If before, choosing the coolest pen and the smoothest paper was the highlight of school supplies shopping; now, picking the best value printer and scanner has become just as important.

Unlike 15 years ago when academic requirements entail cut out pictures from magazines with hand-written content, modern education created the need to produce technology-supported outputs. These include graphics-heavy projects - which can only be brought to life by using high-precision printers and scanners.

This back-to-school season, Epson Philippines is addressing the need of students for affordable yet high quality digital imaging tools by unveiling its new line of printers and scanners. These new Epson products offer the best value for students through its superior printing and imaging quality.

Low Cost, High Impact Printers
True to its role as the leading provider of digital imaging and printing solutions, Epson applied its innovative technology and market insight to provide best-in-class, quality printers to entry-level users such as students and first-time buyers.

This is seen in the newly unveiled Epson Stylus T10, TX200 and TX400, which fuse affordability for both printer and ink cartridges with high quality prints as main attractions.

All three printers use DURABrite Ultra Inks, which are water, smudge and fade resistant. DURABrite Ultra Inks also protect prints against liquid spills, ensures text stays fast even against highlighter marks, and prevents colors from fading prematurely so prints remain vibrant for years.

The printers also use a Micro Piezo print head-an Epson-patented technology also found in high-end printers. The technology won its inventor, Mr. Minoru Usui, the prestigious Perkin Medal, the most prestigious SDC (Society of Dyers and Colorists) medal awarded for discoveries or other outstanding work related to tinctorial and allied industries.

Using these printers also lowers down ink costs with their built-in four-color individual ink cartridge system, which allows users to replace depleted ink cartridges separately. This is in contrast with the traditional and widely used combined ink cartridge system, which has to be changed as soon as one color runs out.

"We wanted to dispel the notion that only great artists using expensive printers and scanners can produce quality pictures and prints," said Eduardo Bonoan, Senior General Manager, Division Head for Sales and Marketing for Epson Philippines. "With our new line of printers, students and other entry-level users can now afford professional-quality digital imaging tools for their school and recreation needs."

New Business Scanners and Portable Printer
Aside from these printers, Epson also unveiled a new line of business scanners-Epson GT-20000 and GT-1500-and the portable printer Epson PictureMate PM270.

Epson GT-20000 and GT-1500 are powerful scanners whose automatic document feeder (ADF) makes scanning quick and easy. The Epson GT-20000 scans up to 23 pages per minute (ppm) for monochrome and 15 ppm for color documents; while the Epson GT-1500 scans up to 18 ppm for monochrome and 12 ppm for color documents.

Both scanners are also installed with helpful Page Manager software to guide both expert and beginner users as they perform simple document management and scans with high level of accuracy for archival and sharing purposes.

For editing, the scanners come with bundled ABBYY Fine Reader 6 Sprint Plus backed with advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) software that helps convert scanned documents to easily editable text format. The scanned images and documents can then be saved as encrypted PDF files that retain the format and layout of their original templates.

Meanwhile, the PictureMate PM270 is an impressive Epson product that combines portability, speed and excellent quality prints. The PictureMate PM270 provides the convenience of a mobile photo lab, allowing users to print high-quality photos anytime, anywhere.

With PictureMate PM270, smooth gradation and precision printing is achievable in every print. And through EPSON Claria Photographic Inks, these pints can last up to 200 years and still retain their rich colors and high gloss.

These new products along with Epson's back-to-school printers are a testament to the company's commitment to exceeding the vision of its customers in order to deliver a distinctly superior imaging, printing and scanning experience.

About Epson
Epson is a global leader in imaging products including printers, 3LCD projectors and small- and medium-sized LCDs. With an innovative and creative culture, Epson is dedicated to exceeding the vision and expectations of customers worldwide with products known for their superior quality, functionality, compactness and energy efficiency. 

Epson is a network of 87,626 employees in 117 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., the Group had consolidated sales of 1416 billion yen in fiscal 2006.

About Epson Philippines
Epson's corporate presence in the Philippines commenced in 1998. It grew rapidly into a billion peso company in a span of few years from its establishment due to its client-oriented approach on its business management style by its dedicated and innovative staff members and officers.  For more details, please visit www.epson.com.ph

About Epson Philippines Customer Support Team
EPSON Philippines provides customer assistance through its Helpdesk that can be contacted from Monday to Friday, 9AM to 6PM. Epson Philippines' strategically located Authorized Service Centers serve as forerunners in delivering high quality technical support to customers nationwide. For any product inquiries and technical support, please contact us at Tel Nos. (632) 706 2609 ext. 138/183/185; toll free number 1-800-1069-EPSON (37766); direct line number (632) 7062625; or email epchelpdesk@epc.epson.com.ph

*Note: Epson Singapore is the regional headquarters for Seiko Epson Corporation and oversees Epson's operations in South East and South Asia which includes Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Indo-China, India and the Indian sub-continent.