE Technology work.

The DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology within the Perfection 4870 Photo works by utilising two light sources, reflecting on the image from different directions. DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology uses a defect map to identify the precise locations of physical defects, or visual "noise" on a print being scanned. Differential shadowing technology and proprietary software algorithms quickly and automatically eliminate the unwanted defects, producing a scanned image file that improves upon the original print. DIGITAL ICE Photo Print Technology is designed to remove dust and lint, while also correcting scratches, cracks, rips, and creases found on the surface of most prints.

To cater for every professional's need, the Perfection 4870 Photo has remarkable optical density of 3.8DMax, which is unrivalled in this class. The 3.8DMax optical density enables the scanner to detect the data lost by most other scanners in extreme highlight and shadow areas. The 3.8DMax figure is actual, not a mathematical theory, and will allow the professional photographer to get the most from their images.

The scanner's powerful USB 2.0 Hi-Speed and IEEE 1394 FireWire interfaces produce fast and accurate scans. The professional-level SilverFast SE6 scanning and imaging software add a whole host of graphical benefits such as selective colour correction and NegaFix negative film optimiser; and EPSON's very own Colour Restoration system and Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 complete the comprehensive Perfection 4870 Photo package.

-Ends-

About EPSON
The Epson Group increases its corporate value through its innovative and creative culture. Dedicated to providing its customers with digital image innovation, its main product lines comprise information-related equipment such as printers and projectors, electronic devices including displays, liquid crystal panels for projectors, semiconductors and quartz devices, and precision products such as watches. Epson products are known throughout the world for their superior quality, functionality, compactness and energy efficiency.

The Epson Group is a network of 84,899 employees in 110 companies around the world, and is proud of its ongoing contributions to the global environment and to the communities in which it is located. Led by the Japan-based Seiko Epson Corp., which is listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the Group had consolidated sales of 1,413 billion yen in fiscal 2003.

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© Press Release 2004