Epson America Inc. has today announced three new photo printer models in its Stylus Photo series. First up is the new Stylus Photo 925, a 720dpi model with built-in slots accepting CompactFlash (Type-I and -II inclusive of IBM Microdrives), SmartMedia and Sony Memory Stick media for computerless printing. Interestingly, Secure Digital and MultiMediaCards can be used by connecting the printer's USB port to a Microtech Zio USB MMC/SD card reader.The '925 uses 6 ink colors to create photos up to letter size including 4" x 6", 5" x 7" and 8" x 10" borderless prints - including the ability to print from roll paper, and have the printer automatically cut the prints (with normal or paper saving modes, and the option to cut prints manually). It is compatible with Windows 98, 2000, ME or XP, and MacOS 8.6, 9.x or OS X 10.1 if you want to use it with a computer using the USB connection; if not you can purchase a separate preview monitor to see your images before printing (there's also a monochrome LCD to preview settings).

The Stylus Photo 925 costs $299, and will ship this month. The preview screen will cost an additional $79. Further specifications from Epson are as follows:

EPSON Stylus Photo 925
Estimated Street Price	$299
Maximum Resolution	Up to 5760 x 720 Optimized dpi with RPM (Resolution Performance Management) black and color
Convenient Photo Printing with or without a Computer	Built-in card slots for: CompactFlash™ Type I and Type II, Sony MemoryStick®, SmartMedia™ and IBM Microdrive™ Additional cards supported with optional Microtech Zio USB MMC/Secure Digital card reader connection: Secure Digital and MultiMedia Card
EPSON BorderFree™ Printing	Borderless printing without perforated papers in popular 4"x 6", 5"x 7", 8"x 10" and Letter (8.5"x 11") sizes
Roll Paper w/ Auto-Cutter	Convenient and borderless, edge-to-edge photo printing for easy, unattended, high-volume 4"x 6" prints. Auto-cutter can be operated manually by button located directly on the printer to easily cut photos.
PRINT Image Matching	Revolutionary technology ensures that PRINT Image Matching digital cameras and the Stylus Photo 925 (in addition to five other EPSON Stylus Photo printers) work perfectly together to easily produce the best possible prints. PRINT Image Matching II (P.I.M. II) provides the best possible prints automatically with P.I.M. and P.I.M. II-enabled digital cameras (compatible with Exif 2.1 and 2.2)
Printing Method	Epson's exclusive and award-winning drop-on-demand Advanced Micro Piezo™ ink jet technology
Color Configuration	Superior 6-color (CMYKcm), quick drying, photo inks-- separate true black ink cartridge for rich laser sharp black text and the best shadow detail and black density for photos that look like photo lab prints. Intellidge cartridge enables instant, one button, anytime switching of cartridges and accurate ink level gauging.
Dot Size	Ultra small, "unvisible" 4 picoliter ink droplet, with variable droplet technology in eight modes.
Print Speed	8" x 10" photo Approx. 1:50 minutes in Fine mode 4" x 6" photo Less than 50 seconds in Fine mode
Paper Sizes	Letter, Legal, A4, 4"x 6", 5"x 7", 8"x 10" Supports cut-sheet papers 4" x 4" up to 8.5" x 44" in size with user defined mode. Supports roll papers 4" and 8.3" wide rolls
Maximum Printable Area	8.5" x 44" (Length is dependent on operating system and application)
Paper Types	EPSON Premium Glossy Photo Paper, EPSON Glossy Photo Paper, EPSON Matte Paper Heavyweight, EPSON Premium Bright White Paper, EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper, EPSON Glossy Photo Greeting Cards, EPSON Photo Stickers, EPSON ColorLife Photo Paper.
Printer Dimensions and Weight	19.37" x 11.42" x 8.98" 14.11 lbs.
Preview Monitor	$99 optional preview monitor for convenient image viewing without a computer
Interface and Compatibility	Mac 8.6, 9.x and OS X 10.1 or later, Windows 98, 2000, ME, and XP, Built-in USB port; Transfer and save images directly to USB Powered and AC Powered IOMEGA 250MB Zip Drive or Sony Memory Vault
Warranty	One-year limited in U.S. and Canada, with Epson Exchange Warranty
Support	The Epson Connection Pre-Sales Support U.S. and Canada 1-800-463-7766 Technical Support 1-800-922-8911 Internet Web site www.epson.com
Software Bundle	EPSON Software Film Factory.with PRINT Image Matching support ArcSoft PhotoImpressions with PRINT Image Matching support PRINT Image Matching Plug-in for Adobe Photoshop 6.0, 7.0 and Elements
.
* Specifications are subject to change without notice. Epson and EPSON Stylus are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Next up is the Stylus Photo 825, a replacement for the existing Stylus Photo 785EPX. As with the '925, the Stylus Photo 825 is a 720dpi model but this time the built-in card slot accepts full-sized PCMCIA Type-I and Type-II cards. CompactFlash Type-I, SmartMedia, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard and Sony Memory Stick media are all catered for via included PCMCIA adapters, for computerless printing from cameras supporting these cards. An optional PCMCIA Type-II adapter is available, supporting the IBM Microdrive. The '825 uses 6 ink colors to create photos up to letter size including 4" x 6", 5" x 7" and 8" x 10" borderless prints - including the ability to print from roll paper. The printer is compatible with Windows 98, 2000, ME or XP, and MacOS 8.6, 9.x or OS X 10.1 if you want to use it with a computer using the USB connection; if not you then again you can purchase a separate preview monitor to see your images before printing (we presume this is the same accessory as for the '925, as the price quoted is identical) As with the '825, there's also a monochrome LCD to preview settings.

The Stylus Photo 825 costs $199, and will ship this month. Further specifications from Epson are as follows:

EPSON Stylus Photo 825
Estimated Street Price	$199
Maximum Resolution	Up to 5760 x 720 Optimized dpi with RPM (Resolution Performance Management) black and color
Convenient Photo Printing with or without a Computer	Built-in in PCMCIA Type II card slot and includes adapters for: CompactFlash™ Type I, Sony MemoryStick®, SmartMedia™, Secure Digital and MultiMedia Card Additional compatibility with optional adapters: CompactFlash™ Type II and IBM Microdrive™
EPSON BorderFree™ Printing	Borderless printing without perforated papers in popular 4"x 6", 5"x 7", 8"x 10" and Letter (8.5"x 11") sizes
Roll Paper	Convenient and borderless, edge-to-edge photo printing for easy, unattended, high-volume 4"x 6" prints and small or large panorama printing
PRINT Image Matching	Revolutionary technology ensures that PRINT Image Matching digital cameras and the Stylus Photo 825 (in addition to five other EPSON Stylus Photo printers) work perfectly together to easily produce the best possible prints. PRINT Image Matching II ( P.I.M. II) for the best possible prints automatically with P.I.M. and P.I.M. II-enabled digital cameras (compatible with Exif 2.1 and Exif 2.2)
Printing Method	Epson's exclusive and award-winning drop-on-demand Advanced Micro Piezo™ ink jet technology
Color Configuration	Superior 6-color (CMYKcm) quick drying photo inks--separate true black ink cartridge for rich laser sharp black text and the best shadow detail and black density for photos that look like photo lab prints. Intellidge cartridge enables instant, one button, anytime switching of cartridges and accurate ink level gauging.
Dot Size	Ultra small, "unvisible" 4 picoliter ink droplet, with variable droplet technology in eight modes
Print Speed	8" x 10" photo Less than two minutes in Fine mode 4" x 6" photo Less than 52 seconds in Fine mode
Paper Sizes	Letter, Legal, A4, 4"x 6", 5"x 7", 8"x 10" Cut-sheet papers 4" x 4" up to 8.5" x 44" in size with user defined mode. Roll papers 4" and 8.3" wide
Maximum Printable Area	8.5" x 44" (Length is dependent on operating system and application)
Paper Types	EPSON Premium Glossy Photo Paper, EPSON Glossy Photo Paper, EPSON Matte Paper Heavyweight, EPSON Premium Bright White Paper, EPSON Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper, EPSON Glossy Photo Greeting Cards, EPSON Photo Stickers, EPSON ColorLife Photo Paper
Printer Dimensions and Weight	18.39" x 10.7" x 8.35" 12.13 lbs.
Preview Monitor	$99 optional preview monitor for convenient image viewing without a computer
Interface and Compatibility	Mac 8.6, 9.x and OS X 10.1 or later, Windows 98, 2000, ME, and XP, Built-in USB port
Warranty	One-year limited in U.S. and Canada, with Epson Exchange Warranty
Support	The Epson Connection Pre-Sales Support U.S. and Canada 1-800-463-7766 Technical Support 1-800-922-8911 Internet Web site www.epson.com
Software Bundle	EPSON Software Film Factory.with PRINT Image Matching support PRINT Image Matching Plug-in for AdobePhotoshop 6.0, 7.0 and Elements
.
* Specifications are subject to change without notice. Epson and EPSON Stylus are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson Corporation. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Finally, the third announcement is the Stylus Photo 960, slated to hit the market in September at a cost of approximately $349. Unfortunately, we don't yet have full specifications or a larger product photo for this model, which Epson says is ideal for presentations, advertising proposals and mockups, professional illustrations, gallery exhibits, personal portfolios and photo competitions.

The '960 has double the resolution of the other two models, at 1440 dpi; the droplet size is reduced to only 2 picoliters! The printer sports 192 nozzles for black ink, allowing speedy text printing, along with 96 nozzles per color for print speeds twice those of the Stylus Photo 890. Three paper paths are illustrated in a side cross-section of the printer below; red for standard printing (capable of 4" x 6" and 5" x 7" borderless printing), yellow for roll-paper (4" and 8.3" / A4 rolls) and blue for matte boards up to 1.3mm thick. The printer includes a paper cutter, and sports built-in parallel and USB 1.1 connectivity.

Specifications highlights for the Stylus Photo 960 from Epson are as follows:

• Estimated street price: $349
• Epson’s MicroPiezo inkjet technology
• 2880 x 1440 dpi resolution
• Ultra small 2 picoliter droplet
• Individual ink cartridge system to maximize ink yield
• 6 color inks with two black cartridges (CMYKcm)
• Fast photo printing
• True BorderFree photo printing
• Roll paper printing with Auto-cutter
• PRINT Image Matching support
• Mac OS 8.6, 9.x and 10.1
• Windows 98, 2000, ME, and XP
• Built-in parallel and USB 1.1 ports
• Software bundle:
  • EPSON Software Film Factory.with PRINT Image Matching (PIM) support
  • EPSON PIM Plug-in for Adobe
  • Photoshop and Photoshop Elements
  • Special offer on ROC plug-in from Applied Science Fiction for Adobe Photoshop
  • Color restoration software
  • Special offer on MonacoEZcolor
  • Color management software

Epson says that the inks used for these new printers are lightfast as long as 25-27 years on Epson ColorLife Photo Paper, according to independent testing by Wilhelm Research Labs. Epson Photo Paper offers 6-7 years lightfastness, whilst Epson Premium Glossy Photo is 9-10 years, and Epson Matte Paper Heavyweight is 24-26 years. Of these, Epson Photo Paper and Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper are water resistant.