Last year, Epson's
PictureMate(R) personal photo lab was a top choice among gift givers looking
for the perfect digital camera companion for their friends and family members.
With less than 90 days left to shop for holiday gifts, Epson is giving
consumers yet another PictureMate product to choose from -- and making the
popular line of 4" x 6" compact photo printers even more affordable.
The latest addition to the PictureMate product line, Epson's new
PictureMate(R) Express Edition (MSRP $149) has all the benefits of the
original PictureMate, plus a faster print speed that allows users to print
brilliant, glossy 4"x6" photos in as little as 80 seconds -- 35 percent faster
than the original PictureMate(1). In addition to the introduction of a third
PictureMate model, Epson also is reducing the price of its existing
PictureMate products. PictureMate and PictureMate(R) Deluxe Viewer Edition
are now available for a suggested retail price of $129 and $199, respectively.
"The addition of a third PictureMate model and the price adjustments made
to the existing product line give digital camera owners even more options for
choosing the best PictureMate personal photo lab for their particular needs,"
said Grace Huang, product manager, Epson. "PictureMate and PictureMate
Express Edition appeal to consumers looking for a quick, easy and affordable
solution for printing brilliant, lab-quality photos in the convenience of
home. For those looking for a more feature-rich and portable solution for
editing and printing their photos with or without a computer, PictureMate
Deluxe Viewer Edition offers greater versatility and convenience for printing
what you what, when you want, whenever -- and however -- you want."
Designed as the ultimate printing companion for digital camera owners, all
three PictureMate models allow users to easily print beautiful, long lasting
lab quality photos at home for as little as 24 cents per print -- with or
without a computer.
Thanks to Epson's exclusive archival six-color pigment printing
technology, PictureMate prints not only match the look and feel of traditional
lab prints, they also are the gold standard for superior photo longevity,
including a water- and smudge-resistance that is not available with most other
4" x 6" ink jet photo printers, and a fade resistance that is as much as two
to four times longer than traditional film-processed photos and up to 25 times
longer than photos from other dedicated snapshot printers. PictureMate photos
are rated to resist fading up to 104 years in a glass frame and about 200
years in an album(2).
All three PictureMate printers, which have earned the ENERGY STAR by
meeting strict energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, are simple and convenient
to use. Printing digital images is as easy as inserting any popular memory
card or connecting to a PictBridge enabled camera and pressing Print. And,
with a variety of editing and printing options, as well as options for backing
up photo files directly to a CD-R, Zip or flash drive, PictureMate can be used
independently from a computer. The PictureMate products also feature wireless
direct printing capabilities via an optional Epson Bluetooth Photo Print
Adapter (MSRP $69), allowing owners of Bluetooth-enabled camera cell phones
and PDAs to easily print their photos.
For digital camera owners looking for greater versatility and convenience,
PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition has additional features and benefits,
including a built-in premium color photo viewer for previewing and editing
images, as well as a wider variety of editing and printing options. These
options include Epson's exclusive Print by Date mode, manual photo adjustments
for brightness, sharpness and saturation, unlimited photo cropping
capabilities, and 15 fun Disney frames, with popular Disney characters such as
Mickey and Friends, the Disney Princesses and Winnie the Pooh -- all of which
can be easily added to create a colorful and lively border to any photo before
printing. With print speeds as fast as 75 seconds and optional internal
battery (MSRP $69), PictureMate Deluxe Viewer Edition makes photo printing
anytime, anywhere even more convenient(1).
All three PictureMate products are supported by PictureMate Print Packs,
convenient and economical ink and photo paper combo packs. PictureMate Print
Packs now come in three versions, including a 270-sheet glossy 4"x6" photo
paper option (MSRP $65.00) with a cost per print of about 24 cents, and a
100-sheet glossy 4"x6" photo paper option (MSRP $29.00) with a cost per print
of about 29 cents. For those who prefer a matte finish, Epson also offers a
PictureMate Print Pack, Matte version with 100 sheets of matte 4"x6" photo
paper (MSRP $33.99). Thanks to the PictureMate Print Pack Satisfaction
Guarantee, PictureMate owners are assured they will have enough ink to produce
prints using all of the photo paper included in their respective Print
Pack(3).

Availability and Special Offers
PictureMate, PictureMate Express Edition and PictureMate Deluxe Viewer
Edition are available for purchase at consumer electronics retailers, computer
superstores, mass merchandisers, office superstores and photo specialty
stores. The PictureMate products also can be purchased online, via catalogs
and through the EpsonStore.com. All models come with a one-year limited
warranty in the United States and Canada.
For more information about the PictureMate product line and all the
special offers and promotions available, or to purchase PictureMate and its
accessories, such as a carrying case, optional battery, car adapter and photo
envelopes for mailing prints, visit http://www.MyPictureMate.com.

About Epson
Epson offers an extensive array of award-winning image capture and image
output products for the consumer, business, photography and graphic arts
markets. The company is also a leading supplier of value-added point-of-sale
(POS) printers and transaction terminals for the retail market. Founded in
1975, Epson America Inc. is the U.S. affiliate of Japan-based Seiko Epson
Corporation, a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology
products that meet consumer demands for increased functionality, compactness,
systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America Inc. is
headquartered in Long Beach, California.

Note: Epson and PictureMate are registered trademarks of Seiko Epson
Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
companies. Epson disclaims any rights in those marks.

(1) Speed based on printing a color photo without a PC in border layout
Best Mode.

(2) Using the PictureMate cartridge and PictureMate paper, prints are
predicted to last up to 200 years in archival sleeves in album
storage and up to 104 years in a glass frame in indoor display
conditions. See Wilhelm-research.com for test conditions. Actual
print stability will vary according to image and storage or display
conditions. Epson does not guarantee the longevity of prints.

(3) Under Epson's Satisfaction Guarantee, if you are dissatisfied
because you receive fewer prints than the number of paper sheets in
your Print Pack, return the remaining sheets within six months of
purchase, and Epson will refund the difference, plus a maximum of
$1.10 for postage. For details, go to
epson.com/picturemateguarantee.