Epson has added a new model to its consumer inkjet line. The Stylus Photo R340 (£122 ex. VAT) is an A4 colour inkjet printer designed to print photos either from a computer or directly from a digital camera. It also sports a 2.4-inch colour LCD preview display.

Designed for digital photo enthusiasts it has a built-in LCD for previewing, selecting and cropping images before you print. The display also allows you to select from a choice of photo-finishing options.

For instance, you can adjust contrast, brightness and saturation, select filters and choose print layouts. Photos can also be printed directly from memory cards, or via PictBridge, USB Direct Print, compatible digital cameras or from mobile phones via Bluetooth.

The Stylus Photo R340 (483x478x297mm, 5.4kg) is the highest quality photo printer in its class, claims Epson, and its 6-ink (Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Light Cyan, Light Magenta) Micro Piezo inkjet system delivers an optimised resolution of 5760x1440dpi while the Variable-sized Droplet Technology creates droplets as small as 3pl for crisp and defined images. The printer is relatively quick too, according to company, outputting a 10x15cm photo in just under 1 minute.

The printer features six individual ink cartridges so you only need to replace the colour that you have used, making it a cost-effective choice compared to low-end models that require you to change the whole colour tank when just one colour expires. It also includes a direct CD printing function so that you can create professional looking CDs and DVDs using Epson's bundled Print CD software.

PhotoEnhance technology is included which automatically detects the type of scene in the digital image and will adjust colour reproduction accordingly, to ensure a premium quality photo every time.

For example, when an image is detected as 'portrait', PhotoEnhance should make the skin tones brighter and the contrast softer. When the image is detected as 'landscape', the contrast is made harder, accentuating detail and texture and the colour is more saturated.

The Stylus Photo R340 also comes bundled with the Epson's Creativity Suite, allowing you to manage and edit your photos. You can attach images to e-mail, send to Web, print Web pages and easily adjust image sizes and resolutions.

BIOS, Nov 04, 05 | Print | Send | Comments (0) | Posted In Printer