Epson partners with camera manufacturers to introduce PIM

Epson has unveiled its revolutionary PRINT Image Matching (PIM) technology, that ensures digital cameras work hand in hand with printers to produce photos that print truer-to-life than ever before. Several leading digital camera manufacturers - Casio, Konica, Kyocera, Minolta Olympus, Ricoh, Sony and Toshiba- have partnered with Epson to incorporate PIM technology in their upcoming digital camera models. Epson will include this new technology in all future photo printers.

"PIM will undoubtedly revolutionize the consumer photographic market by making it more enticing for average households to use digital as an alternative to traditional film," comments Hans Dummer, general manager at Epson locally. "This technology makes it easier to get consistent digital photographic prints of incredible quality. Because the technology works by putting more control of the photographic process in the camera than ever before, PIM creates new opportunities for both digital camera developers and photographers."

In the past, vendors have found it challenging to get the most accurate prints on a consistent basis when printing the same digital camera image from different software programmes. This has occurred because software programmes set their own unique print commands. Furthermore, while digital cameras can capture images in a wider colour space, printers have been unable to access the data because the digital camera image files were optimised for the limited computer monitor colour space.

This technology enables PIM compatible printers to seamlessly utilise the precise print quality instructions and colour space embedded in the digital camera file, resulting in a printed image that accurately reflects the image captured through the camera lens.

"With a growing number of people printing out their digital photos from their home printers, there is a greater demand for an easy way to optimize digital camera prints. PIM technology allows digital camera customers to easily and consistently produce the best quality prints. It provides a new level of control for the photographer, from the moment an image is captured to the final print," adds Dummer. He maintains that PIM-enabled digital cameras can control the printing conditions to ensure that the printers accurately deliver the image captured.

"PIM technology provides a printing solution between digital cameras and printers, providing customers with optimum image output results," continues Dummer. "Studies show that image quality and print quality are the two most important digital camera features. With the photographers intentions being captured correctly in the printed image, Epson`s technology will contribute to meeting customers` expectations for quality digital photo printing," he concludes.